أَفيis it over رَسمٍa trace of دارٍa dwelling دَمعُكَyour tears المُتَحَدِّرُstreaming down
أَفي رَسمٍ دارٍ دَمعُكَ المُتَحَدِّرُ
سَفاهاًfoolishly وَماand what اِستِخبارُquestioning ماthat which لَيسَdoes not يُخبِرُanswer
سَفاهاً وَما اِستِخبارُ ما لَيسَ يُخبِرُ
Is it over a dwelling's traces that your tears stream down,
foolishly? What good is asking what cannot answer?
بِمُجتَمَعِat the meeting point of الرَضمَينِal-Raḍmayn غَيَّرَهُchanged it البِلىdecay
بِمُجتَمَعِ الرَضمَينِ غَيَّرَهُ البِلى
وَنَكباءُand a crosswind تُزجىdrives along خارِجَbillowing المُورِdust صَرصَرُbitterly cold
وَنَكباءُ تُزجى خارِجَ المُورِ صَرصَرُ
At the meeting of al-Raḍmayn, decay has changed it,
and a bitter crosswind driving billowing dust,
وَأَسحَمُand a black cloud رَجّافٌshuddering مِنَfrom الدَلوِal-Dalw (the Bucket) مُرزِمٌrumbling
وَأَسحَمُ رَجّافٌ مِنَ الدَلوِ مُرزِمٌ
جَرُورٌslow-moving إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رَجَّهُshakes it الرَعدُthunder مُمطِرُraining
جَرُورٌ إِذا ما رَجَّهُ الرَعدُ مُمطِرُ
and a black, shuddering cloud from al-Dalw, rumbling,
slow-moving, raining whenever thunder shakes it.
تَغَيَّرَhas changed ذاكَthat الرَبعُcampsite مِنfrom بَعدِafter جِدَّةٍnewness
تَغَيَّرَ ذاكَ الرَبعُ مِن بَعدِ جِدَّةٍ
وَكُلُّand every جَديدٍnew thing مَرَّةًone day مُتَغَيِّرُsubject to change
وَكُلُّ جَديدٍ مَرَّةً مُتَغَيِّرُ
That campsite has changed since it was new,
and everything new must one day change.
لِأَسماءَbelonging to Asma إِذwhen قَلبيmy heart بِأَسماءَwith Asma مُغرَمٌenamored
لِأَسماءَ إِذ قَلبي بِأَسماءَ مُغرَمٌ
وَفيand in ذِكرِmentioning أَسماءَAsma المَليحَةِthe lovely مُهجَرُextravagant praise
وَفي ذِكرِ أَسماءَ المَليحَةِ مُهجَرُ
Asma's—when my heart was enamored of Asma,
and mention of lovely Asma invites extravagant praise.
وَمَمشىand the walk of ثَلاثٍthree بَعدَafter هدءٍnight's hush كَواعِبٍbudding-breasted maidens
وَمَمشى ثَلاثٍ بَعدَ هدءٍ كَواعِبٍ
كَمَثلِlike الدُمىstatues بَلrather هُنَّthey مِنthan ذاكَthat أَنضَرُmore radiant
كَمَثلِ الدُمى بَل هُنَّ مِن ذاكَ أَنضَرُ
And the walk of three budding-breasted maidens after night's hush,
like statues—no, more radiant still—
إِلَيَّtoward me وَقَدand already بَلَّmoistened الرُباthe hillocks ساقِطُfalling النَدىdew
إِلَيَّ وَقَد بَلَّ الرُبا ساقِطُ النَدى
وَنامَand slept الأُولىthose whom كُناwe used to مِنَamong الناسِthe people نَحذَرُfear
وَنامَ الأُولى كُنا مِنَ الناسِ نَحذَرُ
toward me, when falling dew had moistened the hills,
and those among the people we feared had gone to sleep.
تَهادىswaying gait نِعاجِfemale antelopes of الرَملِthe sands مَرَّتthey passed سَواكِناًserenely
تَهادى نِعاجِ الرَملِ مَرَّت سَواكِناً
تُرِيعُturn back إِلىtoward أُلافِهاtheir companions وَتَأَطَّرُand bend gracefully
تُرِيعُ إِلى أُلافِها وَتَأَطَّرُ
They passed serenely, with the swaying gait of sand-antelopes,
returning to their companions and bending gracefully,
بِجَوٍّin an open valley مِنَof الجَهراءِal-Jahra يُمرِجgrows luxuriantly نَبتُهُits herbage
بِجَوٍّ مِنَ الجَهراءِ يُمرِج نَبتُهُ
وَيَذهَبُand rises طُولاًin height فيinto السَماthe sky وَيُحَيَّرُand bewilders
وَيَذهَبُ طُولاً في السَما وَيُحَيَّرُ
in a valley of al-Jahra, where the herbage grows luxuriant,
and rises high into the sky, bewildering to behold.
يَرُوقُdelights الأَلاءُalāʾ shrubs الجَعدُdense-leaved وَالمَكرand makr plants وَحشَهُits wild beasts
يَرُوقُ الأَلاءُ الجَعدُ وَالمَكر وَحشَهُ
وَحُوذانُهُand its buttercups وَالأُقحُوانُand daisies المُنَوَّرُin bloom
وَحُوذانُهُ وَالأُقحُوانُ المُنَوَّرُ
Dense-leaved alāʾ and makr delight its wild beasts,
as do its buttercups and flowering daisies.
فَلَمّاthen when هَداهُنَّled them الجَرِيُّthe messenger لِمجلِسٍto a meeting place
فَلَمّا هَداهُنَّ الجَرِيُّ لِمجلِسٍ
وَهَنَّand they بِهِwith it لَولاwere it not for التَجاهُلُfeigned ignorance أَبصَرُbetter acquainted
وَهَنَّ بِهِ لَولا التَجاهُلُ أَبصَرُ
Then, when the messenger led them to a meeting place,
though they knew it better, feigning ignorance,
يُسَلِّمنَthey greet تَسليماًa greeting خَفِياًquietly وَسَقَّطَتand she sank down
يُسَلِّمنَ تَسليماً خَفِياً وَسَقَّطَت
كَماas سَقَّطَتsank down ظُلعٌlame beasts مِنَfrom السَيرِtravel حُسَّرُexhausted
كَما سَقَّطَت ظُلعٌ مِنَ السَيرِ حُسَّرُ
they offered hushed greetings, and she let herself sink down,
as lame beasts, exhausted by travel, sink down.
لَهاshe has أَرَجٌa fragrance مِنof زاهِرِflowering البَقلِherbs وَالثَرىand moist earth
لَها أَرَجٌ مِن زاهِرِ البَقلِ وَالثَرى
وَبُردٌand a mantle إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle باشَرَtouches directly الجِلدَthe skin يَخصَرُchills
وَبُردٌ إِذا ما باشَرَ الجِلدَ يَخصَرُ
She had the fragrance of flowering herbs and moist earth,
and a mantle that chills the skin whenever it touches it.
فَقالَتthen she said لِتِربَيهاto her two age-mates الغَداةَthat morning تَنَقَّباveil yourselves, you two
فَقالَت لِتِربَيها الغَداةَ تَنَقَّبا
لِعَينٍagainst an onlooker's gaze وَلاand do not تَستَبعِداgo far away, you two حِينَwhile أُبصِرُI look
لِعَينٍ وَلا تَستَبعِدا حِينَ أُبصِرُ
That morning she told her two companions: 'Veil yourselves
against an onlooker's gaze; do not stray far while I look.
وَلاand do not تُظهِراshow, you two بُردَيكُماyour two mantles وَعَلَيكُماand on you both
وَلا تُظهِرا بُردَيكُما وَعَلَيكُما
كِساءانtwo wraps مِنof خَزٍّsilk-and-wool fabric بِنَقشٍwith a pattern وَأَخضَرُand a green one
كِساءان مِن خَزٍّ بِنَقشٍ وَأَخضَرُ
And do not show your two mantles; you are wearing
two silk-and-wool wraps, one patterned and one green.'
فَعَدّىso leave off فَماfor ... is not هَذاthis العِتابُreproach بِنافِعٍof any benefit
فَعَدّى فَما هَذا العِتابُ بِنافِعٍ
هَوايَmy passion وَلاnor مُرجىhoped for الهَوىlove حِينَwhen يُقصِرُit wanes
هَوايَ وَلا مُرجى الهَوى حِينَ يُقصِرُ
So leave off; this reproach does nothing for
my passion, nor is love to be hoped for when it wanes.
Sol 6.1