ألاAh! أيُّهاO you اللاَّحيreproacher كفاكenough for you عِتاباreproach
ألا أيُّها اللاَّحي كفاك عِتابا
ونَفسَكand your own self وفِّقguide aright ماas far as استطعتَyou can صواباrightly
ونَفسَك وفِّق ما استطعتَ صوابا
Ah, you who blame me, enough reproach!
O negligent one, enough blaming
And guide your own self aright, as far as you can.
And rectify yourself as much as you can
فإنَّfor indeed رعاةَguardians of الحلمِforbearance قدalready رَجَعواthey returned بهwith it
فإنَّ رعاةَ الحلمِ قد رَجَعوا به
عليّto me وآذَنتُand I gave notice to السفاهَfolly فآباso it turned back
عليّ وآذَنتُ السفاهَ فآبا
For the guardians of forbearance have restored it
For the guardians of patience have brought it back to me
to me; I gave folly notice, and it turned back.
And I permitted the foolishness, but he refused
خلاexcept أَنَّهthat it is لَيسَتnot تغنّيsinging حمامَةٌa dove
خلا أَنَّه لَيسَت تغنّي حمامَةٌ
علىon أَيكَةٍa leafy thicket الاَّwithout ذَكَرتُI remembered رَباباRabab
على أَيكَةٍ الاَّ ذَكَرتُ رَبابا
Except that no dove sings
Except that a dove does not sing
in a thicket without my remembering Rabab.
On a desolate tree without mentioning Rebab
وماand what مَتَّعتناshe gave us to enjoy والركابُwhile the riding camels مناخةٌwere made to kneel
وما مَتَّعتنا والركابُ مناخةٌ
علىin عَجَلٍhaste خفَّwas brief المتاعُthe pleasure وَطاباand was sweet
على عَجَلٍ خفَّ المتاعُ وَطابا
And the pleasure she gave us, while the mounts knelt,
We were not entertained while the riders dismounted
was hurried—brief was the pleasure, and sweet.
On a nimble camel, the luggage became little but good
تناوَلتُI reached for منهاfrom her مُسفِراًa radiant face اقبلتshe turned بهwith it
تناوَلتُ منها مُسفِراً اقبلت به
عليَّtoward me وهفّافَand a delicate mouth الغَروبِtooth-edges عذاباsweet
عليَّ وهفّافَ الغَروبِ عذابا
I reached for her radiant face, which she turned
I took it uncovered, she brought it to me
toward me, and a delicate mouth with sweet tooth-edges.
At dusk, the heat was torture
كأنas though ثناياهاher front teeth ذرىthe tips of اقحوانةٍa daisy
كأن ثناياها ذرى اقحوانةٍ
علاهاcovered it ندىmoisture الشؤبوبِof the downpour ساعةَthe moment صاباit poured down
علاها ندى الشؤبوبِ ساعةَ صابا
Her front teeth seemed the tips of a daisy
As if its folds were the thorns of acacia
covered with a shower's moisture the moment it fell.
Above which the dew of drizzle fell for an hour
وسِربُand a bevy of عذارىmaidens بينَbetween حَيِّينtwo encampments موهناًlate at night
وسِربُ عذارى بينَ حَيِّين موهناً
منof الليلِthe night قدindeed نازَعتُهُنَّI tussled with them ثِياباgarments
من الليلِ قد نازَعتُهُنَّ ثِيابا
And a bevy of maidens between two camps, late
And a flock of virgins between two loving camps
at night—I had tussled with them over their clothes.
I stripped them of their clothes in the night
وقلنand they said لناwe have أهلٌkin قريبٌnearby فنتَّقيso we guard against
وقلن لنا أهلٌ قريبٌ فنتَّقي
عيونَeyes يقاظىwakeful people مِنهُمُamong them وكلاباand dogs
عيونَ يقاظى مِنهُمُ وكلابا
They said, ‘Our people are nearby, so we must beware
And they said to us, "We have a near tribe, so let's beware
the eyes of the wakeful among them, and their dogs.’
The eyes of their insomniacs and dogs"
دبيبُthe creeping of القطاsandgrouse حتىuntil اجتعلنthey made نحيزةًa strip
دبيبُ القطا حتى اجتعلن نحيزةً
منof الليلِthe night دُونضagainst (unclear spelling) الكاشحينَthe ill-wishers حِجاباa screen
من الليلِ دُونض الكاشحينَ حِجابا
They crept like sandgrouse until they made a strip
The crawl of the cat until they made a niche
of night a screen against their ill-wishers.
Of the night, beyond the veils of the peeking ones
وَهُنَّand they كَريعانِlike the vanguard of المخَاضِpregnant she-camels سبقتَهاyou went ahead of them
وَهُنَّ كَريعانِ المخَاضِ سبقتَها
بأوَّلهاwith their foremost لاno بلrather اخفُّlighter جناباin flank
بأوَّلها لا بل اخفُّ جنابا
They were like the vanguard of pregnant she-camels, you ahead
And they are like newborn fillies, she outran them
with their foremost—no, rather, lighter of flank.
With her first, no, lighter step
تلاَهينَthey diverted themselves عنيfrom me واستنَعتُand I sought descriptions بأربعٍof four
تلاَهينَ عني واستنَعتُ بأربعٍ
كهِمةِlike the desire of نفسٍa soul شارةًin appearance وشباباand youth
كهِمةِ نفسٍ شارةً وشبابا
They turned away from me; I sought descriptions of four,
Divert me and I insisted with four
like a soul's desire in beauty and youth.
Silent souls, flickering with youth
تلاَهينthey diverted themselves واستهلكتُand I spent myself حتىuntil تجهَّمتgrew grim
تلاَهين واستهلكتُ حتى تجهَّمت
قلوبٌhearts وهاماتٌand heads وَرَدنَthey came to لهاباa blaze
قلوبٌ وهاماتٌ وَرَدنَ لهابا
They diverted themselves; I spent myself, until grim grew
Divert me and I busied myself until
hearts and heads that had entered a blaze.
Hearts and foreheads frowned and turned into flames
اذاwhen المعصمُthe wrist الرّيانُfull-fleshed باشرتُI touched بردَهُits coolness
اذا المعصمُ الرّيانُ باشرتُ بردَهُ
بكفيّwith my two palms لاعَبتُI played with الوقوفَthose standing لعاباplayfully
بكفيّ لاعَبتُ الوقوفَ لعابا
When I touched the coolness of a well-rounded wrist
When the delicate smooth wrist, I touched its coolness
with my palms, I dallied playfully with those standing there.
With my palm, playing with detention
وماand not انطلقَset out التيميُّal-Taymi يطلبُseeking حاجةًa need
وما انطلقَ التيميُّ يطلبُ حاجةً
ولاnor كانhad اكرىhired out بالعراقِin Iraq رِكاباriding camels
ولا كان اكرى بالعراقِ رِكابا
And al-Taymi did not set out to meet some need,
And the Tamimi did not set out seeking something
nor had he hired out riding camels in Iraq.
Nor was riding to Iraq more important
ولكنbut ماwhat كانwas القطاميُّal-Qutami يبتغيseeking
ولكن ما كان القطاميُّ يبتغي
نواعمَdelicate beauties خلاَّهاhad left them behind العريبُthe little Arab band عراباof pure Arab stock
نواعمَ خلاَّها العريبُ عرابا
But what al-Qutami was seeking
But the Qatami was not seeking
was delicate beauties of pure Arab stock, left behind by the little Arab band.
The softness which the Arab left as prey
Sol 6.1