ذاتa woman with طَرفa gaze ناعسٍlanguid
ذات طَرف ناعسٍ
يرميshoots بنبلwith arrows منof لَهَبflame
يرمي بنبل من لَهَب
A woman with a languid gaze,
That shoots arrows of flame;
كأنهas though it were سيفa sword إذاwhen
كأنه سيف إذا
ماemphatic particle سُلّunsheathed أراكshows you العَجَبmarvels
ما سُلّ أراك العَجَب
As though it were a sword that, when
Unsheathed, shows you marvels;
منfrom ذاتa woman with ثغرٍa mouth باسمٍsmiling
من ذات ثغرٍ باسمٍ
قدindeed زانهhas adorned it ذاكthat الشَنَبcool sweetness of teeth
قد زانه ذاك الشَنَب
From a woman with a smiling mouth,
Adorned by that cool sweetness of her teeth.
وَيليwoe to me وكمand how often أغرتshe incited بناagainst us
وَيلي وكم أغرت بنا
وكمand how often رَمَتناshe cast us فيinto نَصَبhardship
وكم رَمَتنا في نَصَب
Woe to me! And how often she set others against us,
And how often she cast us into hardship!
وكمand how often لهجرٍfor estrangement أظهرتshe showed
وكم لهجرٍ أظهرت
فكمfor how much لهاshe has فيهin it أرَبdesire
فكم لها فيه أرَب
And how often she showed a desire for estrangement—
For how great is her desire for it!
ياO ويحwoe to دهرٍTime كمhow many لهit has
يا ويح دهرٍ كم له
منof حدثانٍvicissitudes ونُوَبand calamities
من حدثانٍ ونُوَب
Alas for Time! How many are its
Vicissitudes and calamities!
كناwe were بعيشin a life راغدٍcomfortable
كنا بعيش راغدٍ
فهلthen is there لتفريقfor separation سببa reason
فهل لتفريق سبب
We lived a life of ease;
Then is there any reason for separation?
آهah لأيامfor days مضتgone by
آه لأيام مضت
فيin الكرخal-Karkh فيamong تيكthose الصُحُبthe companions
في الكرخ في تيك الصُحُب
Ah, for the days gone by
In al-Karkh, among those companions!
وكمand how many قضيناwe fulfilled مأرباًa wish
وكم قضينا مأرباً
وكمand how many نفَيناwe dispelled منof كُرَبsorrows
وكم نفَينا من كُرَب
And how many a wish we fulfilled,
And how many sorrows we dispelled!
تباًruin لدهرٍupon Time خانناbetrayed us
تباً لدهرٍ خاننا
قدindeed نالناhas befallen us منهfrom it التعبweariness
قد نالنا منه التعب
Ruin upon Time, which betrayed us!
From it, weariness has indeed befallen us.
كأنهas though it were فيin غفلةٍheedlessness
كأنه في غفلةٍ
مذsince نحنwe كنّاwere فيin طرَبjoy
مذ نحن كنّا في طرَب
As though it had been heedless
Ever since we lived in joy.
ياO دهرTime يكفيناsuffices for us الذيwhat
يا دهر يكفينا الذي
أريتناyou showed us منهof it العَجَبmarvels
أريتنا منه العَجَب
O Time, we have had enough of what
You have shown us of marvels!
تبَّتmay perish يداكyour two hands مثلماjust as
تبَّت يداك مثلما
تبّتperished يداthe two hands of أبيAbu (father of) لهبLahab (flame)
تبّت يدا أبي لهب
May your two hands perish, just as
The two hands of Abu Lahab perished.
Sol 6.1