نصفُhalf الشعورُfeeling مشتتٌscattered ويفيضُand overflows نصفُhalf
نصفُ الشعورُ مشتتٌ ويفيضُ نصفُ
فوقabove الرياحِthe winds خواطريmy thoughts للصمتfor silence تهفوyearn
فوق الرياحِ خواطري للصمت تهفو
Half of feeling is scattered, and half overflows.
Half of my feelings are scattered and half
Above the winds, my thoughts yearn for silence.
Overflow above the winds, my thoughts heading towards silence
وعلىand on ضفافthe shores الحرفthe letter أُتلفُI destroy قصتيmy story
وعلى ضفاف الحرف أُتلفُ قصتي
غرقتْdrowned وجوهthe faces فصولهاits chapters والشعرand poetry يطفوfloats
غرقتْ وجوه فصولها والشعر يطفو
And on the shores of the letter, I destroy my story.
And on the banks of letters I weave my tale
The faces of its chapters have drowned, and poetry floats.
Its seasons' faces drowned, and poetry floats
كمhow often سِيقتwere driven الألحانthe melodies نحوtoward هلاكهاtheir doom
كم سِيقت الألحان نحو هلاكها
مابينbetween إطباقthe pressing shut الشفاهِthe lips يسودُreigns حتفُdeath
مابين إطباق الشفاهِ يسودُ حتفُ
How often the melodies were driven toward their doom!
How many melodies were led towards their demise
Between lips pressed shut, death reigns.
Between the pressing of lips, perdition prevails
يتباريانِthe two contend علىacross مسافةِthe span حيرتيmy bewilderment
يتباريانِ على مسافةِ حيرتي
البوحconfiding يفتنbeguiles أدمعيmy tears والصمتُand silence :سخفُfolly!
البوح يفتن أدمعي والصمتُ :سخفُ!
The two contend across the span of my bewilderment.
They compete across the distance of my confusion
Confiding beguiles my tears, and silence is folly!
My confession seduces my tears, and silence is absurd!
حقلٌa field تناسخَwas reborn منfrom مشاتلplant nurseries أضلعيmy ribs
حقلٌ تناسخَ من مشاتل أضلعي
لماwhen مضيتُI went on ولمand did not أعدI resume للشجوِfor sorrow أقفوI follow
لما مضيتُ ولم أعد للشجوِ أقفو
A field was reborn from the nurseries of my ribs,
A field grafted from the seedbeds of my ribs
When I went on and no longer followed sorrow.
Since I left and no longer stand still for longing
وحمائمٌand doves ممتدةٌoutstretched قدindeed سُجِّرتْwere set ablaze
وحمائمٌ ممتدةٌ قد سُجِّرتْ
منيّfrom me إليَّto me اقتادهاled them :حبٌّlove وإلفُand familiarity
منيّ إليَّ اقتادها :حبٌّ وإلفُ
And outstretched doves have been set ablaze;
And doves stretched out
From me to me, love and familiarity led them.
From me to me it led them: love and intimacy
فِتَنُtemptations الكآبةmelancholy بالبدائعamid wonders خيّمتencamped
فِتَنُ الكآبة بالبدائع خيّمت
وتكاثرتand multiplied فكأنهاso, as though they were للغيثfor the rain سقفُa roof
وتكاثرت فكأنها للغيث سقفُ
The temptations of melancholy encamped amid wonders,
The gloom of sorrows camped in wonders
And multiplied, as though they were a roof for the rain.
And multiplied as if for rain a roof
منfrom أبجديّاتthe alphabets المجازِmetaphor تذللتgrew meek
من أبجديّات المجازِ تذللت
لججٌdeep waters بهاin them لزوارقــيfor my boats :نذرٌa vow وand وقفُan endowment!
لججٌ بها لزوارقــي :نذرٌ و وقفُ!
From the alphabets of metaphor grew meek
From the basics of metaphor I humbled myself
Deep waters, in which lie a vow and an endowment for my boats!
A fleet in it for my boats: a vow and endowment!
خصمانtwo adversaries يلتقيانthe two meet فيَّwithin me فظاظةًharshly
خصمان يلتقيان فيَّ فظاظةً
يستحضرانthe two summon الصبرَpatience أيهماwhich of the two سيعفوwill forgive ؟!
يستحضران الصبرَ أيهما سيعفو ؟!
Two adversaries meet within me, harshly;
Two adversaries meet in me, vulgarity
They summon patience—which of them will forgive?
Each summoning patience - which will forgive?
قدindeed حرَّضاthe two incited للحربto war كلall جوارحيmy limbs
قد حرَّضا للحرب كل جوارحي
فتمرّدتso rebelled كلall الجهاتِthe directions وعمَّand spread everywhere عصفُa tempest
فتمرّدت كل الجهاتِ وعمَّ عصفُ
They have incited all my limbs to war,
They provoked all my limbs for war
So all directions rebelled, and a tempest spread everywhere.
So all directions rebelled and turmoil swept
للتورياتِfor double meanings استنفرتshe mobilized وتهيأتand readied herself
للتورياتِ استنفرت وتهيأت
(ذاتُshe of الصواريthe masts ) جيشهاher army فيin الرأسِthe head ألفُa thousand
(ذاتُ الصواري ) جيشها في الرأسِ ألفُ
For double meanings, she mobilized and readied herself—
For delusions I rallied and prepared
Dhat al-Sawari (She of the Masts)—her army in my head is a thousand strong.
(The self's calvary) its army in the head I rallied
هذيthese حروبwars غوايتيmy waywardness سأُعيذهاI shall seek refuge for them
هذي حروب غوايتي سأُعيذها
باللهin God منfrom أنthat أكفهرَّI scowl لهاat them وأجفوand I turn cold !
بالله من أن أكفهرَّ لها وأجفو !
These are the wars of my waywardness; I shall seek refuge for them
These are my temptations' wars I will protect them
In God, lest I scowl at them and turn cold!
By God from me obscuring them and being unforgiving!
Sol 6.1