سَقىmay water اللَهُGod لَيلَthe night of الخَيفِal-Khayf دَمعيmy tears أَوor الحَياrain
سَقى اللَهُ لَيلَ الخَيفِ دَمعي أَو الحَيا
أُريدُI mean الحَياrain فَالدَّمعُfor the tears أَكثَرُهُmost of it دَمُblood
أُريدُ الحَيا فَالدَّمعُ أَكثَرُهُ دَمُ
May God water the night at al-Khayf with my tears—or rain.
I mean rain, for most of my tears are blood.
بِهِon that night طَرَقَتْshe visited by night صَحبيmy companions أُمَيمَةُUmayma مَوهِناًlate at night
بِهِ طَرَقَتْ صَحبي أُمَيمَةُ مَوهِناً
وَنَحنُwhile we بِأَذيالِamid the trailing folds of الدُّجىdarkness تَتَلَثَّمُshe veils her face
وَنَحنُ بِأَذيالِ الدُّجى تَتَلَثَّمُ
That night Umayma visited my companions at a late hour,
while we were amid darkness's trailing folds, she veiled her face.
مُهَفهَفَةٌslender-waisted يَشكوcomplains of الوِشاحُthe sash إِزارَهاher waist-wrap
مُهَفهَفَةٌ يَشكو الوِشاحُ إِزارَها
فَقَدfor indeed سيمَwas subjected to ظُلماًinjustice وَهيَyet she ليto me مِنهُthan it أَظلَمُmore unjust
فَقَد سيمَ ظُلماً وَهيَ لي مِنهُ أَظلَمُ
She is slender-waisted; her sash complains of her waist-wrap,
for it has been wronged, yet she is crueller to me than her wrap is to it.
وَيَشكُرُand thank حَجْلَيهاher two anklets السِوارانِthe two bracelets إِذْsince حَكىresembled
وَيَشكُرُ حَجْلَيها السِوارانِ إِذْ حَكى
مُسَوَّرَهاher bracelet-girt wrist فيin الرِيِّfullness of flesh مِنهاof her المُخَدَّمُthe anklet-girt leg
مُسَوَّرَها في الرِيِّ مِنها المُخَدَّمُ
And her two bracelets thank her two anklets for the likeness
in fullness of flesh between her bracelet-girt wrist and her ankleted leg.
فَأَشرَقَthen shone forth خَدٌّa cheek لاحَappeared مَوقِعُthe place for لَثمِهِkissing it
فَأَشرَقَ خَدٌّ لاحَ مَوقِعُ لَثمِهِ
وَقَدand indeed كِدتُI nearly لَولاbut for خَشيَةُfear of اللَهِGod أَلثِمُI kiss
وَقَد كِدتُ لَولا خَشيَةُ اللَهِ أَلثِمُ
Then a cheek shone forth, revealing where to kiss it,
and I nearly kissed it, but was checked by fear of God.
Sol 6.1