ياO ظاعِناًdeparting one قَلبيmy heart عليهupon him هَودجُa howdah (camel litter)
يا ظاعِناً قَلبي عليه هَودجُ
أَنّىhow سَلِمتَyou escaped unharmed وَنارُهand its fire تتأَجَّجُblazes
أَنّى سَلِمتَ وَنارُه تتأَجَّجُ
O departing one, upon whom my heart is a howdah,
O my heart that yearns for him, distress prevails
How have you escaped unharmed while its fire blazes?
How did you find peace when his fire rages?
سلكتtraversed بهwith him أَيديforelegs المَطاياthe mounts منهجاًa path
سلكت به أَيدي المَطايا منهجاً
فيهِin it لِطَيفِfor the phantom of الحُزنِsorrow نَحويtoward me منهجُa path
فيهِ لِطَيفِ الحُزنِ نَحوي منهجُ
The mounts’ forelegs carried him along a path,
The hands of misfortune made their way with him
Where sorrow’s phantom has a path toward me.
Towards my gentle sadness their course proceeds
فَكأَنَّهso, as though he were بَدرُthe full moon الدُجىnight’s darkness يَجريcourses عَلىupon
فَكأَنَّه بَدرُ الدُجى يَجري عَلى
فلكِthe orbit of الأفولِsetting لهfor him السباسبُthe desert plains أَبرُجُzodiacal mansions
فلكِ الأفولِ له السباسبُ أَبرُجُ
And so he is like the full moon of the dark night, coursing upon
He is like the moon of darkness traveling
The orbit of setting; the desert plains are his zodiacal mansions.
Across the sphere of setting, its towers crumbling
Sol 6.1