كأَنَّAs though فتاةَthe maiden الحيِّof the tribe بعدafter نَواناour separation
كأَنَّ فتاةَ الحيِّ بعد نَوانا
تَقولsays سلاhas ceased to love ذاكَthat المحبُّlover وَخاناand proved faithless
تَقول سلا ذاكَ المحبُّ وَخانا
It is as though the tribe’s maiden, after our parting,
Says, “That lover has ceased to love and proved untrue.
وَماAnd how كانَhe once was أَحفاهُattentive he was بِناtoward us بوادادناin loving us
وَما كانَ أَحفاهُ بِنا بوادادنا
فَماYet how صارَhe became أَجفاهُcold he was لناtoward us بِقلاناin loathing us
فَما صارَ أَجفاهُ لنا بِقلانا
And how devoted he once was to us in his love!
Yet how cold toward us he has grown in his aversion!
وَكانَAnd he used to يَذودhold back الطرفthe eye عنfrom طَرفاتهِits blinks
وَكانَ يَذود الطرف عن طَرفاتهِ
اذاwhen شامَناhe beheld us كيso that لاnot يَزالَcease يَراناhe sees us
اذا شامَنا كي لا يَزالَ يَرانا
He used to keep his eyes from blinking
Whenever he saw us, so he might never cease to see us.
فَصارBut he began to يَغضُّlower الطرفthe gaze عنfrom لَمَحاتِهِits glances
فَصار يَغضُّ الطرف عن لَمَحاتِهِ
كأَنas though لمnot يَراناhe saw us انif أُتيحَwas made possible لِقاناmeeting us
كأَن لم يَرانا ان أُتيحَ لِقانا
But now he lowers his eyes, withholding their glances,
As though he had never seen us, should we chance to meet.
وَكانَAnd he used to إِذwhen ما(emphatic particle) طيفُناour phantom زارvisited جفنَهُhis eyelid
وَكانَ إِذ ما طيفُنا زار جفنَهُ
يَقولُsay لَهُto it نَومانِtwo slumbers عِندَكwith you كاناthey both were
يَقولُ لَهُ نَومانِ عِندَك كانا
And whenever our phantom visited his eyelid,
He would say to it, ‘Two slumbers were with you.’
فَصارBut he began to يَخافfear النومَsleep خوفَfor fear of مَزارِهِits visit
فَصار يَخاف النومَ خوفَ مَزارِهِ
فَلِلَّهSo, by God! كيفhow الدَهرُtime حلَّloosed عُراناour bonds
فَلِلَّه كيف الدَهرُ حلَّ عُرانا
Now he fears sleep, dreading the phantom’s visit.
By God, how time has undone our bonds!”
نعمYes كُنتُI was لكنbut لَمnot أَصِرI have become غيرexcept أَنَّناthat we
نعم كُنتُ لكن لَم أَصِر غير أَنَّنا
عَداناkept us away عنfrom الحبِّlove الصريحopenly expressed عِداناour enemies
عَدانا عن الحبِّ الصريح عِدانا
Yes, I was devoted, but have not turned cold; it is only that
Our enemies have kept us from open love.
Sol 6.1