إِنif زُرتُI visited خَرشَنَةًKharshana أَسيراas a captive
إِن زُرتُ خَرشَنَةً أَسيرا
فَلَكَمthen how often أَحَطتُI encircled بِهاaround it مُغيراas a raider
فَلَكَم أَحَطتُ بِها مُغيرا
If I have visited Kharshana as a captive,
If I visit Khursan as a captive,
how often I have encircled it as a raider!
How I surrounded it, changing,
وَلَقَدand indeed رَأَيتُI saw النارَthe fire تَنfirst part of ‘ravages’
وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ النارَ تَن
تَهِبُremaining part of ‘ravages’ المَنازِلَthe dwellings وَالقُصوراand the palaces
تَهِبُ المَنازِلَ وَالقُصورا
And I have indeed seen fire
And I saw fire raging,
ravage dwellings and palaces.
Consuming homes and palaces,
وَلَقَدand indeed رَأَيتُI saw السَبيَthe captives يُجfirst part of ‘is brought’
وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ السَبيَ يُج
لَبُremaining part of ‘is brought’ نَحوَناtoward us حُوّاًdark-lipped ones وَحوراand large, dark-eyed ones
لَبُ نَحوَنا حُوّاً وَحورا
And I have indeed seen captives
And I saw captives led
brought toward us, dark-lipped and large-eyed.
Toward us, beautiful and fair,
نَختارُwe choose مِنهُfrom it الغادَةَthe graceful maiden الthe (article for ‘beautiful’)
نَختارُ مِنهُ الغادَةَ ال
حَسناءَbeautiful وَالظَبيَand the gazelle الغَريراthe guileless
حَسناءَ وَالظَبيَ الغَريرا
We choose from them the graceful maiden
We choose the most beautiful
who is beautiful, and the guileless gazelle.
And the loveliest gazelle,
إِنif طالَgrew long لَيليmy night فيin ذُراheights
إِن طالَ لَيلي في ذُرا
كَyour (attached suffix) فَقَدthen indeed نَعِمتُI delighted بِهِin it قَصيراshort
كَ فَقَد نَعِمتُ بِهِ قَصيرا
If my night has grown long within your heights,
If my night in your ruins is long,
I have enjoyed it when it was short.
I have enjoyed it brief,
وَلَئِنand if indeed لَقيتُI encountered الحُزنَsorrow فيin
وَلَئِن لَقيتُ الحُزنَ في
كِyou (feminine suffix) فَقَدthen indeed لَقيتُI encountered بِكِin you السُروراjoy
كِ فَقَد لَقيتُ بِكِ السُرورا
And if I have encountered sorrow in
And if I meet sorrow in you,
you, I have also encountered joy in you.
I have met joy in you,
وَلَئِنand if indeed رُميتُI was struck بِحادِثٍby a calamity
وَلَئِن رُميتُ بِحادِثٍ
فَلَأُلفِيَنَّthen I shall surely be found لَهُin facing it صَبوراpatient
فَلَأُلفِيَنَّ لَهُ صَبورا
And if I am struck by a calamity,
And if I am struck by fate,
I shall surely be found patient in facing it.
I will be patient with it,
صَبراًpatience! لَعَلَّperhaps اللَهَGod يَفfirst part of ‘conquers’
صَبراً لَعَلَّ اللَهَ يَف
تَحُremaining part of ‘conquers’ هَذِهِthis فَتحاًa conquest يَسيراeasy
تَحُ هَذِهِ فَتحاً يَسيرا
Patience! Perhaps God will
Patience, perhaps God will
conquer this place with ease.
Open this an easy victory,
مَنwhoever كانَis مِثليlike me لَمdoes not يَبِتspend the night
مَن كانَ مِثلي لَم يَبِت
إِلّاexcept أَسيراًas a captive أَوor أَميراas a prince
إِلّا أَسيراً أَو أَميرا
Whoever is like me spends no night
Who is like me does not spend the night
except as a captive or a prince.
Except as captive or prince,
لَيسَتdo not تَحُلُّsettle سَراتُناour nobles
لَيسَت تَحُلُّ سَراتُنا
إِلّاexcept الصُدورَthe seats of honor أَوِor القُبوراthe graves
إِلّا الصُدورَ أَوِ القُبورا
Our nobles do not settle
Our secrets cannot be revealed
except in seats of honor or in graves.
Except to hearts or graves.
Sol 6.1