وَأغيَدand a graceful youth كُنتI used to أَعشقهُlove him قَديماًlong ago
وَأغيَد كُنت أَعشقهُ قَديماً
وَلَمand not أَكُI was فيconcerning تَقلّبهhis changeability عَليماknowledgeable
وَلَم أَكُ في تَقلّبه عَليما
And I once loved a graceful youth,
Once I loved him, long ago
and did not know how he would change.
Yet knew not of his fickleness.
عَهدتI had known بِوجهِهِin his face صُبحاًa dawn بَسيماًsmiling
عَهدت بِوجهِهِ صُبحاً بَسيماً
غَداbecame لَمّاwhen اِلتَحىhe grew a beard لَيلاًa night بَهيماpitch-black
غَدا لَمّا اِلتَحى لَيلاً بَهيما
I knew his face as a smiling dawn;
I saw his face, one morn so fair—
when he grew a beard, he became a pitch-black night.
The next, when night had come, a beast.
وَكانand he was كَأَنَّهُas though he were قَمَرa moon مُنيرُradiant
وَكان كَأَنَّهُ قَمَر مُنيرُ
فَلمّاthen when لَمnot يَكُنthere was أَسفsorrow عَلَيهِfor him
فَلمّا لَم يَكُن أَسف عَلَيهِ
And he had been like a radiant moon.
He shone at first, bright like the moon
Then, when there was no sorrow for him
But when he cared not for his love
بِعاشقهin his lover وَلاnor ميلinclination إِلَيهِtoward him
بِعاشقه وَلا ميل إِلَيهِ
مَحاerased الباريthe Creator مَحاسنthe charms وَجنَتيهhis two cheeks
مَحا الباري مَحاسن وَجنَتيه
in his lover, nor any inclination toward him,
Nor turned his heart to faithfulness,
the Creator erased the charms of his cheeks,
God smote his fair face and his pride.
وَقَدand indeed كَتبwrote السَوادthe blackness بِعارضيهِon both sides of his face
وَقَد كَتب السَواد بِعارضيهِ
لِمَنfor whoever يَقراreads وَجاءَكُمand has come to you (plural) النَذيرُthe warner
لِمَن يَقرا وَجاءَكُم النَذيرُ
and blackness had written on the sides of his face,
And so the blackness marked his brow—
for whoever reads: “And the warner has come to you.”
A sign for those who read the warnings.
Sol 6.1