أَتانيcame to me كِتابٌa letter مِنfrom مَليكٍa king بِخَطِّهِin his handwriting
أَتاني كِتابٌ مِن مَليكٍ بِخَطِّهِ
فَماso how أَعظَمَgreat النُعمىthe favor وَماand how أَضعَفَinadequate الشُكراthe thanks
فَما أَعظَمَ النُعمى وَما أَضعَفَ الشُكرا
A letter came to me from a sovereign, penned in his own hand;
A letter came to me from a king, in his own handwriting.
how great the favor, and how feeble the thanks!
How great the favor, and how inadequate the thanks!
فَظَلَّتso they continued تُناجينيwhispering to me بِماof what فيin ضَميرِهاtheir innermost thoughts
فَظَلَّت تُناجيني بِما في ضَميرِها
أَنامِلُfingertips قَدalready خَطَّتhad written بِأَقلامِهاwith their pens سِحراmagic
أَنامِلُ قَد خَطَّت بِأَقلامِها سِحرا
And fingertips kept whispering to me what lay within her heart—
So they kept whispering to me what lay in their hearts—
fingertips that had traced magic with their pens.
Fingertips that had written magic with their pens.
وَإِنيand indeed I لَأَستَبطيdo find slow in coming المَنِيَّةَdeath كُلَّماwhenever
وَإِني لَأَستَبطي المَنِيَّةَ كُلَّما
ذَكَرتُI remembered الَّتيher whom لاnot أَستَطيعُI can لَهاof her ذِكراmention
ذَكَرتُ الَّتي لا أَستَطيعُ لَها ذِكرا
Indeed, I find death slow in coming whenever
And indeed I find death slow in coming whenever
I remember her whom I cannot bring myself to mention.
I remember her whom I cannot speak of.
فَلمّاso when تَفَهَّمتُI understood الكِتابَthe letter رَدَدتُهُI returned it
فَلمّا تَفَهَّمتُ الكِتابَ رَدَدتُهُ
إِلَيهاto her وَلَمand did not أَبعَثI send بِرَدٍin reply لَهُto it سَطراa line
إِلَيها وَلَم أَبعَث بِرَدٍ لَهُ سَطرا
Then, when I had fully grasped the letter, I returned it
So when I understood the letter, I returned it
to her, and sent not a single line in answer to it.
To her, and sent not a line in reply to it.
Sol 6.1