متىwhen تتداركُwill you remedy نعليmy sandal أَلاcome now
متى تتداركُ نعلي أَلا
فقدfor indeed ذهبتْhas worn out أوor بدتْseems تذهبُto wear out
فقد ذهبتْ أو بدتْ تذهبُ
When will you see to my sandal? Come now—
When will you mend my slipper, oh one
for it has worn out, or seems to be wearing out—
That is gone or seems to go?
بسوداءwith a black one ذاتِpossessing بريقٍa sheen تراهُyou see it
بسوداء ذاتِ بريقٍ تراهُ
كالآلlike a mirage منfrom فوقهاabove it يلعبplays
كالآل من فوقها يلعب
with a black one whose sheen you see
Black it is with a sheen you see
playing above it like a mirage;
Like bubbles playing on it.
وإلاor else فصفراءَthen a yellow one كالشمسlike the sun حينَwhen
وإلا فصفراءَ كالشمس حينَ
يجلِّلهاenvelops it ثَوبُهاits robe المذهبgilded
يجلِّلها ثَوبُها المذهب
or else a yellow one, like the sun when
Else it's yellow as the sun when
its gilded robe envelops it;
Her gold robes drape down from her.
وإلاor else فبلقاءَthen a piebald one قدalready وُشِّحَتْwas adorned
وإلا فبلقاءَ قد وُشِّحَتْ
بنقشٍwith a pattern كماjust as وُشِّحَwas adorned المشجبthe clothes-stand
بنقشٍ كما وُشِّحَ المشجب
or else a piebald one, already adorned
Else the grey of a dove who's been
with patterns, as a clothes-stand is adorned;
Adorned with carved embellishment.
وإلاor else فدكناءَthen a dusky one عرسيةٍweasel-hued
وإلا فدكناءَ عرسيةٍ
يشاكلهاresembles it العنبرُambergris الأشهبash-gray
يشاكلها العنبرُ الأشهب
or else a dusky, weasel-hued one,
Else a mauve, the hue of aged amber
which ash-gray ambergris resembles;
Like withered grapes, this strangest thing.
وإلاor else فحمراءthen a red one لونthe color الشقيقِthe anemone
وإلا فحمراء لون الشقيقِ
وإنand if كانis هذاthis فذاthen that أغربmore unusual
وإن كان هذا فذا أغرب
or else a red one, the color of anemones.
Else red, the red of anemones
And if this is so, that is more unusual.
Though this, yes this, is passing strange.
وإلاor else فصهباءthen a tawny one ماnot إِنemphatic particle يزالُceases
وإلا فصهباء ما إِن يزالُ
ينافسهاrivals it السوسنُthe iris الأصهبtawny
ينافسها السوسنُ الأصهب
Or else a tawny one, forever
Else golden-brown, still competing with
rivaled by the tawny iris.
The palest lilies in its range.
ولوand if كنتُI were أعرفto know خضراءَa green one قلتُI would say
ولو كنتُ أعرف خضراءَ قلتُ
كالماءِlike water دَبَّجَهُembroidered it الطحلبalgae
كالماءِ دَبَّجَهُ الطحلب
And if I knew of a green one, I would say:
If I knew a green, I would have said
like water embroidered by algae.
Green as the moss on water's face.
وممّاand among what يزيّنهاadorns it فيin العيونِthe eyes
وممّا يزيّنها في العيونِ
كماjust as زيّهits trappings الفرَسthe horse المركبmounted
كما زيّه الفرَس المركب
And among what makes it lovely to the eye,
And ornamenting it, in eyes
as its trappings adorn a mounted horse,
Like steed's adornment in its place:
شراكٌa sandal strap كخُطّافةٍlike a swallow رَنَّقتْhovered
شراكٌ كخُطّافةٍ رَنَّقتْ
تهمُّis intent بشربٍon drinking وماyet does not تشربdrink
تهمُّ بشربٍ وما تشرب
is a strap like a hovering swallow,
A strap, bent like an archer's bow
intent on drinking, yet not drinking;
About to drink, yet nothing sips.
وإِلاor else كحمَّرةٍlike a little red bird رفرفتْfluttered
وإِلا كحمَّرةٍ رفرفتْ
فلاso neither هيَit تنأىmoves away ولاnor تقربdraws near
فلا هيَ تنأى ولا تقرب
or else like a little red bird fluttering,
Else a reddish brown that fluttered by
so it neither moves away nor draws near.
Not drawing near nor drawing off.
كأنas though عيونeyes الدَّباyoung locusts خَرْزُهاits stitching
كأن عيون الدَّبا خَرْزُها
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle بداappeared للدياfor the young locusts (uncertain reading) موكبa procession
إذا ما بدا للديا موكب
As though its stitches were young locusts' eyes,
Their eyes like gems when for the bucks
when their procession comes into view.
The does in file begin to walk.
لهit has شمسٌةa sunburst ornament سالflowed كِيمُخْتُهاits shagreen leather
له شمسٌة سال كِيمُخْتُها
كماjust as انقضَّplunged منfrom حالقٍa great height كوكبa star
كما انقضَّ من حالقٍ كوكب
It has a sunburst ornament, whose shagreen streams down,
It has a sun-disk dripping down
like a star plunging from a great height.
Like a loosed star in its free fall.
هيshe البكرthe maiden يخطبهاcourts her كفؤهاher equal
هي البكر يخطبها كفؤها
كذاlike this البكرُthe maiden أحسنُthe finest ماwhat يخطبis courted
كذا البكرُ أحسنُ ما يخطب
She is a maiden, courted by her equal;
She's an untouched maid, rightly matched.
such a maiden is the finest to court.
The maid's the best that one can catch.
أبوهاher father يمانٍYemeni ولكنهاbut she
أبوها يمانٍ ولكنها
إلىto السِّندِSind فيin زيِّهاher attire تُنْسَبis attributed
إلى السِّندِ في زيِّها تُنْسَب
Her father is Yemeni, yet she
Her lineage Yemen, though she seems
is ascribed to Sind by her attire.
Of Persian stock in raiment's reach.
محذَّفَةٌtrimmed الوسطِthe waist شابورةٌa shābūra skiff
محذَّفَةٌ الوسطِ شابورةٌ
حكتهاresembled her بآذانهاin her ear-tabs الزبزبthe zabzab boat
حكتها بآذانها الزبزب
Narrowed at the waist, she is a shābūra skiff;
Swaying of waist, an antelope,
the zabzab boat resembles her in her ear-tabs.
Her ears made racemes by the wind.
وفيand in وسطهاher middle طُرَّةٌan ornamental band فَصُّهاits gem
وفي وسطها طُرَّةٌ فَصُّها
علىabove طُرَّةِthe ornament العودthe lute بلindeed أعجبmore wondrous
على طُرَّةِ العود بل أعجب
And at her center is an ornamental band, whose gem
At her waist a boss whose shape
surpasses the lute's ornament—indeed, is more wondrous.
Excels the screw-ring's twists and bends.
إذاwhen أقبلتshe advances أدبرتretreats حيةٌa serpent
إذا أقبلت أدبرت حيةٌ
وإنand if أدبرتshe retreats أقبلتadvances عقربa scorpion
وإن أدبرت أقبلت عقرب
When she advances, a serpent retreats;
She comes, a snake, and when she turns
and if she retreats, a scorpion advances.
A scorpion's tail is her return.
وذاand this النعتُdescription يعزبis obscure إلاexcept عليكto you
وذا النعتُ يعزب إلا عليك
فأمَّاbut as for عليكto you فماthen not يعزبis obscure
فأمَّا عليك فما يعزب
And this description is obscure to all but you;
None but you is proof against
but to you it is not obscure.
The innuendo of this chant.
Sol 6.1