وُعِدتُI was promised عَصيدَةًporridge شَقراءَgolden تَحكيresembling
وُعِدتُ عَصيدَةً شَقراءَ تَحكي
طِرارَfringes الصُبحِthe dawn فيin ثَوبِthe robe of الظَلامِdarkness
طِرارَ الصُبحِ في ثَوبِ الظَلامِ
I was promised golden porridge resembling
I was promised a golden porridge that tells
The fringes of dawn in the robe of darkness.
Of dawn's fragrance in the garb of darkness
تَراهاyou see it حينَwhen تَبرُزُit appears فيin ظَلامٍdarkness
تَراها حينَ تَبرُزُ في ظَلامٍ
كَعُرفِlike the mane of الطَرفِthe steed فيin زَمَنٍa time قِتامِdust-dark
كَعُرفِ الطَرفِ في زَمَنٍ قِتامِ
You see it, when it appears in darkness,
You see it when it emerges in the dark
Like a steed's mane in a dust-dark hour;
Like the eyelid's edge in a gloomy time
كَذيlike one possessing دَلٍّcoquetry عَلَيهِupon him مُعَصفَراتٌsafflower-dyed garments
كَذي دَلٍّ عَلَيهِ مُعَصفَراتٌ
يُدِلُّhe acts coyly عَلىtoward المَشوقِthe yearning lover المُستَهامِthe love-besotted
يُدِلُّ عَلى المَشوقِ المُستَهامِ
Like a coy beloved wearing safflower-dyed robes,
Like a guide dressed in yellow
Who plays coy with the yearning, love-besotted lover.
Guiding towards the yearned destination
فَلَمّاso when أَنthat صَباyearned قَلبيmy heart إِلَيهاtoward it
فَلَمّا أَن صَبا قَلبي إِلَيها
وَمُدَّتand was extended نَحوَهاtoward it عَينُthe eye of اِهتِماميmy attention
وَمُدَّت نَحوَها عَينُ اِهتِمامي
So when my heart yearned for it,
So when my heart inclined towards it
And the eye of my attention reached toward it,
And my eye of interest extended to it
تَقاصَرَfell short دونَهاof reaching it كَفّايَmy two hands حَتّىso much so that
تَقاصَرَ دونَها كَفّايَ حَتّى
كَأَنَّas though الدِبسَthe syrup عُلِّقَwas suspended بِالغَمامِin the clouds
كَأَنَّ الدِبسَ عُلِّقَ بِالغَمامِ
My hands fell so far short of it that
My capacities fell short of reaching it
The syrup seemed suspended in the clouds.
As if the honey got stuck to the clouds
فَدونَfor before السَمنِthe ghee أَطرافُthe points of العَواليthe tall spears
فَدونَ السَمنِ أَطرافُ العَوالي
وَدونَand before النارِthe fire بادِرَةُthe edge of الحُسامِthe keen sword
وَدونَ النارِ بادِرَةُ الحُسامِ
For tall spearpoints bar the way to the ghee,
So beyond ghee are the hilltops
And the sword's edge bars the way to the fire.
And beyond fire is the sword's edge
أَتِلكَis that? عَصيدَةٌporridge أَمor طَيفُthe phantom of سَلمىSalma
أَتِلكَ عَصيدَةٌ أَم طَيفُ سَلمى
فَلَيسَfor it does not يَزورُvisit إِلّاexcept فيin المَنامِdreams
فَلَيسَ يَزورُ إِلّا في المَنامِ
Is that porridge, or Salma's phantom?
Is that a porridge or Salma's apparition?
For it visits only in dreams.
It only visits in the dream
Sol 6.1