ياO رَبَّةَmistress of الصَمتِsilence أَنتِyou آمِنَةٌsafe
يا رَبَّةَ الصَمتِ أَنتِ آمِنَةٌ
إِذاwhen هَفاfaltered ناطِقٌa speaker مِنَfrom السَقطِslips of speech
إِذا هَفا ناطِقٌ مِنَ السَقطِ
O mistress of silence, you are safe
O mistress of silence, you are safe
from slips of speech when a speaker falters.
When a chattering man falls from grace
وَصلُكِunion with you بِالنارِwith fire وَالشِنارِand disgrace فَقَدfor indeed
وَصلُكِ بِالنارِ وَالشِنارِ فَقَد
عِفناهُwe shunned it إِذwhen قَطَّcropped شَعرَهhis hair فَقَطِand no more
عِفناهُ إِذ قَطَّ شَعرَه فَقَطِ
Union with you brings fire and disgrace; indeed,
To connect you with fire and sparks—he
we shunned it when he cropped his hair—and no more.
Has rotted since he trimmed his hair in haste
إِنّاindeed we اِلتَقَطناwe picked up بِالخَرقِin the wasteland طَيفَa phantom of كَرىًslumber
إِنّا اِلتَقَطنا بِالخَرقِ طَيفَ كَرىً
بَلrather كانَwere صَحبيmy companions لَهُfor it مِنَamong اللُقَطِfinds
بَل كانَ صَحبي لَهُ مِنَ اللُقَطِ
We picked up a phantom of slumber in the wasteland;
We picked up a glimpse of an old friend
rather, my companions were among its finds.
Or so my companion thought in his haste
أَلطِفhow subtle بِهِit is! زارَvisited آقِطَيtwo curd-makers of رَهَجٍdust
أَلطِف بِهِ زارَ آقِطَي رَهَجٍ
ماnot شَعَرواthey knew كَيفَhow صَنعَةُthe making of الأَقَطِdried curds
ما شَعَروا كَيفَ صَنعَةُ الأَقَطِ
How subtle it is! It visited two curd-makers of dust,
Be gentle with him—he visited fields
who did not know how dried curds are made.
Laid waste, not knowing the work of waste
لَوif سارَtraveled ذاكَthat الخَيالُphantom فيin مَطَرٍrain
لَو سارَ ذاكَ الخَيالُ في مَطَرٍ
لَمwould not يَخشَfear فيهِin it مِنfrom بَلَّةِwetness النُقَطِdrops
لَم يَخشَ فيهِ مِن بَلَّةِ النُقَطِ
Were that phantom to travel through rain,
Had that specter walked in the rain
it would not fear being wetted by the drops.
It would have feared no stain or waste
بِمَيِّتٍon lifeless ground غادَرَتهُhad left it أَينُقُهُمtheir she-camels
بِمَيِّتٍ غادَرَتهُ أَينُقُهُم
مِنthrough وَطئِهاtheir trampling مِثلَlike حَيَّةِa snake of الرَقَطِspeckles
مِن وَطئِها مِثلَ حَيَّةِ الرَقَطِ
On lifeless ground their she-camels had left
With a corpse they had forsaken—its finery
like a speckled snake through their trampling,
Like a serpent’s slithering pace
يُنبَهُis roused مُغفيa sleeper in فَلاتِهِits wasteland بِقَطاًby sandgrouse
يُنبَهُ مُغفي فَلاتِهِ بِقَطاً
بَينَamong أَياديthe forelegs of رَواحِلٍriding camels بُقُطِscattered
بَينَ أَيادي رَواحِلٍ بُقُطِ
a sleeper in its wasteland is roused by sandgrouse
To wake one sunk in his swoon
among the forelegs of scattered riding camels.
Cats before kneeling camels make haste
Sol 6.1