تذكَرتُI remembered الزهورAl-Zuhur ('The Flowers') فذكَّرتْنيso it reminded me
تذكَرتُ الزهور فذكَّرتْني
بَيانِيmy eloquence والجُمَيّلَand al-Jumayyil والشَّباباand youth
بَيانِي والجُمَيّلَ والشَّبابا
I remembered Al-Zuhur ('The Flowers'), and it reminded me
I was reminded of flowers, so they reminded me
of my eloquence, al-Jumayyil, and youth.
Of my eloquence, beauty, and youth
ثلاثٌthree كنَّthey were منamong نعمblessings اللياليthe nights
ثلاثٌ كنَّ من نعم الليالي
غدونَthey became اليومtoday يأساًdespair واغتراباand estrangement
غدونَ اليوم يأساً واغترابا
Three things once among the nights' blessings
Three things that were the blessings of nights
have become, today, despair and estrangement.
Today they have become despair and estrangement
أخٌa brother فيin مصرEgypt بادلنيexchanged with me ولاءًloyalty
أخٌ في مصر بادلني ولاءً
صفاwas pure كطباعهlike his nature معنىًin essence وطاباand was sweet
صفا كطباعه معنىً وطابا
A brother in Egypt reciprocated my loyalty,
A brother in Egypt reciprocated loyalty
pure and sweet in essence, like his nature.
With sincerity like his nature, meaning and goodness
إذاwhenever جَمَعَتْbrought together لناfor us الأيامُthe days شملاًa gathering
إذا جَمَعَتْ لنا الأيامُ شملاً
بلغناwe attained بالزهورِthrough Al-Zuhur ('The Flowers') منىًwishes عِذاباsweet
بلغنا بالزهورِ منىً عِذابا
Whenever the days brought us together,
If days gather us together again
through Al-Zuhur we attained sweet wishes.
We will attain, through flowers, the object of desire
وقدand indeed ذَهَبhad gone الشبابُyouth فكانso it was أَنَّاthat we
وقد ذَهَب الشبابُ فكان أَنَّا
تبدّلْنَاwe took in exchange منin place of الشَّيبِgray hair الخضَاباdye
تبدّلْنَا من الشَّيبِ الخضَابا
And youth had gone, and so it was that we
And youth has gone, so it was as if
exchanged gray hair for dye.
We changed from gray hair to dye
كذبتُI lied بهwith it علىto نفسيmyself بنفسيby myself
كذبتُ به على نفسي بنفسي
مخافةَfor fear أنthat تقولwould say الغيدُthe graceful women شاباhe has gone gray
مخافةَ أن تقول الغيدُ شابا
With it I myself lied to myself,
I lied to myself about it with myself
for fear the graceful women would say, 'He has gone gray.'
Fearing that time would say "a youth"
إذاif استرسلتَyou gave yourself over كرهاًreluctantly فيin مجازٍa metaphor
إذا استرسلتَ كرهاً في مجازٍ
فخُذْthen hold fast بالوهمto illusion واتَّرِكِand abandon الصواباthe truth
فخُذْ بالوهم واتَّرِكِ الصوابا
If you reluctantly give yourself over to metaphor,
If you ramble reluctantly in metaphors
then cling to illusion and leave the truth behind.
Take fiction and leave truthfulness
Sol 6.1