خَيالُphantom ماوِيَّةَMāwiyya المُطيفُthe night-visiting one
خَيالُ ماوِيَّةَ المُطيفُ
أَرَّقَkept awake عَيناًan eye لَهاit has وَكيفُa flow of tears
أَرَّقَ عَيناً لَها وَكيفُ
Māwiyya’s night-visiting phantom
kept awake an eye streaming with tears.
أَكثَرَincreased لَوميblaming me عَلىfor هَواهاlove for her
أَكثَرَ لَومي عَلى هَواها
رَكبٌa band of riders عَلىat دِمنَةٍa ruined campsite وُقوفُhalted
رَكبٌ عَلى دِمنَةٍ وُقوفُ
I was much reproached for loving her
by riders halted at a ruined campsite.
يَرتَجُّquivers مِنfrom خَلفِهاbehind her كَثيبٌa sand dune
يَرتَجُّ مِن خَلفِها كَثيبٌ
يَعياis wearied بِهِby it خَصرُهاher waist الضَعيفُthe frail
يَعيا بِهِ خَصرُها الضَعيفُ
A sand dune quivers behind her,
a burden her frail waist struggles to bear.
وَاِهتَزَّand swayed فيwithin بُردِهاher mantle قَضيبٌa branch
وَاِهتَزَّ في بُردِها قَضيبٌ
مُعتَدِلٌwell-proportioned قَدُّهُits stature قَضيفُslender
مُعتَدِلٌ قَدُّهُ قَضيفُ
And within her mantle a branch swayed,
well-proportioned in stature and slender.
وَصيفَةٌa young maidservant فيamong النِساءِwomen رودٌdelicate
وَصيفَةٌ في النِساءِ رودٌ
كَأَنَّهاas though she were خِفَّةًin nimbleness وَصيفُa serving boy
كَأَنَّها خِفَّةً وَصيفُ
A delicate young handmaid among women,
as nimble as a serving boy.
أَصبَحَhas arisen فيamong الحارِثِal-Ḥārith بنِson of كَعبٍKaʿb
أَصبَحَ في الحارِثِ بنِ كَعبٍ
طَودٌa great mountain عَلىabove مَذحِجٍMadhḥij مُنيفُtowering
طَودٌ عَلى مَذحِجٍ مُنيفُ
Among the clan of al-Ḥārith ibn Kaʿb has risen
a mountain towering above Madhḥij.
تُرجىare hoped for الرَغيباتُlavish gifts فيon ذُراهُhis heights
تُرجى الرَغيباتُ في ذُراهُ
وَيُؤمَنُand one is safe from الحادِثُthe calamity المَخوفُthe dreaded
وَيُؤمَنُ الحادِثُ المَخوفُ
On his heights, lavish gifts are hoped for,
and there is safety from dreaded misfortune.
لِلَّهِto God (in admiration) عَبدونُʿAbdūn أَيُّwhat a فَذٍّpeerless man
لِلَّهِ عَبدونُ أَيُّ فَذٍّ
تَخِفُّweigh less عَنthan وَزنِهِhis weight الأُلوفُthousands
تَخِفُّ عَن وَزنِهِ الأُلوفُ
God be praised for ʿAbdūn—what a peerless man!
Thousands weigh less than he does.
تَرىyou see أَجِلّاءَthe nobles كُلِّevery قَومٍpeople
تَرى أَجِلّاءَ كُلِّ قَومٍ
وَهُمwhile they عَلىabout رِفدِهِhis bounty عُكوفُconstantly gathered
وَهُم عَلى رِفدِهِ عُكوفُ
You see the nobles of every people
ever gathered about his bounty.
شَرُفتُمُyou are noble وَاِعتَلىand rose high عَلَيكُمabove you
شَرُفتُمُ وَاِعتَلى عَلَيكُم
بِطَولِهِthrough his generosity ذَلِكَthat الشَريفُthe noble man
بِطَولِهِ ذَلِكَ الشَريفُ
You are noble, yet above you has risen
that noble man, through his generosity.
عَمَّencompassed بِجَدواهُwith his bounty كُلَّevery حَيٍّclan
عَمَّ بِجَدواهُ كُلَّ حَيٍّ
فَذاso this one تِلادٌan inherited possession وَذاand this one طَريفُa new acquisition
فَذا تِلادٌ وَذا طَريفُ
His bounty has reached every clan:
this one an inherited possession, that one newly acquired.
بِتُّI spent the night وَواليand the governor السَوادِal-Sawād مِثليlike me
بِتُّ وَوالي السَوادِ مِثلي
يَجمَعُناbrings us together بِرُّهُhis kindness اللَطيفُgentle
يَجمَعُنا بِرُّهُ اللَطيفُ
I spent the night, and the governor of al-Sawād was like me,
his gentle kindness bringing us together.
باتَhe spent the night مُضيفاًas host وَبِتُّand I spent the night ضَيفاًas guest
باتَ مُضيفاً وَبِتُّ ضَيفاً
فَاِشتَبَهَso became indistinguishable الضَيفُthe guest وَالمُضيفُand the host
فَاِشتَبَهَ الضَيفُ وَالمُضيفُ
He spent the night as host, and I as guest,
so guest and host became indistinguishable.
Sol 6.1