أبلِغِيtell (addressing a woman) سَيِّدَتيmy lady بالby (beginning of 'by God')
أبلِغِي سَيِّدَتي بال
لَهِGod (completion of 'by God') ياO أمَّmother of عُبَيدَهʿUbayda
لَهِ يا أمَّ عُبَيدَه
Tell my lady, by
Lady mine, inform her that I pine,
God, O Umm ʿUbayda:
For her, O mother of her slaves!
إنَّهاindeed she أَرشَدَهاmay He guide her الbeginning of 'God'
إنَّها أَرشَدَها ال
لَهُcompletion of 'God' وإنand although كانَتshe was رَشِيدَهrightly guided
لَهُ وإن كانَت رَشِيدَه
Indeed she—may she be guided by
Though for God her steps inclined,
God, though she is rightly guided—
And for Him if she persuades.
وَعَدَتنِيshe promised me قَبلَbefore أنthat تَخbeginning of 'she sets out'
وَعَدَتنِي قَبلَ أن تَخ
رُجَcompletion of 'she sets out' لِلحَجِّfor the pilgrimage وَلِيدَهa slave girl
رُجَ لِلحَجِّ وَلِيدَه
promised me, before she set
Ere the pilgrimage her foot could stir,
out for the pilgrimage, a slave girl.
She did promise and did vow;
فَتَأَنَّيتُso I waited patiently وَأَرسَلand sent (verb continues)
فَتَأَنَّيتُ وَأَرسَل
تُI (past-tense verb ending) بِعِشرِينَwith twenty قَصِيدَهpoem
تُ بِعِشرِينَ قَصِيدَه
So I waited patiently and sent
Messages with verses fair I bore,
twenty poems.
And then verses ever new.
كُلَّماwhenever أَخلَقنَthey grew worn أخلَفreplaced (verb continues)
كُلَّما أَخلَقنَ أخلَف
تُI (past-tense verb ending) لهاfor her أخرَىanother جَدِيدَهnew
تُ لها أخرَى جَدِيدَه
Whenever they grew worn, I supplied
Twenty messengers addressed with verse,
her with another new one.
Each forthright succeeding now.
لَيسَthere is not فيin بَيتِيmy house لِتَمهِيto smooth (word continues)
لَيسَ في بَيتِي لِتَمهِي
دِcompletion of 'smoothing' فِراشِيmy bedding مِنany (emphasizing negation) قَعيدَهa wife
دِ فِراشِي مِن قَعيدَه
In my house there is none to smooth
No maid have I soft limbs to ply
my bedding—no wife
At night's time with amorous play;
غَيرُexcept عَجفَاءَscrawny عَجُوزٍan old woman
غَيرُ عَجفَاءَ عَجُوزٍ
سَاقُهاher leg مِثلُlike القَدِيدَهthe strip of dried meat
سَاقُها مِثلُ القَدِيدَه
except a scrawny old woman,
Naught but haggard old woman whose
whose leg is like a strip of dried meat.
Legs like pestles gnarled away;
وَجهُهَاher face أقبَحُuglier مِنthan حُوbeginning of 'fish'
وَجهُهَا أقبَحُ مِن حُو
تٍcompletion of 'fish' طَرِيٍّfresh فيin عَصِيدَهporridge
تٍ طَرِيٍّ في عَصِيدَه
Her face is uglier than a
Face more ugly than the owls
fresh fish in porridge.
That o'er ruins drear hold sway.
ماnot حَيَاةٌlife مَعَwith أُنثَىa woman
ما حَيَاةٌ مَعَ أُنثَى
مِثلَlike عِرسِيmy wife بِسَعِيدَهhappy (prefix emphasizes negation)
مِثلَ عِرسِي بِسَعِيدَه
No life with a woman
No life's joy with partner chained
like my wife is happy.
As mine, burdened cares at bay!
Sol 6.1