وَآلِفَةٍand a woman accustomed لِلخِدرِto the curtained chamber ظاهِرَةِmanifest in التُّقَىpiety
وَآلِفَةٍ لِلخِدرِ ظاهِرَةِ التُّقَى
لأُسرَتِهاfor her family فيamong عامِرٍAmir ماwhat تَمَنَّتِit wished for
لأُسرَتِها في عامِرٍ ما تَمَنَّتِ
And a woman at home in her curtained chamber, plainly devout—
Her family has, among Amir, all it wished for.
تَحِلُّshe dwells بِنَجدٍin Najd مَنزِلاًan abode حَلَّتِhas alighted العُلاglory
تَحِلُّ بِنَجدٍ مَنزِلاً حَلَّتِ العُلا
بِهِin it فاِستَقَرَّتْthen it settled عِندَهُat it وَاطمأَنَّتِand found repose
بِهِ فاِستَقَرَّتْ عِندَهُ وَاطمأَنَّتِ
She dwells in Najd, in an abode; glory has alighted
in it, then settled there and found repose.
تَذَكَّرتُهاI remembered her وَالرَّكبُand the riders مُغفٍdozing وَساهِرٌand wakeful
تَذَكَّرتُها وَالرَّكبُ مُغفٍ وَساهِرٌ
وَهاجَand stirred مَطاياهُمtheir mounts حَنينيmy yearning فَحَنَّتِso they moaned with longing
وَهاجَ مَطاياهُم حَنيني فَحَنَّتِ
I remembered her while some riders dozed and others kept vigil.
And my yearning stirred their mounts, so they moaned with longing.
وَهَبَّand rose صِحابيmy companions واجِمِينَdowncast وَكُلُّهُمand every one of them
وَهَبَّ صِحابي واجِمِينَ وَكُلُّهُم
يَقولُsays أَلاah! لِلَّهِto God (expressing wonder) نَفسٌa soul تَعَنَّتِit courted hardship
يَقولُ أَلا لِلَّهِ نَفسٌ تَعَنَّتِ
And my companions rose, downcast, and every one of them
says, ‘Ah, what a soul, by God, courting its own torment!
إِذاwhen حَدَرَlowered الصُّبحُdawn اللِّثامَthe face veil تَأَوَّهَتْit sighed
إِذا حَدَرَ الصُّبحُ اللِّثامَ تَأَوَّهَتْ
وَإِنand if نَشَرَspread اللَّيلُnight الجَناحَthe wing أَرَنَّتِit wailed
وَإِن نَشَرَ اللَّيلُ الجَناحَ أَرَنَّتِ
When dawn lowers its veil, it sighs;
and if night spreads its wing, it wails.
وَلَسناand we do not نَراهاsee it تَستَفيقُit recovers its senses مِنَfrom الهَوىlove
وَلَسنا نَراها تَستَفيقُ مِنَ الهَوى
لَهاfor it الخَيرُgood fortune ماذاwhat أَضمَرَتْit harbored within وَأَجَنَّتِand concealed
لَها الخَيرُ ماذا أَضمَرَتْ وَأَجَنَّتِ
Nor do we see it recover from love.
May good be its lot! What has it harbored and concealed?
تَهيمُit wanders lovesick إِذاwhen ريحُthe wind الصَّباthe east wind نَسَمَتْbreathed gently لَهاto it
تَهيمُ إِذا ريحُ الصَّبا نَسَمَتْ لَها
بِنَجدٍin Najd أَوor الأَيكِيَّةُthe thicket-dwellers الوُرقُgray-feathered غَنَّتِsang
بِنَجدٍ أَو الأَيكِيَّةُ الوُرقُ غَنَّتِ
It wanders lovesick when the east wind breathes upon it
in Najd, or the gray doves of the thicket sing.
وَتَصبوand it yearns إِلىtoward لَيلىLayla وَقَدthough already شَطَّتِgrew distant النَّوَىseparation
وَتَصبو إِلى لَيلى وَقَد شَطَّتِ النَّوَى
وَمِنand for أَجلِهاher sake حَنَّتْit yearned وَرَنَّتْand wailed وَأَنَّتِand groaned
وَمِن أَجلِها حَنَّتْ وَرَنَّتْ وَأَنَّتِ
And it yearns for Layla, though the distance has grown vast;
and for her sake it has yearned, wailed, and groaned.’
مِنَamong البِيضِthe fair women لاnot تَزدادُshe increases إِلّاexcept تَجَنِّياًgroundless fault-finding
مِنَ البِيضِ لا تَزدادُ إِلّا تَجَنِّياً
عَليناagainst us وَلَولاand were it not for بُخلُهاher stinginess ماnot تَجَنَّتِshe accused falsely
عَلينا وَلَولا بُخلُها ما تَجَنَّتِ
One of the fair women, she only increases her groundless accusations
against us; but for her stinginess, she would not accuse us falsely.
تَضِنُّshe is stingy بِماwith what نَبغيwe seek لِظَنٍّbecause of an opinion تُسيئُهُshe makes it unfavorable
تَضِنُّ بِما نَبغي لِظَنٍّ تُسيئُهُ
أَلاah! ساءَwas bad ماwhat ظَنَّتshe thought بِناof us حينَwhen ضَنَّتِshe was stingy
أَلا ساءَ ما ظَنَّت بِنا حينَ ضَنَّتِ
She withholds what we seek because of an ill opinion she holds.
Ah, what an ill opinion she held of us when she held back!
Sol 6.1