ذهبالشبابyouth has gone فأطرقتso she bowed her head
ذهبالشباب فأطرقت
إطراقbowing of the head شيخan old man يائسdespairing
إطراق شيخ يائس
Youth has gone, so she bows her head,
as a despairing old man bows his,
قدalready ودعhas bidden farewell to الدنياthe world وماand whatever
قد ودع الدنيا وما
فيهاin it بوجهwith a face عابسfrowning
فيها بوجه عابس
who has bidden farewell to the world and all
within it, with a frowning face.
صمتتshe fell silent وربتand many a صامتsilent one
صمتت وربت صامت
يسديكoffers you وعظthe admonition of النابسone who speaks
يسديك وعظ النابس
She fell silent—and many a silent one
offers you a speaker's admonition.
ليستshe is not كسابقas in the former عهدهاher state
ليست كسابق عهدها
زهوsplendor بفرعwith a bough مائسswaying gracefully
زهو بفرع مائس
She is not as she was before:
splendor in a gracefully swaying bough,
ومواكبand processions للطيرof birds مثلlike
ومواكب للطير مثل
مواكبprocessions لعرائسof brides
مواكب لعرائس
and processions of birds like
processions of brides.
عكستhave been reversed لناfor us آياتهاher signs
عكست لنا آياتها
سبحglorify! بإسمin the name of العاكسthe Reverser
سبح بإسم العاكس
Her signs have been reversed for us;
glorify the name of the Reverser!
فالماءfor water لاdoes not ينديmoisten لهاfor her
فالماء لا يندي لها
عوداa stem بهin it كالقامسlike a diver
عودا به كالقامس
For water does not moisten
a stem of hers, though immersed in it like a diver.
والشمسand the sun منعشةreviver of النباplants (continued)
والشمس منعشة النبا
تcompletion of 'plants' غدتhas become لهاfor her كالرامسlike one who buries
ت غدت لها كالرامس
And the sun, reviver of plants,
has become for her like a gravedigger.
وتكشفتand was laid bare عنfrom جزعهاher trunk (apparently intended: جذعها)
وتكشفت عن جزعها
رأسthe head of العجوزthe old woman البائسwretched
رأس العجوز البائس
And above her trunk was laid bare
the old woman's wretched head.
فإذاthen if هززتyou shake بهit رمتshe casts out
فإذا هززت به رمت
بعقاربwith scorpions وخنافسand beetles
بعقارب وخنافس
And if you shake it, she casts out
scorpions and beetles.
ولقدand indeed تروعكshe terrifies you فيin الظلاthe darkness (continued)
ولقد تروعك في الظلا
مcompletion of 'darkness' كماردlike a giant متقاعسleaning back
م كمارد متقاعس
And she may indeed terrify you in the dark,
like a giant leaning back,
أوor هيكلa skeleton نصبوهthey erected it منfrom
أو هيكل نصبوه من
عظمbone بوسطin the midst of بسابسbarren wastes
عظم بوسط بسابس
or a skeleton they erected from
bone in the midst of barren wastes.
لمdid not يبقremain منof أوراقهاher leaves
لم يبق من أوراقها
إلاexcept كظفرlike a fingernail يابسdry
إلا كظفر يابس
Nothing remains of her leaves
except something like a dry fingernail.
فالريحso the wind إنif هبتit blows تمpasses (continued)
فالريح إن هبت تم
رcompletion of 'passes' بهاby her كمرlike the passing of الهاجسa fleeting thought
ر بها كمر الهاجس
So when the wind blows, it passes
by her like a passing thought.
شاختshe has grown old وقدand already عاشتshe has lived دهوages (continued)
شاخت وقد عاشت دهو
راcompletion of 'ages' بعدafter موتthe death of الغارسthe planter
را بعد موت الغارس
She has grown old, having lived for ages
after the planter's death.
كانتshe once was يشوقenchanted جمالهاher beauty
كانت يشوق جمالها
عينthe eye of الغزالthe gazelle الآنسtame
عين الغزال الآنس
Once her beauty enchanted
the eye of the tame gazelle.
فغدىso it has become يروعterrifies جلالهاher majesty
فغدى يروع جلالها
الضافيample فؤادthe heart of الفارسthe horseman
الضافي فؤاد الفارس
Now her majesty has come to terrify,
in all its fullness, the horseman's heart.
وهيand she is التيthe one who ستصيرwill become يوa day (continued)
وهي التي ستصير يو
ماcompletion of 'a day' ماsome (indefiniteness) نارthe fire of القابسthe fire-seeker
ما ما نار القابس
And she it is who will one day become
the fire-seeker's fire.
Sol 6.1