ماwhat ضرّharmed منthe one who زارvisited وجُنحُwhile the wing الدّجىnight's darkness
ما ضرّ من زار وجُنحُ الدّجى
يُكحَلُis lined with kohl منهfrom it الأفقُthe horizon بالإِثمِدِwith antimony kohl
يُكحَلُ منه الأفقُ بالإِثمِدِ
What harm would it have done the one who visited while night's wing
No harm from one who visited when night's wings unfolded,
darkened the horizon with antimony kohl,
The horizon is lined with blackness because of him.
لوif زارنِيhe visited me والصّبحُwhile dawn فيin شمسِهits sun
لو زارنِي والصّبحُ في شمسِه
بلونهاwith its hue الفاقعbrilliant فيin مِجْسَدِa saffron-dyed robe
بلونها الفاقع في مِجْسَدِ
had he visited me while dawn, in its sun,
Had he visited me at dawn in its blazing sun,
wore a saffron-dyed robe of its brilliant hue?
With its color so dazzling on extended plain.
كيفَhow اِهتَدىfound his way لِيto me فيin قميصِthe shirt of الدّجىnight's darkness
كيفَ اِهتَدى لِي في قميصِ الدّجى
منhe who كانwas فيin الإصباحِmorning light لاnot يهتديfinds his way
من كان في الإصباحِ لا يهتدي
How did he find his way to me in night's shirt—
How did he find his way to me in the night's shirt
he who could not find his way in morning light?
When at dawn one finds no way?
أخْلَفنِيfailed me وعدُكyour promise فيconcerning زَوْرَةٍa visit
أخْلَفنِي وعدُك في زَوْرَةٍ
فكيفَso how وافيتَyou arrived بلاwithout موعدِan appointment
فكيفَ وافيتَ بلا موعدِ
Your promise of a visit failed me;
Your tryst with me you missed, in an empty visit;
so how did you arrive without an appointment?
How did you keep it without even appointing a time?
ليستْit is not يداًa favor منكfrom you وماand not زدتنيyou gave me more
ليستْ يداً منك وما زدتني
فيin النّومِsleep شيئاًanything لمdid not يكنbe فيin يدِيmy hand
في النّومِ شيئاً لم يكن في يدِي
It is no favor from you, nor have you given me
It was no doing of yours: you added nothing to me
in sleep anything that was not already in my hand.
In sleep beyond what was already in my hand.
باتspent the night الكرىsleep يوهمنِيmakes me imagine أنّهthat he
بات الكرى يوهمنِي أنّه
مضاجعٌlying beside جسمِيmy body علىon مَرقِدِa bed
مضاجعٌ جسمِي على مَرقِدِ
All night, sleep made me believe that he
The many nights delude me into thinking
was lying beside my body upon a bed,
My body shares its couch on outspread carpet.
حتّىuntil إِذاwhen الصّبحُdawn بداappeared لَمحُهُits gleam
حتّى إِذا الصّبحُ بدا لَمحُهُ
كنتُI was مكانَin the place of الأنزحthe remotest الأبعدِthe farthest
كنتُ مكانَ الأنزح الأبعدِ
until, when dawn's gleam appeared,
Till dawn, when its first light appears,
I was in the place of the remotest, farthest one.
I am where the farthest mirage had been.
وزارand he visited قلبِيmy heart والهوىand passion كلُّهall of it
وزار قلبِي والهوى كلُّه
زورةa visit طرفِيmy eye الأقرِحsore الأكمدِgrief-darkened
زورة طرفِي الأقرِح الأكمدِ
And he visited my heart and all my passion,
And my heart - desire itself - visited
as he visited my sore, grief-darkened eye.
The edge of my inflamed and bloodshot eye.
Sol 6.1