ماhow أَسلَمَpeaceful القَلبَthe heart وَأَصفىand how pure السَمَراthe evening talk
ما أَسلَمَ القَلبَ وَأَصفى السَمَرا
وَأَهنَأَand how pleasant الشِتاءَthe winter فيin تِلكَthose القِرىthe villages
وَأَهنَأَ الشِتاءَ في تِلكَ القِرى
How peaceful the heart, how pure the evening talk!
And how pleasant the winter in those villages!
وَأَطوَلand how long اللَيلَthe night بِهِin it وَأَقصَراand how short
وَأَطوَل اللَيلَ بِهِ وَأَقصَرا
تَجريflow اللَياليthe nights عَذبَةٌsweet كَالساقِيَةlike a stream
تَجري اللَيالي عَذبَةٌ كَالساقِيَة
And how long the winter night—and how short!
The nights flow sweetly, like a stream;
يُضَنُّone is loath to part مِنهاof them بِاللَياليwith the nights الباقِيَةremaining
يُضَنُّ مِنها بِاللَيالي الباقِيَة
كَأَنَّهاas though they were بَقِيَّةٌa remnant منof عافِيَهgood health
كَأَنَّها بَقِيَّةٌ من عافِيَه
The nights that remain are jealously treasured,
As though they were a remnant of good health.
فيon لَيلَةٍa night لِطولهاbecause of its length وَسنانهdrowsy
في لَيلَةٍ لِطولها وَسنانه
وَالأَرضُand the earth مِمّاfrom what شَرِبتit had drunk نَشوانهintoxicated
وَالأَرضُ مِمّا شَرِبت نَشوانه
On a night made drowsy by its length,
And the earth drunk on what it had drunk,
عادَhe returned فَأَلفىthen found أُمَّهُhis mother سَهرانَهawake
عادَ فَأَلفى أُمَّهُ سَهرانَه
فَقالَthen he said ماnot عَوَّدكِhas accustomed you اللَيلُthe night السَهَرkeeping vigil
فَقالَ ما عَوَّدكِ اللَيلُ السَهَر
He returned and found his mother awake.
He said: Night has never accustomed you to keeping vigil;
لَمnot يَبقَremain إِلّاexcept ساعَتانِtwo hours لِلسَحَرuntil dawn
لَم يَبقَ إِلّا ساعَتانِ لِلسَحَر
أَقرأُI read فيin وَجهِكyour face ياO أُمِّMother خَبَرnews
أَقرأُ في وَجهِك يا أُمِّ خَبَر
Only two hours remain until dawn.
I read news in your face, Mother.
غَلواءُGhalwa ماwhat حَلَّhas befallen شَقِيَّهunhappy girl
غَلواءُ ما حَلَّ شَقِيَّه
أَماhas ... not? تَبَقّىremained لِلرَّجاfor hope بَقِيَّهa remnant
أَما تَبَقّى لِلرَّجا بَقِيَّه
Ghalwa—what has befallen her! Unhappy girl!
Is there not a remnant of hope left?
مسكينَةٌpoor girl
مسكينَةٌ
وَيلwoe to امِّهاher mother صَبِيَّهa young girl
وَيل امِّها صَبِيَّه
Poor girl!
Woe to her mother—she is only a girl!
وَحاوَلَand he tried النَومَsleep بِدونِwithout جَدوىavail
وَحاوَلَ النَومَ بِدونِ جَدوى
كَأَنَّas though فيin عَينَيهِhis two eyes قَلباًa heart يَهوىloves
كَأَنَّ في عَينَيهِ قَلباً يَهوى
And he tried to sleep, to no avail.
As though his eyes held a heart in love,
وَقَلبُهُand his heart كانَwas بَريئاًinnocent خِلواempty
وَقَلبُهُ كانَ بَريئاً خِلوا
وَاِنتَقَلand he passed اِنتِقالَةًa transition عَجيبَهstrange
وَاِنتَقَل اِنتِقالَةً عَجيبَه
Yet his heart had been innocent and empty.
And he passed, in a strange transition,
مِنfrom أَلَمِthe anguish of الروحِthe soul الىinto غَيبوبَهa trance
مِن أَلَمِ الروحِ الى غَيبوبَه
كَشُعلَةٍlike a flame فيin نَفسِهِhis soul مَشبوبَهkindled
كَشُعلَةٍ في نَفسِهِ مَشبوبَه
From the soul's anguish into a trance,
Like a flame kindled within his soul.
طَوراًat times يَرىhe sees غَلواءَGhalwa فيin صِباهاher youth
طَوراً يَرى غَلواءَ في صِباها
تَشِعُّshine فيin وُجدانِهِhis inner being عَيناهاher two eyes
تَشِعُّ في وُجدانِهِ عَيناها
At times he sees Ghalwa in her youth,
Her eyes shining within his soul,
مَعقودَةentwined الحُسنِbeauty عَلىabout رَيّاهاher fragrance
مَعقودَة الحُسنِ عَلى رَيّاها
وَتارَةًand at other times فيin كَفَنٍa shroud مُلتَفَّهwrapped
وَتارَةً في كَفَنٍ مُلتَفَّه
Her beauty entwined about her fragrance;
And at other times, wrapped in a shroud,
يُسَرَّحُpasses المَوتُdeath عَلَيهاover her كَفَّهhis palm
يُسَرَّحُ المَوتُ عَلَيها كَفَّه
بِحَسرَةٍwith sorrow عاطِفَةٍtender وَلهفَهand yearning
بِحَسرَةٍ عاطِفَةٍ وَلهفَه
Death passes his palm over her
With tender sorrow and yearning.
بارِزَةًprotruding مِنfrom فَمِهاher mouth الأَسنانُthe teeth
بارِزَةً مِن فَمِها الأَسنانُ
مُزرَقَّةًbluish كَأَنَّهاas though they were ديدانworms
مُزرَقَّةً كَأَنَّها ديدان
Her teeth protrude from her mouth,
Bluish, as though they were worms,
وَاللِّثَةُand the gums الحَمراءُred زَعفَرانُsaffron
وَاللِّثَةُ الحَمراءُ زَعفَرانُ
ذاتَwith شُحوبٍa pallor راعِبٍterrifying زَهيبِdreadful (unclear reading)
ذاتَ شُحوبٍ راعِبٍ زَهيبِ
And her red gums are saffron,
With a terrifying, dreadful pallor,
كَأَنَّهُas though it were لَونٌa hue منof الذُنوبِsins
كَأَنَّهُ لَونٌ من الذُنوبِ
أَوor نَفَسٌa breath منfrom صَدرِهاher breast المَكروبِanguished
أَو نَفَسٌ من صَدرِها المَكروبِ
As though it were a hue of sins,
Or a breath from her anguished breast.
وَكانَتand was الظُلمَةُthe darkness فيin أَشجانِsorrows
وَكانَت الظُلمَةُ في أَشجانِ
وَالريحُand the wind كَالمِبرَدlike a file فيagainst الأَبدانِthe bodies
وَالريحُ كَالمِبرَد في الأَبدانِ
And the darkness lay in sorrow,
And the wind was like a file against the flesh,
وَاللَيلُand the night فيهاwithin it كَضَميرlike the conscience of الجانيthe criminal
وَاللَيلُ فيها كَضَمير الجاني
وَلمand not يَكَدwas close to منfrom حُلمِهِhis dream يُفيقwake
وَلم يَكَد من حُلمِهِ يُفيق
And the night within it was like a criminal's conscience.
And scarcely had he woken from his dream
حَتّىwhen اِعتَراهُovertook him خَدَرٌnumbness عَميقُdeep
حَتّى اِعتَراهُ خَدَرٌ عَميقُ
وَجُنَّand went mad فيin دِماغِهِhis brain العُروقُthe veins
وَجُنَّ في دِماغِهِ العُروقُ
When a deep numbness overtook him,
And the veins in his brain went mad.
فَأَبصَرَthen he saw المَريضَةَthe sick girl المُحتَضَرَهdying
فَأَبصَرَ المَريضَةَ المُحتَضَرَه
مَسدولَةَhanging loose الذَوائِبِthe tresses المُبَعثَرهdisheveled
مَسدولَةَ الذَوائِبِ المُبَعثَره
Then he saw the sick girl, dying,
Her disheveled tresses hanging loose,
جِنّيئةٌa female jinn هائِمةٌwandering فيin مَقبَرهa graveyard
جِنّيئةٌ هائِمةٌ في مَقبَره
وَحلَّand settled فيin أَهدابِهِhis eyelashes تابوتُa coffin
وَحلَّ في أَهدابِهِ تابوتُ
A she-jinn wandering in a graveyard.
And a coffin settled in his eyelashes,
فيin قَلبِهِits heart صَبِيَّةٌa young girl تَموتُis dying
في قَلبِهِ صَبِيَّةٌ تَموتُ
تَموتُdying فيin غَيبوبَةٍa swoon وَسَكرَهand stupor
تَموتُ في غَيبوبَةٍ وَسَكرَه
In its heart a young girl was dying,
Dying in a swoon and stupor;
لَهاshe has مِنof العُمرِage ثَمانيeight عَشرَهten
لَها مِن العُمرِ ثَماني عَشرَه
وَعِندَماand when أَفاقَhe awoke منfrom رُؤياهُhis vision
وَعِندَما أَفاقَ من رُؤياهُ
She was eighteen years old.
And when he awoke from his vision,
وَحَدَّقتand stared الىinto الدُجىthe darkness عَيناهُhis two eyes
وَحَدَّقت الى الدُجى عَيناهُ
رَأىhe saw نِياماًasleep كُلَّall منwho فيin الدارِthe house
رَأى نِياماً كُلَّ من في الدارِ
And his eyes stared into the darkness,
He saw everyone in the house asleep,
إِلّاexcept عُيونَthe eyes of الهِرِّthe cat ذاتَpossessing النارِfire
إِلّا عُيونَ الهِرِّ ذاتَ النارِ
Except the cat's eyes, full of fire.
Sol 6.1