وَعَشيَةٍand an evening كانَتwas قنيصةَthe quarry فَتيَةٍyoung men
وَعَشيَةٍ كانَت قنيصةَ فَتيَةٍ
أُلفواwere found to be مِنthrough الأَدبrefinement الصَريحpure شُيوخاelders
أُلفوا مِن الأَدب الصَريح شُيوخا
And an evening was the quarry of young men,
A youth's tunic was the dusk
Who through pure refinement were found to be elders.
Of elders made most courteous through true breeding.
فَكَأَنَّهاso it seemed like العَنقاءُthe phoenix قَدhad نَصَبواthey set لَهاfor it
فَكَأَنَّها العَنقاءُ قَد نَصَبوا لَها
مِنfrom الإِنحِناءِbending down إِلىtoward الوُقوعalighting فُخوخاsnares
مِن الإِنحِناءِ إِلى الوُقوع فُخوخا
So, as though it were the phoenix, they had set for it
As though for her they had erected
Snares of bending down toward alighting.
From bowing to falling, posts to prop her up.
شَمَلتَهُمُenfolded them آدابُهُمtheir good manners فَتَجاذَبواso they exchanged
شَمَلتَهُمُ آدابُهُم فَتَجاذَبوا
سرَّthe secret السُرورof joy محدّثاًspeaking وَمُصيخاand listening attentively
سرَّ السُرور محدّثاً وَمُصيخا
Their good manners enfolded them, so they exchanged
Their fine manners enveloped them, and they pulled
The secret of joy, one speaking and another listening intently.
The secret of joy, conversing and whispering.
وَالوُرقُand the gray doves تَقرأُrecite سورةَthe chapter الطَرَبِof rapture الَّتيwhich
وَالوُرقُ تَقرأُ سورةَ الطَرَبِ الَّتي
يُنسيكَmakes you forget مِنهاof it ناسِخٌa superseding verse مَنسوخاa superseded verse
يُنسيكَ مِنها ناسِخٌ مَنسوخا
And the gray doves recite the chapter of rapture, in which
And the leaves recited the surah of rapture
A superseding verse makes you forget the one superseded.
That makes you forget the abrogating and abrogated verses.
وَالنَهرُand the river قَدhad طمحَتsoared بِهِover it نارنجَةٌa bitter orange
وَالنَهرُ قَد طمحَت بِهِ نارنجَةٌ
فَتَيمَّمَتso it made for مَنwhoever كانَwas فيهِin it مُنيخاresting
فَتَيمَّمَت مَن كانَ فيهِ مُنيخا
And over the river a bitter orange had soared,
The river, an orange blossom had aspired to it
So it made for whoever was resting there.
So she turned to face whoever in it was bent over.
فَتَخالُهُمso you would imagine them خَلَلَamid السَماءِthe heavens كَواكِباًstars
فَتَخالُهُم خَلَلَ السَماءِ كَواكِباً
قَدhad قارَنَتconjoined with بِسُعُودِهاwith their auspicious influences المَرّيخاMars
قَد قارَنَت بِسُعُودِها المَرّيخا
So you would imagine them stars amid the heavens,
You would think them, amid the sky, planets
That, with their auspicious influence, had conjoined with Mars.
That had joined with Mars in its rising.
خَرَقَbroke العَوائدَcustomary ways فيin السُرورِjoy نَهارُهُمtheir day
خَرَقَ العَوائدَ في السُرورِ نَهارُهُم
فَجَعَلتُso I made أَبياتيmy verses لَهاfor it تاريخاa chronicle
فَجَعَلتُ أَبياتي لَها تاريخا
Their day broke the customary bounds of joy,
Their day broke through customs of joy.
So I made my verses a chronicle of that evening.
So I made my verses a chronicle of it.
Sol 6.1