خَطَّتْshe penned سُطورَlines of البينِparting بعدَafter تودُّدِaffection
خَطَّتْ سُطورَ البينِ بعدَ تودُّدِ
منهاfrom her وإقبالٍand welcoming attention ولمand did not تتردَّدِhesitate
منها وإقبالٍ ولم تتردَّدِ
She penned the lines of parting after affection
She traced the lines of separation after intimacy
from her and welcoming attention, and she did not hesitate.
Of affection and inclination without hesitation
فكأنَّماso it was as though ألقَتْshe cast سهامَarrows of منيَّةٍdeath
فكأنَّما ألقَتْ سهامَ منيَّةٍ
أوor رتَّلتْshe chanted آياتِverses of حتفٍdeath مُنْجِدِbringing succor
أو رتَّلتْ آياتِ حتفٍ مُنْجِدِ
So it was as though she had cast the arrows of death,
As if she unleashed arrows of calamity at me
or chanted the verses of a death that brings succor.
Or recited verses of imminent doom
شاقتكَshe stirred your longing بعدَafter البينِparting أمor وقَدَblazed الجوىlove's anguish
شاقتكَ بعدَ البينِ أم وقَدَ الجوى
بالقلبِin the heart بعدَafter ظعينِهاher departure المترصِّدِlying in wait
بالقلبِ بعدَ ظعينِها المترصِّدِ
Did she stir your longing after parting, or did love's anguish blaze
Did you miss me after the separation, or
in the heart after her lurking departure?
Did the heart ignite longing after her vigilance?
مرَّتْshe passed كمرِّlike the passing of الطَّيفِthe apparition ثُمَّتَthen أبرقتْshe flashed
مرَّتْ كمرِّ الطَّيفِ ثُمَّتَ أبرقتْ
تتلوreciting بجُنحِbeneath the wing of اللَّيلnight أسفارَbooks of الغدِtomorrow
تتلو بجُنحِ اللَّيل أسفارَ الغدِ
She passed like a passing apparition, then flashed,
She passed like a phantom then flashed away
reciting beneath night's wing the books of tomorrow.
Reciting with the wings of night the scriptures of tomorrow
ماnot راعنيalarmed me إلاexcept الدُّموعُthe tears وقدand already جرتْthey flowed
ما راعني إلا الدُّموعُ وقد جرتْ
تشتدُّgrowing stronger فيin غسقٍdarkness عتيٍّfierce مُلْبِدِcloud-laden
تشتدُّ في غسقٍ عتيٍّ مُلْبِدِ
Nothing alarmed me but the tears as they flowed,
I was not aware except for the tears that flowed
growing stronger in a fierce, cloud-laden darkness.
Increasing in heavy gloomy darkness
فقطعتُso I passed through بالآمالwith hopes ليلًاa night مُطْبِقًاall-enveloping
فقطعتُ بالآمال ليلًا مُطْبِقًا
وزجرتُand I drove away بالتَّذكارwith remembrance همَّthe distress of المُفْرَدِthe solitary one
وزجرتُ بالتَّذكار همَّ المُفْرَدِ
So with hopes I passed through an all-enveloping night,
So I severed with hopes a pitch black night
and with remembrance drove away the solitary one's distress.
And chided with remembrance the anguish of solitude
Sol 6.1