لَوif عايَنَتcaught sight of مُقلَتُهُhis eye دُخنَةًa grain of millet
لَو عايَنَت مُقلَتُهُ دُخنَةً
لَاِستَرَقَhe would stealthily steal اللُبَّthe kernel مِنَfrom القِشرِthe husk
لَاِستَرَقَ اللُبَّ مِنَ القِشرِ
If his eye caught sight of a grain of millet,
Had his gaze caught a glimpse of smoke
He would steal the kernel from its husk.
His heart would have been stolen from its shell
وَلوand if فَلاهاscrutinized it بَعدَهُafter him ناقِدٌan examiner
وَلو فَلاها بَعدَهُ ناقِدٌ
لَمdid not يَرَsee فيهاin it أَثَرَa trace of الكَسرِbreakage
لَم يَرَ فيها أَثَرَ الكَسرِ
And if an examiner scrutinized it after him,
And had a critic pried it open afterward
He would see no trace of breakage in it.
He'd have found no trace or mark of a crack
يَكادُhe almost أَنto يَسرِقَsteal طيبَthe sweetness of الكَرىslumber
يَكادُ أَن يَسرِقَ طيبَ الكَرى
مِنfrom راقِدِa sleeper اللَيلِthe night وَلاand not يَدريhe knows
مِن راقِدِ اللَيلِ وَلا يَدري
He could almost steal the sweetness of slumber
He could almost steal the fragrance of the meadows
From a sleeper at night, without the sleeper knowing.
From the sleeper of the night without him knowing
هَذاthis وَلوand if شاءَhe wished غَداwould become مُمكِناًpossible
هَذا وَلو شاءَ غَدا مُمكِناً
أَنto يَسرِقَsteal السُكرَintoxication مِنَfrom الخَمرِwine
أَن يَسرِقَ السُكرَ مِنَ الخَمرِ
All this—and if he wished, it would become possible
And if he wished, he could make it possible
For him to steal intoxication from wine.
To steal the sweetness from the wine
Sol 6.1