نُباكِرُwe set out early أَمor تَروحُyou depart in the afternoon غَداًtomorrow رَواحاan afternoon departure
نُباكِرُ أَم تَروحُ غَداً رَواحا
وَلَنand will never يَسطيعَbe able مَرتَهَنone held captive بَراحاto leave
وَلَن يَسطيعَ مَرتَهَن بَراحا
Shall we leave at dawn, or will you depart tomorrow at day’s end?
Shall we set out early, or will you depart tomorrow afternoon?
Yet one held captive can never get away—
And one held captive will never be able to leave.
سَقيمٌailing لاnot يُصابُis found لَهُfor him دَواءُa cure
سَقيمٌ لا يُصابُ لَهُ دَواءُ
أَصابَstruck الحُبُّlove مَقلَتَهُhis eye فَناحاso he wailed
أَصابَ الحُبُّ مَقلَتَهُ فَناحا
sick, with no remedy to be found for him.
An ailing man for whom no cure is found.
Love struck his mortal spot, and so he wailed;
Love struck his eye, so he wailed.
وَعَذَّبَهُand tormented him الهَوىpassion حَتّىuntil بَراهُit wore him away
وَعَذَّبَهُ الهَوى حَتّى بَراهُ
كَبَريِlike the shaving of القَينِthe craftsman بِالسَفَنِwith a scraper القِداحاarrow-shafts
كَبَريِ القَينِ بِالسَفَنِ القِداحا
passion tortured him until it pared him down,
And passion tormented him until it wore him away,
as a smith pares arrow shafts with a rasp.
As a craftsman shaves arrow-shafts with a scraper.
فَكادَso it nearly يُذيقَهُmade him taste جُرَعَdraughts of المَناياdeath
فَكادَ يُذيقَهُ جُرَعَ المَنايا
وَلَوand had سَقّاهُit made him drink ذالِكَthat لَاِستَراحاhe would have found relief
وَلَو سَقّاهُ ذالِكَ لَاِستَراحا
It all but made him taste draughts of death;
So it nearly made him taste the draughts of death,
and had it given him that drink, he would have found rest.
And had it made him drink that, he would have found relief.
