فحقَّso it is fitting لمثليfor one like me أنto يقولَsay لمثلهاto one like her
فحقَّ لمثلي أن يقولَ لمثلها
فديناكَmay we be your ransom منْas a ربعٍdwelling وإنand even though زدتناyou gave us more كربَاanguish
فديناكَ منْ ربعٍ وإن زدتنا كربَا
So it is fitting for one like me to say to one like her:
It is fitting that one like me should say to one like her
May we be your ransom, O dwelling, though you have increased our anguish.
You owe us for a quarter, even if you have increased our distress
وكيفَand how عرفناwe recognized رسمَthe trace مَنْone who لمdid not يدعْleave لناfor us
وكيفَ عرفنا رسمَ مَنْ لم يدعْ لنا
فؤاداًa heart لعرفانِfor recognizing الرسومِthe traces ولاnor لُبّاa mind
فؤاداً لعرفانِ الرسومِ ولا لُبّا
And how did we recognize the trace of one who left us
And how could we recognize the features of one who did not leave for us
no heart to recognize the traces, nor any mind?
A heart for knowing the features, nor intuition
كأنَّas though نجومَthe stars الليلِof the night خافتْfeared مغارَهُhis raid
كأنَّ نجومَ الليلِ خافتْ مغارَهُ
فمدَّتْso they spread عليهاover themselves مِنْfrom عجاجتِهِhis swirling dust حجباveils
فمدَّتْ عليها مِنْ عجاجتِهِ حجبا
As though the stars of night feared his raid,
It is as though the stars of the night feared his cave
so they spread over themselves veils of his swirling dust.
So it spread over them from its murkiness, veils