وَغادَةٍand a young beauty تَشهَدُtestify الحِسانُthe fair women لَهاfor her
وَغادَةٍ تَشهَدُ الحِسانُ لَها
أَنَّthat سَناthe radiance النَيِّرَينِthe two luminaries مَحتَدُهاher ancestral origin
أَنَّ سَنا النَيِّرَينِ مَحتَدُها
And a young beauty, of whom the fair women testify
Ghadah's beauty is witnessed by admirers
that the two luminaries' radiance is her origin.
Her radiance outshines the full moons
آباؤُهاher forefathers الغُرُّthe illustrious مِنfrom ذُراthe heights مُضَرٍMudar
آباؤُها الغُرُّ مِن ذُرا مُضَرٍ
فيin شَرَفٍnobility زانَهُadorned it مُحمَّدُهاher Muhammad
في شَرَفٍ زانَهُ مُحمَّدُها
Her illustrious forefathers are from the heights of Mudar,
Her noble fathers are from Dhirar's progeny
in nobility adorned by Muhammad of her line.
Honored by the name of their Muhammad
وَالأُمُّand the mother مِنfrom وائِلٍWa'il إِذاwhen اتَّصَلَتْtraced her descent
وَالأُمُّ مِن وائِلٍ إِذا اتَّصَلَتْ
فالجَدُّthen the forebear بسطامُهاher Bistam وَمَرثَدُهاand her Marthad
فالجَدُّ بسطامُها وَمَرثَدُها
And her mother is of Wa'il; when her descent is traced,
And her mother is from Wail, so when joined
her forebears are Bistam and Marthad.
Her ancestry includes Bastaam and Marthad
تَفضُلُsurpasses فيin حُسنِهاher beauty النِّساءَthe women كَماjust as
تَفضُلُ في حُسنِها النِّساءَ كَما
يَفضُلُsurpasses فيin الخَيرِgoodness يَومَهاher today غَدُهاher tomorrow
يَفضُلُ في الخَيرِ يَومَها غَدُها
She surpasses women in her beauty, just as
She surpasses women in her elegance
her tomorrow surpasses her today in goodness.
As tomorrow surpasses today in generosity
فَماso never اِصطَلَتْwarmed herself غَيرَother than مِجمَرٍa brazier أَرِجٍfragrant
فَما اِصطَلَتْ غَيرَ مِجمَرٍ أَرِجٍ
وَلاand not اِمتَرَتْmilked ضَرعَthe udder لِقحَةٍa milch she-camel يَدُهاher hand
وَلا اِمتَرَتْ ضَرعَ لِقحَةٍ يَدُها
For she has warmed herself only at a fragrant brazier,
She mounts none but high-bred, swift camels
nor has her hand ever milked a milch camel's udder.
Her hands milk only productive she-camels
إِنif سَفَرَتْunveils فالعَذولُthen the reproacher يَعذُرُنيexcuses me
إِن سَفَرَتْ فالعَذولُ يَعذُرُني
أَوor نَظَرَتْglances فالظِّباءُthen the gazelles تَحسُدُهاenvy her
أَو نَظَرَتْ فالظِّباءُ تَحسُدُها
If she unveils, the reproacher excuses me;
If she travels, shyness excuses me
or if she glances, the gazelles envy her.
If she gazes, the doe-eyed beauties envy her
أَحوَرَهاtheir dark-eyed one لاnot يُفيقُrecovers مِنfrom خَجَلٍshame
أَحوَرَها لا يُفيقُ مِن خَجَلٍ
وَيَرتَديand robes itself بِالحَياءِin modesty أَغيدُهاtheir lithe one
وَيَرتَدي بِالحَياءِ أَغيدُها
Their dark-eyed one cannot recover from shame,
Her sight makes the bashful lose composure
and their lithe one robes itself in modesty.
And modesty clothes them in shyness
أَوor طاشَتِgrew giddy الغانياتُthe fair women مِنfrom أَشَرٍwanton exuberance
أَو طاشَتِ الغانياتُ مِن أَشَرٍ
يُقيمُهاmakes them rise فالوقارُthen dignity يُقعِدُهاkeeps her seated
يُقيمُها فالوقارُ يُقعِدُها
Or if the fair women grow giddy with wanton exuberance
Or if the singers act indecently
that sets them on their feet, dignity keeps her seated.
Dignity makes her composed and seated
وَفيand in فؤاديmy heart تَبَوَّأتْtook up residence وَطناًa home
وَفي فؤادي تَبَوَّأتْ وَطناً
وَكانand was بالأَبرَقَينِat al-Abraqayn مَعهَدُهاher familiar abode
وَكان بالأَبرَقَينِ مَعهَدُها
And in my heart she has made her home,
In my heart she made her dwelling
and her old abode was at al-Abraqayn,
Taking the lightning for her lamp
بِحَيثُwhere يَلقىencounters السَّاريthe night traveler مُشَهَّرَةًa conspicuous fire
بِحَيثُ يَلقى السَّاري مُشَهَّرَةً
يُقضِمُهاfeeds it المَندَليَّMandali aloeswood موقِدُهاits kindler
يُقضِمُها المَندَليَّ موقِدُها
where the night traveler finds a conspicuous fire,
Where the rising breeze finds her
whose kindler feeds it Mandali aloeswood.
Her brazier fanned by the cool morning breeze
ياO نَجدُNajd لاmay not أَخطأَتْكِmiss you غاديَةٌa morning shower
يا نَجدُ لا أَخطأَتْكِ غاديَةٌ
أَغزَرُهاthe most abundant of them لِلحمىfor the protected pasture وَأَجودُهاand the most generous of them
أَغزَرُها لِلحمى وَأَجودُها
O Najd, may a morning shower never miss you—
O Najd, no maiden traveled you
the most copious and generous of showers for the protected pasture—
More generous, more hospitable than her
حَتىّreach the crowns of تُناصيits arak trees أَراكَهُcamels إِبِلٌline_24
حَتىّ تُناصي أَراكَهُ إِبِلٌ
خَوامِسٌwatering every fifth day لاnot يَنِشُّdries up مَورِدُهاtheir watering place
خَوامِسٌ لا يَنِشُّ مَورِدُها
until camels reach the crowns of its arak trees,
Until your hill-tops are neighbored
watering every fifth day, their watering place never drying.
By unstirred, late-coming camel herds
فالطَّرفُso the eye مُذsince غِبتُI was absent عَنكَfrom you يُسهِرُهُkeeps it awake
فالطَّرفُ مُذ غِبتُ عَنكَ يُسهِرُهُ
ذِكرىmemories لَيالٍnights قَدindeed كانَused to يَرقُدُهاsleep through them
ذِكرى لَيالٍ قَد كانَ يَرقُدُها
For since I left you, my eye is kept awake
Since I left you, sleeplessness keeps my eyes open
by memories of nights it once slept through.
Remembering nights when she lay asleep
إِذاwhen رَأَيتُI see الرِّكابَthe riding camels صادِرَةًdeparting
إِذا رَأَيتُ الرِّكابَ صادِرَةً
سارَjourneys بِقَلبيwith my heart إِلَيكَto you مُنجِدُهاtheir Najd-bound ones
سارَ بِقَلبي إِلَيكَ مُنجِدُها
Whenever I see the riding camels departing,
When I see the traveling caravans departing
those bound for Najd carry my heart to you.
My heart leaves with them to find her
وَأُمِّand a mother خِشفٍof a fawn ضَلَّتْهُlost him فاِنطَلَقَتْso she set out
وَأُمِّ خِشفٍ ضَلَّتْهُ فاِنطَلَقَتْ
تَنشُدُهُseeks him والِهاًdistraught وَينشُدُهاand he seeks her
تَنشُدُهُ والِهاً وَينشُدُها
And a fawn's mother, having lost him, set out
Umm Khishf lost her son and set out
seeking him, distraught, while he seeks her.
Seeking him desperately, and he seeks her
فَصادَفَتهُthen she found him لَقىًcast aside بِمَهلِكَةٍin a deadly wilderness
فَصادَفَتهُ لَقىً بِمَهلِكَةٍ
يَغَصُّis choked بِالضَّارياتِwith ravening beasts فدفَدُهاits barren plain
يَغَصُّ بِالضَّارياتِ فدفَدُها
Then she found him cast aside in a deadly wilderness,
She met him slain in Mahlikah
whose barren plain teems with ravening beasts.
Among snakes writhing around his corpse
وَحاذَرَتْهاand she was wary of them فاِستَشعَرَتْso she felt وَجَلاًdread
وَحاذَرَتْها فاِستَشعَرَتْ وَجَلاً
تَقرُبُdraws near مِنهُto him وَالرُّعبُand terror يُبعِدُهاdrives her away
تَقرُبُ مِنهُ وَالرُّعبُ يُبعِدُها
And she was wary of them, so she felt dread:
She approached in awe and alarm
she draws near him, while terror drives her away.
Fear keeping her from nearing him
وَتَنتَضيand she unsheathes مِنfrom ضُلوعِهاher ribs نَفَساًa breath
وَتَنتَضي مِن ضُلوعِها نَفَساً
يَدمىbleeds وَيَشجىand chokes بِهِthrough it مُقَلَّدُهاher throat
يَدمى وَيَشجى بِهِ مُقَلَّدُها
And from her ribs she unsheathes a breath
Gasping out of her ribs a breath
that makes her throat bleed and choke.
That bloodied and tore her collar
فَتِلكَso that one مِثليlike me إِذwhen زُرتُI visited مَنزِلَةًa dwelling
فَتِلكَ مِثلي إِذ زُرتُ مَنزِلَةً
أَرىI see مَهاهاits oryxes فأَينَso where خُرَّدُهاits shy maidens
أَرى مَهاها فأَينَ خُرَّدُها
So she is like me when I visited a dwelling:
That is like me, when I visited her abode
I see its oryxes—but where are its shy maidens?
And found it desolate, where is its household?
وَبَينَand between جَنَبيَّmy two sides لَوعَةٌa pang of longing وَقَدَتْhas flared
وَبَينَ جَنَبيَّ لَوعَةٌ وَقَدَتْ
وَلَيسَand there is none إِلّاexcept ظَمياءُZamya تُخمِدُهاquenches it
وَلَيسَ إِلّا ظَمياءُ تُخمِدُها
And between my sides a pang of longing has flared,
Between my ribs is an anguish that burns
and none but Zamya can quench it.
With only tears to extinguish its embers
Sol 6.1