حَملَcarried الداءَthe disease مِنfrom شَواطىءِthe shores of مِصراEgypt
حَملَ الداءَ مِن شَواطىءِ مِصرا
وَأَتىand came to زَحلَةًZahle فَصادَفَthen encountered قَبراa grave
وَأَتى زَحلَةً فَصادَفَ قَبرا
He carried the disease from Egypt's shores,
He carried the disease from the banks of Egypt
And came to Zahle, then found a grave.
And came to Zahleh where he found a grave
لَمdid not تُرِعهُfrighten him طُيوفُthe phantoms of بَلواهhis affliction لَوif لَمhad not
لَم تُرِعهُ طُيوفُ بَلواه لَو لَم
تَختَلِجstir فيin هَواهُhis love أَطهرthe purest ذِكرىmemory
تَختَلِج في هَواهُ أَطهر ذِكرى
The phantoms of his affliction would not have frightened him, had not
The specters of his affliction would not have frightened him
The purest memory stirred within his love.
Had his soul not been stirred by the purest memory
حينَwhen يَهويfalls الدُجىthe darkness يَمُرُّpasses بِهِby him الأَمthe past (first part)
حينَ يَهوي الدُجى يَمُرُّ بِهِ الأَم
سُcompletion of 'the past' عَلىupon جانِحيهits two wings يَحمِلُcarries جمراembers
سُ عَلى جانِحيه يَحمِلُ جمرا
When darkness falls, the past passes by him,
When darkness falls, the sun passes over it
On its wings, carrying embers.
Bearing embers upon its wings
أَيُّwhat جَمرٍembers أَحَرُّhotter منthan جَمرِembers of حُبٍّa love
أَيُّ جَمرٍ أَحَرُّ من جَمرِ حُبٍّ
صادَفَfound القَلبَthe heart مَوقِداًa hearth فَاِستَقَرّاand settled
صادَفَ القَلبَ مَوقِداً فَاِستَقَرّا
What embers are hotter than the embers of a love
What ember more scorching than the ember of love
That found the heart a hearth and settled there?
That chanced upon a heart, burning, and settled there
إِنif غَفاdozes مَرَّتِpassed الفَتاةُthe girl بِرُؤياin a dream (word continued)
إِن غَفا مَرَّتِ الفَتاةُ بِرُؤيا
هُhis تُناديcalls upon رَبّاًa Lord وَتَلطُمُand beats صَدراa breast
هُ تُنادي رَبّاً وَتَلطُمُ صَدرا
If he dozes, the girl passes through his dream,
If he slept, the image of the maiden passed in a dream
Calling upon the Lord and beating her breast.
Calling upon her Lord and beating her chest
تارَةًat times تفجرmakes gush الدموعthe tears وَطوراًand at other times
تارَةً تفجر الدموع وَطوراً
تمسكholds back الدمعthe tears فيin المَحاجِرthe eye sockets قَسراby force
تمسك الدمع في المَحاجِر قَسرا
At times she lets her tears gush, and at others
At times tears burst forth, at others
She forcibly holds the tears within her eye sockets.
She held back her tears through sheer will
تَتَخَطّىwalks أَمامin front of قَبرٍa grave جَديدٍnew
تَتَخَطّى أَمام قَبرٍ جَديدٍ
نَثَرَتshe scattered فَوقَهُupon it دُموعاًtears وَزَهراand flowers
نَثَرَت فَوقَهُ دُموعاً وَزَهرا
She walks before a new grave,
She stepped before a new grave
Upon which she has scattered tears and flowers.
Over which she had scattered tears and flowers
بَدَّلchanged الحُزنُgrief وَجهَهاher face فَهوso it لَمdid not يَبقremain
بَدَّل الحُزنُ وَجهَها فَهو لَم يَبق
كَماas كانَit was يَهرقpours forth الحُسنَbeauty سحراas enchantment
كَما كانَ يَهرق الحُسنَ سحرا
Grief has changed her face; it no longer remains
Grief changed her face, it did not remain
As it once was, pouring forth beauty as enchantment.
As it had once radiated beauty like a spell
وَإِذاand when ماemphatic particle اِستَفاقَwakes حَدّقstares فيinto الظُلthe darkness (first part)
وَإِذا ما اِستَفاقَ حَدّق في الظُل
مَةِcompletion of 'the darkness' حيناًfor a while كَمَنlike one who تَوَقَّعexpected أَمراsomething
مَةِ حيناً كَمَن تَوَقَّع أَمرا
And when he wakes, he stares into the darkness
And when he awoke he stared into the darkness
For a while, like one expecting something.
For a while like one expecting something
وَأَجالَand cast about العُيونَthe eyes فيin الغُرفَةِthe room السblack (first part)
وَأَجالَ العُيونَ في الغُرفَةِ الس
وداءِcompletion of 'black' عَلَّperhaps الظَلامَthe darkness يَكشِفُreveals سِرّاa secret
وداءِ عَلَّ الظَلامَ يَكشِفُ سِرّا
And casts his eyes about the black room,
And peered with eyes in the gloomy chamber
Hoping the darkness will reveal a secret.
Hoping the darkness would uncover a secret
ثُمَّthen أَصغىlistened لِنَغمَةٍto a melody فيin حناياinner recesses
ثُمَّ أَصغى لِنَغمَةٍ في حنايا
هُhis تَلوّىwrithed لِذِكرِهاat its memory وَاِقشَعرّاand shuddered
هُ تَلوّى لِذِكرِها وَاِقشَعرّا
Then he listens to a melody in his inner recesses;
Then he listened to a melody in his depths
He writhes at its memory and shudders.
That twisted him with the memory of her, and he shivered
وَهوُand he يَدريknows أَنَّthat الرُؤىthe visions أَيقَظَتهُawakened him
وَهوُ يَدري أَنَّ الرُؤى أَيقَظَتهُ
مِنfrom شُجونٍsorrows إِلىinto شُجونٍsorrows أُخرىother
مِن شُجونٍ إِلى شُجونٍ أُخرى
And he knows that the visions have awakened him
And he knew that the visions had awakened him
From sorrows into other sorrows.
From one passion to another
ذاتَone لَيلٍnight أَحَسَّfelt فيin رِئَتَيهِhis two lungs
ذاتَ لَيلٍ أَحَسَّ في رِئَتَيهِ
خلجَةًa spasm مرَّةًbitter فَخفقاًthen a throbbing أَمَرّاmore bitter
خلجَةً مرَّةً فَخفقاً أَمَرّا
One night he felt within his lungs
One night he felt a violent throbbing in his lungs
A bitter spasm, then a throbbing more bitter still.
And the image of his beloved appeared to him
وَتَراءَتand appeared لَهُto him فَتاةthe girl of هَواهhis love
وَتَراءَت لَهُ فَتاة هَواه
شَبحاًas a phantom دامِياًbloodied فَأَوجَسَso he felt ذُعراterror
شَبحاً دامِياً فَأَوجَسَ ذُعرا
And the girl he loved appeared to him
A gory specter, so he shuddered in horror
As a bloodied phantom, so he felt terror.
Partial English translation: 27 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1