كَأَنَّماas though طَرَقَتcame by night لَيلىLayla مُعَهَّدةًrepeatedly rain-watered
كَأَنَّما طَرَقَت لَيلى مُعَهَّدةً
مِنَfrom الرِياضِthe meadows وَلاهاtended it عارِضٌa rain-cloud تَرِعُbrimming
مِنَ الرِياضِ وَلاها عارِضٌ تَرِعُ
When Layla came by night, she seemed a rain-nurtured meadow,
As if Layla had come from the meadows at night,
From among the meadows, tended by a brimming rain-cloud.
Allured by a fine specter not giving or taking.
طافَتcircled بِهاaround it ذاتُone possessing أَلوانٍcolors مُشَبَّهةindistinct in appearance
طافَت بِها ذاتُ أَلوانٍ مُشَبَّهة
ذَريعَةan instrument of الجِنِّthe jinn لاnot تُعطيgives وَلاand not تَدَعُleaves alone
ذَريعَة الجِنِّ لا تُعطي وَلا تَدَعُ
Around it circled a many-colored, indistinct form,
About her hovered a shape of changing hues,
An instrument of the jinn, neither giving nor letting be.
A genie's pretext, neither granting nor forbidding.
وَالخائِعُand al-Khāʾiʿ الجَونُthe dark آتٍapproaching عَنfrom شَمائِلِهِمtheir left sides
وَالخائِعُ الجَونُ آتٍ عَن شَمائِلِهِم
وَنائِعُand Nāʾiʿ النَعفِal-Naʿf (the mountain spur) عَنon أَيمانِهِمtheir right sides يَفَعُlofty
وَنائِعُ النَعفِ عَن أَيمانِهِم يَفَعُ
And dark al-Khāʾiʿ approaches from their left,
The humble, slender one brings her attributes,
And Nāʾiʿ al-Naʿf stands high on their right.
The delicate branches tell of her right hand.
فَماso not أَرَدناwe desired بِهاin her place منany خُلَّةٍbeloved companion بَدَلاًa replacement
فَما أَرَدنا بِها من خُلَّةٍ بَدَلاً
وَلاand not بِهاconcerning her رَقَصَthe dancing of الواشينَthe slanderers نَستَمِعُwe listen
وَلا بِها رَقَصَ الواشينَ نَستَمِعُ
So we sought no other beloved in her stead,
We wanted no toy from her as replacement,
Nor, concerning her, did we heed the slanderers' dance.
Nor with her did the spies dance, and we listen.
سَلَّwasted me الهَوىpassion وَلباناتُand the yearnings الفُؤادِof the heart بِهاfor her
سَلَّ الهَوى وَلباناتُ الفُؤادِ بِها
وَالقَلبُand the heart شاكيsuffering from الهَوىpassion مِنfrom حُبِّهاlove for her شَكِعُdistraught
وَالقَلبُ شاكي الهَوى مِن حُبِّها شَكِعُ
Passion and my heart's longings for her have wasted me,
Passion begged us, as did the heart's sensations,
And my heart suffers from passion, distraught with love for her.
The heart complained of passion's love to her.
كَأَنَّهُمas though they يَومَon the day of ذيDhū (place-name element) الغرّاءِal-Gharrāʾ حينَwhen غَدَتset out at dawn
كَأَنَّهُم يَومَ ذي الغرّاءِ حينَ غَدَت
نُكباًveering aside جِمالُهُمُtheir camels لِلبَينِfor parting فَاِندَفَعواso they hurried away
نُكباً جِمالُهُمُ لِلبَينِ فَاِندَفَعوا
It was as though, that day at Dhū al-Gharrāʾ, when at dawn
As though on the day the war-steeds were outfitted,
Their camels turned aside toward parting and they hurried away,
Their beauty stumbled for the far destroyers.
لَمnot يُصبِحِhad become القَومُthe people جيراناًneighbors فَكُلُّfor every نَوىdwelling-place
لَم يُصبِحِ القَومُ جيراناً فَكُلُّ نَوى
بِالناسِamong people لاno صَدعَrift فيهاwithin it سَوفَwill تَنصدِعُsplit apart
بِالناسِ لا صَدعَ فيها سَوفَ تَنصدِعُ
The folk had never been neighbors; for every dwelling
The tribe did not farewell us as neighbors; each vowed
Among people, though unbroken now, will one day split apart.
With the people no crevice in it will crack.
Sol 6.1