ماhow أَقصَرَshort اللَيلَthe night عَلىfor الراقِدِthe sleeper
ما أَقصَرَ اللَيلَ عَلى الراقِدِ
وَأَهوَنَand how light السَقمَillness عَلىfor العائِدِthe visitor to the sick
وَأَهوَنَ السَقمَ عَلى العائِدِ
How short the night is for the sleeper,
How short the night seems to the sleeper
And how light illness is for the visitor to the sick!
And light the illness seems to the convalescent
يَفديكَmay it ransom you ماwhat أَبقَيتَyou have left مِنof مُهجَتيmy lifeblood
يَفديكَ ما أَبقَيتَ مِن مُهجَتي
لَستُI am not لِماfor what أَولَيتَyou have bestowed بِالجاحِدِungrateful
لَستُ لِما أَولَيتَ بِالجاحِدِ
May what you have left of my lifeblood ransom you;
I would give my soul for what is left of your love
I am not ungrateful for what you have bestowed.
I’m not ungrateful for what we once shared
كَأَنَّنيas though I عانَقتُembraced رَيحانَةًa sprig of basil
كَأَنَّني عانَقتُ رَيحانَةً
تَنَفَّسَتbreathed فيin لَيلِهاits night البارِدِcold
تَنَفَّسَت في لَيلِها البارِدِ
It is as though I embraced a sprig of basil
It was as if I embraced a sweet basil plant
That breathed in its cold night.
That breathed into the cold night air
فَلَوso if تَراناyou could see us فيin قَميصِthe shirt of الدُجىdarkness
فَلَو تَرانا في قَميصِ الدُجى
حَسِبتَناyou would think us فيin جَسَدٍa body واحِدِone
حَسِبتَنا في جَسَدٍ واحِدِ
So if you could see us in the shirt of darkness,
If you were to see us wrapped in the shirt of darkness
You would think us in a single body.
You would think us one body, one soul
Sol 6.1