َدَتْshe appeared سافِراًunveiled وَالشَّمْسُand the sun قَدْalready ذَرَّrose قَرْنُهاits horn
َدَتْ سافِراً وَالشَّمْسُ قَدْ ذَرَّ قَرْنُها
فَأَغْشَىso obscured شُعاعَrays الشَّمْسِof the sun مِنْهاfrom her سُفُورُهاher unveiling
فَأَغْشَى شُعاعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْها سُفُورُها
She appeared unveiled, while the sun’s rim had already begun to rise;
She appeared unveiled, while the sun's horn had already risen.
and her unveiling veiled the sun’s rays.
So her unveiling obscured the sun's rays.
وَقَـدْand indeed عَلِمَـتْhas come to know شـَمْسُsun النَّهارِof daytime بِأَنَّهاthat it
وَقَـدْ عَلِمَـتْ شـَمْسُ النَّهارِ بِأَنَّها
إِذاif مـاemphatic particle بَدَتْshe appeared يَوْماًone day سَيَذْهَبُwill vanish نُورُهاits light
إِذا مـا بَدَتْ يَوْماً سَيَذْهَبُ نُورُها
The sun of daytime already knew that she—
And the sun of day knows full well that,
whenever she appeared one day—would make its light vanish.
If she appears one day, its light will vanish.
أَناI الْهالِكُthe doomed one الْمَسْلُوبُthe one robbed مُهْجَةَlifeblood نَفْسِهِof his soul
أَنا الْهالِكُ الْمَسْلُوبُ مُهْجَةَ نَفْسِهِ
إِذاwhen جـاوَزَتْpassed beyond مَـرّاًMarr وَعُسْفانَand Usfan عِيرُهاher caravan
إِذا جـاوَزَتْ مَـرّاً وَعُسْفانَ عِيرُها
I am the doomed one, robbed of his own soul’s lifeblood,
I am the doomed man, robbed of his soul's lifeblood,
when her caravan passes Marr and ʿUsfān.
When her caravan passes beyond Marr and Usfan.
أَهاجَتْـكَdid she stir you? سـَلْمَىSalma إِذْwhen أَجَـدَّgrew urgent بُكورُهاher dawn departure
أَهاجَتْـكَ سـَلْمَى إِذْ أَجَـدَّ بُكورُها
وَهَجَّــرَand set out at midday يَوْمـاًone day لِلـرَّواحِfor the afternoon journey بَعِيرُهـاher camel
وَهَجَّــرَ يَوْمـاً لِلـرَّواحِ بَعِيرُهـا
Did Salmā stir you when her early departure became earnest,
Did Salma stir you when her dawn departure grew urgent,
and one day her camel set out at midday for the journey onward?
And her camel set out one day at noon for the afternoon journey?
