ياO سفيناًships لعبَplayed الموجُthe waves بهاwith them
يا سفيناً لعبَ الموجُ بها
ثمthen أهداهاgave them as a gift إلىto قالٍgossip وقيلْand hearsay
ثم أهداها إلى قالٍ وقيلْ
O ships the waves have toyed with,
O ship that the waves did play with
Then given over to gossip and hearsay,
Then gave her to saying and told
منwho تُرىI wonder أبحرَsailed فيهاaboard them قبْلَbefore أنthat
من تُرى أبحرَ فيها قبْلَ أن
يُعْلنَannounces الربَّانُthe captain ميعادَthe appointed time الرحيلdeparture؟
يُعْلنَ الربَّانُ ميعادَ الرحيل؟
Who, I wonder, sailed aboard them before
Who will sail in her before
The captain announced the appointed time of departure?
The captain declares the time of departure?
عاشقوlovers of الوهمillusion أحَبَُواthey loved قِصَصاًtales
عاشقو الوهم أحَبَُوا قِصَصاً
قرؤوهاthey read them فيin سجلِّthe ledger of المستحيلthe impossible
قرؤوها في سجلِّ المستحيل
Lovers of illusion loved tales
Lovers of illusion loved tales
They had read in the ledger of the impossible.
They read in the register of the impossible
صنعواthey made قاطرةًa tugboat منfrom ورقٍpaper
صنعوا قاطرةً من ورقٍ
أينماwherever مالتْtilted بهاwith it الريحُthe wind تميلit tilts
أينما مالتْ بها الريحُ تميل
They made a tugboat out of paper;
They made a locomotive of paper
Whichever way the wind tilts it, it tilts.
Wherever the wind leaned it would incline
Sol 6.1