سألتI asked دمشقDamascus الشامal-Sham عنabout رونقradiance الضحىthe forenoon
سألت دمشق الشام عن رونق الضحى
أماdid not? غابvanish لماwhen فاتهاwas lost to her راشدُRashid الواليthe governor
أما غاب لما فاتها راشدُ الوالي
I asked Damascus of al-Sham about the radiance of the forenoon:
I asked Damascus, the Levant, about the splendor of dawn
“Did it not vanish when she lost Rashid, the governor?”
Did it disappear when Rashid al-Wali departed?
فقالتso she said بلىyes, indeed ولَّىdeparted ولكنbut أعادهrestored it
فقالت بلى ولَّى ولكن أعاده
عليَّto me ابنُson of ساميSami ماجدnoble العمthe paternal uncle والخالand the maternal uncle
عليَّ ابنُ سامي ماجد العم والخال
She replied, “Yes, it departed, but it was restored
She said: Yes, it left, but Sami's son restored it
to me by Sami’s son, whose paternal and maternal uncles are noble.
Majid, the paternal uncle and maternal uncle, brought it back to me
وأصبحand became صبحيSubhi نورَthe light of صبحيmy morning فلمso did not نعدwe continue
وأصبح صبحي نورَ صبحي فلم نعد
نرىwe see الليلthe night إلّاexcept فيin ذؤابةa tress مكسالa languid woman
نرى الليل إلّا في ذؤابة مكسال
And Subhi became the light of my morning, so we no longer
And so my morn became the light of my morn, and we no longer
see night except in a languid woman’s tress.”
See the night except in the lazy pupil
Sol 6.1