إِنif تَأخُذواyou seize أَسماءَAsma مَوقِفَan encounter ساعَةٍan hour
إِن تَأخُذوا أَسماءَ مَوقِفَ ساعَةٍ
فَمَأخَذُthen the taking of لَيلىLayla وَهيَand she عَذراءُa virgin أَعجَبُmore wondrous
فَمَأخَذُ لَيلى وَهيَ عَذراءُ أَعجَبُ
If you seize Asma in an hour’s encounter,
If you take the names of a moment's stance
then taking Layla while she was a virgin is more wondrous.
Then Leila's taking while a virgin is more wondrous
لَبِسناwe wore زَماناًfor a time حُسنَهاher beauty وَشَبابَهاand her youth
لَبِسنا زَماناً حُسنَها وَشَبابَها
وَرُدَّتand she was returned إِلىto شَعواءِSha'wa وَالرَأسُand the head أَشيَبُgray-haired
وَرُدَّت إِلى شَعواءِ وَالرَأسُ أَشيَبُ
For a time we wore her beauty and her youth,
We wore her beauty and youth for a time
and she was returned to Sha'wa, her head gray.
Then she returned to Sha'waa and my head grayed
كَمَأخَذِناlike our taking حَسناءَa beautiful woman كُرهاًagainst her will وَدَمعُهاand her tears
كَمَأخَذِنا حَسناءَ كُرهاً وَدَمعُها
غَداةُon the morning of اللِوىal-Liwa مَغصوبَةًforcibly taken يَتَصَبَّبُstreaming down
غَداةُ اللِوى مَغصوبَةً يَتَصَبَّبُ
Like our seizing a beautiful woman against her will, her tears
As we forcefully took a beauty while she cried
streaming down that morning at al-Liwa as she was held by force.
The morning after bidding farewell, her tears flowing
Sol 6.1