أُسائِلُI inquire عَنabout وَجناءَWajna فيin السِجنِthe prison جارَهاher neighbor
أُسائِلُ عَن وَجناءَ في السِجنِ جارَها
لَعَمرُby the life of أَبِيهاher father إِنَّنيindeed I لَمُكَلَّفُsurely enamored
لَعَمرُ أَبِيها إِنَّني لَمُكَلَّفُ
In prison I ask her neighbor about Wajna.
I ask about the fair prisoner in jail, her neighbor,
By her father's life, I am utterly enamored.
By her father's life, I am burdened,
وَأَنّيand how لَكَfor you الوَجناءُWajna وَالسِجنُand the prison دُونَهاbetween you and her
وَأَنّي لَكَ الوَجناءُ وَالسِجنُ دُونَها
وَيُغلَقُand is locked دُونيagainst me ذُوone with أَواسٍsupporting pillars مُشَّرَّفُbattlemented
وَيُغلَقُ دُوني ذُو أَواسٍ مُشَّرَّفُ
And how can Wajna be yours, when prison stands between you and her,
And you are the prison and jail compared to her,
And a pillared, battlemented building is locked against me?
While I am locked up by one given authority.
وَفيand on الرِجلِthe leg مِنّيof mine كَبلُa fetter قَينٍa smith يُؤودُهاweighs it down
وَفي الرِجلِ مِنّي كَبلُ قَينٍ يُؤودُها
وَثِيقٌsturdy إِذاwhen ماever جاءضهُreaches it (unclear spelling) الخَطُوthe footstep يَهتِفُclangs
وَثِيقٌ إِذا ما جاءضهُ الخَطُو يَهتِفُ
And on my leg is a smith's fetter, weighing it down,
My legs are shackled with heavy chains,
Sturdy; whenever a footstep reaches it, it clangs.
Binding when the steps approach calling out.
كَأَنَّas though شَباthe point مِسمارِهِits nail وَهوَwhile it ناجِمٌprotruding
كَأَنَّ شَبا مِسمارِهِ وَهوَ ناجِمٌ
شَباthe point نابِa fang قَرمٍa stud camel يَضرِبُmates with الشُولَthe milkless she-camels يَصرِفُgnashes its teeth
شَبا نابِ قَرمٍ يَضرِبُ الشُولَ يَصرِفُ
As though the point of its nail, jutting out,
As if its nails were driven in while it was soft,
Were a stud camel's fang-tip as he mounts milkless she-camels, gnashing his teeth.
Like the tusks of an old elephant striking the trees aside.
يَمانِيَّةٌa Yemeni woman هاجَتstirred فُؤاديmy heart وَوَكِّلَتand was entrusted
يَمانِيَّةٌ هاجَت فُؤادي وَوَكِّلَت
بِهاto her النَفسthe soul حَتّىuntil دَمعُthe tears عَينَيَّmy two eyes يَذرِفُflow
بِها النَفس حَتّى دَمعُ عَينَيَّ يَذرِفُ
A Yemeni woman stirred my heart, and my soul was given over
She is a Yemeni who stirred my heart and entrusted it,
To her, until the tears of my eyes flowed.
To the point my tears flow down my cheeks.
يُرَوَّعُis startled أَحياناًsometimes إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتshe is mentioned لَهُto it
يُرَوَّعُ أَحياناً إِذا ذُكِرَت لَهُ
كَماas رِيعَwas startled مَشعُوفٌa crazed man مِنَby النَفرِthe throng يُشعَفُis driven mad
كَما رِيعَ مَشعُوفٌ مِنَ النَفرِ يُشعَفُ
It is sometimes startled when she is mentioned to it,
He is startled sometimes when she is mentioned to him,
Like a madman frightened by a throng and driven into frenzy.
Like a frightened herd of sheep.
وَأَنّيand how لَكَfor you الأسعافُthe favor sought مِنهاfrom her وَدارُهاand her home
وَأَنّي لَكَ الأسعافُ مِنها وَدارُها
جُنوبَsouth of العِدىthe enemies لَوeven if سالمَتنيshe made peace with me وَتُنصِفُand deals fairly
جُنوبَ العِدى لَو سالمَتني وَتُنصِفُ
And how can you gain her favor, when her home
And I wish you the first-aid from her and her home,
Lies south of the enemies, even were she to make peace with me and be fair?
To the south of injustice, if she would forgive me and do me justice.
وَماand not زالَceased بيwith me حَينيmy doom وَحَمزَةُand Hamza دَلَّنيguided me
وَما زالَ بي حَيني وَحَمزَةُ دَلَّني
وَلِلحَينِand for doom أَقدارٌdestinies تُحَمُّare decreed وَتُصرَفُand are directed
وَلِلحَينِ أَقدارٌ تُحَمُّ وَتُصرَفُ
My doom kept leading me on, and Hamza guided me—
My luck and Hamzah guided me,
And doom has destinies, decreed and directed—
And luck has destinies that protect and dispose.
مَعَalong with القَدَرِthe fate المُكتُوبِwritten حَتّىuntil تَعَطَّفَتinclined tenderly
مَعَ القَدَرِ المُكتُوبِ حَتّى تَعَطَّفَت
بِوَجناءَtoward Wajna نَفسٌa soul وَجدُهاits longing مُتَعِطِّفُtenderly inclined
بِوَجناءَ نَفسٌ وَجدُها مُتَعِطِّفُ
Along with written fate, until a soul inclined
With the written fate, until she was inclined
Toward Wajna, its longing full of tenderness.
By a soul that found her kind.
فَإِنيfor I indeed لَماas to what حُمِّلتُI was made to bear مِنهاfrom her لَبائِحٌsurely outspoken
فَإِني لَما حُمِّلتُ مِنها لَبائِحٌ
وَلَوand even if كانَwere ماwhat بيwithin me ماwhat بِهِof it بُحتُI disclosed يُعرَفُis known
وَلَو كانَ ما بي ما بِهِ بُحتُ يُعرَفُ
For I openly confess what I have been made to bear through her,
So I am unveiled in what I carry of her,
Even if what is in me—what I have confessed—were known.
And if what is in me were known, it would be recognized.
وَمُستَودِعٍand entrusting قَلبيmy heart هَوىًlove فَوقَbeyond ماwhat بَداhas appeared
وَمُستَودِعٍ قَلبي هَوىً فَوقَ ما بَدا
لَوأَنَّif indeed فُؤاديmy heart عَنconcerning هَواهاlove for her يُكَشّضفُis laid bare (unclear spelling)
لَوأَنَّ فُؤادي عَن هَواها يُكَشّضفُ
And I store in my heart a love beyond what has appeared,
And my heart has contained a love beyond what appeared,
Were my heart laid bare to reveal its love for her.
If only my heart would be revealed from its passion.
وَإِنيand I indeed لَمُوفيهاsurely give her in full مِنَof الوُدِّaffection كَيلَهُits measure
وَإِني لَمُوفيها مِنَ الوُدِّ كَيلَهُ
إِذاwhen نَقَصَdiminishes الوُدَّaffection المُلُولُthe easily bored one المُطَفِّفُthe short-measurer
إِذا نَقَصَ الوُدَّ المُلُولُ المُطَفِّفُ
And I surely give her affection in its full measure,
I am true to her in love, like its measure,
When the fickle cheat gives love short measure.
When the feigned love is decreased and diminished.
كَعابٌa budding-breasted maiden إِذاwhen قامَتshe rises قَليلاًa little تَأَوَّدَتshe sways
كَعابٌ إِذا قامَت قَليلاً تَأَوَّدَت
كَمَشيlike the gait of الحَسِيرِthe weary camel مُكرَهاًforced along وَهوَwhile it مُزحَفُtoo spent to move
كَمَشي الحَسِيرِ مُكرَهاً وَهوَ مُزحَفُ
A maiden with budding breasts: when she rises, she sways a little,
She rises a little, then shows affection,
Like the gait of a weary camel, forced along though utterly spent.
Like the gait of a captive, reluctantly crawling.
مِنَamong البيضِthe fair-skinned women إِمّاas for ماwhat يُوارىconceals إِزارُهاher waist-wrapper
مِنَ البيضِ إِمّا ما يُوارى إِزارُها
فَفَقمٌthen ample وَإِمّاand as for ماwhat عَلاهُrises above it فَمُرهَفُthen slender
فَفَقمٌ وَإِمّا ما عَلاهُ فَمُرهَفُ
One of the fair-skinned women: what her waist-wrapper conceals
Of her whiteness, either what her gown conceals,
Is ample, while what rises above it is slender.
So she is chaste, or what is above it, so she is virtuous.
كَغُصنِlike a bough of الغَضاthe ghada tree فَوقَabove النَقاthe sand dune نَفَحَتblew لَهُupon it
كَغُصنِ الغَضا فَوقَ النَقا نَفَحَت لَهُ
جَنُوبٌa south wind تُكَفّىbends فَرعَهُits tip وَهوَwhile it مُشرِفُstanding high
جَنُوبٌ تُكَفّى فَرعَهُ وَهوَ مُشرِفُ
Like a ghada bough above a sand dune, upon which has blown
Like a tender branch above a soft sand,
A south wind, bending its tip as it stands aloft.
Blown gently by the southern winds.
لَهاshe has مِعصَمٌa wrist عَبلٌfull وَجِيدُand the neck of جِدايَةٍa gazelle fawn
لَها مِعصَمٌ عَبلٌ وَجِيدُ جِدايَةٍ
وَبَطنٌand a belly إِذاwhen ناطَتshe fastens بِهِto it الوُشحَthe ornamental sashes مُخطَفُslender
وَبَطنٌ إِذا ناطَت بِهِ الوُشحَ مُخطَفُ
She has a full wrist and the neck of a gazelle fawn,
She has a wrist, a neck, and the cheek of a doe,
And a slender belly when she fastens her sashes about it.
And belly when wrapped with a scarf, captured.
وَعَيناand the two eyes of مَهاةٍa female oryx فيin كِناسٍa lair بِرَملَةٍin a sandy tract
وَعَينا مَهاةٍ في كِناسٍ بِرَملَةٍ
بِهاسِنَةٌin her is drowsiness مِنfrom نَعسَةٍa light doze حينَwhen تَطرِفُshe blinks
بِهاسِنَةٌ مِن نَعسَةٍ حينَ تَطرِفُ
And an oryx's two eyes, in a lair upon the sands,
And sleepy eyes in a eyeliner of kohl,
With drowsiness from a light doze in them when she blinks.
With a mouth of drowsiness when she yawns.
وَوَجهٌand a face كَمِثلِlike البَدرِthe full moon إِذwhen تَمَّit became full فَاِستَوىthen became perfect
وَوَجهٌ كَمِثلِ البَدرِ إِذ تَمَّ فَاِستَوى
إِذاwhen ماever بَداit appears فيin ظُلمَةِthe darkness of اللَيلِthe night يَسدِفُit shines
إِذا ما بَدا في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ يَسدِفُ
And a face like the full moon when it is complete and perfect,
A face like the full moon when it rose
Shining whenever it appears in the darkness of night.
Appearing in the darkness of night, shining.
وَثَغرٌand a mouth عَلَيهِover it الظُلمُthe teeth's moist sheen يَجريflows كَأَنَّهُas though it
وَثَغرٌ عَلَيهِ الظُلمُ يَجري كَأَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen اِبتَسمَتshe smiles مِنfrom كَثرَةِthe abundance of الماءِwater يَنطفُit drips
إِذا اِبتَسمَت مِن كَثرَةِ الماءِ يَنطفُ
And a mouth over which moist luster flows, as though it
And a mouth the darkness flows over, as if
Drips with abundant moisture whenever she smiles.
When she smiles from plentiful water, dripping.
وَإِنيand I indeed لَأَهوىsurely love الأَزدَthe Azd طُرّاًall of them لِحُبِّهاfor love of her
وَإِني لَأَهوى الأَزدَ طُرّاً لِحُبِّها
عَلىon ذاكَthat إِنif حُلِّفتُI am made to swear بِاللَهِby God أَحلِفُI swear
عَلى ذاكَ إِن حُلِّفتُ بِاللَهِ أَحلِفُ
And indeed I love all the Azd for love of her;
And I love the Azd sincerely for her love,
To that, if called upon to swear by God, I swear,
Over that, if I swear by God, I swear.
بِرَبِّby the Lord of الهَداياthe sacrificial beasts الواجِباتِfalling to the ground جُنُوبُهاtheir sides
بِرَبِّ الهَدايا الواجِباتِ جُنُوبُها
تَضَمَّنَهاhas held them لِلّهِfor God فيduring الحَجِّthe pilgrimage مَوقِفُa standing-place
تَضَمَّنَها لِلّهِ في الحَجِّ مَوقِفُ
By the Lord of the sacrificial beasts whose sides fall to the ground,
By the Lord of the obligatory gifts, her chests
Held for God at a station during the pilgrimage—
She presented to God in pilgrimage, pausing.
لَوَجناءُindeed Wajna أَلقاهاI meet her فَأنظُرُthen I gaze قائِماًstanding
لَوَجناءُ أَلقاها فَأنظُرُ قائِماً
إِلَيهاat her وَلَوand even if كانَتshe were تَصُدُّshe turns away وَتَصدِفُand she turns aside
إِلَيها وَلَو كانَت تَصُدُّ وَتَصدِفُ
Truly, Wajna—when I meet her and stand gazing
If the fair one had looked at me, I would stand
At her, even if she turns away and shuns me—
Looking at her, even if she objected and turned away.
أَحَبُّdearer إِلىto نَفسيmy soul مِنthan أُخرىanother woman قَريبَةٍclose at hand
أَحَبُّ إِلى نَفسي مِن أُخرى قَريبَةٍ
لَهاshe has مادِحٌa praiser عِنديin my presence إِذاwhen قامَhe rises يَهرِفُhe raves in praise
لَها مادِحٌ عِندي إِذا قامَ يَهرِفُ
Is dearer to my soul than another woman close at hand,
Dearer to myself than another relative
Whose praiser raves before me whenever he rises.
Who has a praiser in me, when he stands reciting poetry.
Sol 6.1