قَدindeed قُلتُI said لِلمَسدودِto al-Masdūd فيabout عانِسٍa spinster
قَد قُلتُ لِلمَسدودِ في عانِسٍ
شَوهاءَhideous يُضحيhe spends the morning وَهوَwhile he is صَبٌّbesotted بِهاwith her
شَوهاءَ يُضحي وَهوَ صَبٌّ بِها
I once said to al-Mas‘ud, about a spinster—
I have said to al-Masdūd about a spinster,
a hideous one, though he spends his days besotted with her:
hideous, with whom he is besotted each morning:
إِنَّindeed الَّتيthe one whom سَمَّيتَهاyou called her خُلَّةًa sweetheart
إِنَّ الَّتي سَمَّيتَها خُلَّةً
لَيسَتshe is not بِأَسماءَAsmāʾ (emphatic) وَلاnor تِربِهاher equal
لَيسَت بِأَسماءَ وَلا تِربِها
The woman you have called a beloved
Indeed, the one you have called your sweetheart
is no Asma’, nor even her peer.
is neither Asmāʾ nor her equal.
وَإِنَّماand rather أُمُّthe mother of بَنيthe sons of واصِلٍWāṣil
وَإِنَّما أُمُّ بَني واصِلٍ
خِنزيرَةٌa sow سَفسَفتَyou stooped low فيin حُبِّهاlove for her
خِنزيرَةٌ سَفسَفتَ في حُبِّها
She is none but Umm Bani Wasil,
Rather, the mother of Wāṣil’s sons
a sow—you have demeaned yourself by loving her.
is a sow; you have stooped low in loving her.
يَكدُرُgrows cloudy صافيthe clear الراحِwine فيduring شَدوِهاher singing
يَكدُرُ صافي الراحِ في شَدوِها
وَتَنفِرُand recoil الأَوتارُthe strings مِنfrom ضَربِهاher playing
وَتَنفِرُ الأَوتارُ مِن ضَربِها
At her singing, limpid wine itself turns turbid,
The clear wine grows cloudy when she sings,
and the strings recoil from her playing.
and the strings recoil from her playing.
لَمnot (past negation) تَكُنِshe was العِلجَةُthe non-Arab woman مَطبوعَةًnaturally gifted
لَم تَكُنِ العِلجَةُ مَطبوعَةً
بَلrather كانَwas مَطبوعاًsealed عَلىupon قَلبِهاher heart
بَل كانَ مَطبوعاً عَلى قَلبِها
The foreign wench was not gifted by nature;
The non-Arab woman was not naturally gifted;
rather, a seal had been stamped upon her heart.
rather, her heart was sealed.
Sol 6.1