وَذَكَّرَنيand reminded me الصِباyouthful passion بَعدَafter التَناهيself-restraint
وَذَكَّرَني الصِبا بَعدَ التَناهي
حَمامَةُa dove أَيكَةٍa grove تَدعوcalling الحَماماthe male dove
حَمامَةُ أَيكَةٍ تَدعو الحَماما
A dove brought youth back to my mind, after youth had passed away—
And I was reminded of youthful passion, after I had renounced it,
a dove in a grove, calling to her mate.
by a dove in a grove, calling to the male dove—
أَسيلاًsmooth خَدُّهُhis cheek وَالجيدُand the neck مِنهُof his
أَسيلاً خَدُّهُ وَالجيدُ مِنهُ
تَقَلَّدَwore around the neck زينَةًan adornment خُلِقَتwas created لِزاماinseparable
تَقَلَّدَ زينَةً خُلِقَت لِزاما
His cheek and neck are sleek;
smooth of cheek; and his neck
his neck wears an ornament made to cling forever.
wore an adornment fashioned to cling fast.
كَساهُclothed him اللَهُGod يَومَthe day دَعاهُcalled him نَوحٌNoah
كَساهُ اللَهُ يَومَ دَعاهُ نَوحٌ
نِظاماًa necklace ماnot يُريدُHe intends بِهِby it نِظاماa necklace
نِظاماً ما يُريدُ بِهِ نِظاما
God clothed him with it on the day Noah called him,
God clothed him, the day Noah called him,
a necklace that needs no thread to string it.
in a necklace, though He meant no necklace by it.
أُتيحَwas destined لَهُfor him ضُحىًat midmorning لَمّاwhen تَنَمّىhe climbed
أُتيحَ لَهُ ضُحىً لَمّا تَنَمّى
عَلىupon الأَغصانِthe branches مُنصَلِتاًdarting forth قَطاماa hawk
عَلى الأَغصانِ مُنصَلِتاً قَطاما
One forenoon, as he climbed, there was fated against him
At midmorning, as he climbed, he was fated to meet
among the branches a swooping hawk.
upon the branches, a swooping hawk.
فَقَدَّthen tore حِجابَهُhis covering بِمُذَرَّباتٍwith sharpened talons
فَقَدَّ حِجابَهُ بِمُذَرَّباتٍ
يُرينَthey show الحائِناتِthe doomed birds بِهِby it الحِماماdeath
يُرينَ الحائِناتِ بِهِ الحِماما
The hawk tore through his leafy screen with blood-steeped talons
Then it tore through his covering with sharpened talons
that, through him, show death to creatures whose hour has come.
that show death to the birds doomed by it.
تَرىyou see الطَيرَthe birds الرَوائِدَforaging مُعصِماتٍseeking refuge
تَرى الطَيرَ الرَوائِدَ مُعصِماتٍ
حِذاراًin fear مِنهُof it بِالغيلِin the thickets اِعتِصاماtaking refuge
حِذاراً مِنهُ بِالغيلِ اِعتِصاما
You see the foraging birds huddled for protection,
You see the foraging birds seeking refuge,
wary of him, taking refuge deep in the thicket.
in fear of it, sheltering in the thickets.
دَعَتهُshe called him فَلَمbut did not يُجِبanswer فَبَكَتهُso she wept for him شَجواًin grief
دَعَتهُ فَلَم يُجِب فَبَكَتهُ شَجواً
فَهَيَّجَso stirred شَوقُهاher longing وُرقاgray doves تُؤاماin pairs
فَهَيَّجَ شَوقُها وُرقا تُؤاما
She called him, but he did not answer; she wept for him in grief.
She called him; he did not answer, so she wept for him in grief.
Her longing in turn stirred paired gray doves.
So her longing roused gray doves in pairs.
كَأَنَّas though الأَيكَthe grove حينَwhen صَدَحنَthey cried out فيهِwithin it
كَأَنَّ الأَيكَ حينَ صَدَحنَ فيهِ
نَوائِحُwailing women يَلتَدِمنَthey beat their faces بِهِwithin it التِداماface-beating
نَوائِحُ يَلتَدِمنَ بِهِ التِداما
It was as though the grove, when they poured out their cries within it,
As though the grove, when they cried out within it,
were mourning women beating themselves for him, blow upon blow.
were wailing women there, beating their faces in lament.
فَهَيَّجَso stirred ذاكَthat مِنّيin me الشَوقَlonging حَتّىuntil
فَهَيَّجَ ذاكَ مِنّي الشَوقَ حَتّى
بَكَيتُI wept وَماand not فَهِمتُI understood لَهاfrom her كَلاماany speech
بَكَيتُ وَما فَهِمتُ لَها كَلاما
That stirred longing within me, until
And that stirred longing in me, until
I wept, though I understood not a word she said.
I wept, though I understood not a word from her.
