بِالأَمْسِyesterday مِلءَfilling العَيْنِthe eye كَانَتْshe was
بِالأَمْسِ مِلءَ العَيْنِ كَانَتْ
وَالْيَوْمَand today وَاحُزَنَاهُoh, the sorrow! بَانَتْshe departed
وَالْيَوْمَ وَاحُزَنَاهُ بَانَتْ
Yesterday she filled the eye;
And today—oh, the sorrow!—she has departed.
أَحْيَتْshe revived نُفُوسَsouls المُعْجَبِينَthe admirers
أَحْيَتْ نُفُوسَ المُعْجَبِينَ
بِفَنِّهاwith her art فَعَلاَمَthen why حَانَتْshe perished
بِفَنِّها فَعَلاَمَ حَانَتْ
She brought her admirers' souls to life
With her art—then why did she perish?
حَيْثُwherever انْجَلَتْshe appeared وَالْحَفْلُand the gathering مَعْقُودٌconvened
حَيْثُ انْجَلَتْ وَالْحَفْلُ مَعْقُودٌ
لَهاfor her سُرَّتْshe was gladdened وَزَانَتْand she lent beauty
لَها سُرَّتْ وَزَانَتْ
Wherever she appeared, with the gathering convened
For her, she was gladdened and lent it beauty.
يَاO مَنْyou who لِمَذْهَبِهَاto her style الْعَجِيبِthe wondrous
يَا مَنْ لِمَذْهَبِهَا الْعَجِيبِ
نَوَابِغُvirtuosos التَّطرِيبِmusical enchantment دَانَتْthey bowed
نَوَابِغُ التَّطرِيبِ دَانَتْ
O you, to whose wondrous style
The virtuosos of music bowed!
الْمُعْجَمَاتُthe speechless ones مِنَamong الْمَزَاهِرِthe lutes
الْمُعْجَمَاتُ مِنَ الْمَزَاهِرِ
قَبْلَbefore لَمْسِكِyour touch مَاnot أَبَانَتْthey expressed
قَبْلَ لَمْسِكِ مَا أَبَانَتْ
The speechless ones among the lutes
Before your touch had uttered nothing.
أَخْرَجْتِyou brought forth لِلأَسْمَاعِfor the ears مِنْهَاfrom them
أَخْرَجْتِ لِلأَسْمَاعِ مِنْهَا
خَيْرَthe best مَاwhat ادَّخَرَتْthey stored وَصَانَتْand they guarded
خَيْرَ مَا ادَّخَرَتْ وَصَانَتْ
You drew from them for listening ears
The best of what they had stored and guarded.
كَمْhow often أَرَّقَتْit kept awake عَيْنَيthe two eyes of شَجٍa mourner
كَمْ أَرَّقَتْ عَيْنَي شَجٍ
سَنَةٌslumber (contextual reading) عَلَىupon عَيْنَيْكِyour two eyes رَانَتْit settled
سَنَةٌ عَلَى عَيْنَيْكِ رَانَتْ
How often a mourner's eyes were kept awake
By a slumber that settled upon your eyes!
وَقَسَاand was cruel الْفِرَاقُseparation عَلَىto قُلُوبٍhearts
وَقَسَا الْفِرَاقُ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ
شَدَّhow greatly مَاemphatic particle قَاستْthey suffered وَعَانَتْand they endured
شَدَّ مَا قَاستْ وَعَانَتْ
And separation was cruel to hearts;
How greatly they suffered and endured!
بِنَوَاكِby your departure قُضْتِyou demolished نَدْوَةًa gathering
بِنَوَاكِ قُضْتِ نَدْوَةً
سُرْعَانَhow swiftly مَاemphatic particle عَزَّتْit was exalted وَهَانَتْand it was abased
سُرْعَانَ مَا عَزَّتْ وَهَانَتْ
By your departure you shattered a gathering;
How swiftly it was exalted and abased!
عُمِرَتْit was peopled زَمَاناًfor a time وَازْدَهَتْand it gloried
عُمِرَتْ زَمَاناً وَازْدَهَتْ
بكِin you ثُمَّthen أَقْوَتْit became deserted وَاسْتَكَانَتْand it grew subdued
بكِ ثُمَّ أَقْوَتْ وَاسْتَكَانَتْ
It flourished for a time and gloried
In you; then grew deserted and subdued.
وَغَدَتْand it came to be إِذَاwhenever مَاemphatic particle رَامَتْit sought السَّلْوَىsolace
وَغَدَتْ إِذَا مَا رَامَتْ السَّلْوَى
بِذِكْرَاكِthrough your memory اسْتَعَانَتْit sought help
بِذِكْرَاكِ اسْتَعَانَتْ
And thereafter, whenever it sought solace,
It sought help in your memory.
بِوُعُودِby the promises of دُنْيَاكِyour world اغْتَرَرْتِyou were beguiled
بِوُعُودِ دُنْيَاكِ اغْتَرَرْتِ
وَطَالَمَاand how often وَعَدَتْit promised وَمَانَتْand it lied
وَطَالَمَا وَعَدَتْ وَمَانَتْ
You were beguiled by your world's promises;
And how often it promised and lied!
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen مُكِّنتْit was given access مِنْto
حَتَّى إِذَا مُكِّنتْ مِنْ
مَقْتَلٍa vital spot خَتَلَتْit deceived وَخَانَتْand it betrayed
مَقْتَلٍ خَتَلَتْ وَخَانَتْ
Until, when it was given access to
A vital spot, it deceived and betrayed.
فَقْدُthe loss of المُضِنَّةthe cherished one لاَnot يَهُونُgrows lighter
فَقْدُ المُضِنَّة لاَ يَهُونُ
إِذَاwhen خُطُوبُthe calamities of الدَّهْرِtime هَانَتْgrew light
إِذَا خُطُوبُ الدَّهْرِ هَانَتْ
The loss of the cherished one does not grow lighter,
Even when time's calamities grow light.
Sol 6.1