لوif شئتyou wished نهنهتyou held back منsome of الدمعthe tears
لو شئت نهنهت من الدمع
وصنتهand you preserved it عنfrom دارسeffaced الربعthe dwelling
وصنته عن دارس الربع
Had you wished, you could have held back your tears
Had I willed I would have stemmed my tears
and kept them from the dwelling's faded traces.
And guarded it from the courtyards of the land
هويتهاyou loved her شمطاءa gray-haired woman قدalready جاوزتshe had passed beyond
هويتها شمطاء قد جاوزت
فيin العدthe reckoning تسعينninety إلىup to تسعnine
في العد تسعين إلى تسع
You loved her, a gray-haired woman, already beyond
Her love has surpassed in my counting
ninety in years by another nine.
Ninety plus nine more to add
مسمعةa songstress لمdid not تحظyou gain منfrom حبهاlove for her
مسمعة لم تحظ من حبها
بلذةwith pleasure العينthe eye ولاnor السمعhearing
بلذة العين ولا السمع
A songstress, from whose love you gained
An unheard ear that knew not of her love
no pleasure for the eye or the ear.
Nor the joy of sight or hearing
تستنطقshe makes speak العودthe lute بمسودةwith a blackened hand
تستنطق العود بمسودة
يدعوprays عليهاagainst her العودthe lute بالقطعfor amputation
يدعو عليها العود بالقطع
She makes the lute speak with a blackened hand;
I make the lute speak of the blackened manuscript
the lute prays for her hand to be cut off.
And the lute prays for her to be cut off
لاnot تنثنيshe bends يبساfrom dryness وهلand can تهتديfind their way
لا تنثني يبسا وهل تهتدي
شمائلgraceful traits البانthe ben tree إلىto النبعthe nabʿ tree (bow wood)
شمائل البان إلى النبع
She cannot bend, so dry is she; can
Do not bend, O dry wood, and can you be guided
the ben-tree's graces find their way to the nabʿ tree?
To the attributes of erectness by the spring?
فلوso if تراءتshe appeared لكto you مصلوبةcrucified
فلو تراءت لك مصلوبة
حسبتهاyou would think her جذعاa log علىupon الجذعthe log
حسبتها جذعا على الجذع
So if she appeared before you crucified,
If you were to see her crucified
you would take her for a log upon the log.
You would think her a trunk upon a trunk
Sol 6.1