أَقُولُI say بِأَعلىat the upper part of نَخلَتَينِNakhlatayn وَقَدand already مَضىhad passed
أَقُولُ بِأَعلى نَخلَتَينِ وَقَد مَضى
مِنَof اللَيلِthe night شَطرُhalf of اللَيلِthe night وَالرَكبُand the caravan هاجِعُasleep
مِنَ اللَيلِ شَطرُ اللَيلِ وَالرَكبُ هاجِعُ
I say, at the upper reaches of Nakhlatayn, when there has passed
I say at the top of two palm trees as the night
half the night, with the caravan asleep,
Has passed its midpoint and the caravan slept
لِذيto one with لَطَفٍkindliness مِنamong صُحبَتيmy companions وَهوَand he دُونَهُمnearer than they
لِذي لَطَفٍ مِن صُحبَتي وَهوَ دُونَهُم
أَقاتِلتيis she my slayer? إِنيsurely I إِلىto اللَهِGod راجِعُreturning
أَقاتِلتي إِني إِلى اللَهِ راجِعُ
to a kindly man among my companions, nearer than the rest:
To the graceful one whose company I miss
Is she my slayer? Surely I return to God.
Though below them I fight, to God I shall return
يَمانِيَةٌa Yemeni woman مِنfrom أَهلِthe people of فَوزٍFawz تَشُوقُنيmakes me yearn
يَمانِيَةٌ مِن أَهلِ فَوزٍ تَشُوقُني
وَتَأتيand bring بِرَيّاهاwith her fragrance الرِياحُthe winds الزَعازِعُthe gusting ones
وَتَأتي بِرَيّاها الرِياحُ الزَعازِعُ
A Yemeni woman from the people of Fawz fills me with longing,
A Yemeni girl from a victorious people has me yearning
and the gusting winds bring her fragrance.
And the blowing winds bring the scent of her perfume
وِمِمّاand among what يَهيجُstirs القَلبَthe heart ياO صاحِfriend نَحوَهاtoward her
وِمِمّا يَهيجُ القَلبَ يا صاحِ نَحوَها
إِذاwhen باكَرَvisits at dawn الأَيكَthe thicket الحَمامُthe doves السَواجِعُthe cooing ones
إِذا باكَرَ الأَيكَ الحَمامُ السَواجِعُ
And one thing that stirs the heart toward her, my friend,
And what stirs the heart, my friend, is her voice
is when the cooing doves visit the thicket at dawn.
When the doves at dawn mourn in lament
كَأَنّيas though I لِذِكراهاat remembering her إِذاwhen اللَيلُthe night جَنَّنيenfolds me
كَأَنّي لِذِكراها إِذا اللَيلُ جَنَّني
أَسيرُa captive of عَدُوٍّan enemy أَسهرَتهُhave kept him awake الجَوامِعُthe fetters
أَسيرُ عَدُوٍّ أَسهرَتهُ الجَوامِعُ
At the thought of her, when night enfolds me, I am like
As if when the night maddens me with thoughts of her
an enemy's captive whom fetters keep awake.
I’m a captive and the mosques have kept him awake
يَرىhe sees المَوتَdeath غُنماًa gain راحَةًa relief وَالَّذيand what بِهِafflicts him
يَرى المَوتَ غُنماً راحَةً وَالَّذي بِهِ
عَلَيهِupon him عَناءٌanguish فَهُوَso he بِالمَوتِfor death طامِعُyearning
عَلَيهِ عَناءٌ فَهُوَ بِالمَوتِ طامِعُ
He sees death as gain and relief, while what he suffers
He sees death as gain, as rest, and what troubles him
is anguish to him, so he yearns for death.
Is hardship, so he longs for death
فَكَيفَso how بِذِكراهاwith remembrance of her وَبِالعَرجِand at al-Arj مَسكَنيmy dwelling
فَكَيفَ بِذِكراها وَبِالعَرجِ مَسكَني
وَمِنand from دُونِهاthe nearer side of her الشُمُّthe lofty الجِبالُmountains الفَوارِعُthe towering ones
وَمِن دُونِها الشُمُّ الجِبالُ الفَوارِعُ
How, then, can I bear thoughts of her, when my home is at al-Arj,
So how when she is recalled and my walking stick as home
and lofty, towering mountains lie between me and her?
And without her are high impassable mountains
بَلىyes فيin المطيٍّthe riding camels القُودِthe long-necked ones لِلمَرءِfor a man فيin الهَوىlove
بَلى في المطيٍّ القُودِ لِلمَرءِ في الهَوى
إِذاwhen ضافَهُvisits him هَمٌa sorrow شَديدٌsevere مَنافِعُbenefits
إِذا ضافَهُ هَمٌ شَديدٌ مَنافِعُ
Yes, in long-necked mounts, for a man in love,
Rather, in the riding camel is bondage for a man in love
when grievous sorrow visits him, there is much help.
When a great anxiety comes to him as gain
وَنِعمَand excellent is دَواءُthe remedy for النَأيseparation وَالكَربand distress جَسرَةٌa sturdy she-camel
وَنِعمَ دَواءُ النَأي وَالكَرب جَسرَةٌ
وَأَبيَضُand a bright sword مَصقُولُpolished الغَرارَينِthe two edges قاطِعُkeen
وَأَبيَضُ مَصقُولُ الغَرارَينِ قاطِعُ
A fine remedy for separation and distress is a sturdy she-camel,
And excellent is the cure of distance and worry is a bridge
and a bright, keen sword with both edges polished.
My white smooth sword a cutting blade
أَجُولُI roam بِهاon her عَرمَfierce in السُرىnight travel بِتَنُوفَةٍthrough a wilderness
أَجُولُ بِها عَرمَ السُرى بِتَنُوفَةٍ
بِهاin it لِلقَطاfor the sandgrouse قَدalready فارَقَتهُhas abandoned it مَواقِعُresting places
بِها لِلقَطا قَد فارَقَتهُ مَواقِعُ
I roam upon her, driving hard through the night, across a wilderness,
I roam the elevated path to Tanuf
where sandgrouse have abandoned their resting places,
On it, from the hunter, the gazelle has departed
كَمُفتَحَصِlike the hollow scraped by المَقرُورِa cold-stricken man بِاللَيلِat night شَفَّهُhas worn him down
كَمُفتَحَصِ المَقرُورِ بِاللَيلِ شَفَّهُ
ضَرَيبٌfrost فَلِلِّحيَينِso the two jaws have مِنهُfrom it قَعاقِعُchattering sounds
ضَرَيبٌ فَلِلِّحيَينِ مِنهُ قَعاقِعُ
like the hollow scraped by a shivering man at night, worn down
Like one carefully opening the sealed wine at night
by frost, so that his two jaws chatter from it.
The drinking companions have cups of it
فَإِنّيfor I وَإِيعادand the threats of العِدىthe enemies فِيكِconcerning you نَحوَكُمtoward you all
فَإِنّي وَإِيعاد العِدى فِيكِ نَحوَكُم
أَنُوفَthe noses of العِدىthe enemies حَتّىuntil أَزُرَكِI visit you جادِعُcutting off
أَنُوفَ العِدى حَتّى أَزُرَكِ جادِعُ
For I, despite the enemies' threats over you, make my way toward you,
So I, though the foe lies in wait for us, head towards you
cutting off the enemies' noses until I visit you.
My spearhead reaches your roots cleaving
وَوَرّادُand a frequent visitor to حَوضٍa pool أَنتِyou are حَضرَةُbeside مائِهِits water
وَوَرّادُ حَوضٍ أَنتِ حَضرَةُ مائِهِ
وَإِنand even if ذادَنيdrive me away الذُوّادthe wardens عَنهُfrom it فَشارِعُyet entering to drink
وَإِن ذادَني الذُوّاد عَنهُ فَشارِعُ
And I keep coming to a pool with you beside its water;
And a drawer of water you are, though guards try
even if the wardens drive me from it, I will still enter to drink.
To bar me from you, still I’ll contend
أَلَمdid ... not? تَعلَميyou know أَنthat رُبَّmany a باذِلَةٍwoman offering لَناto us
أَلَم تَعلَمي أَن رُبَّ باذِلَةٍ لَنا
هَواهاher love فَلاbut not أَدنُوI draw near لَهاto her فَتُصانِعُso she courts favor
هَواها فَلا أَدنُو لَها فَتُصانِعُ
Do you not know that many a woman offers us
Don't you know whenever we show a spurner our love
her love? I do not draw near her, so she tries to win favor
I won't approach so she can pretend
عَلَيَّwith me وَإِنّيand surely I بِالقَليلِwith a little مِنof الَّذيwhat
عَلَيَّ وَإِنّي بِالقَليلِ مِن الَّذي
لَدَيكِwith you وَلَوand even if صَرَّدتِهِyou give it sparingly لِيَto me قانِعُcontent
لَدَيكِ وَلَو صَرَّدتِهِ لِيَ قانِعُ
with me; yet I, with just a little of what
I’d be content with little of what’s with you
you have—even if you give it sparingly to me—am content.
Had you given it to me, even morsels
مِنَamong الحُورِthe dark-eyed beauties لَوif تَبدُوshe appeared لِأَشمَطَto a gray-haired راهِبٍmonk
مِنَ الحُورِ لَو تَبدُو لِأَشمَطَ راهِبٍ
تَعَبَّدَhas devoted himself to worship مِمّاamong those whom أَحرَزَتهُhave sheltered him الصَوامِعُthe hermitages
تَعَبَّدَ مِمّا أَحرَزَتهُ الصَوامِعُ
She is one of the dark-eyed beauties; were she to appear to a gray-haired monk
If houries appeared to an ascetic hermit
who has worshiped—one of those sheltered in hermitages—
Who’d cloistered himself from what seminaries contain
ثَمانينَeighty عاماًyears رامَهاhe would seek her إِنif دَنَتshe drew near لَهُto him
ثَمانينَ عاماً رامَها إِن دَنَت لَهُ
وَضاقَand would become cramped بِهِfor him مِحرابُهُhis prayer chamber وَهوَthough it is واسِعُspacious
وَضاقَ بِهِ مِحرابُهُ وَهوَ واسِعُ
for eighty years, he would seek her if she came near him,
For eighty years he’d desire them if they approached
and his prayer chamber, though spacious, would feel cramped to him.
Though his prayer niche would be too narrow
إِذاwhen اللَيلُthe night آواهاshelters her إِلىto السِترِthe curtain بَعدَماafter
إِذا اللَيلُ آواها إِلى السِترِ بَعدَما
تَضَمَّنَhave enfolded سُمّارَthe evening companions of النَدِيِّthe gathering المَضاجِعُthe beds
تَضَمَّنَ سُمّارَ النَدِيِّ المَضاجِعُ
When night shelters her behind the curtain, after
When the night hides her in the veil, after
the beds have gathered in the assembly's evening companions,
The bedouin's perfumed cloak gathers them in
تَفُوحُwafts fragrance خُزامىlavender طَلِّهِits dew مِنfrom ثِيابِهاher clothes
تَفُوحُ خُزامى طَلِّهِ مِن ثِيابِها
تُخالِطُmingles with مِسكاًmusk أَنبَتَتهاhave caused it to grow الأَجارِعُthe sandy ridges
تُخالِطُ مِسكاً أَنبَتَتها الأَجارِعُ
dew-fresh lavender wafts from her clothes,
The scent of his garment's folds mingles with musk
mingling with musk—lavender grown on sandy ridges.
Grown on the trees watered down in the valley
يَشُبُّkindles مُتُونُthe surfaces of الجَمرِthe embers بِالندwith incense نارَهُits fire
يَشُبُّ مُتُونُ الجَمرِ بِالند نارَهُ
وَبِالعَنبَرِand with ambergris الهِندِيِّIndian فَالعَرفُso the fragrance ساطِعُrising
وَبِالعَنبَرِ الهِندِيِّ فَالعَرفُ ساطِعُ
The coals' fire blazes over their surfaces, fed with incense,
The embers glow with the kindling, the fire
and with Indian ambergris, so the fragrance rises.
With Indian amber so the tent pole gleams
كَأَنَّas though عُقاراًa heady wine قَهوَةًwine مَقدِيَّةًMaqdian
كَأَنَّ عُقاراً قَهوَةً مَقدِيَّةً
أَبىrefused بَيعَهاto sell it خبٌّa cunning man مِنَamong التَجرِthe merchants خادِعُdeceitful
أَبى بَيعَها خبٌّ مِنَ التَجرِ خادِعُ
It is as though a heady wine, a Maqdian vintage,
As if a peddler refused to sell his exquisite
which a cunning, deceitful merchant refused to sell
Yemeni coffee, though a shrewd tradesman feigns
ثَلاثَةَthree أَحوالٍyears يُحاوِلُseeking فُرصَةًan opportunity
ثَلاثَةَ أَحوالٍ يُحاوِلُ فُرصَةً
مِنَfrom السُوقِthe market لاnot يَدريhe knows مَتىwhen السُوقُthe market نازِعُrising in price
مِنَ السُوقِ لا يَدري مَتى السُوقُ نازِعُ
for three years, seeking an opportunity
In three states he tries for a chance
in the market, not knowing when the market would rise,
From the market, not knowing when it may be gone
يُعَلُّare moistened again بِهاwith it أَنيابُهاher canine teeth بَعدَafter هَجعَةٍa sleep
يُعَلُّ بِها أَنيابُها بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ
وَقَدand already مالَhave inclined لِلغورِtoward setting النُجُومُthe stars الطَوالِعُthat had risen
وَقَد مالَ لِلغورِ النُجُومُ الطَوالِعُ
were bathing her canine teeth after a sleep,
She bares her teeth after slumber
while the stars that rose have already inclined toward setting.
And the stars incline towards the valley
Sol 6.1