أناI بَيْنbetween الحَياةِlife والمَوْتِand death وَقْفُsuspended
أنا بَيْن الحَياةِ والمَوْتِ وَقْفُ
نَفَسٌa breath خافِتٌfaint ودَمْعٌand tears وَوَكْفُand dripping
نَفَسٌ خافِتٌ ودَمْعٌ وَوَكْفُ
I am suspended between life and death:
I stand between life and death, a standstill
A faint breath, tears, and their dripping.
A faint breath, a tear, and a halt
حَلَّbefell بيupon me مِنْfrom هَواكَlove for you ماwhat لَيْسdoes not يُنْبيconvey
حَلَّ بي مِنْ هَواكَ ما لَيْس يُنْبي
عَنْهُof it نَعْتٌcharacterization ولاnor يُعبِّرُexpresses وَصْفُdescription
عَنْهُ نَعْتٌ ولا يُعبِّرُ وَصْفُ
Love for you has brought upon me what cannot be conveyed
Your love has befallen me in a way that cannot be expressed
By any characterization, nor expressed by any description.
By elegy or described in words
عَجباًhow strange! لانْعِطافِat the curving of صُدْغَيْكَyour two temple-locks والمعand the… (start of “flank”)
عَجباً لانْعِطافِ صُدْغَيْكَ والمع
طفِflank (word completion) والجِيْدِand the neck ثُمَّyet ماno منكَfrom you عَطْفُtenderness
طفِ والجِيْدِ ثُمَّ ما منكَ عَطْفُ
How strange the curves of your two temple-locks and your
How strange is the turn of your cheek, and your kindness
Flank and neck—yet no tenderness comes from you!
Then what is from you but rejection
ضَاقtightened صَدْريmy breast بِضيقِat the tightness of حِجْلِكَyour anklet واسْتَوْand… (start of “held fast”)
ضَاق صَدْري بِضيقِ حِجْلِكَ واسْتَوْ
قَفَheld fast (word completion) طَرْفيmy gaze حَيْرانَbewildered ذاكَthat الوَقْفُthe anklet
قَفَ طَرْفي حَيْرانَ ذاكَ الوَقْفُ
My breast tightened at your anklet’s tightness, and
My chest tightened with the narrowness of your embrace
That anklet held my gaze bewildered.
My eyelids stopped confused at that halt
كَيْفَhow يُرْجَىis hoped for فِكاكُrelease قلبٍa heart مُعنّىًtormented
كَيْفَ يُرْجَى فِكاكُ قلبٍ مُعنّىً
فيin غَرامٍpassion قَيْداهُits two fetters قِرْطٌan earring وشَنْفُand an upper-ear ring
في غَرامٍ قَيْداهُ قِرْطٌ وشَنْفُ
What hope of release is there for a tormented heart,
How can the heart's shackles be undone
In passion, with an earring and an upper-ear ring for its two fetters?
When it's devoted to love, bound by earrings and bracelet
Sol 6.1