ونلنand they obtained سقاطاًscattered snatches منof حديثtalk كأنّهas though it were
ونلن سقاطاً من حديث كأنّه
جنىharvest النحلthe bees فيin أبكارfirst growths عودٍa branch تقطَّفُare plucked
جنى النحل في أبكار عودٍ تقطَّفُ
And they gained snatches of talk, as though it were
As though from a discourse dropped, like the hum
The bees’ harvest in a branch’s first growths, being plucked.
Of bees in the blossoms of a fresh-cut bough,
وإنand indeed ظلامdarkness الليلthe night ينكبُare struck by misfortune تحتهُbeneath it
وإن ظلام الليل ينكبُ تحتهُ
رجالٌmen ويمضيand goes on الأحذيُّthe nimble man المثقّفُthe adept
رجالٌ ويمضي الأحذيُّ المثقّفُ
And indeed, beneath the darkness of night are stricken
And though the night's darkness bends over it
Men, while the nimble, adept man presses on.
Men pass, and the polished sword glints now.
وإنّاand indeed we ذحمناwe pushed aside كلّall نجدةٍvalor سيّدٍa lord
وإنّا ذحمنا كلّ نجدةٍ سيّدٍ
بَطينٍpotbellied ولاand not يحزنكgrieves you إلاexcept المهفهَفُthe slender-waisted man
بَطينٍ ولا يحزنك إلا المهفهَفُ
And indeed we have thrust aside all the valor of a lord,
We strain at the skills of each lordly knight
Potbellied; and none grieves you but the slender-waisted man.
Miry or clean, yet sorrow moves you not,
ألاah! منwho لقلبٍfor a heart لاnot يزالceases كأنهas though it were
ألا من لقلبٍ لا يزال كأنه
يداthe two hands لامعٍa gesturing man أوor طائرٌa bird يتصرّفُmoves to and fro
يدا لامعٍ أو طائرٌ يتصرّفُ
Ah, who will aid a heart that is forever like
But only a heart that stays young in the breast,
A gesturing man’s two hands, or a bird flitting about?
A shining hand or a bird in its thought.
يطفنthey circle بغطريفaround a noble youth كأنّas though حبّيهُhis two beloveds
يطفن بغطريف كأنّ حبّيهُ
بدارةat Dārat رمحRumḥ آخرthe end of الليلthe night مصحفُa codex
بدارة رمح آخر الليل مصحفُ
They circle a noble youth, as though his two beloveds
It hovers as though its love were a spear
At Dārat Rumḥ, at night’s end, were a codex.
At night's end over the Quran embossed.
Sol 6.1