والدارُand the dwelling بعدَهُمُafter them مقسَّمةٌdivided
والدارُ بعدَهُمُ مقسَّمةٌ
بينَbetween الرياحِthe winds وهاتِفِand the herald of الوَدْقِrain
بينَ الرياحِ وهاتِفِ الوَدْقِ
And the dwelling, now they are gone, is divided
The house after them is divided
between the winds and rain’s herald.
Between the winds and telephone bells
درجَpassed الزمانُtime علىover معارِفهاits familiar features
درجَ الزمانُ على معارِفها
كمدارجِlike the courses of الأقلامpens فيacross الرقِّparchment
كمدارجِ الأقلام في الرقِّ
Time has passed over its familiar features
Time has stepped on its acquaintances
like the passage of pens across parchment.
Like the steps of pens on parchment
لمnot يبقَremained منهاof it غيرُother than أرمِدَةٍheaps of ash
لم يبقَ منها غيرُ أرمِدَةٍ
لُبِّدْنَthey were caked together بينَbetween خوالدٍenduring hearthstones وُرْقِgray
لُبِّدْنَ بينَ خوالدٍ وُرْقِ
Nothing remains of it but heaps of ash,
Nothing remains of it but ruins
caked among enduring gray hearthstones,
Patched among the spare stones
وسطورِand lines of آناءٍdrainage trenches بعَقْوتِهاin its surrounding grounds
وسطورِ آناءٍ بعَقْوتِها
مَحْنوَّةٍcurved كأهلَّةِlike crescents of المَحْقِthe moon’s waning
مَحْنوَّةٍ كأهلَّةِ المَحْقِ
and lines of drainage trenches in its surrounding grounds,
And lines of vessels in its niche
curved like waning crescents.
Bent like the crescent moon
Sol 6.1