حرَّكتْshe set in motion منfrom among ساكنِthe motionless القَصَبِthe reeds
حرَّكتْ من ساكنِ القَصَبِ
غُصُناًa branch مِنْfrom غيرِwithout ماany (emphatic) سَبَبِreason
غُصُناً مِنْ غيرِ ما سَبَبِ
What lay still in the heart was stirred
She stirred, from among the motionless reeds,
by your two boughs, for no cause at all.
a branch, for no reason.
أَضحكواthey made laugh الأَحزانَthe sorrows بيat me فبكتso it wept
أَضحكوا الأَحزانَ بي فبكت
رحمةًout of pity ليfor me مقلةُthe eye of اللَّعِبِmirth
رحمةً لي مقلةُ اللَّعِبِ
They made the sorrows laugh at me; then wept,
They made sorrows laugh at me; then wept
in pity for me, the two playful eyes.
in pity for me the eye of mirth.
وغداand became بدرُthe full moon of الرِضاcontentment كسفاًdarkened
وغدا بدرُ الرِضا كسفاً
باتَit spent the night يَسْريtraveling by night فيin دُجىthe darkness of الغضبِanger
باتَ يَسْري في دُجى الغضبِ
And contentment’s full moon became eclipsed,
And the full moon of contentment grew dark,
spending the night journeying through anger’s darkness.
spending the night coursing through anger’s gloom.
وسَماءُand the sky of الكأَسِthe cup أَنجُمُهاits stars
وسَماءُ الكأَسِ أَنجُمُها
بَرَدٌhail يَعلوrises عَلَىabove اللَّهَبِthe flame
بَرَدٌ يَعلو عَلَى اللَّهَبِ
And the goblet’s sky—its stars
And the cup’s sky—its stars
are hailstones rising above the flame.
are hail rising above the flame.
وإِذاand when ماemphatic particle الماءُthe water خالَطَهاmingles with it
وإِذا ما الماءُ خالَطَها
دَبَّcreeps فيهاthrough it نشوةthe exhilaration of الطَّرَبِjoy
دَبَّ فيها نشوة الطَّرَبِ
And when water mingles with it,
And whenever water mingles with it,
the ecstasy of joy creeps through it.
the exhilaration of joy steals through it.
