ياO دارَabode of عاتِكَةʿAtika الَّتيwhich is بِالأَزهَرِat al-Azhar
يا دارَ عاتِكَة الَّتي بِالأَزهَرِ
أَوor فَوقَهُabove it بِقَفاat the back of الكَثِيبِthe sand dune الأَحمَرِred
أَو فَوقَهُ بِقَفا الكَثِيبِ الأَحمَرِ
O abode of ʿAtika, which is at al-Azhar,
O house of Atika by Al-Azhar
Or above it, behind the red sand dune.
Or above it on the hill of red sand
لَمdid not أَلقَmeet أَهلَكِyour people بَعدَafter عامَthe year لَقِيتُهُمI met them
لَم أَلقَ أَهلَكِ بَعدَ عامَ لَقِيتُهُم
ياOh لَيتَif only أَنَّthat لِقاءَهُمmeeting them لَمnot يَقدُرِbe decreed
يا لَيتَ أَنَّ لِقاءَهُم لَم يَقدُرِ
I have not met your people since the year I met them—
I have not met your people again after a year I met them
Oh, if only meeting them had never been decreed!
Oh, if only meeting them had not been destined
بِفِناءِin the courtyard of بَيتِكِyour house وَاِبنand Ibn مُشعَبَMushʿab حاضِرٌpresent
بِفِناءِ بَيتِكِ وَاِبن مُشعَبَ حاضِرٌ
فيin سامِرٍan evening gathering عَطِرٍfragrant وَلَيلٍand a night مُقمِرِmoonlit
في سامِرٍ عَطِرٍ وَلَيلٍ مُقمِرِ
In the courtyard of your house, with Ibn Mushʿab present,
In your courtyard, with Ibn Mushab present
In a fragrant evening gathering, on a moonlit night,
In aromatic Samir and a moonlit night
مُستَشعِرِينَwearing next to their skin مَلاحِفاًwraps هَرَويَّةًfrom Herat
مُستَشعِرِينَ مَلاحِفاً هَرَويَّةً
بِالزَعفَرانِwith saffron صِباغهاtheir dye وَالعُصفُرand safflower
بِالزَعفَرانِ صِباغها وَالعُصفُر
Wearing Herati wraps next to their skin,
Lying on striped Harawi blankets
Dyed with saffron and safflower.
Dyed with saffron and ochre
باتاthe two spent the night بِأَنعَمِin a most blissful لَيلَةٍnight حَتّىuntil بَداappeared
باتا بِأَنعَمِ لَيلَةٍ حَتّى بَدا
صُبحٌdawn تَلَوَّحَgleamed كَالأَغَرِّlike a white-blazed horse الأَشقَرِchestnut-colored
صُبحٌ تَلَوَّحَ كَالأَغَرِّ الأَشقَرِ
The two spent a most blissful night, until there appeared
They spent a most pleasant night until
A dawn that gleamed like a white-blazed chestnut horse.
Dawn emerged like the blond morning star
فَتَلازَماthen the two clung to each other عِندَat الفِراقِparting صَبابَةًout of longing
فَتَلازَما عِندَ الفِراقِ صَبابَةً
أَخذَthe grasp of الغَرِيمِthe creditor بِفَضلِby the loose end of ثَوبِthe robe of المُعسِرِthe insolvent debtor
أَخذَ الغَرِيمِ بِفَضلِ ثَوبِ المُعسِرِ
Then they clung to one another at parting, out of longing,
So they bid farewell in youthful joy
As a creditor grasps the loose end of an insolvent debtor’s robe.
As the creditor seizes the garment of the insolvent
Sol 6.1