تيممتI headed for داراa dwelling بالصعيدin Upper Egypt تضمنيshelters me
تيممت دارا بالصعيد تضمني
وماand not زالceased قلبيmy heart غائباabsent دارهits home الثغرthe port
وما زال قلبي غائبا داره الثغر
I sought a dwelling in Upper Egypt to shelter me.
A home sheltered me in the countryside
And my heart is still away; the port is its home.
Yet my heart remains absent from its abode in the frontier
وماand not شاقنيstirred my longing بالثغرin the port غيرanything else وإنماbut only
وما شاقني بالثغر غير وإنما
أردتI wished أرىto see وجهاa face يشاكلهresembles it البدرthe full moon
أردت أرى وجها يشاكله البدر
And nothing else in the port stirred my longing; I only
It's not the frontier town that pained me
wished to see a face that the full moon resembles.
Rather, I wished to see a face like the full moon
وأدفعand I ward off عنfrom نفسيmyself بتاريخwith a chronicle وحشةloneliness
وأدفع عن نفسي بتاريخ وحشة
أصابwounded بهاwith it منof مهجتيmy soul البلدthe land القفرdesolate
أصاب بها من مهجتي البلد القفر
And with a chronicle I rid myself of the loneliness
And rid myself of the desolation that struck
with which the desolate land has wounded my very soul.
My innermost being in the barren land
لئنeven if غبتI was absent عنكمfrom you فالفؤادthen the heart بساحكمin your courtyard
لئن غبت عنكم فالفؤاد بساحكم
وانand if بتI spent the night عنكمaway from you صامتاsilent نطقspoke الشعرpoetry
وان بت عنكم صامتا نطق الشعر
Even if I am absent from you, my heart is in your courtyard;
If I'm absent from you, my heart is still with you
and if I spend the night away from you in silence, poetry speaks.
And though I'm silent, poetry speaks
Sol 6.1