لَقَدindeed سَنَحَتoccurred ليto me فِكرَةٌa thought بارِحِيَّةٌill-omened
لَقَد سَنَحَت لي فِكرَةٌ بارِحِيَّةٌ
وَماand not زادَنيincreased in me إِلّاexcept اِعتِباراًreflection سُنوحُهاits arising
وَما زادَني إِلّا اِعتِباراً سُنوحُها
Indeed, an ill-omened thought occurred to me;
A fleeting thought occurred to me last night,
and its arising only deepened my reflection
And its transience caused me only more distress,
بِرَبَّةِabout a female wearer of طَوقٍa collar ماnot أَقَلَّcarried جَناحُهاher wing
بِرَبَّةِ طَوقٍ ما أَقَلَّ جَناحُها
جَناحاًa sin وَفيand among خُضرِgreen الغُصونِthe branches جُنوحُهاher alighting
جَناحاً وَفي خُضرِ الغُصونِ جُنوحُها
upon a collared dove, whose wing has not borne
With the elegance of a dove whose wings are small,
any sin, and who alights among the green branches.
Wings, yet in the green of branches she takes rest,
وَهاجَand roused حُمَيّاهاher ardor أَصيلٌa late afternoon مُذَكِّرٌstirring memories
وَهاجَ حُمَيّاها أَصيلٌ مُذَكِّرٌ
تُغَنّيهِshe sings to it شَجواًin sorrow أَوor غَداةٌa morning تَنوحُهاshe laments it
تُغَنّيهِ شَجواً أَو غَداةٌ تَنوحُها
And a memory-stirring late afternoon roused her ardor—
And her innate instincts were stirred awake
she sings to it in sorrow—or a morning she laments.
To sing her lament or greeting at dawn’s behest,
وَتِلكَand that لَعَمريby my life شيمَةٌa trait أَوَّليَّةٌprimeval
وَتِلكَ لَعَمري شيمَةٌ أَوَّليَّةٌ
تَوارَثَهاinherited it in turn شيثُSeth الحَمامِthe doves وَنوحُهاand their Noah
تَوارَثَها شيثُ الحَمامِ وَنوحُها
And that, by my life, is a primeval trait,
By my life, this is an old inherited trait
inherited in turn by the doves’ Seth and their Noah.
Bequeathed to doves by Sheth and his noble guest.
Sol 6.1