أَلمِمpay a visit بِدارِto the house of النُسكِdevotion إِلمامَهa brief visit
أَلمِم بِدارِ النُسكِ إِلمامَه
فَالنَفسُfor the soul بِالباطِلِon falsehood هَمّامَهever intent
فَالنَفسُ بِالباطِلِ هَمّامَه
Call, however briefly, at devotion’s abode;
Pay a brief visit to the house of devotion,
for the soul is ever bent on vanity.
for the soul is ever bent on falsehood.
وَإِنand if رَأَيتَyou see الخَودَthe fair maiden مُختالَةًstrutting proudly
وَإِن رَأَيتَ الخَودَ مُختالَةً
يَصلُحُit is fitting أَنthat تُجعَلَshe be made شَمّامَهa fragrant nosegay
يَصلُحُ أَن تُجعَلَ شَمّامَه
And if you see a maiden strutting proudly,
And if you see a fair maiden strutting proudly,
she may well become a fragrant delight.
fit to be made a fragrant nosegay,
تَطرَحُshe casts فيinto المومِfever الفَتىthe young man وَاِسمُهاand her name
تَطرَحُ في المومِ الفَتى وَاِسمُها
أَسماءُAsma أَوor زَينَبُZaynab أَوor مامَهMamah
أَسماءُ أَو زَينَبُ أَو مامَه
She casts the young man into the water, whether her name is
who casts a young man into fever, and whose name
Asmāʾ, or Zaynab, or Māmah.
is Asma, or Zaynab, or Mamah—
فَعَدِّthen turn aside عَنهاfrom her وَتَعَوَّضand take in exchange بِهاfor her
فَعَدِّ عَنها وَتَعَوَّض بِها
سَوداءَa black woman لِلأَينُقِfor the she-camels زَمّامَهa female camel-driver
سَوداءَ لِلأَينُقِ زَمّامَه
So turn aside from her, and take instead
then turn away from her, and take in her stead
a black she-camel—the leader of the she-camels—
a black woman who leads the she-camels by their reins.
غَمّازَةٌgiven to winking فيin الجُنحِthe darkness ضَحّاكَةٌquick to laugh
غَمّازَةٌ في الجُنحِ ضَحّاكَةٌ
لِأَسفِياتِfor the sorrowing women of الحَيِّthe camp زمّامَهone who reins in
لِأَسفِياتِ الحَيِّ زمّامَه
winking in the darkness, laughing,
A winker in the darkness, quick to laugh,
and leading the clan’s sorrow-laden women by the rein.
one who reins in the camp's sorrowing women.
قَدalready حَدَّثَتhas told سِرَّكَyour secret طِلابَهُits seekers
قَد حَدَّثَت سِرَّكَ طِلابَهُ
عَينٌan eye بِماof what فيis within الصَدرِthe breast نَمّامَهa tale-bearer
عَينٌ بِما في الصَدرِ نَمّامَه
An eye has already told your secret to those who seek it—
Your secret has already been told to those who seek it
the eye betrays what lies hidden in the breast.
by an eye that tattles of what lies within the breast.
وَشَرُّand the worst of ماwhat أُعطَيهُhas been given it مُكثِرٌa wealthy man
وَشَرُّ ما أُعطَيهُ مُكثِرٌ
يَدٌa hand لِماto whatever تَملُكُit owns ضَمّامَهever clutching
يَدٌ لِما تَملُكُ ضَمّامَه
And the worst gift bestowed on a man of plenty
And the worst thing a wealthy man has been given
is a hand that clutches tightly all it owns.
is a hand that tightly clutches whatever it owns.
Sol 6.1