لَمّاwhen طَلَعنَthey came forth مِنfrom الرَقيthe slave women (word continued)
لَمّا طَلَعنَ مِن الرَقي
قِcompletion of ‘slave women’ عَلَيَّbefore me بِالبَرَدانِat al-Bardān خَمساfive
قِ عَلَيَّ بِالبَرَدانِ خَمسا
When they came forth from among the slave women,
When they emerged from the hill,
before me at al-Bardān, five in all,
They greeted me with five coffees,
وَكَأَنَّهُنَand as though they were أَهِلَّةٌcrescent moons
وَكَأَنَّهُنَ أَهِلَّةٌ
تَحتَbeneath الثيابِthe garments رَفَقنَthey accompanied شَمساa sun
تَحتَ الثيابِ رَفَقنَ شَمسا
And they seemed like crescent moons,
As if they were relatives
beneath their garments, keeping a sun company.
Who gently warmed the sun under their clothes.
باكَرنَthey sought at dawn عِطرَperfume لَطيمَةٍa perfume-trading caravan
باكَرنَ عِطرَ لَطيمَةٍ
وَغَمَسنَand they dipped themselves فيin الجادِيِّthe saffron غَمساa thorough dipping
وَغَمَسنَ في الجادِيِّ غَمسا
At dawn they sought a perfume caravan’s fragrance,
They began with a delicate fragrance
and dipped themselves thoroughly in saffron.
And dipped into the flowing stream.
لَماwhen طَلَعنَthey came forth حَفَفنَهاthey surrounded her
لَما طَلَعنَ حَفَفنَها
وَأَصَخنَand they listened intently ماnot يَهمِسنَthey whisper هَمساa whisper
وَأَصَخنَ ما يَهمِسنَ هَمسا
When they came forth, they surrounded her,
When they emerged, they surrounded her
and listened intently, without so much as a whisper.
And whispered what they whispered in whispers.
فَسَأَلنَنيthen they asked me مَنwho فيin البُيوthe houses (word continued)
فَسَأَلنَني مَن في البُيو
تِcompletion of ‘houses’ فَقُلتُso I said ماnot يَأوينَthey shelter إِنساany human being
تِ فَقُلتُ ما يَأوينَ إِنسا
Then they asked me who was in the houses,
So they asked me who was in the houses,
so I said, ‘They shelter no human being.’
And I said no one dwells there.
لَيتَwould that العُيونَthe eyes الطارِقاintruding (word continued)
لَيتَ العُيونَ الطارِقا
تِcompletion of ‘intruding’ طُمِسنَwere blotted out عَنّاaway from us اليَومَtoday طَمساan utter obliteration
تِ طُمِسنَ عَنّا اليَومَ طَمسا
Would that prying eyes
If only prying eyes tonight
were utterly blotted out from us today!
Would turn blind and not see us.
فَأَصَبنَthen they found مِنfrom طُرَفِchoice pieces of الحَديthe conversation (word continued)
فَأَصَبنَ مِن طُرَفِ الحَدي
ثِcompletion of ‘conversation’ لَذاذَةًdelight وَخَرَجنَand they departed مُلساunscathed
ثِ لَذاذَةً وَخَرَجنَ مُلسا
Then they found in choice pieces of conversation
From the edge of talk they found
delight, and departed unscathed.
Sweetness, and they left smoothly.
لَولاwere it not for تَعرُّضُهُنَّtheir advances لِيtoward me
لَولا تَعرُّضُهُنَّ لِي
ياO قَسُّpriest كُنتُI would have been كَأَنتَlike you قَسّاa priest
يا قَسُّ كُنتُ كَأَنتَ قَسّا
Were it not for their advances toward me,
If they had not approached me,
O priest, I would have been a priest like you.
O priest, I would be as hard as you.
Sol 6.1