قَصُرَwas brief العَيشُlife بِأَكنافِin the environs of الغَضاthe ghada trees
قَصُرَ العَيشُ بِأَكنافِ الغَضا
وَكَذاand so العَيشُlife إِذاwhen طابَis sweet قَصُرis brief
وَكَذا العَيشُ إِذا طابَ قَصُر
Life was brief around the ghada trees,
Life is short beneath the mountains’ shade
and so is life: when sweet, it is brief.
And short when sweetly spent without heartache
فيin لَيالٍnights كَأَباهيمِlike the big toes of القَطاsandgrouse
في لَيالٍ كَأَباهيمِ القَطا
لَستَyou do not تَدريknow كَيفَhow تَأتيthey come وَتَمُرand they pass
لَستَ تَدري كَيفَ تَأتي وَتَمُر
In nights as short as the big toes of sandgrouse,
Through nights like feet of bay, unspurred, unreined
you cannot tell how they come and pass.
None knows what course the coming dawn will take
Sol 6.1