أَقُولُI say لِصاحِبَيَّto my two companions وَمِثلُand the like of ماwhat بيis in me
أَقُولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي
شَكاهُhe lamented it المَرءُthe man ذُوpossessed of الوَجدِpassion الأَلِيمِpainful
شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذُو الوَجدِ الأَلِيمِ
I say to my two companions—and suffering like mine
I say to my companion, like what I complain of,
has been lamented by a man of painful passion
The man of intense agony complains to brothers like them, when
إِلىto الأَخوَينِthe two brothers مِثلِهِماlike them both إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
إِلى الأَخوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما
تَأَوَّبُهُrevisit him by night مُؤَرِّقَةُsleep-disturbing الهُمُومcares
تَأَوَّبُهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمُوم
to two brothers like them, whenever
Worry keeps him sleepless at night,
sleep-denying cares revisit him by night:
I met a back, at the side of An-Naqah, a sister of Bani Tamim.
لِحينيto my doom وَالبَلاءِand affliction لَقِيتُI met ظُهراًat noon
لِحيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقِيتُ ظُهراً
بِجَنبِbeside النَقعِal-Naqʿ أُختَa sister of بَنيthe sons of تَميمِTamim
بِجَنبِ النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ
To my doom and affliction, I met at noon,
So when there appeared to my eye from her,
beside al-Naqʿ, a sister of Banu Tamim.
A cheek flowing in an alluring creation,
فَلَمّاand when أَنthat (linking particle) بَداappeared للعَينِto the eye مِنهاof her
فَلَمّا أَن بَدا للعَينِ مِنها
أَسِيلُsmooth الخَدِّof cheek فيin خَلقٍa physique عَميمِtall and well-formed
أَسِيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ
And when the eye caught sight of her
And an eye with kohl, a slit, and a mouth,
smooth cheek, set in a tall, well-formed figure,
Like an Al-Uqhuwan (a bright star), and a soft neck.
وَعَيناand the two eyes of جُؤذَرٍan oryx calf خَرِقٍstartled وَثَغرٌand a mouth
وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ
كَمِثلِlike الأُقحُوانِchamomile blossoms وَجِيدُand the neck of رِيمِa white gazelle
كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجِيدُ رِيمِ
and the eyes of a startled oryx calf, and a mouth
Her friends gathered around me because of her,
like chamomile blossoms, and a white gazelle's neck,
Bending over like those returning to a sick man.
حَناbent over أَترابُهاher peers دُونيkeeping me away عَلَيهاover her
حَنا أَترابُها دُوني عَلَيها
حُنُوَّthe bending of العائِداتِwomen visiting the sick عَلىover السَقِيمِthe sick person
حُنُوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى السَقِيمِ
her peers bent over her, keeping me away,
Chaste women who had not lived a life of misery,
as women visiting the sick bend over the sufferer.
Rather, a life of luxury and comfort.
عَقائِلُnoble women لَمdid not يَعِشنَthey live بِعَيشِin a life of بُؤسٍhardship
عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ
وَلَكِنbut بِالغَضارَةِin abundance وَالنَعيمِand ease
وَلَكِن بِالغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ
Noble women who had never lived in hardship,
She captivated the heart of a lovesick melancholic,
but in abundance and ease.
With a longing that stirred in him for long.
فَشاقَتso she stirred longing in قَلبَthe heart of مُفتَتنٍa lovestruck man حَزينٍsorrowful
فَشاقَت قَلبَ مُفتَتنٍ حَزينٍ
عَلىon top of شَوقٍlonging مُخامِرِهِpossessing him قَديمِold
عَلى شَوقٍ مُخامِرِهِ قَديمِ
So she stirred the heart of a lovestruck, sorrowful man,
Sighs shook his body, until
adding to an old longing that possessed him.
It wore out like a perfumed garment becomes worn out.
أَحَلَّlodged بِجِسمِهِin his body الزَفَراتِdeep sighs حَتّىuntil
أَحَلَّ بِجِسمِهِ الزَفَراتِ حَتّى
بَليhe wasted away كَبلىlike the decay of العَسِيبِa palm-frond stalk مِنَamong الهَشيمِdry, broken vegetation
بَلي كَبلى العَسِيبِ مِنَ الهَشيمِ
It lodged deep sighs in his body, until
He disobeyed his kin, so they avoided him,
he wasted away as a palm stalk decays amid dry brushwood.
As the sincere advisor is shunned by the fool.
وَعاصىand he defied الأَقرَبينَhis closest kin فَزاso they parted… (word fragment) يَلُوهُ…from him (word fragment)
وَعاصى الأَقرَبينَ فَزا يَلُوهُ
كَماjust as عُزِلَwas kept apart المُصِحُّone whose camels are healthy عَنfrom المُهِيمِone whose camels are diseased
كَما عُزِلَ المُصِحُّ عَن المُهِيمِ
And he defied his nearest kin, so they parted from him,
I will remember her name as long as I live,
as a man with healthy camels is kept apart from one whose herd is diseased.
A man who reveals his secret is not like one who conceals it.
لَأَذكُرُI shall surely mention إِسمَهاher name ماas long as دُمتُI remain حَيّاًalive
لَأَذكُرُ إِسمَها ما دُمتُ حَيّاً
وَماand not الرَجُلُthe man المُصَرِّحُwho speaks openly كَالكَتُومِlike one who conceals
وَما الرَجُلُ المُصَرِّحُ كَالكَتُومِ
I shall surely mention her name as long as I live;
He only sleeps at night dozing,
and a man who speaks openly is not like one who conceals.
Like the sleep of the healthy.
يُسَهَّدُhe is kept awake ماnot يَنامُhe sleeps اللَيلat night إِلّاexcept
يُسَهَّدُ ما يَنامُ اللَيل إِلّا
غِشاشاًin snatches مِثلَlike تَسهِيدِthe sleeplessness of السَلِيمِone bitten by a snake
غِشاشاً مِثلَ تَسهِيدِ السَلِيمِ
He is kept awake; at night he sleeps only
And none captivated hearts and delighted eyes,
in snatches, as wakeful as a snake-bitten man.
Revealing her to them, like one gently bending.
وَماand nothing شاقَstirred longing in القُلوبَhearts وَراقَand pleased عَيناًan eye
وَما شاقَ القُلوبَ وَراقَ عَيناً
فَتُجلاهُthen you are shown it كَذِيlike one possessing دَلٍّcoquettish charm رَخيمِsoft and sweet
فَتُجلاهُ كَذِي دَلٍّ رَخيمِ
Nothing has stirred hearts or pleased the eye,
Weak in strength, but strong in plotting,
when shown to you, like one of soft, alluring grace—
With her glance when she winked mischievously,
ضَعِيفِweak البَطشِphysical force ذيpossessing كَيدٍwiles شَدِيدٍpowerful
ضَعِيفِ البَطشِ ذي كَيدٍ شَدِيدٍ
بِنَظرَتِهِwith her glance إِذاwhen أَومىshe gestured سَؤُومeasily wearied
بِنَظرَتِهِ إِذا أَومى سَؤُوم
weak in force, yet possessed of mighty wiles
A timid partridge, with soft down,
in her glance when she gestures, quick to tire,
And plumage upon a delicate neck.
خَرَوسٍsilent حِجلُهُher anklet وَيَجُولُand sways مِنهُfrom her
خَرَوسٍ حِجلُهُ وَيَجُولُ مِنهُ
وِشاحاهُher two sashes عَلىover كَشحٍa waist هَضِيمِslender
وِشاحاهُ عَلى كَشحٍ هَضِيمِ
whose anklet is silent, while about her sway
her two sashes over a slender waist.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1