صَحيفَةٌa sheet كُتِبَتْwas written ليتٌif only بِهاon it وعَسىand perhaps
صَحيفَةٌ كُتِبَتْ ليتٌ بِها وعَسى
عُنوانُهاits heading راحَةُcomfort الرَّاجِيthe hopeful one إذاwhen يَئِساhe despairs
عُنوانُها راحَةُ الرَّاجِي إذا يَئِسا
A sheet inscribed with “if only” and “perhaps,”
A page was written, if only it would come true
Its heading: “Comfort for the hopeful when he despairs.”
Its title being “The Rest of the Hopeful when in Despair”
وَعْدٌa promise لهُit has هاجِسٌa whisper فيin القَلْبِthe heart قدalready بَرِمَتْhave grown weary
وَعْدٌ لهُ هاجِسٌ في القَلْبِ قد بَرِمَتْ
أَحْشاءُthe inner depths صَدْريof my breast بِهِof it مِنْfrom طُولِthe length of ماthat (nominalizing particle) هَجساit whispered
أَحْشاءُ صَدْري بِهِ مِنْ طُولِ ما هَجسا
A promise with a whisper in the heart; weary have grown
A nagging promise in my heart has become withered
The depths of my breast from its long whispering.
My chest bursting with it after so long coveting
يراعةٌa glowworm غَرَّنِيdeceived me مِنهاfrom it وَمِيضُa flash سَنىًradiance
يراعةٌ غَرَّنِي مِنها وَمِيضُ سَنىً
حتَّىuntil مَدَدتُI stretched out إِليهاtoward it الكفَّthe hand مُقْتبِساseeking a flame
حتَّى مَدَدتُ إِليها الكفَّ مُقْتبِسا
A glowworm deceived me with its flash of radiance,
An illusion which seduced me, the flash of years
Until I stretched my hand toward it, seeking a flame.
Until I reached out to it with cupped hands
فصادَفَتْthen it met حَجَراًa stone لوْif كنتَyou were تَضْربُهُstriking it
فصادَفَتْ حَجَراً لوْ كنتَ تَضْربُهُ
مِنْbecause of لؤمِهِits baseness بِعَصاwith the staff of مُوسَىMoses لَماwould not انبَجَساgush forth
مِنْ لؤمِهِ بِعَصا مُوسَى لَما انبَجَسا
Then it met a stone that, were you to strike it
Only to find a rock, if you were to strike it
With Moses’ staff, would not gush forth, so base was it.
With Moses’ stick, it would not gush water
كأَنَّماas though صِيغَhe was fashioned مِنْfrom بُخْلٍstinginess ومِنْand from كَذبٍlying
كأَنَّما صِيغَ مِنْ بُخْلٍ ومِنْ كَذبٍ
فَكانَso became ذاكَthat لهُfor him رُوحاًa soul وذاand this نَفَساbreath
فَكانَ ذاكَ لهُ رُوحاً وذا نَفَسا
As though he were fashioned from stinginess and lies,
As if it was molded by miserliness and lies
So the former became his soul, and the latter his breath.
Giving it a soul and breath
كلبٌa dog يَهِرُّgrowls إذاwhen ماemphatic particle جاءَcomes زائِرُهُhis visitor
كلبٌ يَهِرُّ إذا ما جاءَ زائِرُهُ
حتَّىuntil إِذاwhen جاءَcomes مُهْديa giver of تُحْفةٍa gift نَبساhe utters a word
حتَّى إِذا جاءَ مُهْدي تُحْفةٍ نَبسا
A dog that growls whenever his visitor comes,
A dog growls when his visitor comes
Until a bearer of a gift arrives—then he utters a word.
Until when one bearing a gift arrives, he whimpers
Sol 6.1