عُوجِيturn aside عَلَيناtoward us رَبَّةَO lady of الهَودَجِthe howdah
عُوجِي عَلَينا رَبَّةَ الهَودَجِ
إِنَّكِindeed, you إِنif لاnot تَفعَليyou do تَحرُجيyou incur guilt
إِنَّكِ إِن لا تَفعَلي تَحرُجي
Turn aside toward us, lady of the howdah.
The mistress of the howdah turned away from us
Indeed, if you do not, you will incur guilt.
If you do not respond, you put me in an awkward position
أَيسَرُthe least ماwhat نالَobtained مُحِبٌّa lover لَدىat
أَيسَرُ ما نالَ مُحِبٌّ لَدى
بَينِthe parting of حَبيبٍa beloved قَولُهُhis saying عَرِّجِstop awhile
بَينِ حَبيبٍ قَولُهُ عَرِّجِ
The least a lover gains at
The easiest thing a lover obtains with
a beloved's parting is to say, 'Stop awhile,'
His beloved is to say: make a way out
تُقضَmay be conveyed إِلَيهِto him حاجَةٌa request أَوor يَقُلhe may say
تُقضَ إِلَيهِ حاجَةٌ أَو يَقُل
هَلأis there? لِيَfor me مِمّاfrom what بِيَafflicts me مِنany مَخرَجِway out
هَلأ لِيَ مِمّا بِيَ مِن مَخرَجِ
so that a request may be conveyed to him, or he may ask:
Either fulfill his need or say:
'Is there any way out for me from what afflicts me?'
I have nothing I can do to help
مِنfrom حَيِّكُمyour encampment بِنتُمyou departed وَلَمand has not يَنصَرِمceased
مِن حَيِّكُم بِنتُم وَلَم يَنصَرِم
وَجدُthe longing of فُؤادِthe heart of الهائِمِthe lovesick wanderer المُنضَجِthe seared one
وَجدُ فُؤادِ الهائِمِ المُنضَجِ
You left your encampment, yet it has not ceased—
You are from a people who did not defend me
the longing in the heart of the love-crazed, seared lover.
When the heart of the passionate lover was baking
فَعاجَتِthen she turned aside الدَهماءُal-Dahma (the dark lady) بيtoward me خيفَةًin fear
فَعاجَتِ الدَهماءُ بي خيفَةً
أَنthat تَسمَعَshe might hear القَولَthe words وَلَمand did not تُعنِجdraw rein
أَن تَسمَعَ القَولَ وَلَم تُعنِج
Then al-Dahma turned toward me, afraid
So the slim one was troubled for me, fearing
of hearing the words; she did not draw rein.
That she might hear my words and not be moved
فَماso not اِستَطاعَتshe could غَيرَother than أَنthat أَومَأَتshe gestured
فَما اِستَطاعَت غَيرَ أَن أَومَأَت
نَحويtoward me بِعَينيwith the eyes of شادِنٍa weaned fawn أَدعَجِlarge and dark-eyed
نَحوي بِعَيني شادِنٍ أَدعَجِ
So she could do no more than gesture
But she could do no more than gesture
toward me with a fawn's large, dark eyes,
Toward me with her large black eyes
يَاويit seeks shelter إِلىwith أَدماءَa white doe مِنout of حُبِّهِlove for it
يَاوي إِلى أَدماءَ مِن حُبِّهِ
تَحنُوshe bends tenderly عَلَيهِover it رائِمٌa fond mother عَوهَجِlong-necked
تَحنُو عَلَيهِ رائِمٌ عَوهَجِ
that seeks shelter with a white doe who, out of love for it,
Oh for those I love who out of love for me
bends over it—a fond, long-necked mother.
Yearn over me like she-camels bellowing
تُريكَshe shows you وَحفاًthick locks فوقَabove جِيدٍa neck لَهاof hers
تُريكَ وَحفاً فوقَ جِيدٍ لَها
مِثلَlike رُكامِa mound of العِنَبِgrapes المُدمَجِclosely packed
مِثلَ رُكامِ العِنَبِ المُدمَجِ
She shows you thick locks above her neck,
You appear with hair disheveled over your cheek
like a mound of tightly clustered grapes.
Like bunches of pressed grapes
كَأَنَّماas though الحَلىُthe jewels عَلىupon نَحرِهاher upper chest
كَأَنَّما الحَلىُ عَلى نَحرِها
نُجُومُstars of فَجرٍa dawn ساطِعٍradiant أَبلَجِbright and clear
نُجُومُ فَجرٍ ساطِعٍ أَبلَجِ
It is as though the jewels upon her breast
As if the pearls around your neck
were stars in a radiant, clear dawn.
Were stars of radiant dawn
تَحُوذُshe gathers بِالبُردِwith the mantle لَهاof hers عَبرَةًa tear
تَحُوذُ بِالبُردِ لَها عَبرَةً
جادَتshed بِهاwith it العَينُthe eye وَلمand did not تَفشجِgush with tears
جادَت بِها العَينُ وَلم تَفشجِ
With her mantle she catches a tear
Shedding cold tears woefully
that her eye shed without gushing,
Your eyes overflowed but did not spill
مَخافَةَfor fear of الواشينَthe tale-bearers أَنthat يَفطنُواthey might notice
مَخافَةَ الواشينَ أَن يَفطنُوا
لِشَأنِهاconcerning her affair وَالكاشِحِand the spiteful foe المُزعِجِthe tormenting one
لِشَأنِها وَالكاشِحِ المُزعِجِ
for fear the tale-bearers might notice
Fearing the slanderers might notice
her affair, and for fear of the spiteful tormentor.
Your condition and the shameless rebuker
كَأَنَّهاas though she were رِيمٌa white gazelle بِذيat Dhu مَثوَبٍMathwab
كَأَنَّها رِيمٌ بِذي مَثوَبٍ
أَحورُwith contrasting black-and-white eyes يَقرُوseeking out مُصَّعَberries of العَوسَجِthe boxthorn
أَحورُ يَقرُو مُصَّعَ العَوسَجِ
She is like a white gazelle at Dhu Mathwab,
You are like a gazelle in patterned cloth
its eyes dark against white, seeking out boxthorn berries.
More beautiful than the smooth stone of Al-Awsadj
كِناسُهُits lair الأَرطىarta shrubs وُمُصطافُهُand its summer refuge
كِناسُهُ الأَرطى وُمُصطافُهُ
مَعَamong الغَضاghada trees المُورِسِyellowing وَالعَرفَجِand arfaj shrubs
مَعَ الغَضا المُورِسِ وَالعَرفَجِ
Its lair is among arta shrubs, and its summer refuge
Your riding camel and your litter
among yellowing ghada trees and arfaj shrubs.
Are with the tender green and Al-Arafaj
وَاِنطَلَقَتand she set off تَهوىspeeding بِهاwith her بَغلَةٌa mule
وَاِنطَلَقَت تَهوى بِها بَغلَةٌ
فيamong بَغلاتٍmules وُقُحٍhard-hoofed وَسَّجِswift-paced
في بَغلاتٍ وُقُحٍ وَسَّجِ
And she set off, a mule carrying her at speed
And the mule went off with you
among hard-hoofed, swift-paced mules,
Among snorting mules with bells
يَحمِلنَthey carry بِيضاًfair-skinned women جُرداًsmooth-skinned بُدَّناًfull-bodied
يَحمِلنَ بِيضاً جُرداً بُدَّناً
مِثلَlike غَمامِclouds of البَرَدِhail المُثلِجِsnow-bearing
مِثلَ غَمامِ البَرَدِ المُثلِجِ
carrying fair, smooth-skinned, full-bodied women,
Bearing white spotless eggs
like snow-bearing hail clouds.
Like clouds of freezing hail
قُمتُI stood طَويلاًa long time بَعدَماafter أَدبَرُواthey turned away
قُمتُ طَويلاً بَعدَما أَدبَرُوا
أَنظُرُlooking فِعلَin the manner of المُفحَمِone struck dumb المُرتَجِone tongue-tied
أَنظُرُ فِعلَ المُفحَمِ المُرتَجِ
I stood a long time after they turned away,
I stood long after they left
gazing like one struck dumb and tongue-tied.
Watching the deeds of the confounder dispersed
أَقُولُI say لَمّاwhen فَاتَنيeluded me مِنهُمُfrom them
أَقُولُ لَمّا فَاتَني مِنهُمُ
ماwhat كُنتُI had مِنof وَصلِهِمِunion with them أَرتَجيhoped for
ما كُنتُ مِن وَصلِهِمِ أَرتَجي
I say, when I have failed to gain from them
Saying, because of what I missed with them
the union I had hoped for:
I had not hoped to associate with them
إِنّيindeed, I أُتِيحَتwas destined ليfor me يَمانِيَّةٌa Yemeni woman
إِنّي أُتِيحَت لي يَمانِيَّةٌ
إِحدىone woman of بَنيthe descendants of الحَرثِal-Harith مِنof مُذحِجِMadhhij
إِحدى بَني الحَرثِ مِن مُذحِجِ
Indeed, a Yemeni woman was destined for me,
I was granted a woman of Yamaniyyah
one of Banu al-Harith, of Madhhij.
One of the daughters of Banu Murad from Mudhaj
نَلبَثُwe spend حَولاًa year كامِلاًcomplete كُلَّهُall of it
نَلبَثُ حَولاً كامِلاً كُلَّهُ
لاnot نَلتَقيwe meet إِلّاexcept عَلىon مَنهَجِan open road
لا نَلتَقي إِلّا عَلى مَنهَجِ
We spend a full year, all of it,
We would spend a whole year never meeting
never meeting except on an open road
Except on the Hajj road, if she made Hajj
فيduring الحَجِّthe pilgrimage إِنif حَجَّتshe makes the pilgrimage وَماذاand what are مِنىًMina
في الحَجِّ إِن حَجَّت وَماذا مِنىً
وَأَهلُهُand its people إِنif هِيَshe لَمdoes not تَحجِجِmake the pilgrimage
وَأَهلُهُ إِن هِيَ لَم تَحجِجِ
during the pilgrimage, if she goes—and what are Mina
And what's the purpose of Minā
and its people if she does not make the pilgrimage?
If she does not make the Hajj
Sol 6.1