ياoh لَيتَif only لَيلىLayla رَأَتناshe had seen us غَيرَnot جازِعَةٍdistraught
يا لَيتَ لَيلى رَأَتنا غَيرَ جازِعَةٍ
لَمّاwhen هَبَطناwe descended جَمِيعاًall together أَبطَحَthe gravelly flat of السُوقِthe market
لَمّا هَبَطنا جَمِيعاً أَبطَحَ السُوقِ
Oh, if only Layla had seen us, undismayed,
O that Layla had seen us undaunted
When we all descended to the market's gravelly flat,
When we descended all together in the marketplace
وَكَشَرناand we bared our teeth وَكُبُولُwhile the shackles القَينِof the blacksmith تَنكِبُناbruise us
وَكَشَرنا وَكُبُولُ القَينِ تَنكِبُنا
كَالأُسدِlike lions تَكشِرُbaring their teeth عَنfrom أَنيابِهاtheir fangs الرُوقِlong and jutting
كَالأُسدِ تَكشِرُ عَن أَنيابِها الرُوقِ
And bared our teeth while the smith's shackles bruised us,
Baring our teeth, lips curled back
Like lions baring their long, jutting fangs.
Like lions baring their fangs from their burrows
نَمشيwe walk يَفُوتُoutpaces مُخِفُّthe lightly burdened one القَومِof the company مَثقَلَهُمtheir heavily burdened one
نَمشي يَفُوتُ مُخِفُّ القَومِ مَثقَلَهُم
مَشىthe gait of الجِمالِcamels المَصاعِيبِunbroken المَطارِيقِbreeding males
مَشى الجِمالِ المَصاعِيبِ المَطارِيقِ
We walk, the lightly burdened outpacing the heavily burdened,
We strode, the quick of the people passing their laden ones
With the gait of unbroken breeding camels.
With the gait of strong-boned, slender-bodied camels
وَالناسُand the people شَطرانِtwo groups مِنamong them ذيone possessing بُغضَةٍhatred حَنِقٍenraged
وَالناسُ شَطرانِ مِن ذي بُغضَةٍ حَنِقٍ
وَمِنand among them مَغيظٍone angered بِدَمعِwith the tears of العَينِthe eye مَخنُوقِchoked
وَمِن مَغيظٍ بِدَمعِ العَينِ مَخنُوقِ
And the people were in two groups: some hateful and enraged,
And the people in two groups, some full of rancorous hate
And others angered, choked with tears in their eyes.
And some choking on tears of rage in their eyes
هُوَّواthey rushed لَناtoward us زُمَراًin bands مِنfrom كُلِّevery ناحِيَةٍside
هُوَّوا لَنا زُمَراً مِن كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ
كَأَنَّماas though فَزَعُواthey were startled مِنby نَفخَةِa blast of البُوقِthe trumpet
كَأَنَّما فَزَعُوا مِن نَفخَةِ البُوقِ
They rushed toward us in bands from every side,
They let out cries against us from every side
As though startled by a blast of the trumpet.
As though roused by the blast of a trumpet
وَفيand on السُطُوحِthe rooftops كَأَمثالِlike likenesses of الدُمىstatues خُرُدٌshy maidens
وَفي السُطُوحِ كَأَمثالِ الدُمى خُرُدٌ
يَبكِينَthey weep عَولَةَa wail of وَجدٍanguish غَيرِnot مَمذُوقِdiluted
يَبكِينَ عَولَةَ وَجدٍ غَيرِ مَمذُوقِ
And on the rooftops were shy maidens, like statues,
And on the rooftops were effigies like corpses
Weeping with a wail of unalloyed anguish.
Weeping the wailing of passion not yet tasted
مِنamong كُلِّevery ناشِرَةٍwoman loosening فَرعاًa head of hair لِرُؤيَتِناat the sight of us
مِن كُلِّ ناشِرَةٍ فَرعاً لِرُؤيَتِنا
وَمَفرَقاًand a crown of the head ذاbearing نَباتٍhair growth غَيرِnot مَفرُوقِparted
وَمَفرَقاً ذا نَباتٍ غَيرِ مَفرُوقِ
Each loosening her hair at the sight of us,
From every broadcaster a branch to see us
And uncovering a crown covered with unparted hair.
And scattered greenery not yet dispersed
يَضرِبنَthey strike حُرَّthe fair surface of وُجُوهٍfaces لاnot يُلَوِّحُهاdarkens them
يَضرِبنَ حُرَّ وُجُوهٍ لا يُلَوِّحُها
لَفحُthe blast of السُمُومِscorching winds وَلاnor شَمسُthe sun of المَشارِيقthe eastern horizons
لَفحُ السُمُومِ وَلا شَمسُ المَشارِيق
They strike their fair faces, which are not darkened
Striking hot faces untouched
By scorching wind-blasts, nor by the sun of the east.
By the winds of poison or the suns of daybreak
كَأَنَّas though أَعناقَهُنَّtheir necks التُلعَlong مُشرِفَةًraised high
كَأَنَّ أَعناقَهُنَّ التُلعَ مُشرِفَةً
مِمّاamong what يُحَلَّقُis made round مِنof تِلكَthose الأَبارِيقِewers
مِمّا يُحَلَّقُ مِن تِلكَ الأَبارِيقِ
As though their long necks, raised high,
Their necks craning as if from goblets tipped back
Were among the rounded necks of those ewers.
Of the drinks being passed around those pitchers
حَتّىuntil اِنتَهَتit reached إِلىto دَعجاءَa dark-eyed woman جالِسَةٍseated
حَتّى اِنتَهَت إِلى دَعجاءَ جالِسَةٍ
قَدalready تَرَكَتshe left أَهلَthe people of بَيتِthe House of اللَهِGod فيin ضِيقِdistress
قَد تَرَكَت أَهلَ بَيتِ اللَهِ في ضِيقِ
Until it reached a seated, dark-eyed woman,
Until we reached a frowning Dowjah sitting
Who had left the people of God's House in distress.
Having left the people of God's house in distress
تُنَضِّحُshe sprays الرِيقَspittle مِنfrom فِيهاher mouth إِذاwhenever نَطَقَتshe speaks
تُنَضِّحُ الرِيقَ مِن فِيها إِذا نَطَقَت
كَأَنَّماas though مَضَغَتshe chewed عِلكَthe gum of الذَعاليقِthe dhaʿālīq plants
كَأَنَّما مَضَغَت عِلكَ الذَعاليقِ
She sprays spittle from her mouth whenever she speaks,
Spitting saliva from her mouth when she spoke
As though she had chewed gum from dhaʿālīq plants.
As though she had chewed the bitter colocynth
Sol 6.1