وَخُطَّةٍand a quarter مِنْof بُيوتِthe dwellings of الحَيِّthe tribe زُرْتُI visited بِهاin it
وَخُطَّةٍ مِنْ بُيوتِ الحَيِّ زُرْتُ بِها
بِيضاًfair-skinned women يَهُزُّsets swaying الصِّباyouth مِنْهُنَّof them أَعْطافَاsides
بِيضاً يَهُزُّ الصِّبا مِنْهُنَّ أَعْطافَا
And in a quarter among the tribe’s dwellings I visited
A plan I had to visit the homes of the neighborhood,
fair-skinned women, whose forms youth sets swaying,
White houses, shaken by the breeze their curtains billowing,
هِيفاًslender-waisted women تَخِفُّare light إِذاwhen حَاوَلْنَthey attempt مُنْتَهَضاًrising
هِيفاً تَخِفُّ إِذا حَاوَلْنَ مُنْتَهَضاً
خُصُورُهُنَّtheir waists وَيَسْتَثْقِلْنَand they find heavy أَرْدافاhips
خُصُورُهُنَّ وَيَسْتَثْقِلْنَ أَرْدافا
slender-waisted: when they try to rise, light are
Swaying gently when they try to stand erect,
their waists, though they find their hips heavy.
Their frames too weak, their hips too heavy to lift.
وَهُنَّand they يَبْسِمْنَsmile عَنْrevealing غُرٍّgleaming teeth كَشَفْنَthey drew back بِهاwith them
وَهُنَّ يَبْسِمْنَ عَنْ غُرٍّ كَشَفْنَ بِها
عَنِfrom اللَّآلِئِthe pearls لِلرَّائِينَfor onlookers أَصْدافاshells
عَنِ اللَّآلِئِ لِلرَّائِينَ أَصْدافا
And they smile, revealing gleaming teeth, thereby drawing back
Smiling, their pearls they show, parted lips reveal
shells from pearls for those who look.
Gleaming teeth displayed for all who come to see.
وَيَرْتَمينَand they shoot بِنَبْلٍwith arrows يَتِّخِذْنَthey make لَهاfor them الthe
وَيَرْتَمينَ بِنَبْلٍ يَتِّخِذْنَ لَها ال
قُلوبَhearts عِنْدَwhen اسْتِراقِstealing اللَّحْظِthe gaze أَهْدافاtargets
قُلوبَ عِنْدَ اسْتِراقِ اللَّحْظِ أَهْدافا
And they shoot arrows, making
Arrows of the eye their weapons for hearts to steal
hearts their targets as they steal glances.
From yearning souls who dare to glance and flee.
وَالشَّيْبُand gray hair خَيَّطَstitched فيin فَوْديmy temple كَماjust as نَشَرَتْspread
وَالشَّيْبُ خَيَّطَ في فَوْدي كَما نَشَرَتْ
يَدُthe hand of الصَّباthe east wind لِرياضِfor the meadows of الحَزْنِthe uplands أَفْوافاstriped cloths
يَدُ الصَّبا لِرياضِ الحَزْنِ أَفْوافا
And gray hair stitched across my temple, just as
In my hair's dark waves, grey strands the years did weave,
the east wind’s hand spread striped cloths over the upland meadows.
Like lines etched in sand where youth's carefree days played.
فَلَمْso did not يَرُعْنيstartle me سِوىexcept أَيْدٍhands أَنامِلُهاtheir fingers
فَلَمْ يَرُعْني سِوى أَيْدٍ أَنامِلُها
مَخْضُوبَةٌstained مِنْfrom دَمِthe blood of العُشّاقِthe lovers أَطْرافاat the tips
مَخْضُوبَةٌ مِنْ دَمِ العُشّاقِ أَطْرافا
So nothing startled me but hands whose fingers
Only hands drew my gaze, henna-traced fingertips
were stained at the tips with lovers’ blood.
Dyed red from the blood of lovers whose hearts strayed.
بَسَطْنهاthey stretched them out لِوَداعِيto bid me farewell حينَwhen فارَقَنيleft me
بَسَطْنها لِوَداعِي حينَ فارَقَني
لَيْلُthe night of الشَّبابِyouth وَصُبْحُand the dawn of الشَّيبِgray hair قَدْalready وافَىhad arrived
لَيْلُ الشَّبابِ وَصُبْحُ الشَّيبِ قَدْ وافَى
They stretched them out to bid me farewell, when I was parted from
Reaching out in farewell as nights of youth depart
the night of youth, and the dawn of gray hair had arrived.
And mornings of old age arrive to stay.
Sol 6.1