وَلَيلٍand a night كَإِبهامِlike the thumb of القَطاةِthe sandgrouse مُعَلَّقٍsuspended
وَلَيلٍ كَإِبهامِ القَطاةِ مُعَلَّقٍ
بِنورِfrom the light of صَباحٍdawn ظَلَّremained فيهِin it بِمُرقَبِat a lookout
بِنورِ صَباحٍ ظَلَّ فيهِ بِمُرقَبِ
And a night like a sandgrouse’s thumb, suspended
And night hung like the paw of a cat
from dawn’s light, which kept watch within it—
On the light of a dawn whose glow was trapped
أَقَمناwe stayed عَلىupon أَوطارِdesires لَهوٍrevelry مُعَجَّلٍhurried
أَقَمنا عَلى أَوطارِ لَهوٍ مُعَجَّلٍ
بِهِin it وَتَواعَدناand we agreed to meet بِلَيلٍon a night مُعَقَّبِfollowing
بِهِ وَتَواعَدنا بِلَيلٍ مُعَقَّبِ
we gave ourselves to the pleasures of hurried revelry
In its grasp. Together we whiled away
in it, and arranged to meet on a night to follow,
The hours, heedless of nights yet to come.
عَلىat حينa time when لاnot عَهدُthe days of الشَبابِyouth بمحلقٍflown away
عَلى حين لا عَهدُ الشَبابِ بمحلقٍ
لَديّwith me وَلاand not زِندُthe firestick of المشيبِgray hair بِمَثقَبِstriking fire
لَديّ وَلا زِندُ المشيبِ بِمَثقَبِ
at a time when youth’s days had not yet flown away
Gone now is the time when youth thought not
from me, nor had the firestick of gray hair yet sparked.
Of consequence; when age had little weight.
Sol 6.1