نَباتُNabāt بِنتِgirl سَباكِmay He take you captive اللَهُGod مِنof أَمَةٍa slave-girl
نَباتُ بِنتِ سَباكِ اللَهُ مِن أَمَةٍ
كَمِhow many اعتَرَتكِhave beset you عَلىover الدَهرِthe years المَشاغيلُdistractions
كَمِ اعتَرَتكِ عَلى الدَهرِ المَشاغيلُ
Nabāt, girl—may God take you captive, you slave-girl!
Nabatu, daughter of the blacksmith
Nabat, my girl—may God strike you, what a slave girl you are!
How many distractions have beset you through the years!
How many troubles have beset you in life!
How often have distractions seized you throughout the days!
كَمhow often قَدindeed عَذَلتُI reproached وَكَمand how often عاتَبتُI rebuked مُجتَهِداًearnestly
كَم قَد عَذَلتُ وَكَم عاتَبتُ مُجتَهِداً
وَقُلتُand I said لَوif only أَخَذَتtook hold فيكِon you الأَقاويلُwords
وَقُلتُ لَو أَخَذَت فيكِ الأَقاويلُ
How often I have reproached you, and how often earnestly rebuked you,
How often have I blamed and reproached you in vain,
How often I have chided and how often reproached with all my might,
And said, 'If only words could take hold of you!'
Saying, "What lies people spread about you!"
Saying, "If only my warnings would take hold within you."
ماnot أَنتِyou إِلّاexcept عَروسٌa bride يَومَthe day of جَلوَتِهاher unveiling
ما أَنتِ إِلّا عَروسٌ يَومَ جَلوَتِها
عَلىon المِنَصَّةِthe bridal dais تَجلوهاunveil her العَطابيلُlong-necked beauties
عَلى المِنَصَّةِ تَجلوها العَطابيلُ
You are nothing but a bride on the day of her unveiling,
You are but a bride on her wedding day,
You are nothing but a bride on the day of her unveiling,
On the dais, where long-necked beauties unveil her.
Adorned on the dais with splendid robes.
Upon the dais, displayed by full-figured attendants.
أَماas for نَباتُNabāt فَقَدthen indeed أَضحَتshe became مُخَضَّبَةًhenna-dyed
أَما نَباتُ فَقَد أَضحَت مُخَضَّبَةً
وَالشِعرُand the hair مُفتَرِقٌparted بِالبانِwith bān oil مَغسولُwashed
وَالشِعرُ مُفتَرِقٌ بِالبانِ مَغسولُ
As for Nabāt, she has indeed become henna-dyed,
As for Nabatu, now she is stained with henna,
As for Nabat, she has appeared dyed with henna,
And her hair is parted, washed with bān oil.
Her hair parted and washed with bán.
Her hair parted down the middle, washed with fragrant oil.
قالَتshe said تَعَلَّلتُI sought relief بِالحَنّاءِwith henna قُلتُI said لَهاto her
قالَت تَعَلَّلتُ بِالحَنّاءِ قُلتُ لَها
ماno بِالتَطاريفِin fingertip dyeing بِالحَنّاءِwith henna تَعليلُrelief
ما بِالتَطاريفِ بِالحَنّاءِ تَعليلُ
She said, 'I sought relief with henna.' I said to her:
She pleaded the henna as her excuse,
She said, "I sought a cure with henna." I said to her:
There is no relief in dyeing the fingertips with henna.
But I said, "Do not make vain excuses."
"There is no medical cure in dyeing the fingertips with henna."
هاذيthese التَطاريفُfingertip markings مِنfrom غُنجٍcoquetry وَمِنand from عَبَثٍfrivolity
هاذي التَطاريفُ مِن غُنجٍ وَمِن عَبَثٍ
كَماas زَعَمتِyou claimed فَماthen why لِلطَرفِwith the eye مَكحولُlined with kohl
كَما زَعَمتِ فَما لِلطَرفِ مَكحولُ
These fingertip markings come of coquetry and frivolity,
These adornments are out of frivolity and nonsense,
"These fingertips speak of coquetry and playful wantonness,"
As you claim—then why is your eye lined with kohl?
Not, as you claimed, kohl around your eyes.
"Just as you claimed—but why then is your eye rimmed with kohl?"
قالَتshe said كَحِلتُI applied kohl بِعُذرِwith the excuse of العَينِthe eye مِنfrom رَمَدٍinflammation
قالَت كَحِلتُ بِعُذرِ العَينِ مِن رَمَدٍ
فَقُلتُthen I said عُذراًan excuse فَماthen why لِلشَعرِwith the hair مَبلولُwet
فَقُلتُ عُذراً فَما لِلشَعرِ مَبلولُ
She said, 'I used kohl, pleading inflammation of the eye.'
She claimed an eye inflammation as her excuse,
She said, "I applied kohl to treat the eye for inflammation;"
Then I said, 'Granted—but why is your hair wet?'
So I said, "What excuse for your soaked hair?"
So I said, "Accepting that excuse—but why is your hair wet?"
قالَتshe said مُطِرناwe were rained on وَلَمthough not تُمطِرit rained فَقُلتُthen I said لَهاto her
قالَت مُطِرنا وَلَم تُمطِر فَقُلتُ لَها
ماwhat بالُis the matter with مِئزَرِكِyour waist-wrap المَصقولِgleaming مَحلولُundone
ما بالُ مِئزَرِكِ المَصقولِ مَحلولُ
She said, 'We were rained on'—though no rain had fallen. I said to her:
She said it rained on us, but I told her,
She said, "We were rained upon," though it did not rain. So I said to her:
Why is your gleaming waist-wrap undone?
"Why then are your polished undergarments wet?"
"What is the matter with your polished waist-wrapper being untied?"
قالَتshe said بَرِمتُI grew weary بِهِof it حَملاًcarrying فَأَثقَلَنيso it weighed me down
قالَت بَرِمتُ بِهِ حَملاً فَأَثقَلَني
هَذاthis الإِزارُthe waist-wrap فَلَمthen why حُلُّwere undone السَراويلُthe trousers
هَذا الإِزارُ فَلَم حُلُّ السَراويلُ
She said, 'I grew weary of carrying it—it weighed me down.'
She said she carried a load and it weighed her down,
She said, "I grew weary of wearing it, for it weighed me down;"
This is the waist-wrap—then why are the trousers undone?
That this loincloth would not release her pants.
"That explains the wrapper—but why are your trousers undone?"
قالَتshe said غُلِبتُI was overpowered عَلىover نَفسيmyself فَقُلتُthen I said لَهاto her
قالَت غُلِبتُ عَلى نَفسي فَقُلتُ لَها
هَذاthis زِناكِyour fornication فَماthen what هاذيthese الأَباطيلُfalsehoods
هَذا زِناكِ فَما هاذي الأَباطيلُ
She said, 'I was overpowered against my will.' I said to her:
She admitted she was overcome with desire,
She said, "I was overcome against my will." So I said to her:
This is your fornication—what are these falsehoods?
So I said, "This is your adultery, enough of lies!"
"This is your adultery plain and simple—so why these falsehoods?"
زالَwent الحِمارُthe donkey وَكانَتand was تِلكَthat مُنيَتَهُhis wish
زالَ الحِمارُ وَكانَت تِلكَ مُنيَتَهُ
فيinto الطينِthe mud إِنَّindeed حِمارَthe donkey السوءِof evil مَوحولُmired
في الطينِ إِنَّ حِمارَ السوءِ مَوحولُ
The donkey went—and that was his wish—
The donkey slipped and thus met its fate—
"The donkey has slipped, and that was his desire,"
Into the mud; indeed, the wretched donkey is mired.
An evil donkey falls into the mud.
"Into the mud; indeed, the wicked donkey is mired deep."
Sol 6.1