أَمِنwas it from خُلَيدَةَKhulaydah وَهناًlate at night شُبَّتِwas kindled النارُthe fire
أَمِن خُلَيدَةَ وَهناً شُبَّتِ النارُ
وَدونَهاand between us and it مِنof ظَلامِdarkness اللَيلِthe night أَستارُveils
وَدونَها مِن ظَلامِ اللَيلِ أَستارُ
Was the fire kindled at Khulaydah’s late at night,
with veils of the night’s darkness between us and it?
إِذاwhenever خَبَتit died down أُوقِدَتit was rekindled بِالنَدِّwith blended incense واستَعَرَتand it blazed up
إِذا خَبَت أُوقِدَت بِالنَدِّ واستَعَرَت
وَلَمand not يَكُنwas عِطرهاits fragrance قُسطٌcostus root وَأَظفارُand onycha incense
وَلَم يَكُن عِطرها قُسطٌ وَأَظفارُ
Whenever it died down, it was rekindled with nadd incense and blazed up,
and its fragrance was neither costus nor onycha.
باتَتit spent the night تُشَبُّbeing stoked وَبِتناand we spent the night اللَيلَthe night نَرقُبُهاwe watched it
باتَت تُشَبُّ وَبِتنا اللَيلَ نَرقُبُها
تُعنىwere engrossed قُلوبٌhearts بِهاin it مَرضىlovesick وَأَبصارُand eyes
تُعنى قُلوبٌ بِها مَرضى وَأَبصارُ
It was stoked all night, and we spent the night watching it;
lovesick hearts and eyes were engrossed in it.
ياah حَبَّذاhow lovely تِلكَthat مِنas a نارٍfire وَموقِدُهاand its kindler
يا حَبَّذا تِلكَ مِن نارٍ وَموقِدُها
وَأَهلُناand our people بِاللوىat al-Liwa إِذwhen نَحنُwe أَجوارُneighbors
وَأَهلُنا بِاللوى إِذ نَحنُ أَجوارُ
Ah, how lovely that fire and the one who kindled it,
with our people at al-Liwa, when we were neighbors!
خُلَيدKhulayd لاdo not تَبعُديyou go far away ماthere is no عَنكِfrom you إِقصارُdesisting
خُلَيد لا تَبعُدي ما عَنكِ إِقصارُ
وَإِنand even if بَخِلتِyou are ungenerous وَإِنand even if شَطَّتgrew distant بِكِwith you الدارُthe dwelling
وَإِن بَخِلتِ وَإِن شَطَّت بِكِ الدارُ
Khulayd, do not go far; I shall never turn away from you,
even if you are ungenerous, even if your dwelling takes you far away.
فَماfor ... not أُباليI care إِذاif أَمسَيتِyou are at nightfall جارَتَناour neighbor
فَما أُبالي إِذا أَمسَيتِ جارَتَنا
مُقيمَةًresiding هَلwhether أَقامَstayed الناسُthe people أَمor سارواthey departed
مُقيمَةً هَل أَقامَ الناسُ أَم ساروا
For I do not care, if evening finds you our neighbor,
settled here, whether the people stay or depart.
لَوif دَبَّcrept حَوليُّa yearling ذَرٍّtiny ants تَحتَbeneath مِدرَعِهاher shift
لَو دَبَّ حَوليُّ ذَرٍّ تَحتَ مِدرَعِها
أَضحَىwould appear بِهاupon her مِنfrom دَبيبِthe creeping الذَرِّthe tiny ants آثارُmarks
أَضحَى بِها مِن دَبيبِ الذَرِّ آثارُ
If a year-old ant crept beneath her shift,
its creeping would leave marks upon her.
Sol 6.1