وكتابٍand a letter منكَfrom you فاجأنِيsurprised me
وكتابٍ منكَ فاجأنِي
كبشيرٍlike a herald جَاءَcame بالظّفَرِwith victory
كبشيرٍ جَاءَ بالظّفَرِ
And a letter from you took me by surprise,
A letter from you surprised me
Like a herald who came with victory.
Like a herald bringing victory
ردّrestored ليto me شرخَthe prime of الشّبابِyouth ومَاand what
ردّ لي شرخَ الشّبابِ ومَا
غَالتstole away الأيّامُthe days منfrom عُمُريmy life
غَالت الأيّامُ من عُمُري
It restored to me the prime of youth and what
It returned to me the bloom of youth and what
The days had stolen from my life.
The days had stolen from my life
ظنّهthought it الرّائيthe beholder مُكاتبةًcorrespondence
ظنّه الرّائي مُكاتبةً
وهوyet it is أصدافٌshells علىover دُرَرِpearls
وهو أصدافٌ على دُرَرِ
The beholder took it for correspondence,
The beholder thought it correspondence
Yet it is shells enclosing pearls.
While it was but pearls on gems
Sol 6.1