تذكرتَyou recalled منof ليلاكَyour Layla ماwhat لستَyou are not ناسياًforgetting
تذكرتَ من ليلاكَ ما لستَ ناسياً
يدَthe span of الدهرtime إلاّexcept ريثَthe brief interval ماwhile أنتyou ذاكرهُrecalling it
يدَ الدهر إلاّ ريثَ ما أنت ذاكرهُ
You recalled of your Layla what you will not forget,
You remembered from your nights what you have not forgotten
for all time, save the brief while in which you recall it.
The hand of fate remembers only as long as you remember
وَلوعٌan ardently devoted woman أتيحتْwas granted للفؤادِto the heart ولمand not تكنْhad been
وَلوعٌ أتيحتْ للفؤادِ ولم تكنْ
تُنالُbe attained علىwith عفوٍease كذاكَin that way سرائرهُits secrets
تُنالُ على عفوٍ كذاكَ سرائرهُ
A devoted woman was granted to the heart; never had
A longing was afforded to my heart, but it could not
its secrets been won so effortlessly.
Be fulfilled with pardon, those are its secrets
ألمتْshe visited بأصحابِamong the owners of الرّحالthe saddles فبينتْand made herself known
ألمتْ بأصحابِ الرّحال فبينتْ
بنفحةِby a waft of مِسكٍmusk أرّقَkept awake الركبَthe caravan تاجرهُits merchant
بنفحةِ مِسكٍ أرّقَ الركبَ تاجرهُ
She visited the travelers and made herself known
It touched the companions of travel, so it showed
by a waft of musk whose merchant kept the caravan awake.
With a waft of musk, the most elegant of its merchant
أرىI see النّأيdistance منfrom ليلاكَyour Layla سُقماًوقرَبهاsickness, and nearness to her
أرى النّأي من ليلاكَ سُقماًوقرَبها
حياًlife-giving rain كحياlike the rainfall of الغيثِthe rain الذيwhich أنتyou ناصرهُone seeking it out
حياً كحيا الغيثِ الذي أنت ناصرهُ
I see distance from your Layla as sickness, and nearness to her
I see distance from your nights as sickness, and its nearness
as life-giving rain, like the rainfall you seek out.
As life, like the life of rain which you are its helper
ولوand if سألتْshe asked للنّاسِfor the people يوماًone day بوجههاwith her face
ولو سألتْ للنّاسِ يوماً بوجهها
سحابَclouds of الثرياthe Pleiades لاsurely (split emphatic prefix) ستهلّتْwould pour forth مواطُرهits rain-bearing clouds
سحابَ الثريا لا ستهلّتْ مواطُره
Had she one day appealed for the people with her face
And if one day it asked the people with its face
to the clouds of the Pleiades, their rain-clouds would surely have poured.
The clouds of Pleiades, they would surely pour down their rain
بأبلجَwith a radiant face كالدّينارِlike a dinar لمnot تطلّعْhad appeared لهُto it
بأبلجَ كالدّينارِ لم تطلّعْ لهُ
منof العيشِlife إلاّexcept نعمُهُits blessings وسرائرهُand its secrets
من العيشِ إلاّ نعمُهُ وسرائرهُ
With a radiant face like a dinar, to which nothing had appeared
With a shining whiteness like a dinar from which
of life but its blessings and its secrets.
No goodness of life appeared except its bliss and secrets
ومَنand whoever يُبقِkeeps مالاًwealth عُدّةًوضنانةًas a reserve and out of miserliness
ومَن يُبقِ مالاً عُدّةًوضنانةً
فلاthen neither الشُحُstinginess مُبقيهِpreserves it ولاnor الدهرُtime وافرهُkeeps it whole
فلا الشُحُ مُبقيهِ ولا الدهرُ وافرهُ
And whoever keeps wealth as a reserve and out of miserliness,
And whoever keeps property, provisions and hoarding
neither stinginess preserves it nor time keeps it whole.
Neither stinginess keeps it nor fate enriches it
ومَنْand whoever يكُis ذاpossessed of عُودٍa staff صَليبٍstout رَجَابهِhe hopes by means of it
ومَنْ يكُ ذا عُودٍ صَليبٍ رَجَابهِ
ليكسِرَto break عُودَthe staff of الدَهرُفالدهرُTime—but Time كاسرهُwill break it
ليكسِرَ عُودَ الدَهرُفالدهرُ كاسرهُ
And whoever has a stout staff, hoping with it
And whoever has a branch of salvation, his aspirations
to break Time’s staff—Time will break his.
Fate will break the branch, and fate will break him
Sol 6.1