سوداءُa black one لمdid not تَنتسِبtrace her lineage لِحَامِto Ham
سوداءُ لم تَنتسِب لِحَامِ
ولمand did not ترُمْseek ساحةَthe courtyard of الكِرامِthe generous
ولم ترُمْ ساحةَ الكِرامِ
A black one who claims no descent from Ham,
Dark-skinned beauty unrelated to the dove,
and has never sought the courtyard of the generous.
Nor coveting the field of generosity,
كأنماas though تحتَهاbeneath her ثَلاثٌthree
كأنما تحتَها ثَلاثٌ
مُقرِّباتٌbringing close منto الحِمامِdeath
مُقرِّباتٌ من الحِمامِ
As though beneath her were three
As if beneath her three maidservants -
that bring one close to death.
Drawers of water from the cistern.
يلعبُplays فيin جِسمهاher body لَهيبٌa flame
يلعبُ في جِسمها لَهيبٌ
لِعْبَthe play of سَناthe radiance of البَرقِlightning فيin الظَّلامِthe darkness
لِعْبَ سَنا البَرقِ في الظَّلامِ
A flame plays in her body
In her body a flame plays,
as lightning’s radiance plays in the dark.
Like the flash of lightning in the dark.
لهاshe has كلامٌspeech إذاwhen تَناهَتreaches full boil
لها كلامٌ إذا تَناهَت
غيرُnot فصيحٍarticulate منamong الكَلامِspeech
غيرُ فصيحٍ من الكَلامِ
She speaks when she reaches full boil,
Her speech, when it grows faint,
with speech that is not articulate.
Is ineloquent as speech goes.
وهيand she وإنand although لمhas not تَذُقtasted طَعاماًfood
وهي وإن لم تَذُق طَعاماً
مملوءةُfilled البَطنِthe belly منwith طَعامِfood
مملوءةُ البَطنِ من طَعامِ
And though she has never tasted food,
Though she taste no food,
her belly is filled with food.
Her belly is filled with food.
لمdid not يخلُbe devoid منof رِفدِهاher bounty نَديمٌa drinking companion
لم يخلُ من رِفدِها نَديمٌ
يومَa day of خُمارٍhangover ولاnor نِدامِdrinking companions
يومَ خُمارٍ ولا نِدامِ
No drinking companion has lacked her bounty,
No friend of hers has failed
on days of hangovers or convivial company.
To visit, drunk or sober.
وَليand I have إذاwhen الضيفُthe guest عادَreturns أُخرَىonce more
وَلي إذا الضيفُ عادَ أُخرَى
مُصرَّعٌslaughtered حولهاaround her سواميmy grazing livestock
مُصرَّعٌ حولها سوامي
And when the guest returns once more, I have
And whenever a guest returns,
my grazing livestock slaughtered around her.
Studded are the carpets around her.
عظيمةٌhuge إنif غلَتshe boils أَذَابتshe melts
عظيمةٌ إن غلَت أَذَابت
بِغَلْيِهاwith her boiling يابسَdry العِظامِthe bones
بِغَلْيِها يابسَ العِظامِ
She is huge: when she boils, she melts
Mighty, when she boils with rage
dry bones with her boiling.
She melts the dried-out bones in her boiling.
كأنماas though الجِنُّthe jinn ركَّبَتهاhad mounted her
كأنما الجِنُّ ركَّبَتها
علىupon ثَلاثًthree منof الإِكامِthe hillocks
على ثَلاثً من الإِكامِ
As though the jinn had mounted her
As if the jinn had mounted her
upon three hillocks.
Upon three solid pillars.
لهاshe has دُخانٌsmoke تَضِلُّis lost فيهin it
لها دُخانٌ تَضِلُّ فيه
عَجاجةُthe dust-cloud of الجحفَلِthe army اللُّهَامِvast
عَجاجةُ الجحفَلِ اللُّهَامِ
She has smoke in which is lost
She has a smoke that confuses
the dust-cloud of a vast army.
The swooping vultures.
كأنماas though النارُthe fire ألبَسَتهاhad clothed her
كأنما النارُ ألبَسَتها
مُعَصفَراتٍsafflower-dyed robes منof الضِّرامِblazing fire
مُعَصفَراتٍ من الضِّرامِ
As though fire had clothed her
As if fire had clothed her
in safflower-dyed robes of flame.
In yellowed coats of mail.
ولمand has not يَزلceased مالُناour wealth مُباحاًfreely available
ولم يَزل مالُنا مُباحاً
منwith غيرِno ذُلٍّhumiliation ولاnor اهتِضامِoppression
من غيرِ ذُلٍّ ولا اهتِضامِ
And our wealth has always been freely available,
Our property has always been free
without humiliation or oppression.
Without shame or reluctance;
تأخذُshe takes للقُوتِfor sustenance منهfrom it سَهماًa share
تأخذُ للقُوتِ منه سَهماً
وللنَّدَىand for generosity سائرَthe rest of السِّهامِthe shares
وللنَّدَى سائرَ السِّهامِ
She takes one share of it for sustenance,
She takes from it a share for food
and all the remaining shares for generosity.
And the rest for gifts.
Sol 6.1