لاdo not تَبكِweep رَبعاًa campsite عَفاhas faded away بِذيat Dhu سَلَمِSalam
لا تَبكِ رَبعاً عَفا بِذي سَلَمِ
وَبَزَّand stripped away آثارَهُits traces يَدُthe hand القِدَمِof time
وَبَزَّ آثارَهُ يَدُ القِدَمِ
Do not weep for a campsite faded away at Dhu Salam,
Do not lament a quarter that has healed
Weep not for a campsite effaced at Dhu Salam,
Its traces stripped away by the hand of time.
And time has erased its traces
Whose traces the hand of antiquity has stripped away.
وَعُجand turn aside بِناwith us نَجتَليwe behold مُخَدَّرَةًa secluded maiden
وَعُج بِنا نَجتَلي مُخَدَّرَةً
نَسيمُهاher breath ريحُthe scent عَنبَرٍof ambergris ضَرِمِburning
نَسيمُها ريحُ عَنبَرٍ ضَرِمِ
And turn aside with us to behold a secluded maiden,
The breeze of our tribe awakens us gently
But turn with us to unveil a cloistered vintage,
Whose breath is the scent of burning ambergris.
Its scent is aromatic myrrh
Whose breath is the scent of ambergris aflame.
إِذاwhen عَلاهاrises over her المِزاجُthe mixing water أَضحَكَهاmakes her laugh
إِذا عَلاها المِزاجُ أَضحَكَها
عَنِrevealing اللَآليthe pearls بِحُسنِwith the beauty of مُبتَسِمِa smiling mouth
عَنِ اللَآلي بِحُسنِ مُبتَسِمِ
When the mixing water rises over her, it makes her laugh,
When the wine uplifts her, it makes her laugh
When water mounts it, the wine begins to laugh,
Baring pearls in a lovely smile.
With a beautiful smiling countenance
Revealing pearls within a lovely smile.
مِنfrom كَفِّthe hand of ظَبيٍa gazelle أَغَنَّnasal-voiced ذيpossessing غَنَجٍcoquetry
مِن كَفِّ ظَبيٍ أَغَنَّ ذي غَنَجٍ
أُكمِلَwas made perfect مِنfrom قَرنِهِthe crown of his head إِلىto القَدَمِthe foot
أُكمِلَ مِن قَرنِهِ إِلى القَدَمِ
From the hand of a coy, nasal-voiced gazelle,
From the palm of a young gazelle that sang sweetly
Poured by the hand of a fawn, soft-voiced and coy,
Made perfect from the crown of his head to his feet.
Perfect from horn to hoof
Perfected in beauty from head to toe.
أَغيَدُlithe مُرتَجَّةٌquivering رَوادِفُهُhis buttocks
أَغيَدُ مُرتَجَّةٌ رَوادِفُهُ
مُحتَلِمٌhaving reached puberty أَوor دُوَينَjust short of مُحتَلِمِhaving reached puberty
مُحتَلِمٌ أَو دُوَينَ مُحتَلِمِ
Lithe, his buttocks quivering,
A smooth-gaited she-camel, its rider
Slender of neck, with trembling, heavy hips,
Having reached puberty, or just short of it.
An adolescent, or an adolescent-like man
Just reaching manhood, or a shade before.
كَأَنَّas though خَدَّيهِhis two cheeks فيin بَياضِهِماtheir whiteness
كَأَنَّ خَدَّيهِ في بَياضِهِما
قَدindeed أُشرِبَتwere suffused وَجنَتاهُماtheir two cheekbones بِدَمِwith blood
قَد أُشرِبَت وَجنَتاهُما بِدَمِ
As though his cheeks, in their whiteness,
As if his cheeks in their whiteness
As though his cheeks, within their pallid white,
Had been suffused with blood at the cheekbones.
Were dyed and his cheeks made rosy with blood
Had been deeply infused with a flush of blood.
كَأَنَّas though صُدغَيهِhis two temple-locks فيin سَوادِهِماtheir blackness
كَأَنَّ صُدغَيهِ في سَوادِهِما
خُطّاthe two were drawn عَلىupon عارِضَينِtwo cheeks بِالقَلَمِwith a pen
خُطّا عَلى عارِضَينِ بِالقَلَمِ
As though his temple-locks, in their blackness,
As if his temples in their darkness
As though his sidelocks, in their jet-black hue,
Had been drawn on his two cheeks with a pen.
Were lines drawn on cheeks by a pen
Were script drawn upon his temples with a pen.
كَأَنَّهُas though he were دُرَّةٌa pearl مُحَبَّرَةٌadorned
كَأَنَّهُ دُرَّةٌ مُحَبَّرَةٌ
عَلَّقَهاhung it راهِبٌa monk عَلىupon صَنَمِan idol
عَلَّقَها راهِبٌ عَلى صَنَمِ
As though he were an adorned pearl,
As if he were a pearl reddened with dye
As if he were a pearl, embellished fair,
Hung by a monk upon an idol.
That a monk hung on an idol
That a monk has suspended on an idol.
فَذاكَthat, then شَرطيmy requirement إِذاwhen خَلَوتُI am alone بِهِwith him
فَذاكَ شَرطي إِذا خَلَوتُ بِهِ
مُحتَشِماًbashful رِقبَةًout of fear مِنَof الحَشَمِthe attendants
مُحتَشِماً رِقبَةً مِنَ الحَشَمِ
That, then, is my requirement when I am alone with him,
So whenever I am alone with this policeman
Such is my condition when alone with him:
Bashful, for fear of the attendants.
I am bashful, restrained in modesty
Restrained and modest, fearing the attendants.
Sol 6.1