أَمِنis it from آلِthe people of سَلمىSalma الرَسمَthe trace أَنتَyou مُسائِلُquestioning
أَمِن آلِ سَلمى الرَسمَ أَنتَ مُسائِلُ
نَعَمyes وَالمَغانيand the dwelling places قَدalready دَرَسنَhave faded مَوائِلُrefuges
نَعَم وَالمَغاني قَد دَرَسنَ مَوائِلُ
Is it the trace of Salma's people that you question?
Are you from the family of Salma, the one who questions?
Yes—and the dwelling places, those refuges, have faded away.
Yes, and the songs have taught their ways.
فَظَلتَso you remained بهاthere تُغضيlowering your eyes عَلىon حَدّthe verge of عَبرَةٍa tear
فَظَلتَ بها تُغضي عَلى حَدّ عَبرَةٍ
كَأَنَّكَas though you مِنfrom تَجريبِكَyour experience of الدَهرَtime جاهِلُignorant
كَأَنَّكَ مِن تَجريبِكَ الدَهرَ جاهِلُ
So you remained there, eyes lowered, on the verge of tears,
So you remained, closing your eyes to the brink of tears
as though, for all your experience of time, you knew nothing.
As if, from your life's trials, you were ignorant.
وَغَيَّرَand altered آياتٍtraces بِبُرقِon the stony sands of رَواوَةٍRawawa
وَغَيَّرَ آياتٍ بِبُرقِ رَواوَةٍ
تَنائيthe passing of اللَياليthe nights وَالمَدىand the span of time المُتَطاوِلُever-lengthening
تَنائي اللَيالي وَالمَدى المُتَطاوِلُ
And the traces on Rawawa's stony sands were altered
And it changed verses with the lightning of happiness
by the passing nights and the ever-lengthening span of time.
As the nights grew long and the distances stretched.
وَقَدand indeed كانَthere was فيهِin it لِذيfor one with اللُبِّunderstanding عِبرَةٌa lesson
وَقَد كانَ فيهِ لِذي اللُبِّ عِبرَةٌ
وَرَأيٌand insight لِذيfor one with رَأيٍjudgment فَهَلso are أَنتَyou عاقِلُdiscerning
وَرَأيٌ لِذي رَأيٍ فَهَل أَنتَ عاقِلُ
And in it there was a lesson for one with understanding,
Yet in it was a lesson for the wise,
and insight for one with judgment—so are you discerning?
And an opinion for those with reason. Are you sensible?
تَذَكَّرُyou remember إِخواناًbrothers مَضواthey passed away فَتَتابَعواthen they followed one another
تَذَكَّرُ إِخواناً مَضوا فَتَتابَعوا
وَشَيبٌand grey hair عَلىover مِنكَof yours المَفارِقَthe hair-partings شامِلُcovering all
وَشَيبٌ عَلى مِنكَ المَفارِقَ شامِلُ
You remember brothers who passed away, one after another,
Remember brothers now gone who passed away
while grey hair covers all the partings of your hair.
While grey hair covers those left behind.
غَوادٍmorning rainclouds مِنَfrom الأَشراطِthe Ashrat stars وَطفٌthick-fringed تُقِلُّهاbear them aloft
غَوادٍ مِنَ الأَشراطِ وَطفٌ تُقِلُّها
رَوائِحُevening rainclouds أَنواءِrain-seasons of الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades الهَواطِلُpouring
رَوائِحُ أَنواءِ الثُرَيّا الهَواطِلُ
Thick-fringed morning clouds from the Ashrat stars are borne aloft
Waves of lifetimes diminish, blown
by the pouring evening clouds of the Pleiades' rain-seasons.
By scents of rainshowers that pour down.
Sol 6.1