كشفتْunveiled جارتُناour neighbor عنfrom وجههاher face
كشفتْ جارتُنا عن وجهها
فقرأناso we read فيهin it تاريخَthe history of الحروبْthe wars
فقرأنا فيه تاريخَ الحروبْ
Our neighbor unveiled her face,
Our neighbor unveiled her face,
and there we read the history of wars:
so we read in it the history of wars.
جبهةٌa forehead تصرخcries out فيهاin it لوحةٌa picture
جبهةٌ تصرخ فيها لوحةٌ
أنَّهاthat she is أمُّthe mother of الخطاياthe misdeeds والذنوبand the sins
أنَّها أمُّ الخطايا والذنوب
a brow on which a placard cries out
A forehead where a picture cries out
that she is the mother of misdeeds and sins;
that she is the mother of misdeeds and sins.
وفمand a mouth ينتحرُtakes its own life النُّورُthe light بهِin it
وفم ينتحرُ النُّورُ بهِ
ينفثُspews الأضغانthe grudges ما(emphasizes “between”) بينbetween القلوبthe hearts
ينفثُ الأضغان ما بين القلوب
and a mouth in which light commits suicide,
And a mouth in which light takes its own life,
spewing deep hatreds among hearts.
spewing rancor between hearts.
أبصرتْsaw أطفالناour children صورتَهاher image
أبصرتْ أطفالنا صورتَها
فتنادَوْاso they called to one another بئسماhow wretched الوجهُthe face الغضوبwrathful
فتنادَوْا بئسما الوجهُ الغضوب
Our children saw her image
Our children saw her image,
and called to one another: “How vile that wrathful face!”
so they called to one another: “What a wretched, wrathful face!”
Sol 6.1