أَشْفَقْتُI feared أَنْthat يَرِدَwould come الزَّمانُtime بِغَدرِهِwith its treachery
أَشْفَقْتُ أَنْ يَرِدَ الزَّمانُ بِغَدرِهِ
أَوْor أُبْتَلىI be afflicted بَعْدَafter الوِصَالِunion بَهَجْرِهِby his abandonment
أَوْ أُبْتَلى بَعْدَ الوِصَالِ بَهَجْرِهِ
I feared that time would come with its treachery,
I feared time would betray me with its deceit,
Or that, after union, I would suffer his abandonment.
Or I'd be tested with separation after union's delight.
قَمَرٌa moon أَناI اسْتَخْرجُتُهُI brought him out مِنْfrom دَجْنِهِhis darkness
قَمَرٌ أَنا اسْتَخْرجُتُهُ مِنْ دَجْنِهِ
لِبَليّتيto my undoing وجَلَوْتُهُand I unveiled him مِنْfrom خِدْرِهِhis secluded chamber
لِبَليّتي وجَلَوْتُهُ مِنْ خِدْرِهِ
A moon—I drew him out of his darkness,
A moon was I, brought out from its hiding place
To my undoing, and unveiled him from his secluded chamber.
For my misery, and polished away its tarnish.
فقتلتُهُso I killed him ولَهُand for him عَلَيَّowed by me كَرامَةٌesteem
فقتلتُهُ ولَهُ عَلَيَّ كَرامَةٌ
مِلْءَfilling الحَشاthe breast ولهُand his was الفُؤادُthe heart بأَسْرِهِin its entirety
مِلْءَ الحَشا ولهُ الفُؤادُ بأَسْرِهِ
So I killed him, though my esteem for him
So I killed it, though it had honor over me -
Filled my breast, and my whole heart was his.
The courtyard was filled, but my heart was in captivity.
عَهْدِيmy recollection بِهِof him مَيْتاًdead كأَحْسَنِlike the loveliest نائمٍsleeper
عَهْدِي بِهِ مَيْتاً كأَحْسَنِ نائمٍ
والحُزْنُand grief يَسْفَحُpours out عَبْرَتيmy tear فيupon نَحْرِهِhis throat
والحُزْنُ يَسْفَحُ عَبْرَتي في نَحْرِهِ
I remember him dead, like the loveliest sleeper,
My covenant with it dead was like the best sleeping,
While grief poured my tears upon his throat.
While sorrow poured my tears down its throat.
لَوْif كانَwere يَدريto know الميْتُthe dead man ماذاwhat بَعْدَهُafter him
لَوْ كانَ يَدري الميْتُ ماذا بَعْدَهُ
بالحيِّupon the living man حَلَّbefell بَكَىhe would weep لهُfor him فيin قَبْرِهِhis grave
بالحيِّ حَلَّ بَكَى لهُ في قَبْرِهِ
If the dead man knew what, after his death,
If the dead but knew what came after,
Had befallen the living man, he would weep for him in his grave.
It would weep in its grave for the living left behind.
غُصَصٌchoking sorrows تكادُalmost تغيظrages مِنهاfrom them نَفْسُهُhis soul
غُصَصٌ تكادُ تغيظ مِنها نَفْسُهُ
وتكادُand almost تُخْرِجُforces out قَلْبَهُhis heart مِنْfrom صَدْرِهِhis chest
وتكادُ تُخْرِجُ قَلْبَهُ مِنْ صَدْرِهِ
Choking sorrows that almost set his soul raging,
Sorrows that nearly choke one's soul,
And almost force his heart out of his chest.
And almost wrench its heart out from its chest.