منwho لمأسورةٍfor a captive woman رَهينَةheld hostage عامَيtwo years (continued)
من لمأسورةٍ رَهينَة عامَي
نِ(completes 'two years') قضَتdecreed أسرَهاher captivity اللياليthe nights القَواضيthat decree fate
نِ قضَت أسرَها الليالي القَواضي
Who will aid a captive, held hostage for two years,
For two years she has been a captive,
whose captivity the fateful nights decreed?
Her freedom taken by the nights' decrees,
وهيَand she عَذراءُa virgin إنَّماonly اختَلَسَتهاsnatched her away
وهيَ عَذراءُ إنَّما اختَلَسَتها
نوبُcalamities الدهرِof time منfrom يَدthe hand of المِقراضِthe shears
نوبُ الدهرِ من يَد المِقراضِ
Still a virgin, she was only snatched away
Yet she was chaste, though fate had stolen her
by time’s calamities from the hand of the shears.
From the embroiderer's hands, and destinies.
فتَولَّتso she departed وفارَقَتand she parted from أخَواتٍsisters
فتَولَّت وفارَقَت أخَواتٍ
ساخِطاتٍangered بالبينِby separation غيرِnot روَاضِcontent
ساخِطاتٍ بالبينِ غيرِ روَاضِ
So she departed and parted from sisters
So she turned away, leaving behind sisters
angered by separation, far from content.
Angry at the separation, discontent.
أسلَمتهنَّconsigned them لِلبلىto decay حرفةُthe affliction of الفُرseparation (continued)
أسلَمتهنَّ لِلبلى حرفةُ الفُر
قةِ(completes 'separation') حتَّىuntil ثوَتshe stayed وهُنَّwhile they مَواضِpassed on
قةِ حتَّى ثوَت وهُنَّ مَواضِ
The affliction of separation consigned them to decay,
The skill of separation left them to decay
until she stayed behind while they passed on.
While she stayed fresh, her honor unrent.
وقَساand hardened قلبُهاher heart عَليهنَّtoward them لمَّاwhen
وقَسا قلبُها عَليهنَّ لمَّا
رأَتshe saw العزَّhonor فيin يَدَيthe two hands of غياضِGhiyad
رأَت العزَّ في يَدَي غياضِ
And her heart hardened toward them when
When she saw honor in a stranger's hands
she saw honor in Ghiyad’s hands.
Her heart grew hard against her sisters then.
نَسِيَتshe forgot أنَّهاthat it was يَدٌa hand لمnot تَكنbe قَطever (continued)
نَسِيَت أنَّها يَدٌ لم تَكن قَط
طُ(completes 'ever') عَلىtoward المَكرُماتِnoble deeds ذاتِpossessing انقِباضِclosedness
طُ عَلى المَكرُماتِ ذاتِ انقِباضِ
She forgot that it was a hand which had never
She forgot that those hands were never wont
been closed to noble deeds.
To be closed tight around the honored women.
وهوَand he يَدريknows أنَّthat الذرائِعَthe pretexts فيin الجوgenerosity (continued)
وهوَ يَدري أنَّ الذرائِعَ في الجو
دِ(completes 'generosity') دروعٌshields تبقيensure the survival عَلىof الأَعراضِreputations
دِ دروعٌ تبقي عَلى الأَعراضِ
And he knows that pretexts for generosity
And he knows well that barriers in generosity
are shields that safeguard reputations.
Are shields that guard all virtuous modesty.
Sol 6.1