العمرlife أكثرهmost of it سدىin vain وأقلهand its lesser part
العمر أكثره سدى وأقله
صفوserenity يتاحis granted كأنهas though it were عمرانِtwo lifetimes
صفو يتاح كأنه عمرانِ
Most of life is vain; the little of it
Life—most of it is in vain, and its lesser part
is pure serenity, granted as though in haste.
Is serenity granted, as though it were two lifetimes.
كمhow many لحظةa moment قصرتwas brief ومدتand extended ظلهاits shade
كم لحظة قصرت ومدت ظلها
بعدafter الذهابdeparture كدوحةlike a spreading tree البستانthe garden
بعد الذهاب كدوحة البستان
Many a moment, brief in itself, has stretched its shadow
How many a moment was brief, yet spread its shade
after passing, like a great tree in the garden.
After it was gone, like a spreading tree in the garden.
وتمرand it passes فيin الذكرىmemory خيالa vision شبابهاits youth
وتمر في الذكرى خيال شبابها
فكأنso, as though يقظتهاits awakening شبابyouth ثانِa second
فكأن يقظتها شباب ثانِ
And it passes through memory, a phantom of its youth,
And it passes through memory as a vision of its youth,
as though its awakening were a second youth.
So its awakening seems a second youth.
مَنwho ذلكthat الطيفapparition الرقيقِdelicate بجانبيbeside me
مَن ذلك الطيف الرقيقِ بجانبي
كفّاهhis two palms فيin كفيّmy two palms هاجعتانboth asleep
كفّاه في كفيّ هاجعتان
Who is that delicate apparition beside me,
Who is that delicate apparition beside me,
both his palms asleep within my palm?
His two palms asleep in mine?
لكأنناindeed, as though we والأرضand the earth تُطوىis folded up تحتناbeneath us
لكأننا والأرض تُطوى تحتنا
نجمانtwo stars فيin الظلماءthe darkness منفردانboth solitary
نجمان في الظلماء منفردان
It was as though we, with the earth rolling away beneath us,
It is as though we, while the earth is folded beneath us,
were two stars alone in the darkness;
Were two stars, alone in the darkness.
لكأنناindeed, as though we والريحand the wind دونbeneath مسارناour course
لكأننا والريح دون مسارنا
خطانtwo lines فيin الأقدارdestinies منطلقانboth speeding onward
خطان في الأقدار منطلقان
as though we, with the wind beneath our course,
It is as though we, with the wind beneath our course,
were two lines in the decrees of fate, racing onward.
Were two lines speeding through destiny.
إنيindeed I التفتturned إلىtoward مكانكyour place بعدماafter
إني التفت إلى مكانك بعدما
خليتهyou had left it فبكيتso I wept سوءthe wretchedness of مكانيmy place
خليته فبكيت سوء مكاني
I turned toward your place after
Indeed, I turned toward your place after
I had left it vacant, and wept at the wretchedness of my own place.
You had left it, and I wept at the wretchedness of mine.
هلquestion marker كانwas ذاكthat القربcloseness إلاexcept لوعةanguish
هل كان ذاك القرب إلا لوعة
ونداءand a cry مسغبةٍsevere hunger إلىto حرمانdeprivation
ونداء مسغبةٍ إلى حرمان
Was that closeness anything but anguish,
Was that closeness anything but anguish
and hunger’s cry unto deprivation—
And hunger's cry to deprivation,
حمىa fever مقدرةdecreed علىupon الإنسانhumankind
حمى مقدرة على الإنسان
تبقىendures بقاءendurance الأرضthe earth فيin الدورانrotation
تبقى بقاء الأرض في الدوران
a fever decreed upon humankind,
A fever decreed for humankind,
to last as long as Earth keeps turning?
Enduring as long as the earth revolves?
وكأنماand as though هذيthis الحياةlife بناسهاwith its people
وكأنما هذي الحياة بناسها
وضجيجهاand its clamor ضربa kind منof الهذيانdelirium
وضجيجها ضرب من الهذيان
As though this life, with all its people
And it is as though this life, with its people
and all its clamor, were a kind of delirium.
And its clamor, were a kind of delirium.
Sol 6.1