قَالَتshe said وَقُلتُand I said تَحَرَّجيbe scrupulous وَصليand maintain ties
قَالَت وَقُلتُ تَحَرَّجي وَصلي
حَبلَthe bond امرئٍa man بِوِصالِكُمfor union with you صَبِّdeeply enamored
حَبلَ امرئٍ بِوِصالِكُم صَبِّ
She spoke, and I said, “Be scrupulous, and preserve
She said, and I said: "Show restraint and pray,
the bond of a man passionately longing for union with you.”
The rope of a man is in your connection."
واصِلkeep ties with إِذَنthen بَعليmy husband فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her
واصِل إِذَن بَعلي فَقُلتُ لَها
الغَدرُtreachery شيءٌa thing لَيسَis not مِنof ضَربيmy nature
الغَدرُ شيءٌ لَيسَ مِن ضَربي
“Then keep ties with my husband.” I said to her,
So unite with my husband, I told her.
“Treachery is not my way.
Betrayal is not of my kind.
ثِنتانِtwo women لاnot أَدنوI draw near لِوَصلِهماto union with them both
ثِنتانِ لا أَدنو لِوَصلِهما
عِرسُwife الخَليلِthe close friend وَجارَةُand the female neighbor الجَنبِat one's side
عِرسُ الخَليلِ وَجارَةُ الجَنبِ
There are two women whose love I will not seek:
There are two I will not join together:
a friend's wife and the woman next door.
The neighbor of my friend and of my side.
أَماas for الخَليلُthe close friend فَلَستُso I am not فاجِعَهُone who grieves him
أَما الخَليلُ فَلَستُ فاجِعَهُ
والجارُand the neighbor أَوصانيenjoined me بِهِconcerning him رَبّيmy Lord
والجارُ أَوصاني بِهِ رَبّي
As for my friend, I am not one to grieve him,
As for my friend, I will not betray him,
and my Lord has enjoined me to care for my neighbor.”
And my Lord has entrusted me with the neighbor.
وَبِبَطنِand in the heart of مَكَّةَMecca لاnot أَبوحُI divulge بِهِabout it
وَبِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ لا أَبوحُ بِهِ
قُرشيَّةٌa Qurayshi woman غَلَبَتprevailed عَلىover قَلبيmy heart
قُرشيَّةٌ غَلَبَت عَلى قَلبي
And in the heart of Mecca—I do not disclose it—
By the valley of Mecca, I will not confess it -
a Qurayshi woman has taken hold of my heart.
A Qurashi woman has conquered my heart.
وَلَوand if انَّهاit were the case that إِذwhen مَرَّpassed مَوكِبُهاher procession
وَلَو انَّها إِذ مَرَّ مَوكِبُها
يَومَthe day of الكَديدِal-Kadid أَطاعَنيobeyed me صَحبيmy companions
يَومَ الكَديدِ أَطاعَني صَحبي
And if, when her procession passed,
Had she, when her procession passed
on the day at al-Kadid, my companions had obeyed me,
On the day of Kadid, obeyed me, my companions
قُلناwe said لَهاto her حُيّيتِmay you be greeted مِنas a شَجَنٍbranch
قُلنا لَها حُيّيتِ مِن شَجَنٍ
وَلرَكبِهاand to her caravan حُيّيتَmay you be greeted مِنas a رَكبِcaravan
وَلرَكبِها حُيّيتَ مِن رَكبِ
we would have said to her, “Hail to you, O branch!”
Would have said: Greetings from yearning to her,
and to her caravan, “Hail to you, O caravan!”
And to her procession, greetings from riders.
والشَوقُand longing أَقتُلُهُI slay it بِرؤيَتِهاby seeing her
والشَوقُ أَقتُلُهُ بِرؤيَتِها
قَتلَthe slaying of الظَماthirst بِالبارِدِwith cool water العَذبِthe sweet
قَتلَ الظَما بِالبارِدِ العَذبِ
And I slay longing by seeing her,
I kill my longing by seeing her,
as thirst is slain by cool, sweet water.
As cold sweet water kills thirst.
والناسُand the people إِنif حَلّواthey settled جَميعهُمُall of them
والناسُ إِن حَلّوا جَميعهُمُ
شِعباًa ravine سَلامُSalam وَأَنتand you فيin شِعبِa ravine
شِعباً سَلامُ وَأَنت في شِعبِ
And if all the people settled
If all the people together
in one ravine, Salam, and you in another,
Inhabited one valley - greetings! While you are in a valley,
لَحَلَلتُI would surely settle شِعبَكِyour ravine دونَrather than شِعبِهمtheir ravine
لَحَلَلتُ شِعبَكِ دونَ شِعبِهم
وَلَكانَand it would be قُربيmy nearness مِنكُمُto you حَسبيenough for me
وَلَكانَ قُربي مِنكُمُ حَسبي
I would settle in your ravine rather than theirs,
I would have isolated your valley from theirs
and my nearness to you would suffice me.
And being near you would have sufficed me.
عوجواturn aside كَذاthis way نَذكُرwe may recount لِغانيَةٍto a lovely woman
عوجوا كَذا نَذكُر لِغانيَةٍ
بَعضَsome of الحَديثِthe talk مَطيّكُمyour mounts صَحبيmy companions
بَعضَ الحَديثِ مَطيّكُم صَحبي
Turn this way, so we may speak to a lovely woman—
Like this, we mention to a lovely woman
a few words—turn your mounts, my companions.
Some talk - your riding animal has straightened, companions.
وَنَقلand let us say لَهاto her فيمَwhy الصُدودُthe turning away وَلَمand have not
وَنَقل لَها فيمَ الصُدودُ وَلَم
نُذنِبwe commit wrong بَلrather أَنتِyou بَدأتِyou began بِالذَنبِwith wrongdoing
نُذنِب بَل أَنتِ بَدأتِ بِالذَنبِ
And say to her, “Why this turning away, when we have not
And we conveyed to her: Why the rejection? And why
done wrong? Rather, you were first to do wrong.
Should we sin when you began with sin?
إِنif تُقبِليyou approach نُقبِلwe approach ونُنزِلُكُمand we lodge you
إِن تُقبِلي نُقبِل ونُنزِلُكُم
مِنّاamong us بِدارِin an abode السَهلِease والرّحبِand spaciousness
مِنّا بِدارِ السَهلِ والرّحبِ
If you turn toward us, we turn toward you and lodge you
If you accept, we accept and bring you down
among us, in an abode of ease and spaciousness;
From us to the abode of plains and breadth.
أَوor تُدبِريyou turn away تَكدُرbecomes clouded مَعيشَتُناour life
أَو تُدبِري تَكدُر مَعيشَتُنا
وَتُصَدِّعيand you split apart مُتلائِمَknit together الشعبِthe rift
وَتُصَدِّعي مُتلائِمَ الشعبِ
or if you turn away, our life will be clouded,
Or if you turn your back, you embitter our life
and you will reopen the rift that had healed.”
And split those harmonious with the valley.
Sol 6.1