سرىjourneyed by night والليلُwhile the night ممتدُّoutstretched الرِّواقِthe canopy
سرى والليلُ ممتدُّ الرِّواقِ
وحاديand the camel-driver of النجمِthe stars محلولُunfastened النّطاقِthe girdle
وحادي النجمِ محلولُ النّطاقِ
It journeyed by night, while night’s canopy stretched wide,
The night stretched long, the corridors whispered on,
And the stars’ camel-driver’s girdle was unfastened;
And the loosened stars wandered in the dark.
خيالٌa phantom فيin الظلامthe darkness أتىcame to خيالاa phantom
خيالٌ في الظلام أتى خيالا
كِلاboth جسميهماtheir two bodies نِضوworn thin by اشتياقِlonging
كِلا جسميهما نِضو اشتياقِ
A phantom came to a phantom in the darkness,
A vision came to me in the gloom - another vision -
Both their bodies worn thin by longing.
Both our bodies craving each other's touch.
فذادَهُماso kept them both away الدّموعُthe tears عنfrom التشاكيlamenting to each other
فذادَهُما الدّموعُ عن التشاكي
وصدَّهماand barred them both النّحولُemaciation عنfrom العِناقِembracing
وصدَّهما النّحولُ عن العِناقِ
So tears kept them from lamenting to each other,
But the tears we wept kept us from embracing
And emaciation barred them from embracing.
And our very gauntness restrained us from hugging.
ولوand if لمdid not يُطفِئاthey both quench بالدمعwith tears ناراa fire
ولو لم يُطفِئا بالدمع نارا
منfrom الزّفَراتthe sighs همّاthey both were on the verge باحتراقِof burning
من الزّفَرات همّا باحتراقِ
And had they not quenched with tears a fire
Had we not quenched with tears the fires burning
Born of sighs, they would have been on the verge of burning.
In our panting breasts, we'd have burst into flame.
كأنّas though بوادرَfirst gushes of العبراتِthe tears خيلٌhorses
كأنّ بوادرَ العبراتِ خيلٌ
مضمَّرةٌtrained and lean تَجارىrace one another فيin السباقِthe race
مضمَّرةٌ تَجارى في السباقِ
As though the first gushes of tears were horses,
It was as though the tears we shed were cavalry
Lean and trained, racing one another in the race.
Thundering down the field in a wild race.
ولمand did not يستمتعاthey both take pleasure بالوَصلِin union حتىuntil
ولم يستمتعا بالوَصلِ حتى
أنارَshone الفجرُthe dawn يُؤذنُgiving notice بالفراقِof separation
أنارَ الفجرُ يُؤذنُ بالفراقِ
And they had not yet savored their union when
We hardly had time to enjoy being together
Dawn shone, heralding separation.
Before dawn lit the sky, heralding our parting.
كأنّهماas though they both were أناI وفتىand the young man of سعيدٍSa'id
كأنّهما أنا وفتى سعيدٍ
أبوAbu (father of) حزمٍHazm تمنّيناwe wished for التّلاقيmeeting one another
أبو حزمٍ تمنّينا التّلاقي
As though they were I and Sa'id’s young man,
It was as though we were I and a joyful Sa'id -
Abu Hazm—we wished to meet.
Abu Hazim - who longed so much to meet.
Sol 6.1