قِفَاhalt, you two بالمَطَاياwith the mounts بَيْنَbetween نَجْدٍNajd وَشِعْبهِand its ravine
قِفَا بالمَطَايا بَيْنَ نَجْدٍ وَشِعْبهِ
نُوْدِيwe convey تَحِيْاتِgreetings الغرَامِardent love لِصْبِّهِto its lovesick one
نُوْدِي تَحِيْاتِ الغرَامِ لِصْبِّهِ
Halt, you two, with the mounts between Najd and its ravine.
Let us convey love’s greetings to its lovesick one.
فبَيْنَfor among رُبَاhills تِلْكَthose الرِّبُوعthe dwelling grounds منَازلٌabodes
فبَيْنَ رُبَا تِلْكَ الرِّبُوع منَازلٌ
لِعَلْوَةbelonging to ʿAlwa مَاءَwater الدَّمْعtears أكْثَرُmost of شرْبِهِhis drink
لِعَلْوَة مَاءَ الدَّمْع أكْثَرُ شرْبِهِ
For among the hills of those dwelling grounds are abodes
Of ʿAlwa; most of his drink is the water of tears.
إذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle التَثَمْنَاwe kissed بِالنَوَاظِرِwith the eyes تُرْبَةًa patch of earth
إذَا مَا التَثَمْنَا بِالنَوَاظِرِ تُرْبَةً
تَمَسَّكَتِbecame musk-scented الأَجْفَانُthe eyelids مِنَّاof ours بِتُرْبِهِwith its dust
تَمَسَّكَتِ الأَجْفَانُ مِنَّا بِتُرْبِهِ
Whenever we kiss a patch of earth with our eyes,
Our eyelids grow musk-scented from its dust.
أَحِنُّI yearn إِليْهَاfor her وَهَىْand she is قَلْبيmy heart وَهَلْand do…? تَرَىyou see
أَحِنُّ إِليْهَا وَهَىْ قَلْبي وَهَلْ تَرَى
سِوَاىَother than me أَخُوone possessed of وَجْدٍlonging يَحِنُّyearns لِقَلْبِهِfor his heart
سِوَاىَ أَخُو وَجْدٍ يَحِنُّ لِقَلْبِهِ
I yearn for her, though she is my heart; do you see
Anyone but me, possessed of longing, yearning for his own heart?
وَيُحْجَبُand is veiled طَرْفِيmy gaze عَنْهُfrom it إِذْsince هُوَit نَاظِرِيmy eye
وَيُحْجَبُ طَرْفِي عَنْهُ إِذْ هُوَ نَاظِرِي
فَمَاso…not بُعْدُهُits remoteness إلاَّexcept لإِفْرَاطِbecause of the excess of قُرْبِهِits nearness
فَمَا بُعْدُهُ إلاَّ لإِفْرَاطِ قُرْبِهِ
And my gaze is veiled from it, since it is my very eye;
So its remoteness is due only to its excessive nearness.
Sol 6.1