هلdo…? تعرفُyou recognize الدارَthe dwelling خفَّhas departed ساكِنُهاits inhabitant
هل تعرفُ الدارَ خفَّ ساكِنُها
بالحجرِat al-Hijr فالمستوىthen al-Mustawa إلىto الثَّمَدِal-Thamad
بالحجرِ فالمستوى إلى الثَّمَدِ
Do you recognize the dwelling, its inhabitant departed,
Do you know the house whose dweller has departed?
at al-Hijr, then al-Mustawa, as far as al-Thamad?
It crumbles into rubble on the hillside plain.
دارٌa dwelling لبهانةٍof Bahana خدلجَةٍfull-limbed
دارٌ لبهانةٍ خدلجَةٍ
تَبسمُshe smiles عنrevealing مثلِthe like of بارِدِcold البَرَدِhail
تَبسمُ عن مثلِ بارِدِ البَرَدِ
A dwelling of Bahana, full-limbed,
A house where Bahana once smiled and sported,
whose smile reveals teeth like cold hailstones.
Like the cold brilliance of midwinter rain.
أثَّتshe filled out فطالَتthen grew tall حتىuntil إذاwhen اعتدلتshe became well proportioned
أثَّت فطالَت حتى إذا اعتدلت
ماnot إنemphatic particle يَرَىsee الناظرونِthe onlookers منany أوَدِcrookedness
ما إن يَرَى الناظرونِ من أوَدِ
She filled out and grew tall until she was well proportioned;
It stretched its height till balanced and righted,
the onlookers see no crookedness
That none who saw it found a flaw inside.
فيهاin her فأماand as for نقاًa sand dune فأسفلُهاthen her lower half
فيها فأما نقاً فأسفلُها
والجيدُand the neck منهاof hers لظبيةِis a gazelle’s الجَرَدِthe bare plain
والجيدُ منها لظبيةِ الجَرَدِ
in her; her lower half is a sand dune,
The best of it is like a doe's white hide,
and her neck is a gazelle’s from the bare plain.
While all below is rubble without light.
لاneither الدهرُtime فإنending (apparently فانٍ) ولاnor مواعِدُهاher promises
لا الدهرُ فإن ولا مواعِدُها
تأتيcome true فليتَso would that القتولَthe slaying woman لمnot تَعِدِshe promised
تأتي فليتَ القتولَ لم تَعِدِ
Time does not end, nor do her promises
Not time itself, nor yet the trysts it plighted
come true—would that the slayer had not promised
Can bring the loved ones back it once did hide.
وعداًa promise محاصيلُهُits outcomes إلىlead to خُلُفِbreach of promise
وعداً محاصيلُهُ إلى خُلُفِ
ذاكthat طلابُseeking التضليلِdeception والنكَدِand misery
ذاك طلابُ التضليلِ والنكَدِ
a promise whose fruits lead to broken faith.
Those were but promises which led astray
That is the pursuit of deception and misery.
Deceivers who delight in causing pain.
هيفاءُslender-waisted يلتذُّهاdelights in her معانِقُهاher embracer
هيفاءُ يلتذُّها معانِقُها
بعدَafter عِلالِrepeated rounds الحديثِconversation والنجَدِand sweat
بعدَ عِلالِ الحديثِ والنجَدِ
Slender-waisted, she delights the man who embraces her,
Hyfa walks there, her lover at her side,
after rounds of conversation and sweat.
After their passion and the torment's stain,
تمشيshe walks إلىto نحوtoward بيتِthe house of جارَتِهاher female neighbor
تمشي إلى نحو بيتِ جارَتِها
واضعةًplacing كفَّهاher palm علىon الكَبِدِthe liver
واضعةً كفَّها على الكَبِدِ
She walks toward her neighbor’s house,
Towards her neighbor's house she makes her way,
placing her palm over her liver.
With hand at waist to ease the ache inside.
نعمَhow excellent شعارُthe inner garment of الفتىthe young man إذاwhen بردَالاgrew cold; beginning of ‘the night’
نعمَ شعارُ الفتى إذا بردَالا
يلُ‘night’ (word ending) وآضتand returned كواكِبُthe stars of الأسَدِLeo, the Lion
يلُ وآضت كواكِبُ الأسَدِ
What a fine inner garment for a young man when the night grows cold,
Yes, and the youth's true standard, when cloak's displayed,
and the stars of Leo return!
Is like the Lion's stars when night-clouds fade,
كأنَّas though ماءَthe water of الغمامِthe clouds خالَطَهُmixed with it
كأنَّ ماءَ الغمامِ خالَطَهُ
راحٌwine صَفَاbecame clear بعدَafter هادرِthe roaring of الزَّبَدِthe foam
راحٌ صَفَا بعدَ هادرِ الزَّبَدِ
It is as though cloud-water, mingled
As though the rain-filled clouds were pierced and swayed
with wine, clear after its roaring foam,
By winds blowing the fringed foam aside,
والمسكُand musk والزنجبيلُand ginger عُلَّwere moistened again بهwith it
والمسكُ والزنجبيلُ عُلَّ به
أنيابُهاher canine teeth بعدafter غفلَةِthe heedlessness of الرَّصَدِthe watchers
أنيابُها بعد غفلَةِ الرَّصَدِ
and musk and ginger, had again moistened
Musk and ginger undulate in his braid
her canine teeth when the watchers grew heedless.
After the curls' oblivious cascade.
دعleave aside ذاthis ولكنand yet ربَّmany a عاذِلَةٍreproving woman
دع ذا ولكن ربَّ عاذِلَةٍ
لوif عَلِمَتshe knew ماwhat أُريدُI desire لِمَwhy تعدِwould she return
لو عَلِمَت ما أُريدُ لِمَ تعدِ
Leave that; yet there is many a reproving woman.
Leave that be, though she I love upbraided,
If she knew what I desire, why would she return to it?
And knew not why I made her so afraid,
هبتshe rose بليلٍat night تلومُshe reproaches فيabout شربِdrinking الthe (split article)
هبت بليلٍ تلومُ في شربِ ال
خَمرِwine وذكرِand mentioning الكواعبfull-breasted maidens الخُرُدِthe bashful virgins
خَمرِ وذكرِ الكواعب الخُرُدِ
She rose at night, reproaching me for drinking
Came in the night to scold me over wine
wine and speaking of full-breasted, bashful maidens.
And dalliance with slave-girls she decried.
فقُلتُso I said مهلاًeasy! فماso not عليكِyour responsibility إنif امfirst part of ‘I became at evening’
فقُلتُ مهلاً فما عليكِ إن ام
سيتُremainder of ‘I became at evening’ غوياًwayward غيِّيmy waywardness ولاnor رشديmy right guidance
سيتُ غوياً غيِّي ولا رشدي
I said, “Easy! You are not answerable, if I
I said "Patience, though I'm led from wisdom's line,
am wayward at evening, for my straying or my right guidance.”
Madly I stray, there is no sense or guide."
إنيindeed I لمستيقنٌsurely certain لئنsurely if لمnot أمُتI die
إني لمستيقنٌ لئن لم أمُت
ملunclear fragment يومday إنيindeed I إذنthen رهينُa hostage of غَدِtomorrow
مل يوم إني إذن رهينُ غَدِ
I am certain that, if I do not die
For if I live without you, I'm resigned
[Unclear fragment] today, I am then tomorrow’s hostage.
To be in death forever at your side.
هلare…? نحنُwe إلاanything but كَمَنlike those who تقدَّمناpreceded us
هل نحنُ إلا كَمَن تقدَّمنا
مناfrom among us ومنand whoever تمَّhas ended ظِمؤُهhis interval between drinks يَرِدcomes to water
منا ومن تمَّ ظِمؤُه يَرِد
Are we anything but like those who went before us
Are we not like those before who pined,
from among us? Whoever’s interval of thirst ends comes to water.
And drank the drought of love unsatisfied?
نحنُwe كمَنlike those who ماapparently an emphatic particle مضىhave passed away وماand not انemphatic particle أرىI see
نحنُ كمَن ما مضى وما ان أرى
شحاًmiserliness يزيدُadding الحريصَthe greedy man منany عَدَدِnumber of days
شحاً يزيدُ الحريصَ من عَدَدِ
We are like those who have passed; and I do not see
We are the same as those now left behind,
miserliness adding to the greedy man’s tally of days.
And increasing avarice brings no pride.
فلاso do not تلومننيreproach me علىfor خُلقيmy disposition
فلا تلومنني على خُلقي
واقنيand preserve حياءَthe modesty of الكريمِthe noble person واقتعديand sit down
واقني حياءَ الكريمِ واقتعدي
So do not reproach me for my nature;
Then do not blame me for my nature, find
and keep a noble person’s modesty, and sit down.
Me honor, wisdom, piety beside!
Sol 6.1