لِمَهاfor the oryxes الرُّصافةِof Rusafa فيin الهوىlove سِفْرُa book
لِمَها الرُّصافةِ في الهوى سِفْرُ
لِعيونِهاfor their eyes يتفجَّرُbursts forth الشِّعْرُpoetry
لِعيونِها يتفجَّرُ الشِّعْرُ
The oryxes of Rusafa have a book of love;
Why does she take such pains with her appearance,
For their eyes, poetry bursts forth.
When her eyes make poetry gush forth?
سَهِرَkept vigil الضِّياءُthe light علىon شواطئهاher shores
سَهِرَ الضِّياءُ على شواطئها
وصحاand awoke علىto لأْلائهِits glitter النَّهرُthe river
وصحا على لأْلائهِ النَّهرُ
Light kept vigil on her shores,
The light kept vigil over her banks,
And the river awoke to its glitter.
And awoke to her pearls in the river.
وand أثارتِroused النيرانthe fires رِعشتُهُits trembling
و أثارتِ النيران رِعشتُهُ
فتعلَّقتْهُso they clung to it طُيوفُهاtheir phantoms الحُمرُred
فتعلَّقتْهُ طُيوفُها الحُمرُ
And its trembling roused the fires,
She kindled fires that made me tremble,
So their red phantoms clung to it.
And her red ghosts clung to me.
تكبوstumbles السَّمومُthe scorching wind فماso it does not تُقارِبُهاapproach her
تكبو السَّمومُ فما تُقارِبُها
وتزورُهاand visit her الأنسامُthe breezes والقَطْرُand the rain
وتزورُها الأنسامُ والقَطْرُ
The scorching wind stumbles, so it does not approach her,
The poisons boil up but cannot touch her,
And breezes and rain visit her.
And the breezes and raindrops visit her.
وأبوand Abu نواسٍNuwas سامِرٌa companion by night جَذِلٌmerry
وأبو نواسٍ سامِرٌ جَذِلٌ
فيin كأسِهِhis cup تتألَّقُsparkles الخَمرُthe wine
في كأسِهِ تتألَّقُ الخَمرُ
And Abu Nuwas is a merry companion by night;
Abu Nuwas, a delightful reveler,
In his cup the wine sparkles.
In his cup the wine gleams.
يُوميhe gestures لأهلِto the people of الكرخِKarkh فيin مَرَحٍmirth
يُومي لأهلِ الكرخِ في مَرَحٍ
ماwhat تُؤجرونَyou are rewarded بهfor it هوَit is السُّكرُdrunkenness
ما تُؤجرونَ به هوَ السُّكرُ
He gestures merrily to the people of Karkh:
Daily I revel with the people of Karkh,
“What you are rewarded for is drunkenness.”
The sugar they pay me is the best.
دارُhome النِّخيلِof palms الكرخُKarkh ، أطيبِهِthe sweetest of them
دارُ النِّخيلِ الكرخُ ، أطيبِهِ
فعلامَso why طبعُthe nature نَزيلِهِof its resident مُـرُّbitter ؟
فعلامَ طبعُ نَزيلِهِ مُـرُّ ؟
Karkh is home to palms, the sweetest of them;
The date palm grove of Karkh is the sweetest,
So why is its resident's nature bitter?
Why then is the temper of its dweller so bitter?
وَلمَand why الرُّصافةُRusafa فيin تأنـُّقِهاher elegance
وَلمَ الرُّصافةُ في تأنـُّقِها
بالكرخِin Karkh ليسthere is no لأهلهاfor her people ذِكرُmention ؟
بالكرخِ ليس لأهلها ذِكرُ ؟
And why, despite Rusafa's elegance,
Why does the perfumed quarter in its elegance
Is there no mention of her people in Karkh?
Not mention the people of Karkh?
ياoh ثِقلَthe tiresomeness كرخيٍّof a Karkhi نُجاذبُهwe exchange with him
يا ثِقلَ كرخيٍّ نُجاذبُه
لطفَthe tenderness الهوىof love ، ووِصالُهُand his closeness نَزْرُscant
لطفَ الهوى ، ووِصالُهُ نَزْرُ
Oh, how tiresome the Karkhi with whom we exchange
Oh, the heaviness of a Karkhan I argue with,
Love's tenderness, while his closeness is so rare!
Whose love is trifling and union meager.
مُتَرَدِّدٌwavering بالزهوِin vanity ، أعْجَبَهُit pleased him
مُتَرَدِّدٌ بالزهوِ ، أعْجَبَهُ
أنَّthat الأحبَّةَthe lovers حَولَهُaround him كُثرُmany
أنَّ الأحبَّةَ حَولَهُ كُثرُ
He wavers in his vanity, delighted
Hesitating in his vanity, he was amazed
That so many lovers surround him.
That his loved ones around him are many.
يدنوhe draws near ، فتحسَبُso you think أنتَyou لامِسُهُtouching him
يدنو ، فتحسَبُ أنتَ لامِسُهُ
ويغيبُand he vanishes ليسthere is no لِلَيْلِهِfor his night فجرُdawn
ويغيبُ ليس لِلَيْلِهِ فجرُ
He draws near, so you think you are touching him,
He comes close, and you’d think you’re touching him,
And he vanishes; his night has no dawn.
Then disappears, his night has no dawn.
ويقولُand he says : ” مُشتاقٌlonging ” . وفيand in غَدِهِhis morrow
ويقولُ : ” مُشتاقٌ ” . وفي غَدِهِ
يتمازجانِthe two mingle : الشَّوقُyearning والهَجرُand estrangement .
يتمازجانِ : الشَّوقُ والهَجرُ .
And he says, “I yearn,” yet on his morrow
And he says “I long for you,” while tomorrow
Yearning and estrangement mingle.
Mingles: longing and separation.
ونُريدُهُand we want him ، وَنُـلِـحُّand we persist نطلُـبُهُwe seek him
ونُريدُهُ ، وَنُـلِـحُّ نطلُـبُهُ
فيجيئُناso it comes to us منfrom صوبهِhis direction عُذرُan excuse
فيجيئُنا من صوبهِ عُذرُ
And we want him, and persist in seeking him,
We want him and nag him and seek him out,
So an excuse comes to us from his direction.
And from his direction come excuses.
ويَـظَلُّand it continues هذاthis الجسرُbridge يفصلُناit separates us
ويَـظَلُّ هذا الجسرُ يفصلُنا
وكأنَّand as though دجلةَthe Tigris تحتهbeneath it بحرُa sea
وكأنَّ دجلةَ تحته بحرُ
And this bridge keeps us apart,
And this bridge remains separating us
As though the Tigris beneath it were a sea.
As if the Tigris beneath were an ocean.
خُلِـقَتْwere created جسورُthe bridges الكونِof the universe مُوْصِلَةًto connect
خُلِـقَتْ جسورُ الكونِ مُوْصِلَةً
إلاّexcept ” المُعَـلَّـقُthe suspension bridge ” أمرُهُits case أمرُa matter
إلاّ ” المُعَـلَّـقُ ” أمرُهُ أمرُ
The bridges of the universe were created to connect,
The bridges of the universe were created to connect,
Except the “Suspension Bridge”—its case is another matter.
Except for “the suspended,” its affair is strange.
Sol 6.1