حُلَّتْwere unfastened عَليكَover you مَعَاقدُthe knots الأَنْدَاءِof dew
حُلَّتْ عَليكَ مَعَاقدُ الأَنْدَاءِ
ونَحَتْand headed toward ثَراكَyour soil قوافِلُthe caravans الأنواءِof seasonal rains
ونَحَتْ ثَراكَ قوافِلُ الأنواءِ
May the knots of dew be undone over you,
The bonds of companionship were untied around you,
and may the caravans of rain head toward your soil.
And the caravans of parting carved your tombstone.
وسَرَتْand passed by night عَلىover أكنَافِthe sides قبرِكَof your grave نَسْمَةٌa breeze
وسَرَتْ عَلى أكنَافِ قبرِكَ نَسْمَةٌ
بَلَّتْmoistened حَوَاشِيهاits fringes يدُthe hand الأنداءِof dew
بَلَّتْ حَوَاشِيها يدُ الأنداءِ
And may a breeze pass by night over the sides of your grave,
A breeze blew over the edges of your grave,
its fringes moistened by the hand of dew.
Its edges wet with tears of grief.
ماwhat بَاليَmy state استسْقيتُI sought watering أنداءَthe dews الحَيَاof rain
ما بَاليَ استسْقيتُ أنداءَ الحَيَا
وأرحتُand I relieved أجفانيmy eyelids مِنَfrom الإسْقاءِwatering
وأرحتُ أجفاني مِنَ الإسْقاءِ
Why have I asked for the rain’s dew,
Why did I ask life for companions,
and spared my eyelids the task of watering?
And rested my eyelids from weeping?
ماnot ذَاكَthat إلاexcept أنَّthat بِيْضَthe white مَدَامِعيof my tears
ما ذَاكَ إلا أنَّ بِيْضَ مَدَامِعي
غَاضَتْran dry مُبَدَّلَةًreplaced بحُمْرِby red دِماءِblood
غَاضَتْ مُبَدَّلَةً بحُمْرِ دِماءِ
It is only because my white tears
Only because the white of my tears
have run dry, replaced by red blood.
Turned red, mingled with blood.
هتفتْcalled out أياديكَyour favors الجِسَامُthe mighty بأعينيto my eyes
هتفتْ أياديكَ الجِسَامُ بأعيني
فَسَمَحْنَso they gave freely بالبيضاءِof white tears والحمراءِand red blood
فَسَمَحْنَ بالبيضاءِ والحمراءِ
Your mighty favors called upon my eyes,
Your body called out to my hands,
so they gave freely of the white and the red.
Permitting them white and red.
أنَّىhow يجازيْrepays شُكْرَthe thanks due for نعمتِكَyour favor التيwhich
أنَّى يجازيْ شُكْرَ نعمتِكَ التي
جَلَّلتَنيهاyou clothed me in it قطرةٌa drop منof مَاءِwater
جَلَّلتَنيها قطرةٌ من مَاءِ
How can the thanks due for your favor—that favor
How can I repay the gift of your love
you clothed me in—be paid by a drop of water?
That you honored me with, a drop of water?
ياO دُرَّةًa pearl سمحتْwas generous بهاwith it الدنياthe world علىamid
يا دُرَّةً سمحتْ بها الدنيا على
يَأْسٍdespair منof الإحسانِkindness والإعطاءِand giving
يَأْسٍ من الإحسانِ والإعطاءِ
O pearl the world freely bestowed amid
O pearl! The world let go of you
despair of kindness and giving,
In despair of kindness and giving.
واسترجَعَتْهاand reclaimed it بعدماafter سَمَحَتْwas generous بهاwith it
واسترجَعَتْها بعدما سَمَحَتْ بها
وكَذَاكَand such كانتْwas شيمةُthe disposition البخلاءِof misers
وكَذَاكَ كانتْ شيمةُ البخلاءِ
and reclaimed after freely bestowing it—
And took you back after letting you go,
such has been the way of misers.
Such is the way of the misers!
فلئنْfor even if قَصَرْتَyou shortened منof الإقامةِthe stay عندَناamong us
فلئنْ قَصَرْتَ من الإقامةِ عندَنا
حتىso that كأنَّكَas though you were لمحةُa fleeting glimpse الإِيماءِof a gesture
حتى كأنَّكَ لمحةُ الإِيماءِ
For though you cut short your stay among us,
If your stay with us was short,
so that you seemed like the flash of a gesture,
As if you were a greeting of waving.
فلقدyet indeed أقمتَyou dwelt بناamong us غريباًa stranger فيin العُلاlofty eminence
فلقد أقمتَ بنا غريباً في العُلا
وكذاكَand such قُصْرُthe brevity إقامةِof the stay الغُرَبَاءِof strangers
وكذاكَ قُصْرُ إقامةِ الغُرَبَاءِ
yet you dwelt among us, a stranger in your lofty eminence,
You were a stranger living high above,
and such is the brevity of strangers’ stays.
Such is the short stay of strangers!
Sol 6.1