أَياO ظَبَياتِfemale gazelles الإِنسِhumankind لَستُI am not مُنادِياًcalling out to
أَيا ظَبَياتِ الإِنسِ لَستُ مُنادِياً
وُحوشاًwild beasts وَلَكِنbut غانِياتٍbeautiful women مَعَamong الإِنسِhumankind
وُحوشاً وَلَكِن غانِياتٍ مَعَ الإِنسِ
O gazelles of humankind, I am not calling
O gazelles, I do not call upon savage beasts,
Wild beasts, but beautiful women among people.
But rather, singers alongside humankind,
يُشَبَّهنَthey are likened فيin بَعضِsome of المَحاسِنِbeautiful qualities رَبرَباًa herd of gazelles
يُشَبَّهنَ في بَعضِ المَحاسِنِ رَبرَباً
وَماand not هُنَّthey بِالسُفعِdusky الخُدودِthe cheeks وَلاnor الخُنسِthe snub-nosed
وَما هُنَّ بِالسُفعِ الخُدودِ وَلا الخُنسِ
They are likened, in some of their charms, to a herd of gazelles,
Whom in some beauties are likened to the bustling doe,
Yet they are neither dusky-cheeked nor snub-nosed.
Yet are not rude of cheek nor timid.
تَمَسَّكَنَthey perfumed themselves with musk طيباًas perfume أَمor تَمَسَّكنَthey adorned themselves with bracelets حِليَةًas adornment
تَمَسَّكَنَ طيباً أَم تَمَسَّكنَ حِليَةً
فَإِنّيfor indeed I رَأَيتُI have seen النَوعَthe species يَلحَقُjoins بِالجِنسِto the genus
فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ النَوعَ يَلحَقُ بِالجِنسِ
Have they perfumed themselves with musk, or adorned themselves with bracelets?
You have held fast to perfume or held an ornament,
For I have seen the species join the genus.
For I have seen type attach itself to origin.
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيin جَونِblack الذَوائِبِthe tresses عانِسٍan unmarried man
وَلا خَيرَ في جَونِ الذَوائِبِ عانِسٍ
إِذاif لَمdoes not يَبِتspend the night فَوقَupon الرِحالَةِthe riding saddle وَالعَنسِand the sturdy she-camel
إِذا لَم يَبِت فَوقَ الرِحالَةِ وَالعَنسِ
And there is no good in a black-tressed bachelor,
There is no good in the tenderness of an obstinate doe,
If he does not spend the night upon a saddle and a sturdy she-camel.
If she does not spend the night atop the saddle and the travel gear.
وَمَنand whoever لاdoes not يُجِدdo well at حِفظَretaining التَجارُبِexperiences لاdoes not يَزَلcease
وَمَن لا يُجِد حِفظَ التَجارُبِ لا يَزَل
عَلىdespite السِنِّage غُمراًinexperienced إِنَّindeed طولَthe length of المَدىthe span of time يُنسيmakes one forget
عَلى السِنِّ غُمراً إِنَّ طولَ المَدى يُنسي
And whoever fails to retain experience well will remain
And he who cannot preserve experiences continues
Inexperienced despite his years; indeed, time's long passage makes one forget.
In lifelong gloom—for length of days makes one forget.
Sol 6.1