أَطَلَّتshe looked out منfrom الشُبّاكthe window وَاللَيلُand the night نَيِّرُbright
أَطَلَّت من الشُبّاك وَاللَيلُ نَيِّرُ
فَأَبصَرتthen she saw الأَوراقَthe leaves تُطوىare folded وَتُنشَرُand are unfolded
فَأَبصَرت الأَوراقَ تُطوى وَتُنشَرُ
She looked out of the window; the night was bright.
And saw the leaves fold and unfold.
يَغيبُfades ضِياءُthe light البَدرof the full moon عَنهاfrom them فَتَختَفيso they disappear
يَغيبُ ضِياءُ البَدر عَنها فَتَختَفي
وَيَظهَرُand it appears مِنfrom بَينِamong السَحابِthe clouds فَتَظهَرُso they reappear
وَيَظهَرُ مِن بَينِ السَحابِ فَتَظهَرُ
The full moon's light faded from them, and they vanished;
Then it emerged from between the clouds, and they reappeared.
فَقالَتthen she said أَفيis there in البُستانِthe garden ريحٌa breeze لَطيفَةٌgentle
فَقالَت أَفي البُستانِ ريحٌ لَطيفَةٌ
تبرِّدُcools فيin نَفسيmy soul لظىًa blaze يَتسعَّرُthat rages
تبرِّدُ في نَفسي لظىً يَتسعَّرُ
She said, "Is there a gentle breeze in the garden
To cool the blaze raging in my soul?
أَفيهِare there in it خَيالاتٌvisions أَحَنُّmore tender منthan الوَرىhumankind
أَفيهِ خَيالاتٌ أَحَنُّ من الوَرى
تُبَدِّدُdispel عَنّيaway from me بَعضَsome of ماwhat أَتَذَكَّراI remember
تُبَدِّدُ عَنّي بَعضَ ما أَتَذَكَّرا
Are there visions there kinder than humankind,
To rid me of some of what I remember?"
وَخَفَّتand she hastened اِلَيهِtoward it وَاِرتِعاشَةُand the trembling of جِسمِهاher body
وَخَفَّت اِلَيهِ وَاِرتِعاشَةُ جِسمِها
يُلَوِّنُهاcolors it البَدرُthe full moon الحييُّthe bashful المصوِّرُthe painter
يُلَوِّنُها البَدرُ الحييُّ المصوِّرُ
And she hastened toward it, while her body's trembling
Was colored by the bashful moon, the painter.
فَصادَفَthen encountered جَفناهاher two eyelids الكَسيرانِdrooping جَدوَلاًa brook
فَصادَفَ جَفناها الكَسيرانِ جَدوَلاً
تَخَلَّلَinterlaced مَجراهُits course سُرادِقُa canopy أَخضَرُgreen
تَخَلَّلَ مَجراهُ سُرادِقُ أَخضَرُ
Then her drooping eyelids came upon a brook,
Its course interwoven with a canopy of green.
وَقدand already طَفَتfloated الأَزهارُthe flowers فَوقَupon مِياهِهِits waters
وَقد طَفَت الأَزهارُ فَوقَ مِياهِهِ
كَحُلمٍlike a dream نَقِيِّpure اللَونِin color يَأتيthat comes وَيَعبُرُand passes
كَحُلمٍ نَقِيِّ اللَونِ يَأتي وَيَعبُرُ
And flowers floated upon its waters,
Like a pure-hued dream that comes and passes.
وَفيand in حينِthe time when كانَتshe was ترسلsending الفكرَher thoughts فيinto الدthe dark- (word fragment)
وَفي حينِ كانَت ترسل الفكرَ في الد
جى-ness (word continuation) وَفيand in نَفسِهاher soul ماضٍa past يَمُدُّsurges وَيجزرُand ebbs
جى وَفي نَفسِها ماضٍ يَمُدُّ وَيجزرُ
And while she sent her thoughts into the dark-
ness, and in her soul a past surged and ebbed,
تَراءَتappeared لِعَينَيهاbefore her eyes طُيوفٌphantoms مُخيفَةٌterrifying
تَراءَت لِعَينَيها طُيوفٌ مُخيفَةٌ
تَمَجُّspit كَأَفواهِlike the mouths of الاِفاعيvipers وَتصفرُand hiss
تَمَجُّ كَأَفواهِ الاِفاعي وَتصفرُ
Terrifying phantoms appeared before her eyes,
Spitting like vipers' mouths and hissing.
وَعادَتand she returned لِمَأواهاto her shelter لَدُنwhen عادَreturned رُشدُهاher senses
وَعادَت لِمَأواها لَدُن عادَ رُشدُها
اليهاto her وَفيand in الأَجفانthe eyelids يَاسٌdespair وادمُعُand tears
اليها وَفي الأَجفان يَاسٌ وادمُعُ
She returned to her shelter when her senses returned
To her, with despair and tears in her eyes.
وَأَلقَتand she cast بِأَيديinto the hands of النَومَsleep مَخمورَdrunken رَأسِهاher head
وَأَلقَت بِأَيدي النَومَ مَخمورَ رَأسِها
فَجاوَرَthen dwelt beside عَينَيهاher eyes كَرىًslumber مُتَقَطِّعُfitful
فَجاوَرَ عَينَيها كَرىً مُتَقَطِّعُ
And cast her drunken head into the hands of sleep;
Then fitful slumber dwelt beside her eyes.
تَمُرُّpass بِهِthrough it الأَحلامُthe dreams خاوِيَةَempty الحَشاthe belly
تَمُرُّ بِهِ الأَحلامُ خاوِيَةَ الحَشا
جِياعٌhungry تُزَجّيهاdrive them onward طَوائِفُthrongs جُوَّعُstarving
جِياعٌ تُزَجّيها طَوائِفُ جُوَّعُ
Dreams passed through it, hollow-bellied,
Hungry, driven onward by starving throngs.
جِياعٌhungry يُؤَدّيهاbrings them الخَواءُemptiness اِلىto الكَرىslumber
جِياعٌ يُؤَدّيها الخَواءُ اِلى الكَرى
فَتَأكلُso they devour أَفلاذَmorsels of العُيونِthe eyes وَتَشبَعُand are sated
فَتَأكلُ أَفلاذَ العُيونِ وَتَشبَعُ
Hungry, led by emptiness into slumber,
Then they devoured morsels of the eyes and were sated—
رُموزُsymbols هَوىًof passion يَستَرفِدُbegs القَلبَthe heart بُلغَةًfor sustenance
رُموزُ هَوىً يَستَرفِدُ القَلبَ بُلغَةً
إِذاwhen جاعَit hungers أَوor يُهويswoops عَلَيهupon it فَيَبضَعُthen cuts it
إِذا جاعَ أَو يُهوي عَلَيه فَيَبضَعُ
Symbols of a passion that begs the heart for sustenance
When hungry, or falls upon it and cuts it open.
وَلَمّاand when طَوىfolded اللَيلُthe night النَجِيُّthe intimate confidant وشاحَهُits mantle
وَلَمّا طَوى اللَيلُ النَجِيُّ وشاحَهُ
وَجاءَand came سَفيرٌan envoy لِلصَّباحِof morning يُشَيِّعُbidding farewell
وَجاءَ سَفيرٌ لِلصَّباحِ يُشَيِّعُ
And when the confiding night folded its mantle,
And an envoy of morning came to bid farewell,
أَفاقَتshe awoke وَقدand already لاثىhad kissed لَهيبَthe blaze of شُجونِهاher sorrows
أَفاقَت وَقد لاثى لَهيبَ شُجونِها
سَماعُhearing طُيورٍbirds فيin الحَديقَةِthe garden تَسجَعُsinging
سَماعُ طُيورٍ في الحَديقَةِ تَسجَعُ
She awoke, the blaze of her sorrows already kissed
By the sound of birds singing in the garden,
كَمجمَرةٍlike a brazier أَفنَتexhausted مَدىthroughout اللَيلِthe night نارَهاits fire
كَمجمَرةٍ أَفنَت مَدى اللَيلِ نارَها
فَماso nothing حَشوُهاits contents إِلّاbut رَمادٌashes مُجَمَّعُheaped together
فَما حَشوُها إِلّا رَمادٌ مُجَمَّعُ
Like a brazier that had spent its fire all night long,
With nothing inside it but a heap of ashes.
وَرَنَّand rang صَدىthe echo of الأَجراسُthe bells فيin كَبَدِthe heart of الضُحىthe forenoon
وَرَنَّ صَدى الأَجراسُ في كَبَدِ الضُحى
يُهيبُcalls بِأَرواحِto the souls of التُقاةِthe devout فَتُسرِعُso they hasten
يُهيبُ بِأَرواحِ التُقاةِ فَتُسرِعُ
And the echo of bells rang in the heart of morning,
Calling to the souls of the devout, who hastened.
فَقالَتthen she said لَعَلَّperhaps اللَهَGod يَقبَلُwill accept توبَتيmy repentance
فَقالَت لَعَلَّ اللَهَ يَقبَلُ توبَتي
فَماfor there is no لِيَfor me فيin الدُنياthis world سِوىexcept اللَهِGod مَرجِعُrecourse
فَما لِيَ في الدُنيا سِوى اللَهِ مَرجِعُ
Then she said, "Perhaps God will accept my repentance,
For in this world I have no recourse but God."
Sol 6.1