وَظَلامٍand a darkness قَيَّدَfettered العَينَthe eye بِهِwith it
وَظَلامٍ قَيَّدَ العَينَ بِهِ
لَيلَةٌa night ضَلَّmissed بِهاin it العَينَthe eye الكَرىslumber
لَيلَةٌ ضَلَّ بِها العَينَ الكَرى
And a darkness with which the eye was fettered
A night, in which darkness blindfolded the eye
by a night when slumber lost its way to the eye.
In which the kohl-lined eye went astray
خُضتُهُI plunged through it وَالدِّرعُand the armor فَوقيupon me وَطَوَتْand she traversed
خُضتُهُ وَالدِّرعُ فَوقي وَطَوَتْ
تَحتيَbeneath me المُهرَةُthe filly أَجوازَthe inner reaches of الفَلاthe desert wastes
تَحتيَ المُهرَةُ أَجوازَ الفَلا
I plunged through it, armor upon me, while she traversed—
I held its rein and my coat of mail was over me
the filly beneath me—the desert's inner reaches.
Under me the skittish mare strode powerfully
لَمعَgleamed النَّجمُthe star عَلىupon جَبهَتِهاher forehead
لَمعَ النَّجمُ عَلى جَبهَتِها
وَتَرَدَّتْand she cloaked herself بِجلابيبِin the robes of الدُّجَىnight-darkness
وَتَرَدَّتْ بِجلابيبِ الدُّجَى
The star gleamed upon her brow,
The stars glittered on their foreheads
and she cloaked herself in the robes of darkness.
As they moved slowly in the robes of darkness
فَأَتَتْso she reached ريماًa white gazelle هَضيماًslender كَشحُهُhis waist
فَأَتَتْ ريماً هَضيماً كَشحُهُ
ثَمِلَintoxicated العَينَينِthe two eyes مَوهونَweakened الخُطاthe steps
ثَمِلَ العَينَينِ مَوهونَ الخُطا
So she reached a white gazelle, slender of waist,
Then she came trotting gently, her cheek sunken
drunken-eyed, with faltering steps.
Her eyes full, her stride graceful
كادَnearly يَشفَيhe quenches بِجنَىwith the sweetness of ريقَتِهِhis saliva
كادَ يَشفَي بِجنَى ريقَتِهِ
غُلَّةًa thirst مَسجورَةًablaze لَولاwere it not for التُّقَىpiety
غُلَّةً مَسجورَةً لَولا التُّقَى
He nearly quenched, with the sweetness of his saliva,
Her saliva almost cured me of my anguish
a blazing thirst—but for piety.
If not for my devotion a pleasurable illness
وَوَشىand informed العِطرُthe perfume بِهِagainst him إِذwhen بَلَّهُmoistened him
وَوَشى العِطرُ بِهِ إِذ بَلَّهُ
آخِرَat the end of اللَيلِthe night سَقيطٌfalling droplets مِنof نَدىdew
آخِرَ اللَيلِ سَقيطٌ مِن نَدى
And perfume betrayed him when he was moistened
The perfume mingled with it as the dew descended
at night's end by falling drops of dew.
At the end of night in a gentle drizzle
وَأَذاعَand divulged الحَلْيُthe jewelry سِرّاًa secret كاتِماًconcealed
وَأَذاعَ الحَلْيُ سِرّاً كاتِماً
فَتَرَكناso we abandoned مِنout of تَوَقِّهِwariness of it السُّرىnight travel
فَتَرَكنا مِن تَوَقِّهِ السُّرى
And the jewelry divulged a concealed secret,
The trinkets broadcast a secret I kept
so, wary of it, we abandoned night travel.
So we left our desire unsatisfied
وَأَرابَand aroused suspicion in الحَيَّthe tribe حَتَّىuntil هابَهُمْhe feared them
وَأَرابَ الحَيَّ حَتَّى هابَهُمْ
رَشاa fawn عانَقَهُembraced him ذِئبُa wolf of الغَضىthe ghada trees
رَشا عانَقَهُ ذِئبُ الغَضى
And it aroused the tribe's suspicion, till he feared them—
And she made the tribe flee until they feared her
a fawn embraced by a wolf of the ghada trees.
When she embraced the wolf of wrath
إِنَّindeed ماwhat أَحذَرُهُI fear it أَربَعَةٌfour things
إِنَّ ما أَحذَرُهُ أَربَعَةٌ
تُودِعُthey lodge القَلبَthe heart تَباريحَthe agonies of الجَوىlove-longing
تُودِعُ القَلبَ تَباريحَ الجَوى
Indeed, there are four things I dread,
I fear only four things
that lodge the agonies of longing in the heart.
That lodge sorrows in the heart's crevices
وَأَناand I مِنهاbecause of them كَمَنlike one who يَبتَلُّgrows wet مِنfrom
وَأَنا مِنها كَمَن يَبتَلُّ مِن
دَمِهِhis blood أَشداقُthe jaws of آسادِthe lions of الشَّرىal-Shara
دَمِهِ أَشداقُ آسادِ الشَّرى
And because of them I am like one who wets with
And I am like one who suffers from
his blood the jaws of the lions of al-Shara:
The fangs of the most vicious lions
عَرَقٌsweat طابَwas fragrant وَوَجهٌand a face يَرتَدِيrobes itself
عَرَقٌ طابَ وَوَجهٌ يَرتَدِي
بِسَناin the radiance of البَدرِthe full moon وَمِسكٌand musk وَحُلَىand jewels
بِسَنا البَدرِ وَمِسكٌ وَحُلَى
fragrant sweat; a face that robes itself
Sweat that smelled sweet, a face that wore
in the full moon's radiance; musk; and jewels.
The full moon's radiance, musk and aloe
Sol 6.1