لاdo not تسألask الركبَthe caravan بعدafter الفجرdawn هلwhether آبُواthey returned
لا تسأل الركبَ بعد الفجر هل آبُوا
الرَّكبُthe caravan عادreturned وماbut no فيin الرَّكبِthe caravan أصحابُfriends
الرَّكبُ عاد وما في الرَّكبِ أصحابُ
Do not ask the caravan after dawn whether they have returned.
Do not ask the caravan after dawn if they have returned
The caravan returned, but there are no friends in the caravan.
The caravan returned but there were no companions in it
تفرَّقواthey scattered فيalong دروبroads الأرضthe earth وانْتَثَرُواand they dispersed
تفرَّقوا في دروب الأرض وانْتَثَرُوا
كأنَّهas though it لمnot يَكُنْthere had been عَهْدٌa bond وأحبابُand loved ones
كأنَّه لم يَكُنْ عَهْدٌ وأحبابُ
They scattered along the earth's roads and dispersed.
They dispersed on the roads of the earth and scattered
As though there had been neither a bond nor loved ones.
As if there were no pacts or loved ones
ماnot فيin العَناقيدthe grape clusters منof أشعارهمtheir verse حببٌbubbles
ما في العَناقيد من أشعارهم حببٌ
والخمرand the wine منfrom بعدهمafter them فيin دنهاits wine jar صابُbitter sap
والخمر من بعدهم في دنها صابُ
There are no bubbles of their verse in the grape clusters.
There is no love in the grapes that remain
And after them, the wine in its jar is bitter sap.
And after them the wine in the jars has soured
ياO طارقone who knocks at البابthe door رفقًاgently حينwhen تَلْمَسهyou touch it
يا طارق الباب رفقًا حين تَلْمَسه
لوif كانthere had been فيin الدارthe house خِلٌّa dear friend صفَّقَwould have applauded البابthe door
لو كان في الدار خِلٌّ صفَّقَ الباب
O you who knock at the door, be gentle when you touch it.
O knocker of the door, knock gently
Had a dear friend been in the house, the door would have applauded.
If there were a friend in the house, he would have opened the door
بعضُsome of الدروبthe roads إلىto الأوطانthe homelands راجعةٌreturning
بعضُ الدروب إلى الأوطان راجعةٌ
وبعضُهاand some of them فيthrough فضاءthe expanse اللهGod يَنْسَابُit flows
وبعضُها في فضاء الله يَنْسَابُ
Some roads lead back to homelands,
Some roads lead back to the homelands
And some of them flow through God's expanse.
While others flow into the void of God
Sol 6.1