شَيخٌan old man لَناof ours دَبّcrept إِلىtoward شادِنٍa fawn (a handsome youth)
شَيخٌ لَنا دَبّ إِلى شادِنٍ
فيin ظُلمَةِdarkness اللَيلِthe night فَأَغفىthen he dozed لَهُfor him
في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ فَأَغفى لَهُ
An old man of ours crept toward a fawn
An elder crept to our Shadan
in the darkness of night; the fawn dozed before him.
In the darkness of night and dozed off
فَلَمand did not يَزَلcease يَفتحُopening أَقفَالَهُhis locks
فَلَم يَزَل يَفتحُ أَقفَالَهُ
حَتّىuntil عَلاcovered بِالوَسمِwith branding أَغفالَهُhis unbranded places
حَتّى عَلا بِالوَسمِ أَغفالَهُ
He kept opening the fawn’s locks
He kept unlocking its shackles
until he covered his unbranded places with brands.
Until he rose above its oblivion