وَقَفتُI stood بِرَبعِat the dwelling of العامِرِيَّةِal-ʿĀmiriyya وَقفَةًa pause
وَقَفتُ بِرَبعِ العامِرِيَّةِ وَقفَةً
فَعَزَّthen grew strong اِشتِياقيmy longing وَالطُلولُwhile the ruins خَواضِعُbowed low
فَعَزَّ اِشتِياقي وَالطُلولُ خَواضِعُ
I halted awhile at the ʿĀmiriyya’s dwelling-site,
I paused at al-ʿĀmiriyya’s dwelling;
and my longing grew overpowering as the ruins bowed low.
then my longing grew strong, while the ruins lay bowed low.
وَكَمand how many لَيلَةًa night بِتناwe spent the night عَلىin غَيرِabsence of ريبَةٍsuspicion
وَكَم لَيلَةً بِتنا عَلى غَيرِ ريبَةٍ
عَليناover us عُيونٌeyes لِلنُهىof reason وَمَسَامِعُand ears
عَلينا عُيونٌ لِلنُهى وَمَسَامِعُ
How often, for Layla’s sake, we passed the night without cause for suspicion,
And many a night we spent without cause for suspicion,
while eyes and listening ears were upon us, alert for love.
with reason’s eyes and ears watching over us.
نَفُضُّwe unseal حَديثاًconversation عَنfrom خِتامِthe seal of مَوَدَّةٍaffection
نَفُضُّ حَديثاً عَن خِتامِ مَوَدَّةٍ
مَعاقِلُهاits strongholds أَحشاؤُناour inward parts وَالأَضالِعُand the ribs
مَعاقِلُها أَحشاؤُنا وَالأَضالِعُ
We unfolded a conversation about a love’s culmination—
We break affection’s seal with our talk,
whose strongholds were our innermost hearts and ribs.
whose strongholds are our inward parts and ribs.
يَكادُalmost غُرابُthe raven of اللَيلِnight عِندَat حَديثِناour conversation
يَكادُ غُرابُ اللَيلِ عِندَ حَديثِنا
يَطيرُflies اِرتِياحاًin delight وَهوَwhile it فيin الوَكرِthe nest واقِعُperched
يَطيرُ اِرتِياحاً وَهوَ في الوَكرِ واقِعُ
At our conversation, the raven of night would almost
The raven of night, as we converse, almost
take wing for joy, though it rested within its nest.
flies for joy, though it is perched in its nest.
خَلَوناwe were alone فَكانَتso there was عِفَّةٌchastity لاnot تَعَفُّفٌeffortful self-restraint
خَلَونا فَكانَت عِفَّةٌ لا تَعَفُّفٌ
وَقَدand already رُفِعَتwere lifted فيin الحَيِّthe encampment عَنّاfrom us المَوانِعُthe barriers
وَقَد رُفِعَت في الحَيِّ عَنّا المَوانِعُ
We were alone, and there was chastity—not a show of chastity,
We were alone; ours was chastity, not an effort to be chaste,
though in the encampment every barrier had been lifted away from us.
though in the camp the barriers against us had been lifted.
سَلواask مَضجَعِmy bed عَنّيabout me وَعَنهاand about her فَإِنَّناfor indeed we
سَلوا مَضجَعِ عَنّي وَعَنها فَإِنَّنا
رَضيناwe are content بِماwith what يُخبِرنَthey report عَنّاabout us المَضاجِعُthe beds
رَضينا بِما يُخبِرنَ عَنّا المَضاجِعُ
Ask my bed about me and her; for indeed we
Ask my bed about me and about her, for we
are content with whatever the beds report of us.
are content with what the beds report about us.
Sol 6.1