أَلاAh! لَيتَwould that شِعرِيَmy knowledge وَالتَلَهُّفُand regret ضَلَّةٌfolly
أَلا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ وَالتَلَهُّفُ ضَلَّةٌ
بِماfor what reason ضَرَبَتstruck كَفُّthe palm الفَتاةِthe maiden هَجينَهاher half-breed
بِما ضَرَبَت كَفُّ الفَتاةِ هَجينَها
Ah, would that I knew—though regret is folly—
Alas! Would that I knew, though bewilderment is an aberration,
why the maiden's palm struck her half-breed.
What the palm of the maiden struck to kindle her passion!
وَلَوand if عَلِمَتshe knew قُعسوسُQuʿsūs أَنسابَlineages وَالِديmy father
وَلَو عَلِمَت قُعسوسُ أَنسابَ وَالِدي
وَوالِدِهاand her father ظَلَّتshe remained تَقَاصَرُshe falls short دونَهاbeneath them
وَوالِدِها ظَلَّت تَقَاصَرُ دونَها
And had Quʿsūs known the lineages of my father
Had the snub-nosed minx but known the lineage of my sire
and her father, she would have kept falling short of them.
And mother, she would have humbled herself lower before me.
أَبيmy father اِبنُa son خِيارِthe noblest الحُجرal-Hujr بَيتاًin lineage وَمَنصِباًand in rank
أَبي اِبنُ خِيارِ الحُجر بَيتاً وَمَنصِباً
وَأُمّيand my mother اِبنَةُa daughter الأحرَارِthe freeborn لَوif تَعرِفينَهاyou know her
وَأُمّي اِبنَةُ الأحرَارِ لَو تَعرِفينَها
My father is a son of the noblest of al-Hujr in lineage and rank,
My father is the son of the best stock of the tribe in rank and abode,
and my mother is a daughter of the freeborn, if you knew her.
And my mother the daughter of free nobles, didst thou but know her!
إِذاwhenever قُلتُI said بَعضَsome القَولِthe speech بَينيbetween me وبَينَهاand between her
إِذا قُلتُ بَعضَ القَولِ بَيني وبَينَها
تَؤُمُّaims at بَياضَwhiteness الوَجهِthe face مِنِّيof me يَمينَهاher right hand
تَؤُمُّ بَياضَ الوَجهِ مِنِّي يَمينَها
Whenever I say a few words between me and her,
When I speak any words to her, in talk between me and her,
her right hand aims at the whiteness of my face.
The whiteness of her face seconds me from her right hand.
Sol 6.1