إِنَّindeed شِعريmy poetry سارَtraveled فيthrough كُلِّevery بَلَدland
إِنَّ شِعري سارَ في كُلِّ بَلَد
وَاِشتَهىand craved رِقَّتَهُits tenderness كُلُّevery أَحَدperson
وَاِشتَهى رِقَّتَهُ كُلُّ أَحَد
Indeed, my poetry has traveled through every land,
My poetry has spread through every land
And everyone has craved its tenderness.
And everyone craves its softness
قُلتُI composed شِعراًverse فيabout الغَوانيbeautiful women حَسَناًlovely
قُلتُ شِعراً في الغَواني حَسَناً
تَرَكَleft الشِعرَpoetry سِواهُother than it قَدalready كَسَدbecame unsought
تَرَكَ الشِعرَ سِواهُ قَد كَسَد
I composed lovely verse about beautiful women,
I composed excellent poetry about love
Leaving all other poetry unsought.
All other poetry paled in comparison
أَهلُthe people of فَرغانَةَFarghana قَدalready غَنَّواsang بِهِwith it
أَهلُ فَرغانَةَ قَد غَنَّوا بِهِ
وَقُرىand the villages of السوسِal-Sus وَأَلطاand Alta وَسَنَدand Sanad
وَقُرى السوسِ وَأَلطا وَسَنَد
The people of Farghana have sung it,
The people of Farghana sang it
And the villages of al-Sus, Alta, and Sanad.
And the villages of Sus, Altā and Snad
وَقُرىand the villages of طَنجَةَTangier وَالسُدِّand the barrier الَّذيthat
وَقُرى طَنجَةَ وَالسُدِّ الَّذي
بِمَغيبِat the setting of الشَمسِthe sun شِعريmy poetry قَدalready وَرَدarrived
بِمَغيبِ الشَمسِ شِعري قَد وَرَد
And to Tangier's villages and the barrier that lies
And the villages of Tangier and the dam
Where the sun sets, my poetry has come.
To which my poetry flowed at sunset
زَعَمَتshe claimed عَثمَةُʿAthma أَنّيthat I لَمdid not أَجِدfeel longing
زَعَمَت عَثمَةُ أَنّي لَم أَجِد
فيin هَواهاlove for her قُلتُI said بَلrather وَجديmy longing أَشَدّmore intense
في هَواها قُلتُ بَل وَجدي أَشَدّ
ʿAthma claimed that I felt no longing
‘Athama claimed I did not find
In my love for her; I said, 'Rather, my longing is fiercer.'
In her love, but mine was more intense
لَيتَwould that مَنwhoever لامَblamed مُحِبّاًa lover فيin الهَوىlove
لَيتَ مَن لامَ مُحِبّاً في الهَوى
قيدَwere bound فيamong الناسِthe people بِحَبلٍwith a rope مِنof مَسَدtwisted fiber
قيدَ في الناسِ بِحَبلٍ مِن مَسَد
Would that whoever blames a lover for love
If only he who blamed a lover
Were bound before the people with a rope of twisted fiber.
Was tied in society with plaited palm fiber
مِرطُwrap عَثّامَةَʿAththama مَسدولٌdraped عَلىover
مِرطُ عَثّامَةَ مَسدولٌ عَلى
كَفَلٍa rump مِثلَlike الكَثيبِthe sand dune المُلتَبِدdensely packed
كَفَلٍ مِثلَ الكَثيبِ المُلتَبِد
ʿAththama's wrap is draped over
The tresses of ‘Athāma dangle
A rump like a densely packed sand dune.
On a cheek like a towering dune
أَيُّهاO you السائِلُwho asks عَنabout لَذَّتِناour pleasure
أَيُّها السائِلُ عَن لَذَّتِنا
لَذَّةُpleasure العَيشِlife الرَعابيبُsoft, full-bodied women الخُرُدbashful virgins
لَذَّةُ العَيشِ الرَعابيبُ الخُرُد
O you who ask about our pleasure,
O you who asked about our joy
Life's pleasure is soft, full-bodied, bashful maidens,
The joy of life is chatter and children
وَغِناءٌand singing حَسَنٌlovely مِنfrom قَينَةٍa singing slave-girl
وَغِناءٌ حَسَنٌ مِن قَينَةٍ
وَرَياحينُand fragrant herbs وَراحٌand wine تُستَجَدّis freshly replenished
وَرَياحينُ وَراحٌ تُستَجَدّ
And lovely singing from a singing-girl,
And fine singing from a lyre
And fragrant herbs, and freshly replenished wine.
Fragrant breezes and sought rest
ذاكَthat أَشهىmore desirable مِنthan رُكوبيmy riding بَغلَةًa mule
ذاكَ أَشهى مِن رُكوبي بَغلَةً
كُلَماwhenever حادَتshe shied aside لِسَرجيat my saddle قُلتُI said عَدreturn!
كُلَما حادَت لِسَرجي قُلتُ عَد
That is more desirable than my riding a mule:
That is better than my riding a mule
Whenever she shies at my saddle, I say, 'Come back!'
Every time it veered from my saddle, I said stop
أَوor رُكوبيmy riding الفَرَسَthe horse الموجَthe surging one الَّذيthat
أَو رُكوبي الفَرَسَ الموجَ الَّذي
كُلَّماwhenever رَكَّضَgalloped بيwith me قُلتُI said أَجِدّgo faster!
كُلَّما رَكَّضَ بي قُلتُ أَجِدّ
Or my riding the surging horse that,
Or riding a wavy horse
Whenever it gallops with me, I say, 'Go faster!'
Every time it galloped with me, I said more
مَركَبُmounting الكَعثَبِthe vulva فيهِin it لَذَّةٌpleasure
مَركَبُ الكَعثَبِ فيهِ لَذَّةٌ
وَشَفاءٌand relief لِلفَتىfor the young man مِمّاfrom what يَجِدhe feels
وَشَفاءٌ لِلفَتى مِمّا يَجِد
Mounting the vulva brings pleasure
Riding the ram gives pleasure
And relief for a young man from what he suffers.
And healing for a young man from what he finds
Sol 6.1