وَريمٍand a gazelle رَمانيshot me طَرفُهُhis glance بِسِهامِهِwith its arrows
وَريمٍ رَماني طَرفُهُ بِسِهامِهِ
فَماso did not أَخطأَmiss الرَّاميthe archer وَهُنَّand they صيابُon target
فَما أَخطأَ الرَّامي وَهُنَّ صيابُ
And a gazelle's glance shot me with its arrows;
A graceful gazelle whose glance is arrows
the archer did not miss, and they struck true.
That never miss when the archer aims them true.
لِفِيهِfor his mouth وَميضُthe flash البَرقِlightning عِندَat اِبتِسامَتِهِhis smile
لِفِيهِ وَميضُ البَرقِ عِندَ اِبتِسامَتِهِ
وَعَينيand my eye إِذاwhen جَدَّgrows intense البُكاءُweeping سَحابُa cloud
وَعَيني إِذا جَدَّ البُكاءُ سَحابُ
His mouth has lightning's flash when he smiles,
In his smile flashes lightning in the darkness,
and my eye is a cloud when weeping grows intense.
And when grief makes me weep, clouds are my tears.
وَلِلصَّارِمِand for the keen sword المأثورِpatterned يَحميهِdefend him قَومُهُhis people
وَلِلصَّارِمِ المأثورِ يَحميهِ قَومُهُ
بِهِwith it مِنfrom رِقابِthe necks العاشِقينَthe lovers قِرابُa sheath
بِهِ مِن رِقابِ العاشِقينَ قِرابُ
And the patterned sword—his people defend him
Hero of renown, his people guard him
with it—has a sheath made of lovers' necks.
From lovers' necks with the blades they bear.
إِذاwhen اللَّيلُthe night وارىconcealed مَنكِبَيْهِits two shoulders رِداؤُهُits mantle
إِذا اللَّيلُ وارى مَنكِبَيْهِ رِداؤُهُ
أَوِor استُلَّwas drawn off مِنfrom وَجهِthe face الصَّباحِdawn نِقابُa veil
أَوِ استُلَّ مِن وَجهِ الصَّباحِ نِقابُ
When night's mantle conceals its shoulders,
When night enshrouds him with its robe,
or a veil is drawn from dawn's face,
Or dawn unveils the face of morning,
ذَكَرتُكَI remembered you ياO ظَبيَgazelle الصَّريمَةِthe thicket وَالعِداwhile the foes
ذَكَرتُكَ يا ظَبيَ الصَّريمَةِ وَالعِدا
أُسودُlions الشَّرىal-Shara وَالسَمهَريَّةُand the stout spears غابُa forest
أُسودُ الشَّرى وَالسَمهَريَّةُ غابُ
I remember you, O gazelle of the thicket, while the foes
I remember you, O gazelle of desolation and exile,
are lions of al-Shara, and the stout spears a forest.
Dark fate, far roaming the wilderness!
وَقَدand indeed حَدَّثَspoke الواشيthe tale-bearer بِماof what لاnot أُريدُهُI want it
وَقَد حَدَّثَ الواشي بِما لا أُريدُهُ
فَماذاso what يُرَجِّيهِhe hopes for it بِفيهِin his mouth تُرابُdust
فَماذا يُرَجِّيهِ بِفيهِ تُرابُ
And the tale-bearer has spoken of what I do not want;
The spy has told what I never wanted known,
what, then, does he hope for? Dust be in his mouth!
So what can his mouth full of dust avail?
يُبَكِّرُhe comes early وَالبازيُwhile the falcon يُغازِلُهُwoos it الكَرىslumber
يُبَكِّرُ وَالبازيُ يُغازِلُهُ الكَرى
لِيَنعَبَto croak فيناamong us بالفِراقِof parting غُرابُa crow
لِيَنعَبَ فينا بالفِراقِ غُرابُ
He comes early, while slumber woos the falcon,
Dawn comes early while the hunter courts mishap
to croak among us of parting—a crow.
To make separation croak like ravens in us.
وَيَعذِلُنِيand reproach me صَحبيmy companions وأُعرِضُand I turn away عَنهُمُfrom them
وَيَعذِلُنِي صَحبي وأُعرِضُ عَنهُمُ
فَهُمso they لاnot رَضُواwere pleased عَنِّيwith me وَعَنكَand at you غِضابُangry
فَهُم لا رَضُوا عَنِّي وَعَنكَ غِضابُ
And my companions reproach me, and I turn away from them;
My friends blame me and turn away,
so they are not pleased with me, and are angry with you.
Angry at me and angry at you, too.
وَيأَتيكand reaches you أَحياناًsometimes عِتابيmy reproach وَرُبمّاand perhaps
وَيأَتيك أَحياناً عِتابي وَرُبمّا
يَروضُtames أَبيَّthe one resistant to الوُدِّaffection مِنكَin you عِتابُreproach
يَروضُ أَبيَّ الوُدِّ مِنكَ عِتابُ
And sometimes my reproach reaches you; and perhaps
Sometimes my reproaches reach you, sometimes
a reproach may tame your resistance to affection.
Tender affection soothes away reproach.
وَأَنتَand you الَّذيthe one who استأذَنْتَyou asked permission وَالقَلبُwhile the heart فارِغٌempty
وَأَنتَ الَّذي استأذَنْتَ وَالقَلبُ فارِغٌ
عليهِto enter it فَلَمso did not يَرْدُدْكَturn you away عَنهُfrom it حِجابُa veil
عليهِ فَلَم يَرْدُدْكَ عَنهُ حِجابُ
And you are the one who asked leave—while my heart was empty—
You who asked leave while my heart was vacant -
to enter it; so no veil turned you away from it.
No veil restrained you or held you back.
نَحَلتُI grew thin كَأَنّيas though I were سِلكُa thread عِقدٍof a necklace وَدُرُّهُand its pearls
نَحَلتُ كَأَنّي سِلكُ عِقدٍ وَدُرُّهُ
قَريضيmy verse فَنِطْنِيso hang me حَيثُwhere نيطَwas hung سِخابُa scented necklace
قَريضي فَنِطْنِي حَيثُ نيطَ سِخابُ
I have grown thin, as though I were a necklace's thread; its pearls
I compose as if stringing pearls, linking verses,
are my verse; so hang me where a scented necklace is hung.
Pouring my spirit freely till the ode is done.
Sol 6.1