لِمَنto whom إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle قُلتُI say قَولاًa word أَقولI speak
لِمَن إِذا ما قُلتُ قَولاً أَقول
الخَطُّwriting فيon الماءِwater كَعَهدِlike the pledge of المَلولthe fickle one
الخَطُّ في الماءِ كَعَهدِ المَلول
To whom, whenever I utter a word, do I speak?
Writing on water is like the fickle one's pledge.
ماnot عَهدُهُhis pledge إِلّاexcept خَضابٌdye عَلىupon
ما عَهدُهُ إِلّا خَضابٌ عَلى
شَيبٍgray hair يُحَلّيكَit adorns you وَلَكِنand yet يَحولit fades
شَيبٍ يُحَلّيكَ وَلَكِن يَحول
His pledge is nothing but dye upon
gray hair—it adorns you, but fades.
وَماand there is no إِلىto وَصلِكَunion with you فيin حالَتيthe two states of
وَما إِلى وَصلِكَ في حالَتي
سُهديmy sleeplessness وَنَوميand my sleep أَبَداًever مِنany وُصولreaching
سُهدي وَنَومي أَبَداً مِن وُصول
And there is no reaching union with you in either state—
my sleeplessness or my sleep—ever.
ياO وَعدَهُhis promise مِثلُكَlike you ليto me طَيفُهُhis phantom
يا وَعدَهُ مِثلُكَ لي طَيفُهُ
كِلاكُماboth of you لَيسَthere is not لَهُfor it مِنany مُثولappearance
كِلاكُما لَيسَ لَهُ مِن مُثول
O promise of his, his phantom is like you to me:
neither of you ever appears.
فيin خاطِريmy mind وَالسَمعِand hearing مِنfrom ذاthis وَذاand that
في خاطِري وَالسَمعِ مِن ذا وَذا
قَولٌwords وَأَحلامُand dreams أَمانٍwishes تَجولwander
قَولٌ وَأَحلامُ أَمانٍ تَجول
In my mind and hearing, from this and that,
words and wishful dreams wander.
مَنwho ليfor me بِهِwith him قَبلَbefore اِنقِضاءِthe ending of الصِباyouth
مَن لي بِهِ قَبلَ اِنقِضاءِ الصِبا
فَخَلفَهُfor behind it لِلبَينِfor parting حادٍa camel-driver عَجولhasty
فَخَلفَهُ لِلبَينِ حادٍ عَجول
Who will bring him to me before youth ends?
For behind it comes parting's hasty camel-driver.
فَرُبَّماfor perhaps أُصبِحُI shall become بَعدَafter الصِباyouth
فَرُبَّما أُصبِحُ بَعدَ الصِبا
كَالطَلَلِlike a ruin العافيeffaced الجَديدِnew المَحولdesolation
كَالطَلَلِ العافي الجَديدِ المَحول
For perhaps, after youth, I shall become
like an effaced ruin, newly desolate.
هَلwill ...? أَنتَyou فيat حينَئِذٍthat time واقِفٌpausing
هَل أَنتَ في حينَئِذٍ واقِفٌ
أَيُّwhat حَبيبٍlover واقِفٌpausing فيamong طُلولruins
أَيُّ حَبيبٍ واقِفٌ في طُلول
Will you then pause there?
What lover pauses among ruins?
وَلَمand did not تَطُلlast long ماan emphatic particle بَينَناbetween us حالَةٌa state
وَلَم تَطُل ما بَينَنا حالَةٌ
سِوىexcept عِتابٍreproach لَمdid not تَدَعهُyou let it يَطولlast long
سِوى عِتابٍ لَم تَدَعهُ يَطول
And nothing between us lasted long,
save reproach, which you did not let linger.
قَطَعتَyou cut off بِالإِعراضِby turning away إِقبالَهُits approach
قَطَعتَ بِالإِعراضِ إِقبالَهُ
فَأَعرَضَso turned away القَولُspeech فَماذاso what أَقولI say
فَأَعرَضَ القَولُ فَماذا أَقول
You cut off its approach by turning away;
so speech turned away—what then can I say?
بَلاغَةُthe eloquence of الأَقوالِwords ضَيَّعتَهاyou squandered it
بَلاغَةُ الأَقوالِ ضَيَّعتَها
بَينَbetween قَبولٍacceptance وَاِفتِقادِand the lack of القَبولacceptance
بَينَ قَبولٍ وَاِفتِقادِ القَبول
You have squandered the eloquence of words
between acceptance and its absence.
وَالقَولُand speech إِذwhen تُعدَمُare absent آثارُهُits effects
وَالقَولُ إِذ تُعدَمُ آثارُهُ
مِثلُlike سِهامٍarrows عادِماتِlacking النَصولarrowheads
مِثلُ سِهامٍ عادِماتِ النَصول
And speech, when its effects are absent,
is like arrows without arrowheads.
Sol 6.1