ثكلتكmay she be bereaved of you أمكyour mother ياO بنson of يوسفYusuf
ثكلتك أمك يا بن يوسف
حتامَhow long ويحكwoe to you أنتyou تنتفyou pluck hairs
حتامَ ويحك أنت تنتف
May your mother be bereaved of you, O son of Yusuf!
Your mother lamented having you, O son of Joseph
How long, woe to you, will you keep plucking?
Indeed, alas for you, you who pluck out
لوif قدalready أتىcame الصيفُthe summer الذيwhich
لو قد أتى الصيفُ الذي
فيهin it رؤوسُheads الناسthe people تُكشَفare uncovered
فيه رؤوسُ الناس تُكشَف
If summer were to come, when
If only the summer would come
people's heads are uncovered,
When people’s heads are uncovered
فكشفتand you uncovered عنfrom خدَّيكyour two cheeks ليfor me
فكشفت عن خدَّيك لي
لكشفتyou would have revealed عنfrom مثلthe like of المفوفthe striped cloth
لكشفت عن مثل المفوف
and you were to bare your cheeks to me,
And you uncovered your cheeks to me
you would reveal something like striped cloth,
I would have uncovered something like a palm fiber mat
أوor مثلthe like of زرعٍa crop نالهstruck it اليرقانُyellow blight
أو مثل زرعٍ ناله اليرقانُ
أوor نكباءa crosswind حرجفfierce and cold
أو نكباء حرجف
or like a crop struck by yellow blight
Or like crops afflicted by mildew
or a fierce, cold crosswind—
Or a humpback's hunched back
فغداthen went in the morning عليهto it الزارعوthe sowers (continued)
فغدا عليه الزارعو
نcompletion of 'the sowers' ليحصدوهto reap it وقدthough already تقصفit had broken apart
ن ليحصدوه وقد تقصف
then the sowers came to it in the morning
And the farmers came upon it
to reap it, though it had already broken apart.
To reap it, though it was spoiled
وظللتand you kept تأسفlamenting كالأُلىlike those who
وظللت تأسف كالأُلى
أسفواlamented ولمand did not يغنِavail التأسفlamenting
أسفوا ولم يغنِ التأسف
And you would go on lamenting, like those
And you remained sorrowing like one who has lost their loved ones
who lamented, but lamenting availed them nothing.
They grieved, but grief did not avail
Sol 6.1