أرسلتُI sent منظوميmy verse اليكَto you مؤَرِّخاًrecording the date
أرسلتُ منظومي اليكَ مؤَرِّخاً
سَنَةَthe year of انتِقالِthe passing of الوالدِthe father المرحومِthe deceased
سَنَةَ انتِقالِ الوالدِ المرحومِ
I sent you my verse, recording
I sent you my poem dated
the year of the late father’s passing,
The year my late father passed away
بأَلُوكةٍin a letter لمdid not يأتِcome منكَfrom you جوابُهاits reply
بأَلُوكةٍ لم يأتِ منكَ جوابُها
فكأَنَّنيso, as though I راجٍone hoping for نَوالَthe bounty of لئيمِa base man
فكأَنَّني راجٍ نَوالَ لئيمِ
in a letter to which no reply came from you;
With a message to which no reply came from you
so I was like one hoping for a base man’s bounty.
As if I were asking a favour of an ignoble man
وأَعَدتَand you repeated فعلكَyour deed ذاthis معيwith me فكأَنَّماso, as though
وأَعَدتَ فعلكَ ذا معي فكأَنَّما
هدمٌa ruin تواترَkept recurring فيهِwithin it نَعقُthe hooting of البومِthe owls
هدمٌ تواترَ فيهِ نَعقُ البومِ
And you repeated this deed with me, as though
And you repeated your action with me as though
a ruin rang with the repeated hooting of owls.
Destruction echoed the hooting of owls
انif كنbe شِعريmy verse كالشعيرِlike barley لديكُمُto you (plural)
ان كن شِعري كالشعيرِ لديكُمُ
لاno غَروَwonder انthat قدَّمتُهُI offered it لبهيمِto a beast
لا غَروَ ان قدَّمتُهُ لبهيمِ
If my verse is like barley to you,
If my poetry is but barley to you
no wonder I offered it to a beast.
No wonder I offer it to a beast
Sol 6.1