أبدَلتshe replaced رَاءَهاher rāʾ بِظَاءٍwith ẓāʾ فَتاةٌa girl
أبدَلت رَاءَها بِظَاءٍ فَتاةٌ
تَأمَّلتُهاI gazed upon her تركتُI forsook النِّسَاءَthe women
تَأمَّلتُها تركتُ النِّسَاءَ
A girl replaced her rāʾ with ẓāʾ.
I gazed upon her and forsook other women.
رَابنيunsettled me صرمestrangement رَحمَةٍRaḥma وَرَمَانيand struck me
رَابني صرم رَحمَةٍ وَرَمَاني
بغرامٍwith ardent love جُرِّعتُI was made to drink مِنهُfrom it الصَّرَاءَbitter colocynth
بغرامٍ جُرِّعتُ مِنهُ الصَّرَاءَ
Raḥma’s estrangement unsettled me and struck me
with a passion whose bitter colocynth I was made to drink.
وَبدَاand it appeared يعتريcomes over أنَّthat الفصاحةَeloquence لَحنٌfaulty speech
وَبدَا يعتري أنَّ الفصاحةَ لَحنٌ
ليتنيif only I كُنتُI was أُبدِلُI replace الرَّاءَrāʾ ظَاءَẓāʾ
ليتني كُنتُ أُبدِلُ الرَّاءَ ظَاءَ
And the thought came over me that eloquence is faulty speech:
if only I could replace rāʾ with ẓāʾ!
فترىfor you see الرَّاءَrāʾ هُوit أفصحُthe most eloquent ظَاءٍẓāʾ
فترى الرَّاءَ هُو أفصحُ ظَاءٍ
إنif نظرتَyou examine الدفاترَthe books الفُصَحَاءَthe eloquent
إن نظرتَ الدفاترَ الفُصَحَاءَ
For you see that rāʾ is the most eloquent ẓāʾ,
if you consult the eloquent books.
رَاقنيcharmed me ماwhat تقولُshe says فيconcerning الرَّاءِrāʾ حَتَّىuntil
رَاقني ما تقولُ في الرَّاءِ حَتَّى
غَيرةًout of jealousy صِرتُI began اقتَفِيهِI imitate it إقتِفَاءَclose imitation
غَيرةً صِرتُ اقتَفِيهِ إقتِفَاءَ
Her way of saying rāʾ so charmed me that
out of jealousy, I began to imitate it closely.
ليتنيif only I دائماalways أُكرّرُI repeat بَيتاًa verse
ليتني دائما أُكرّرُ بَيتاً
قَدindeed حَوتhas contained كُلَّevery كِلمَةٍword مِنهُof it رَاءَa rāʾ
قَد حَوت كُلَّ كِلمَةٍ مِنهُ رَاءَ
If only I could always repeat a verse
every word of which contains a rāʾ.
Sol 6.1