كتابِيmy letter كتابُthe letter of أخيa brother of لوعةٍanguish
كتابِي كتابُ أخي لوعةٍ
يُقصِّرfalls short عنof وصفِdescribing أشواقِهِhis longings
يُقصِّر عن وصفِ أشواقِهِ
My letter is the letter of a brother in anguish;
My book is my brother's book of yearning
it falls short of describing his longings.
It falls short of describing his passions
إذاwhen كتبتْwrites كفُّهhis hand أَحُرفاletters
إذا كتبتْ كفُّه أَحُرفا
محتْهاerase them سوابقُrushing tears from آماقهthe corners of his eyes
محتْها سوابقُ آماقه
When his hand writes a few letters,
If his hand were to write letters
the rushing tears from the corners of his eyes erase them.
Their traces would be erased by his tears
وسوفand will تُنَبِّيكtell you آثارُهاtheir traces
وسوف تُنَبِّيك آثارُها
إذاwhen وَصلتْarrive ضِمْنَwithin أوراقهhis pages
إذا وَصلتْ ضِمْنَ أوراقه
And their traces will tell you,
And their marks would inform you
when they arrive within his pages.
If they reached within its pages
لئنeven if بَعُدتْhas gone far بكwith you عنهfrom him النَّوَىseparation
لئن بَعُدتْ بك عنه النَّوَى
فشخصُكyet your image ما(emphatic particle) بينbetween أحداقهhis pupils
فشخصُك ما بين أحداقه
Though separation has carried you far from him,
Though desires have distanced you from him
yet your image remains within his pupils.
Your image remains before his eyes
Sol 6.1