كتبتُI wrote وليليand my night بالسُهادthrough sleeplessness نَهارُdaylight
كتبتُ وليلي بالسُهاد نَهارُ
وصَدريand my breast لوُرّادِfor the visitors الهمومِthe sorrows صِدارُa vest
وصَدري لوُرّادِ الهمومِ صِدارُ
I wrote, my night made day by sleeplessness,
I wrote while my night was awake and daytime slept,
and my breast a vest for the sorrows that come to it;
And my chest for the lodgers of worries was a dwelling.
وليand I have أدمعٌtears غُزرٌcopious تَفيضُoverflow كأنَّهاas though they were
ولي أدمعٌ غُزرٌ تَفيضُ كأنَّها
سحائبُclouds فاضَتpoured forth منfrom يديكَyour two hands غِزارُabundant
سحائبُ فاضَت من يديكَ غِزارُ
and I had copious tears, overflowing as though they were
And for me are plentiful tears that pour as though they were
abundant clouds pouring forth from your hands.
Clouds that overflowed from your hands pouring.
وَلمand did not أرَI see مثلَlike الدمعِtears ماءًwater إذاwhen جرىit flows
وَلم أرَ مثلَ الدمعِ ماءً إذا جرى
تَلَهَّبُblazes منهfrom it فيin المدامعِthe tear ducts نارُfire
تَلَهَّبُ منه في المدامعِ نارُ
Never have I seen water like tears: when it flows,
And I did not see any water like tears when they flow,
fire blazes from it in the tear ducts.
Flames from them in the tear ducts blaze.
رحلتُI departed وزاديand my provision لوعةٌanguish ومَطِيَّتيand my mount
رحلتُ وزادي لوعةٌ ومَطِيَّتي
جَوانحُribs منfrom حَرِّthe heat of الفراقِparting حِرارُburning-hot
جَوانحُ من حَرِّ الفراقِ حِرارُ
I departed, my provision anguish, and my mount
I traveled and my provision was agony and my riding beast
ribs burning with the heat of parting.
Wings from the heat of parting were scorched.
مَسيرٌa journey دَعاهُcalled it الناسُpeople سَيراًtravel تَوسُّعاًloosely
مَسيرٌ دَعاهُ الناسُ سَيراً تَوسُّعاً
ومعنىand the meaning اسمِهِof its name إنif حقَّقُوهthey examine it closely إسارُcaptivity
ومعنى اسمِهِ إن حقَّقُوه إسارُ
A journey people called 'travel' only loosely,
A journey people called travel and breadth,
yet its name, if they examine it closely, means captivity.
Yet the meaning of its name if examined is confinement.
اذاwhenever رُمتُI seek أنto أنسىI forget الأسىsorrow ذَكَّرَتreminded me بهِof it
اذا رُمتُ أن أنسى الأسى ذَكَّرَت بهِ
دِيارٌdwellings لهاbelonging to them بينَbetween الضلوعِthe ribs دِيارdwellings
دِيارٌ لها بينَ الضلوعِ دِيار
Whenever I try to forget sorrow, I am reminded of it by
Whenever I attempt to forget the grief, it reminds me
dwellings that have dwellings between my ribs.
Of abodes that within my ribs have abodes.
لكfor you الخيرُgoodness عنfrom غيرother than اختياريmy choosing تَرَحُّليmy departure
لك الخيرُ عن غير اختياري تَرَحُّلي
وهلand is there ليfor me عنagainst صَرفِthe vicissitudes of الزمانِtime خِيارa choice
وهل لي عن صَرفِ الزمانِ خِيار
May good be yours! My departure was not of my choosing,
Goodness is yours without my choice in leaving,
and have I any choice against the vicissitudes of time?
And do I have over the turning of time a choice?
وهذاand this كتابيmy letter والجفونand the eyelids كأنّماas though
وهذا كتابي والجفون كأنّما
تُحَكَّمُare given authority فيover أَشفارِهنَّtheir eyelid rims شِفارُblades
تُحَكَّمُ في أَشفارِهنَّ شِفارُ
And this is my letter, my eyelids seeming as though
And this is my writing while my eyelids are as though
blades had been given mastery over their rims.
Their rims arbitrate upon their edges.
Sol 6.1