لَستَyou are not مِنthan عاشِقٍa lover أَضَلَّmore astray سَبيلاًin one's path
لَستَ مِن عاشِقٍ أَضَلَّ سَبيلاً
فَسَقىand so watered دَمعُهُhis tears الهُطولَstreaming طَلولاruined dwellings
فَسَقى دَمعُهُ الهُطولَ طَلولا
You are no more astray than a lover
You are not of those lovers who lost their way,
Whose streaming tears have watered ruined dwellings.
So their tears watered the flowing streams.
بَرَدَgrew cold اللَيلُthe night حينَwhen هَبَّتblew شَمالاًa north wind
بَرَدَ اللَيلُ حينَ هَبَّت شَمالاً
فَجَعَلتُso I made الصِلاءَthe warming fire فيهاagainst it الشُمولاwine
فَجَعَلتُ الصِلاءَ فيها الشُمولا
The night grew cold when the north wind blew,
The night grew cold when the north wind blew,
So I made wine my warming fire against it,
So I made the leaning-place my wrap.
فيbeneath هِلالٍa crescent moon كَأَنَّهُas though it were حَيَّةُa snake الرَملِthe sand
في هِلالٍ كَأَنَّهُ حَيَّةُ الرَملِ
أَصابَتfound عَلىupon اليَفاعِthe high ground مَقيلاa noonday resting place
أَصابَت عَلى اليَفاعِ مَقيلا
Beneath a crescent moon like a snake of the sands
In a crescent that looks like a desert snake
That found a noonday resting place on high ground.
That struck its coil on the dune.
باتَspent the night فيon مِعصَمِthe wrist of الظَلامِdarkness سِواراًa bracelet
باتَ في مِعصَمِ الظَلامِ سِواراً
وَعَلىand upon مَفرِقِthe crown of the head الدُجىthe dark night إِكليلاa diadem
وَعَلى مَفرِقِ الدُجى إِكليلا
It spent the night a bracelet on the wrist of darkness,
He slept on the wrist of darkness like a bracelet,
And a diadem upon the crown of night.
And on the hairline of night like a wreath.