يَاO ذُكْرَةًa memory أَبْصَرْتُI saw فِيin
يَا ذُكْرَةً أَبْصَرْتُ فِي
مِرْآتِهَاits mirror صُوَرَimages التَّمَنِّيlonging
مِرْآتِهَا صُوَرَ التَّمَنِّي
O memory, I saw in
O memories, in whose mirror
its mirror the images of longing.
I saw images of longing
خَطَرَتْcrossed my mind عَلَيَّupon me فَنَفَّرَتْand frightened away
خَطَرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَنَفَّرَتْ
طَيْرَthe bird الْكَرَىslumber مِنْfrom وَكْرِthe nest جَفْنِيmy eyelid
طَيْرَ الْكَرَى مِنْ وَكْرِ جَفْنِي
It crossed my mind and frightened away
Passing by, startling
the bird of slumber from the nest of my eyelid.
The bird of sorrow from the nest of my eyelids
عَلِقَتْcaught hold حِبَالَةُthe snare خَاطِرِيmy thought
عَلِقَتْ حِبَالَةُ خَاطِرِي
مِنْهَاfrom it بِمَكْحُولٍof a kohl-eyed one أَغَنِّnasal-voiced
مِنْهَا بِمَكْحُولٍ أَغَنِّ
The snare of my thought caught hold
My thoughts attached themselves
of a kohl-eyed, nasal-voiced one from it.
To it with strong rope of song
كَانَتْit was مِثَالاًa likeness خَطَّهُhe drew it
كَانَتْ مِثَالاً خَطَّهُ
بِمَخِيلَتِيin my imagination نَقَّاشُthe engraver ذِهْنِيmy mind
بِمَخِيلَتِي نَقَّاشُ ذِهْنِي
It was a likeness drawn
It was an image drawn
in my imagination by my mind's engraver.
By my imagination, painter of my mind
هِيَit لُقْيَةٌan encounter وَهْمِيَّةٌillusory
هِيَ لُقْيَةٌ وَهْمِيَّةٌ
سَمَحَتْwere generous بِهَاwith it خَطَرَاتُfleeting thoughts ظَنِّيmy conjecture
سَمَحَتْ بِهَا خَطَرَاتُ ظَنِّي
It is an illusory encounter,
It is an imagined encounter
granted by my fleeting conjectures.
Allowed by the whims of my supposition
Sol 6.1