كَأَنَّas though حَياتيmy life غُنوَةٌa song جاهِلِيَّةٌpre-Islamic
كَأَنَّ حَياتي غُنوَةٌ جاهِلِيَّةٌ
شَدَتهاsang it اللَياليthe nights لِلقُرونِto the centuries بِلاwithout مَعنىmeaning
شَدَتها اللَيالي لِلقُرونِ بِلا مَعنى
As though my life were a pre-Islamic song,
My life is like an aimless pre-Islamic ode
Sung by the nights to the centuries without meaning;
Whose nights the ages have tightly braided
كَأَنّيas though I أَناI فيهاin it شَجِيُّplaintive غِنائِهاits singing
كَأَنّي أَنا فيها شَجِيُّ غِنائِها
أَقامَestablished لَهاfor it ذِكرىa remembrance تُغنيenriches بِهاwith it الأُذناthe ear
أَقامَ لَها ذِكرى تُغني بِها الأُذنا
As though I, within it, were the plaintive voice of its song,
As if I were in it, the bard of its song
Who established for it a remembrance with which to enrich the ear.
Who made for it memories with which ears are serenaded
Sol 6.1