أَتَدريDo you know? ماwhat حَوىheld الشعبthe ravine اليَمانيthe Yemeni
أَتَدري ما حَوى الشعب اليَماني
بدورfull moons دُجىdarkness عَلىupon عَذباتslender branch-tips بانِbān trees
بدور دُجى عَلى عَذبات بانِ
Do you know what the Yemeni ravine held?
Do you know what the Yemeni people contain
Full moons of darkness upon the slender tips of bān branches;
In the darkness of homes upon sweet quarrels
شموسsuns فيin سَماthe sky of الفسطاطal-Fustat تَبدوappear
شموس في سَما الفسطاط تَبدو
وَإِنand if غَربتthey set فَمغربهاthen their setting-place جَنانيmy heart
وَإِن غَربت فَمغربها جَناني
Suns appearing in the sky of al-Fustat;
Suns in the sky of the palace appear
And if they set, their setting-place is my heart.
And if they set, their sunset is my paradise
تَخرfall down لَهاbefore them الضَمائرinmost hearts ساجِداتprostrate
تَخر لَها الضَمائر ساجِدات
وَتَلثمand kiss تربdust مَوطئهاwhere they tread الأَمانيwishes
وَتَلثم ترب مَوطئها الأَماني
Inmost hearts fall prostrate before them,
The consciences bow down before them
And wishes kiss the dust where they tread.
And my wishes kiss the ground they tread on
جَآذرwild-ox calves دونَهاbefore them الآسادthe lions صَرعىstruck down
جَآذر دونَها الآساد صَرعى
بِسحرby the magic of لِحاظهاtheir sidelong glances لاnot بِالطِعانِby spear-thrusts
بِسحر لِحاظها لا بِالطِعانِ
Wild-ox calves, before whom lions lie struck down,
The lions beneath them lie slain
By the magic of their sidelong glances, not by spear-thrusts.
By the magic of their glances, not by spears
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) رُحتI set about أُفكَرI ponder فيabout هَواهاlove for them
إِذا ما رُحت أُفكَر في هَواها
غَدَوتI become كَأَنَّنيas though I were قَلبthe heart of الجَبانِthe coward
غَدَوت كَأَنَّني قَلب الجَبانِ
Whenever I set about pondering my love for them,
When I think of their love
I become as though I were a coward's heart.
I become as if I were the heart of the coward
سَقىmay water بِالنيرat al-Nayra- (place-name fragment) بين-bayn (place-name fragment) زَمانthe days of أُنسيmy companionship
سَقى بِالنير بين زَمان أُنسي
هتونstreaming الدَمعtears بَلnay صَوبa downpour of الهِتانsteady rain
هتون الدَمع بَل صَوب الهِتان
May my days of companionship at al-Nayrabayn be watered
It has watered with happiness a time I lived
By streaming tears—nay, by a downpour of steady rain.
Melting tears, even provoking passion
زَمانa time of مَسرةjoy تَلهيكَdistracts you فيهِin it
زَمان مَسرة تَلهيكَ فيهِ
عَنfrom الأَوتارthe strings قَهقهةthe loud laughter of القَنانيthe bottles
عَن الأَوتار قَهقهة القَناني
A time of joy, in which you are distracted
A time of joy that preoccupies you
From the strings by the loud laughter of bottles.
From the strings the laughter of the jugs
Sol 6.1