لِلّهِto God! (expressing admiration) يَومٌa day مَرَّpassed بِالنَيربat al-Nayrab
لِلّهِ يَومٌ مَرَّ بِالنَيرب
مِنfrom غَيرِother than; without واشٍa tale-bearer نَمّspread gossip بِالنَيرَبِwith calumny
مِن غَيرِ واشٍ نَمّ بِالنَيرَبِ
What a day that was at al-Nayrab!
With no tale-bearer whispering calumny.
جَدّدrenewed لِلذّاتfor pleasures ماwhat قَدalready عَفاhad faded
جَدّد لِلذّات ما قَد عَفا
أَوor كادَnearly did مِنof ربعٍa dwelling وَمنand one who يَلعبِplays
أَو كادَ مِن ربعٍ وَمن يَلعبِ
It renewed for pleasure what had faded,
Or nearly had—of a dwelling and one at play,
وَمِنand of عُهودِthe days of الصَبِّthe lovesick lover حَيثُwhen الصِباyouth
وَمِن عُهودِ الصَبِّ حَيثُ الصِبا
إِلىwith الغَوانيthe beautiful women شافِعُthe intercessor for المُذنِبِthe wrongdoer
إِلى الغَواني شافِعُ المُذنِبِ
And of the lover's days, when youth
Interceded with fair women for the one at fault.
أَيّامَin the days when أَهواهُنَّI loved them حُمرَred in الحُلىthe ornaments
أَيّامَ أَهواهُنَّ حُمرَ الحُلى
خُضرَgreen in المُلاthe cloaks بيضَwhite in طَلاthe necks of الرَبربِthe antelope herd
خُضرَ المُلا بيضَ طَلا الرَبربِ
Days when I loved them, red-jewelled,
Green-cloaked, with the white necks of antelopes.
يَبسِمنَthey smile عَنrevealing مِثلِthe like of اللآلِيpearls كَماjust as
يَبسِمنَ عَن مِثلِ اللآلِي كَما
يَسفُرنthey unveil their faces عَنrevealing مِثلِthe like of سَناthe radiance of الكَوكَبِthe star
يَسفُرن عَن مِثلِ سَنا الكَوكَبِ
They smile, revealing teeth like pearls, just as
They unveil faces radiant as a star.
مِنof كُلِّevery حَسناءَbeautiful woman سَقاهاwatered her الصِباyouth
مِن كُلِّ حَسناءَ سَقاها الصِبا
ماءَthe water of الشَبابِyouth الرَيِّقِthe fresh الأَطيَبِthe most delightful
ماءَ الشَبابِ الرَيِّقِ الأَطيَبِ
Each a beauty whom youth had watered
With the water of fresh, most delightful youth.
سَقاهُwatered it عَهدُthe days of القُربِcloseness مِنof مَعهَدٍa familiar haunt
سَقاهُ عَهدُ القُربِ مِن مَعهَدٍ
وَمَنزِلٍand a dwelling رَحبspacious الفِناthe courtyard مُخَصِّبِlush
وَمَنزِلٍ رَحب الفِنا مُخَصِّبِ
May the days of closeness water that familiar haunt,
And that dwelling, broad-courted and lush:
مَيدانُthe arena of لَهويmy play وَمَعانُand the abode of الهَوىlove
مَيدانُ لَهوي وَمَعانُ الهَوى
وَربعُand the dwelling of أُنسيmy joy وَرُبىand the hills of مَأرَبيmy desire
وَربعُ أُنسي وَرُبى مَأرَبي
The arena of my play, the abode of love,
And the home of my joy, the hills of my desire.
يَومٌa day كَإِبهامlike the hind toe of القَطاةِthe sandgrouse اِنقَضىpassed
يَومٌ كَإِبهام القَطاةِ اِنقَضى
وَمَذهَبيand my way فيماconcerning what اِنقَضىhas passed مَذهَبيmy way
وَمَذهَبي فيما اِنقَضى مَذهَبي
A day, short as a sandgrouse's hind toe, passed;
And my way in what passed remains my way.
نادَمَنيhe drank with me فيهِduring it مُبيحُone who freely offers اللمىthe lips' dusky tint
نادَمَني فيهِ مُبيحُ اللمى
عَلىin الظَماthirst مَنfrom وِردِهhis watering-place الأَعذَبِthe sweetest
عَلى الظَما مَن وِردِه الأَعذَبِ
My drinking companion that day freely offered his dusky lips,
To me in thirst, from his sweetest spring.
أَرعنَreckless لاno عَهدٌpledge يُراعيhe honors كَماjust as
أَرعنَ لا عَهدٌ يُراعي كَما
لاnot يَرعويhe relents قَطُّever إِلىto مُعتَبِreproach
لا يَرعوي قَطُّ إِلى مُعتَبِ
A reckless one, honoring no pledge, just as
He never gives way to reproach.
ذُوpossessing وَجنَةٍa cheek بِالحُسنِwith beauty قَدindeed عَمَّهاsuffused it
ذُو وَجنَةٍ بِالحُسنِ قَد عَمَّها
خالٌa mole بَديعٌwondrous مِنهُof his عَبد‘Abd (servant of) النَبيal-Nabi (the Prophet)
خالٌ بَديعٌ مِنهُ عَبد النَبي
He has a cheek wholly suffused with beauty
By a wondrous mole of his—‘Abd al-Nabi.
أَفديهِI would ransom him بِالخالِwith the uncle/mole (wordplay) وَبِالخالِand with the uncle/mole (wordplay) وَالand the
أَفديهِ بِالخالِ وَبِالخالِ وَال
خالِuncle/mole (wordplay) وَالخالِand the uncle/mole (wordplay) مَعاًtogether وَالأَبِand the father
خالِ وَالخالِ مَعاً وَالأَبِ
I would ransom him with uncle and mole, and the—
Uncle and mole together, and my father.
منَّbestowed a favor بِهِwith him الدَهرُTime وَياand oh حَبَّذاhow delightful!
منَّ بِهِ الدَهرُ وَيا حَبَّذا
مَنٌّa favor بِخيلٍa miser جادَgave generously بِالمَطلَبِwhat was sought
مَنٌّ بِخيلٍ جادَ بِالمَطلَبِ
Time bestowed him—how delightful,
A miser's favor, granting what was sought!
فيin ظِلّthe shade of أَحوىa dark-green place جادَهُdrenched it وابِلٌa downpour
في ظِلّ أَحوى جادَهُ وابِلٌ
وَنابَand stood in فيهِin it الطلُّthe dew عَنin place of صَيِّبِpouring rain
وَنابَ فيهِ الطلُّ عَن صَيِّبِ
In the shade of a dark-green garden, drenched by a downpour,
Where dew stood in for pouring rain.
بَكتهُwept over it عَينُthe eye of المُزنِthe rainclouds هَتّانَةًpouring copiously
بَكتهُ عَينُ المُزنِ هَتّانَةً
تُثريenriches الثَرىthe soil دانِيةhanging low الهَيدبِthe trailing rain-fringe
تُثري الثَرى دانِية الهَيدبِ
The rainclouds' eye wept over it in torrents,
Enriching the soil, its rain-fringe hanging low,
حَتّىuntil اِنبَرَتemerged أَنوارُهُits blossoms غَضّةًfresh and tender
حَتّى اِنبَرَت أَنوارُهُ غَضّةً
باسِمَةًsmiling عَنrevealing ثَغرِهاits mouth الأَشنَبِcool and white-toothed
باسِمَةً عَن ثَغرِها الأَشنَبِ
Until its blossoms emerged fresh,
Smiling to reveal cool, white teeth.
وَالنَهرُand the river يَنسابُglides خِلالَamong الرُباthe hills
وَالنَهرُ يَنسابُ خِلالَ الرُبا
كَالأَيمِlike the snake يَنسابُglides لَدىby مَهربِan escape route
كَالأَيمِ يَنسابُ لَدى مَهربِ
And the river glides between the hills,
Like a snake slipping toward escape.
أَلقَتcast عَلَيهِover it الرِيحُthe wind مِنfrom نَسجِهاher weaving
أَلقَت عَلَيهِ الرِيحُ مِن نَسجِها
مُفاضَةَan ample coat السَردِof linked mail عَلىover المَنكبِthe shoulder
مُفاضَةَ السَردِ عَلى المَنكبِ
Upon it the wind cast, from her weaving,
A flowing coat of mail across its shoulder.
تَخالُهُyou would imagine it وَسطَamid الرُباthe hills نَثرَةًa mail-shirt
تَخالُهُ وَسطَ الرُبا نَثرَةً
قَدalready سَقَطَتhad fallen فيin الرَوضِthe meadow مِنfrom مِقنَبِa cavalry troop
قَد سَقَطَت في الرَوضِ مِن مِقنَبِ
Amid the hills you would take it for a mail-shirt
Dropped in the meadow by a troop of horsemen.
كَأَنَّماas though الأَغصانُthe branches مِنfrom فَوقِهِabove it
كَأَنَّما الأَغصانُ مِن فَوقِهِ
رَبيئَةٌa sentry وافتhad arrived عَلىat مَرقَبِa lookout post
رَبيئَةٌ وافت عَلى مَرقَبِ
As though the branches above it
Were a sentry come to a lookout post.
ظِلالهاtheir shadows تَحكيresemble ظِلالَthe shadows of النَقاthe sand-dunes
ظِلالها تَحكي ظِلالَ النَقا
يَنبُثنَthey spread out فيalong الحافّاتِthe banks عَنfrom مَسرَبِa watercourse
يَنبُثنَ في الحافّاتِ عَن مَسرَبِ
Their shadows resemble the shadows of dunes,
Spreading along the banks from a watercourse.
كَأَنَّهاas though they were وَالريحُwhile the wind مالَتinclined بِهاwith them
كَأَنَّها وَالريحُ مالَت بِها
ظَمأىthirsty تَحَرّىseeks out الوَردَthe draught مِنfrom مَشرَبِa drinking-place
ظَمأى تَحَرّى الوَردَ مِن مَشرَبِ
As though, when the wind bends them,
They thirstily seek a draught at a watering place.
وَالوُرقُand the grey doves تُبديexpress الشَجوَgrief ماwhat is بَينَهاamong them
وَالوُرقُ تُبدي الشَجوَ ما بَينَها
بِلَحنِin the melody of غِرّيدٍa songbird شَجٍplaintive مُطرِبِenchanting
بِلَحنِ غِرّيدٍ شَجٍ مُطرِبِ
And the grey doves voice their grief to one another
In a songbird's plaintive, enchanting melody.
وَكانَand happened ماwhat كانَhappened بِنَيلِwith the attainment of المُنىwishes
وَكانَ ما كانَ بِنَيلِ المُنى
فَظُنَّso think خَيراًwell بِحَبيبيof my beloved وَبيand of me
فَظُنَّ خَيراً بِحَبيبي وَبي
And what happened happened, with wishes fulfilled;
So think well of my beloved and me.
Sol 6.1