يَغُضُّhe lowers الطَّرْفَthe gaze عنfrom وَرْدِroses الخُدودِthe cheeks
يَغُضُّ الطَّرْفَ عن وَرْدِ الخُدودِ
ويُعْرضُand turns away عنfrom مُهَفْهَفَةِslender القُدودِfigures
ويُعْرضُ عن مُهَفْهَفَةِ القُدودِ
He lowers his gaze from the roses of cheeks,
He turns his eyes away from rosy cheeks,
and turns away from slender-waisted beauties.
And pays no heed to twisting locks.
مُقِرٌّadmitting للعَواذِلِto the reproving women بالتَّصابيto youthful dalliance
مُقِرٌّ للعَواذِلِ بالتَّصابي
مُقيمٌpersisting للوُشاةِbefore the tale-bearers علىin الجُحودِdenial
مُقيمٌ للوُشاةِ على الجُحودِ
He admits his youthful dalliance to the women who chide him,
He finds consent in censure,
yet persists in denial before the tale-bearers.
And gives support to those who blame.
أَفادَhas gained بهthrough him الهُوىpassion شَوْقاًlonging طَريفاًnewfound
أَفادَ به الهُوى شَوْقاً طَريفاً
يُضَرِّمُinflames لوعةَthe anguish of الشَّوقِlonging التَّليدِlong-held
يُضَرِّمُ لوعةَ الشَّوقِ التَّليدِ
Through him, passion has gained a newfound yearning,
Passion has led him to longing, keen,
which inflames the anguish of long-held longing.
That sets alight a smouldering fire.
ومنand among جَوْرِthe injustices of الهَوىlove أنthat راحَit began يُزْجيurging onward
ومن جَوْرِ الهَوى أن راحَ يُزْجي
مَطاياthe mounts of البَيْنِparting فيin أَثَرِthe wake of الصُّدودِrejection
مَطايا البَيْنِ في أَثَرِ الصُّدودِ
And among love's injustices is that it has begun to drive
And passion be so cruel, it sets him wandering
the mounts of parting in the wake of rejection.
In the track of one who turned away.
وفَوقَand atop العِيسِthe pale camels بِيضٌfair-skinned women وكَّلَتْناthey consigned us
وفَوقَ العِيسِ بِيضٌ وكَّلَتْنا
بأيَّامٍto days منof الهِجرانِestrangement سُودِblack
بأيَّامٍ من الهِجرانِ سُودِ
And atop the pale camels are fair-skinned women who have consigned us
Above my family, white clouds gather
to black days of estrangement.
In days so dark they turned to black.
وغِزلانٌand gazelles تُزيلُcast off الوَشيَbrocade صَوْناًto safeguard
وغِزلانٌ تُزيلُ الوَشيَ صَوْناً
لوَشْيِfor the brocade of جمالِهاtheir beauty الغَضِّfresh الجديدِnew
لوَشْيِ جمالِها الغَضِّ الجديدِ
And gazelles cast off brocade to safeguard
And gazelles who in modesty wear veils
the fresh, new brocade of their beauty.
To guard the beauty of their tender youth.
إذاwhen خطرَتthey sway فماthen nothing للقُمْصِfor the gowns إلاexcept
إذا خطرَت فما للقُمْصِ إلا
مصافحةُhandclasping الرَّوادِفِthe buttocks والنُّهودِand the breasts
مصافحةُ الرَّوادِفِ والنُّهودِ
When they sway, their gowns do nothing but
When she moves it's as if her shirt
exchange handclasps with their buttocks and breasts.
Were stroking thighs and swaying hips.
هيَsuch are الأيامُthe days إنif جمحَتْthey bolt عِناداًin defiance
هيَ الأيامُ إن جمحَتْ عِناداً
أَذَلَّتْthey humble كلَّevery جبَّارٍtyrant عنيدِstubborn
أَذَلَّتْ كلَّ جبَّارٍ عنيدِ
Such are the days: when they bolt in defiance,
Those days, if they oppose, will humble
they humble every stubborn tyrant.
Every stubborn tyrant, every fool.
تنامُyou sleep وَتُطْرِقُwhile they visit by night الأحداثُmisfortunes يَقْظَىwakeful
تنامُ وَتُطْرِقُ الأحداثُ يَقْظَى
ولوعَthe fondness of الطَّيفِa dream-phantom بالرَّكْبِfor the riders الهُجُودِsleeping
ولوعَ الطَّيفِ بالرَّكْبِ الهُجُودِ
You sleep, while wakeful misfortunes visit by night,
The days sleep with events awake
with a dream-phantom's fondness for sleeping riders.
And far away the traveller's sorrow.
إليكَtoward you فرُبَّfor many a هاجرةٍscorching noon أفاءَتْhas cast shade
إليكَ فرُبَّ هاجرةٍ أفاءَتْ
عليَّover me إفاءَةَthe spreading of الظِّلِّshade المَديدِfar-stretching
عليَّ إفاءَةَ الظِّلِّ المَديدِ
Toward you—for many a scorching noon has shaded
And many a fugitive has come to me
me as a long, outstretched shadow would.
Like lengthening shadows, fugitives.
أيخشىdoes ... fear? الخطبcalamity ذوone with قلبa heart حدادkeen
أيخشى الخطب ذو قلب حداد
وخطبand many an ordeal فيin غياهبهits dark depths حديدiron-hard
وخطب في غياهبه حديد
Does a keen-hearted man fear calamity?
Would one who fears calamity love one
And many an ordeal, iron-hard in its dark depths—
Whose heart and words are iron steel,
إذاif لمnot آوِI seek refuge فيهin it إلىwith ابنِson of فهدٍFahd
إذا لم آوِ فيه إلى ابنِ فهدٍ
فماthen not آويI seek refuge إلىin رُكْنِa stronghold شَديدِmighty
فما آوي إلى رُكْنِ شَديدِ
if I do not seek refuge in it with Ibn Fahd,
If I can't find shelter with Fahd's son,
I seek refuge in no mighty stronghold.
I'll find no refuge, none that will not yield.
إذاwhen حَلَّsettle الوفودُthe delegations لهwith him مَحَلاًّat a lodging
إذا حَلَّ الوفودُ له مَحَلاًّ
غدَواthey are by morning ومَحلُّهمand their lodging عَطَنُa camel-yard for الوُفودِthe delegations
غدَوا ومَحلُّهم عَطَنُ الوُفودِ
When delegations come to lodge with him,
When they come visiting that house of his,
by morning, their lodging is the delegations' camel-yard.
Their dwellings are the threshold where they crowd.
أتيتُI came مُروَّعاًterrified يهتزُّtrembles جأشيmy heart
أتيتُ مُروَّعاً يهتزُّ جأشي
فأُبتُso I returned محسَّداًmuch envied يَهتزُّsways عوديmy frame
فأُبتُ محسَّداً يَهتزُّ عودي
I came terrified, my heart trembling;
I came there frightened, my flesh creeping,
and returned much envied, my frame swaying.
And left downcast, my branch shaking.
فَعِشْso live للمجدِfor glory تُنْجِزُyou fulfill فيهin it وَعْداًa promise
فَعِشْ للمجدِ تُنْجِزُ فيه وَعْداً
منof الجَدوىbounty وتَصفَحُand turn away عنfrom وَعيدِa threat
من الجَدوى وتَصفَحُ عن وَعيدِ
So live for glory, fulfilling in its service a promise
Live for glory and keep promises
of bounty, and setting threats aside.
Of gain, while paying no regard to threats.
Sol 6.1