بماwith what حوتheld الأجفانthe eyelids نفديwe would ransom عصابةًa band
بما حوت الأجفان نفدي عصابةً
علىat غيرother than ميعادٍan appointed time سحيراًjust before dawn لقيناهمwe met them
على غير ميعادٍ سحيراً لقيناهم
With what our eyelids hold, we would ransom a band
With what the eyelids contained we ransom a band
whom we met just before dawn, with no meeting arranged.
At an unforeseen tryst enchantingly we met them
ألمّواthey paid a visit بناto us ليلاat night فكانso was سلامهمtheir greeting
ألمّوا بنا ليلا فكان سلامهم
وداعاًa farewell فقدناهمwe lost them بهwith it إذwhen وجدناهمwe found them
وداعاً فقدناهم به إذ وجدناهم
They called on us by night, and their greeting was
They greeted us at night so their greeting was farewell
a farewell: with it we lost them even as we found them.
When we found them we lost them in that farewell
كأناas though we اجتمعناwe met منهof it فيin ظلthe shadow of طائرٍa bird
كأنا اجتمعنا منه في ظل طائرٍ
فلاso neither ضمَّembraced شكواناour lament ولاnor ضمَّembraced شكواهمtheir lament
فلا ضمَّ شكوانا ولا ضمَّ شكواهم
As though we had met then in a bird's shadow,
As though we gathered from it in the shade of a bird
so it embraced neither our lament nor theirs.
Neither our complaints nor theirs it embraced
فياso, O غفلةunawareness الواشينthe tale-bearers عناof us وعنهُمand of them
فيا غفلة الواشين عنا وعنهُم
وقدwhile already ضَّمناgathered us ذاكthat الطريقroad وإياهمand them
وقد ضَّمنا ذاك الطريق وإياهم
Oh, how unaware the tale-bearers were of us and them,
O oblivion of the slanderers about us and them
while that road had brought us together with them!
We comprised that path and them in it
وياand O أسفيmy sorrow ماhow كانwas أسرعswift فرقةa parting
ويا أسفي ما كان أسرع فرقة
فقدناwe lost بهاthrough it اللذاتِthe pleasures لماwhen فقدناهمwe lost them
فقدنا بها اللذاتِ لما فقدناهم
And oh, my sorrow—how swift the parting was,
Oh my regret what parting was swifter
through which we lost our joys when we lost them!
By it we lost the pleasures when we lost them
نعمناwe enjoyed bliss بإدراكin attaining المنىthe wishes عمرthe span of لحظةٍa moment
نعمنا بإدراك المنى عمر لحظةٍ
وعدناand we returned إِلىto ذكرremembrance of الفراقparting وذكراهمand remembrance of them
وعدنا إِلى ذكر الفراق وذكراهم
We delighted in attaining our wishes for a moment's span,
We enjoyed attaining the goal for an instant
and returned to thoughts of parting and memories of them.
And returned to recalling the separation and recalling them
كأناas though we وإياهمand them لوشكٍbecause of the swiftness of فراقناour parting
كأنا وإياهم لوشكٍ فراقنا
جميعاًall together رأوناthey saw us فيin الكرىsleep ورأيناهمand we saw them
جميعاً رأونا في الكرى ورأيناهم
As though we and they—so swift was our parting—
As though we and they on the verge of our separation
had all seen one another in sleep: they us, and we them.
Together we saw in the burial places and saw them
Sol 6.1