لاmay ... not عادَreturn فيin حَلبٍAleppo زَمانٌa time مَرَّpassed ليfor me
لا عادَ في حَلبٍ زَمانٌ مَرَّ لي
ماnot الصُبحُthe morning فيهِin it مِنَthan المَساءِthe evening بِأَمثَلِany better
ما الصُبحُ فيهِ مِنَ المَساءِ بِأَمثَلِ
May the time I spent in Aleppo never return;
No more is there in Aleppo a time that has passed for me
its morning was no better than its evening.
Where morning is not like evening in its likeness
سِيّانِequal فيin عَرصاتِهاits open grounds رَأدُthe beginning of الضُحىforenoon
سِيّانِ في عَرصاتِها رَأدُ الضُحى
عِنديto me وَدَيجورُand the deep gloom الظَلامِof darkness المُسبَلِdrawn down
عِندي وَدَيجورُ الظَلامِ المُسبَلِ
In its open grounds, early forenoon is the same
The pale daylight in its expanses is for me
to me as the deep gloom of shrouding darkness.
Like the darkness of drawn-out night time
فيamong مَعشَرٍa group لعَنواthey cursed عَتيقاًAtiq لاmay ... not سُقواthey be watered
في مَعشَرٍ لعَنوا عَتيقاً لا سُقوا
صَوبَthe downpour of الغَمامِthe clouds وَمَعشَرٍand a group لَعَنواthey cursed عَليAli
صَوبَ الغَمامِ وَمَعشَرٍ لَعَنوا عَلي
Among people who cursed Atiq—may they never receive
Among a group who cursed the ancients and did not quench their thirst
the clouds’ downpour—and people who cursed Ali.
In the direction of the clouds, and a group who cursed Ali
قَومٌa people عُهودُthe covenants of رِجالِهِمtheir men مَحلولَةٌdissolved
قَومٌ عُهودُ رِجالِهِم مَحلولَةٌ
أَبَداًalways وَعَهدُand the covenant of نِسائِهِمtheir women لَمnot يُحلَلِbeen dissolved
أَبَداً وَعَهدُ نِسائِهِم لَم يُحلَلِ
A people whose men’s covenants are dissolved
A people whose bonds with their men are dissolved
always, while their women’s covenant has never been dissolved:
Forever, while the bond with their women is not untied
مِنof كُلِّevery مائِسَةِswaying القَوامِthe figure رَشيقَةٍslender
مِن كُلِّ مائِسَةِ القَوامِ رَشيقَةٍ
رودِtender الشَبابِyouth كَدميةٍlike a statue فيin هَيكَلِa temple
رودِ الشَبابِ كَدميةٍ في هَيكَلِ
Of every slender woman with a swaying figure,
Of every alluring slender beauty
tender in youth, like a statue in a temple.
The saliva of youth is like a doll in a temple
خطيةِspear-like الخطواتِthe steps يَثنيbends قَدَّهاher figure
خطيةِ الخطواتِ يَثني قَدَّها
مَرحٌexuberance فَيَهزَأُand so it mocks بِالوَشيجِat the spears الذُبَّلِslender
مَرحٌ فَيَهزَأُ بِالوَشيجِ الذُبَّلِ
Spear-like in her steps, her figure is bent
The sin of her steps she bends her neck
by exuberance, and so it mocks the slender spears.
Playfully mocking the withered decrepit one
وَإِذاand when عَلاهاmounts her راكِبٌa rider رَقَصَتshe danced بِهِwith him
وَإِذا عَلاها راكِبٌ رَقَصَت بِهِ
رَقصَthe dance of القَلوصِa young she-camel بِراكِبٍwith a rider مُستَعجلِin haste
رَقصَ القَلوصِ بِراكِبٍ مُستَعجلِ
And when a rider mounts her, she dances with him
And if she's mounted by a rider she dances with him
as a young she-camel dances with a hurried rider.
The dance of a professional with a hasty rider
وَمُقَطَّعِand one with lacerated الأَرماجِbuttocks (reading uncertain) لَيسَthere is no لِدائِهِfor his illness
وَمُقَطَّعِ الأَرماجِ لَيسَ لِدائِهِ
راقٍa charm-healer وَأَعياand the most intractable of الداءِillnesses داءُthe illness of الأَسفَلِthe nether part
راقٍ وَأَعيا الداءِ داءُ الأَسفَلِ
And one with lacerated buttocks [reading uncertain]—his illness has no
And disjointed in limbs without a cure for his illness
charm-healer; the most intractable illness is that of the nether parts.
As the illness has overcome the lowest part
مازالَhe kept يَنتفُplucking شَعرَthe hair of خَدَّيهِhis cheeks إِلىuntil
مازالَ يَنتفُ شَعرَ خَدَّيهِ إِلى
أَنthat أَصبَحَتbecame وَجناتُهُhis cheeks كَالمُنخُلِlike a sieve
أَن أَصبَحَت وَجناتُهُ كَالمُنخُلِ
He kept plucking the hair from his cheeks until
He continues plucking the hair of his cheeks until
his cheeks became like a sieve.
His cheeks have become like a palm tree
وَلَسَوفَand I shall surely أُعرِبُdisclose عَنabout غَريبِthe strangeness of صِفاتِهِمtheir traits
وَلَسَوفَ أُعرِبُ عَن غَريبِ صِفاتِهِم
مُستَأنِفاًtaking up anew ماwhat فاتَwas missed فيin المُستَقبَلِthe future
مُستَأنِفاً ما فاتَ في المُستَقبَلِ
And I shall surely disclose their strange traits,
And I will express the strangeness of their attributes
taking up in the future what I have missed,
Resuming what is past in the future
بِقَلائِدٍwith necklaces ماnever أُنشِدَتwere recited فيin مَحفَلٍan assembly
بِقَلائِدٍ ما أُنشِدَت في مَحفَلٍ
إِلّاexcept وَكانَتand they were عُقلَةَa fetter for المُستَعجِلِone in haste
إِلّا وَكانَت عُقلَةَ المُستَعجِلِ
with necklaces of verse, never recited in an assembly
With necklaces never recited in a gathering
without becoming a fetter for anyone in haste.
Except at the simplemindedness of the hasty one
شِعرٌverse يُقَطّعُslashes بِالنِعالِwith sandals أَخادِعَthe neck-veins of الthe (al-)
شِعرٌ يُقَطّعُ بِالنِعالِ أَخادِعَ ال
أَعشىA‘sha وَيحراand defecates (reading uncertain) فيin عَوارِضِthe cheek teeth of جَروَلِJarwal
أَعشى وَيحرا في عَوارِضِ جَروَلِ
Verse that slashes with sandals the neck-veins of al-
Poetry that is chopped by shoes that deceive
A‘sha, and [apparently: defecates] among Jarwal’s teeth.
The blind and which buzzes around scabbed wounds
Sol 6.1