أَلفَيتُهاI found her وَمنand from التَحَسُّرsorrow لاnot تَعيshe comprehends
أَلفَيتُها وَمن التَحَسُّر لا تَعي
تَذريshe sheds الدُموعَtears وَحيدَةًalone فيin المخدعِthe bedchamber
تَذري الدُموعَ وَحيدَةً في المخدعِ
I found her beside herself with sorrow,
Shedding tears alone in her bedchamber.
فَكَأَنَّهاso she seemed وَالدَمعُwhile tears يخطِفُsnatch away صَوتَهاher voice
فَكَأَنَّها وَالدَمعُ يخطِفُ صَوتَها
رَمزٌa symbol of التَعاسَةِmisery فيin الزَمانِthe age الموجعِpainful
رَمزٌ التَعاسَةِ في الزَمانِ الموجعِ
As tears stole away her voice, she seemed
An emblem of misery in an age of pain.
فَسأَلتَهاso I asked her عَمّاabout what يُشيرُindicates شجونَهاher sorrows
فَسأَلتَها عَمّا يُشيرُ شجونَها
وَعَلامَand why تُطلِقُshe lets out زَفرَةَthe sigh of المُتَفَجِّعِone in anguish
وَعَلامَ تُطلِقُ زَفرَةَ المُتَفَجِّعِ
So I asked her what her sorrows signified,
And why she heaved a mourner’s sigh.
فَإِذاthen suddenly بِهاthere she was رَفَعَتshe raised لطافَةَthe delicacy of رَأسِهاher head
فَإِذا بِها رَفَعَت لطافَةَ رَأسِها
بِتَخَشُّعِwith humility أَوحىinspired إِلَيذَto me (apparent typo) تَخشعيmy humility
بِتَخَشُّعِ أَوحى إِلَيذَ تَخشعي
Then she lifted her delicate head,
With a humility that inspired my own humility.
وَرَنَتand she gazed إِلىtoward قَفصٍa cage هُناكَthere مُعَلَّقٍhanging
وَرَنَت إِلى قَفصٍ هُناكَ مُعَلَّقٍ
بِمَحاجِرٍwith eye sockets غَرِقَتthat were drowned بِماءِin the water of الأَدمُعِtears
بِمَحاجِرٍ غَرِقَت بِماءِ الأَدمُعِ
And gazed toward a cage hanging there,
With eyes drowned in tears.
فَحَزَرتُso I guessed أَنَّthat الدَهرَTime سلَّمhanded over طيرهاher bird
فَحَزَرتُ أَنَّ الدَهرَ سلَّم طيرها
ليدِto the hand of الحِمامِDeath فَطيرُهاand so her bird لمdid not يرجِعreturn
ليدِ الحِمامِ فَطيرُها لم يرجِع
I guessed that Time had handed her bird
To Death’s hand, and her bird had not returned.
قالَتshe said فَقَدتُI have lost منfrom الحَياةِlife مُؤاسِياًa comforter
قالَت فَقَدتُ من الحَياةِ مُؤاسِياً
ياah طالَماhow often أَوحىinspired الهمامَthe noble one لِأَضلُعيto my ribs
يا طالَما أَوحى الهمامَ لِأَضلُعي
She said, “I have lost a comforter in life—
Ah, how often that noble one brought inspiration to my breast!
فَإِذاand whenever تَغنّىhe sang بِالزُهورِof flowers وَبِالنَدىand of dew
فَإِذا تَغنّى بِالزُهورِ وَبِالنَدى
كَيفَhow الهَوىLove لِغُناهُto his song لَمdid not يَتَسَمَّعِlisten
كَيفَ الهَوى لِغُناهُ لَم يَتَسَمَّعِ
Whenever he sang of flowers and dew,
How could Love fail to listen to his song?
وَآلهفَand alas for قَلبيmy heart أَينَwhere مِنهُbeside him قَصائِدٌpoems
وَآلهفَ قَلبي أَينَ مِنهُ قَصائِدٌ
لَمdid not يروِهاrecite them حَتّىeven بَيانُthe eloquence of الأَصمَعيal-Asma‘i
لَم يروِها حَتّى بَيانُ الأَصمَعي
Alas for my heart! What are poems beside him—
Even those al-Asma‘i’s eloquence has never recited?
بَلnay أَينَwhere مِنهُbeside him الموصِليal-Mawsili وَصوتهand his voice
بَل أَينَ مِنهُ الموصِلي وَصوته
وَلِسانُand the tongue of معبدِMa‘bad بِالغِناءِin singing المبدعِwondrous
وَلِسانُ معبدِ بِالغِناءِ المبدعِ
Nay, what are al-Mawsili and his voice beside him,
And Ma‘bad’s tongue with its wondrous singing?
وَآلهفَand alas for قَلبيmy heart كَيفَhow واراهُcovered him الثَرىthe earth
وَآلهفَ قَلبي كَيفَ واراهُ الثَرى
وَأَناwhile I هُناhere أَحياlive بِعَيشٍwith a life أَمرعِabundant
وَأَنا هُنا أَحيا بِعَيشٍ أَمرعِ
Alas for my heart! How could the earth bury him,
While I live here a life of plenty?
أَوَلَمand not? يَكُنhe was ليfor me فيin حَياتيmy life مُؤنِساًa companion
أَوَلَم يَكُن لي في حَياتي مُؤنِساً
يَلهوtakes pleasure بِهِin him قَلبيmy heart وَيَطرَبُand is delighted مَسمَعيmy hearing
يَلهو بِهِ قَلبي وَيَطرَبُ مَسمَعي
Was he not a companion in my life,
My heart taking joy in him, my ears enchanted?
ماذاwhat جَنىcommitted الحسونُthe goldfinch فيin جُنحِthe darkness of الدُجىnight
ماذا جَنى الحسونُ في جُنحِ الدُجى
حَتّىso that أُصيبَhe was struck بِسَهمِby the arrow of ذلِكَthat الأَسفَعِdark-faced one
حَتّى أُصيبَ بِسَهمِ ذلِكَ الأَسفَعِ
What wrong did the goldfinch do in night’s darkness,
To be struck by that dark-faced one’s arrow?
أَلِأَنَّهُwas it because he هجرَleft الحُقولَthe fields وَبردَهاand their cold
أَلِأَنَّهُ هجرَ الحُقولَ وَبردَها
وَأَتىand came يغرِّدُwarbling فيin زَواياthe corners of مخدَعيmy bedchamber
وَأَتى يغرِّدُ في زَوايا مخدَعي
Was it because he left the fields and their cold,
And came to warble in the corners of my chamber?”
فَأَجَبتُهاso I answered her كفّيstop البكاweeping وَتصبُّريand be patient
فَأَجَبتُها كفّي البكا وَتصبُّري
فَالطَيرُfor the bird ماتَhas died وَلمand not يَعدremains منany مَطمَعِhope
فَالطَيرُ ماتَ وَلم يَعد من مَطمَعِ
I answered her, “Cease weeping and be patient;
The bird is dead, and no hope remains.
لكِنَّماbut أَصغيlisten لماto what سَأَقولُهI shall say it
لكِنَّما أَصغي لما سَأَقولُه
فَبِمَوتِهِfor in his death عظةٌa lesson لِكُلِّfor every ملوِّعِanguished person
فَبِمَوتِهِ عظةٌ لِكُلِّ ملوِّعِ
But listen to what I shall say:
His death holds a lesson for every anguished soul.
كمhow often رَدَّدتrepeated فيin مَسمَعَيكِyour two ears مَراشِفيmy lips
كم رَدَّدت في مَسمَعَيكِ مَراشِفي
حريتيmy freedom ياO ميُّMayy أَثمنُthe most precious of ماwhat مَعيis with me
حريتي يا ميُّ أَثمنُ ما مَعي
How often have my lips repeated in your ears:
‘My freedom, O Mayy, is my dearest possession.’
فَنَبَذتِهاyet you cast it aside وَجَحدتِand denied ماwhat ردَّدتهI repeated it
فَنَبَذتِها وَجَحدتِ ما ردَّدته
وَصَنعتِand you did بِالحسونِto the goldfinch أَفظَعَthe most dreadful مصنَعِdeed
وَصَنعتِ بِالحسونِ أَفظَعَ مصنَعِ
Yet you cast it aside and denied what I repeated,
And did the most dreadful thing to the goldfinch.
ماnot جاءَhe came حَتّىso that تَسجنيهِyou might imprison him وَإِنَّماbut only
ما جاءَ حَتّى تَسجنيهِ وَإِنَّما
حَتّىso that تقيهِyou might shield him from شَرَّthe evil of فَقرٍpoverty مدقعِgrinding
حَتّى تقيهِ شَرَّ فَقرٍ مدقعِ
He did not come for you to imprison him, but only
For you to shield him from the evil of grinding poverty.
فَجَعَلتِهِyet you made him بَينَamid الحَديدِiron bars مُقَيَّداًshackled
فَجَعَلتِهِ بَينَ الحَديدِ مُقَيَّداً
ياO حُرَّةًfree woman قَيَّدتِyou fettered حراًa free being فَاِنزَعيso desist
يا حُرَّةً قَيَّدتِ حراً فَاِنزَعي
Yet you set him shackled amid iron bars.
O free woman who bound a free being—desist!
لَوif يَفقَهُunderstood الإِنسانُman مَعنىthe meaning of شَرِّهhis own evil
لَو يَفقَهُ الإِنسانُ مَعنى شَرِّه
لَبَكىhe would weep طَيلاًfor a long time بِالدُموعِwith tears الهمَّعِstreaming
لَبَكى طَيلاً بِالدُموعِ الهمَّعِ
If man understood the meaning of his own evil,
He would weep long with streaming tears.”
Sol 6.1