شموسٌsuns دعاهنَّsummoned them وَشْكُthe imminence of الفِرَاقِparting
شموسٌ دعاهنَّ وَشْكُ الفِرَاقِ
فَلَبَّيْنَand they answered فيamid القُضُبِthe boughs المُيّسِswaying
فَلَبَّيْنَ في القُضُبِ المُيّسِ
Suns, summoned by the imminence of parting,
Suns were summoned by imminent parting,
answered among the swaying boughs.
and answered amid the swaying boughs.
تُريقُthey spill المدامعَtears كالساقياتِlike the cupbearers
تُريقُ المدامعَ كالساقياتِ
منfrom السّكْرِdrunkenness يَعْثُرْنَthey stumble بالأكؤسِwith the goblets
من السّكْرِ يَعْثُرْنَ بالأكؤسِ
They pour out tears like cupbearers
They spill tears like cupbearers
who, drunk, stumble with their goblets.
who, in drunkenness, stumble with their goblets.
طوالعُrising suns نحوtoward غروبٍsetting تُريكَthey show you
طوالعُ نحو غروبٍ تُريكَ
جُسُومَthe bodies of الديارِthe dwellings بلاwithout أنْفُسِsouls
جُسُومَ الديارِ بلا أنْفُسِ
Rising toward a setting, they show you
Rising suns bound for setting show you
the bodies of dwellings emptied of souls.
the bodies of dwellings without souls.
تُزَوِّرُfeign صوناًprotection عليهاover them الخدورthe curtained chambers
تُزَوِّرُ صوناً عليها الخدور
فتبكيand make weep عيونَthe eyes of المهاthe oryx الكُنّسِsheltering in coverts
فتبكي عيونَ المها الكُنّسِ
Curtained walls close around them,
The curtained chambers feign protection over them,
and the eyes of oryx in their lairs weep.
and make the eyes of sheltering oryx weep.
وقدand already زارَvisited عذبَsweet اللمىthe lips' dark tint فيamid الأقاحِthe daisies
وقد زارَ عذبَ اللمى في الأقاحِ
أُجاجُbrine الدموعof tears منَfrom النّرجِسِthe narcissus
أُجاجُ الدموع منَ النّرجِسِ
The sweetness of dusky lips amid daisy-white teeth has turned
And sweet, dark lips amid daisies have been visited
briny with tears from narcissus-eyes.
by briny tears from the narcissus.
وقامتْand stood up علىon قَدَمٍa foot فِرْقَةٌa company
وقامتْ على قَدَمٍ فِرْقَةٌ
إذاwhen وقَفَstood firm العَزْمُresolve لمdid not تجْلِسِsit
إذا وقَفَ العَزْمُ لم تجْلِسِ
And separation has risen to its feet;
And a company rose to its feet;
once resolve stands firm, it will not sit again.
when resolve stood firm, it would not sit.
ولَمand did not يَبقَremain إلّاexcept انصرافُdeparture الدّجىnight's darkness
ولَم يَبقَ إلّا انصرافُ الدّجى
بِزُهرِwith the bright ones كَواكبهits stars الخنَّسِreceding
بِزُهرِ كَواكبه الخنَّسِ
Nothing remains but the departure of night,
And nothing remained but night's departure
bearing away its radiant, retreating stars,
with its bright, receding stars,
وَمَحْوُand the erasing النّهارday بكافورةٍwith a piece of camphor
وَمَحْوُ النّهار بكافورةٍ
منof النورlight عنبرةَa lump of ambergris الحندسِpitch darkness
من النور عنبرةَ الحندسِ
while day, with its camphor of light, effaces
and day erasing, with camphor
the ambergris of darkness.
of light, the ambergris of pitch darkness.
ألاoh, if only غَفلَةٌa lapse of attention منfrom رَقِيبٍa watcher عَتِيدٍat hand
ألا غَفلَةٌ من رَقِيبٍ عَتِيدٍ
يُلاحِظناhe watches us نَظْرَةَthe look of الأشوَسِthe scowler
يُلاحِظنا نَظْرَةَ الأشوَسِ
If only an ever-ready watchman would lapse—
Oh, for a moment's inattention from the watcher at hand,
he eyes us with the glare of a fierce man—
who eyes us with a scowler's glare,
فَنُهْديso we may offer علىin عَجَلٍhaste قُبْلَةًa kiss
فَنُهْدي على عَجَلٍ قُبْلَةً
إلىto شَفَةِthe lip of الرّشأِthe fawn الألْعَسِthe dark-lipped one
إلى شَفَةِ الرّشأِ الألْعَسِ
so a kiss might make its way in haste
so we might hastily offer a kiss
to the lip of the dark-lipped fawn.
to the lip of the dark-lipped fawn.
غداًtomorrow يَتَقَطّعُwill be severed أقْرَانُهُمtheir bonds
غداً يَتَقَطّعُ أقْرَانُهُم
ويتّصِلُand will continue السيرُthe journey فيacross البسبسِthe barren desert
ويتّصِلُ السيرُ في البسبسِ
Tomorrow their bonds will be torn apart,
Tomorrow their bonds will be severed,
while the journey runs unbroken through the wilderness.
and the journey will continue across the barren desert.
ويكلأand will guard ذِمْرٌa valiant man علىon ضامرٍa lean mount
ويكلأ ذِمْرٌ على ضامرٍ
خبِيئَةَa hidden treasure خِدرٍof a curtained litter علىon عِرْمِسِa sturdy she-camel
خبِيئَةَ خِدرٍ على عِرْمِسِ
A fierce guard on a lean mount will watch over
And a valiant man on a lean mount will guard
a treasure hidden in a curtained litter atop a massive she-camel.
a curtained litter's hidden treasure on a sturdy she-camel.
ويصبحُand will wake منthrough وَصْلِunion with سلمىSalma الغنيّthe rich man
ويصبحُ من وَصْلِ سلمى الغنيّ
يُقَلّبُhe turns over منهbecause of it يَدَيْthe two hands of مُفْلِسِa bankrupt man
يُقَلّبُ منه يَدَيْ مُفْلِسِ
Whoever enjoys union with Salma is attended by riches,
And he who is rich through union with Salma will wake
but at its loss he wrings the hands of a bankrupt.
wringing his hands over it like a bankrupt man.
Sol 6.1