أَباO father of كَرِبٍKarib كِلنيleave me لِهَمِّto the anguish of المُجاهِدِthe struggler
أَبا كَرِبٍ كِلني لِهَمِّ المُجاهِدِ
وَلاand do not تَستَزِدنيask more of me لَيسَis not حُبّيmy love بِزائِدِincreasing
وَلا تَستَزِدني لَيسَ حُبّي بِزائِدِ
O Abu Karib, leave me to the struggler's anguish,
and ask no more of me; my love will not increase.
دَعانيdrew me إِلىto أُمِّmother of الوَليدِal-Walid شَبابُهاher youth
دَعاني إِلى أُمِّ الوَليدِ شَبابُها
وَحُسنٌand beauty فَإِنّيfor I مِثلَهاher like غَيرُnot واجِدِfinding
وَحُسنٌ فَإِنّي مِثلَها غَيرُ واجِدِ
Her youth drew me to Umm al-Walid,
and her beauty, for I find none like her.
سَأَصرِمُI shall sever وَصلاًa bond مِنwith عُلَيَّةَʿUlayya إِنَّهاindeed she
سَأَصرِمُ وَصلاً مِن عُلَيَّةَ إِنَّها
صَرومٌone who severs ties كَماjust as أَوهىweakened كَذوبُone false in المَواعِدِpromises
صَرومٌ كَما أَوهى كَذوبُ المَواعِدِ
I shall sever my bond with ʿUlayya, for she is
a breaker of ties, as a false promiser weakens a bond.
فَأَتبَعُso I follow ظِلَّthe shadow of الباهِلِيَّةِthe Bahili woman إِذsince غَدَتshe came
فَأَتبَعُ ظِلَّ الباهِلِيَّةِ إِذ غَدَت
عَلَيَّtoward me بِأَهواءِwith the whims of المُحِبِّthe lover المُباعِدِwho keeps aloof
عَلَيَّ بِأَهواءِ المُحِبِّ المُباعِدِ
So I follow the Bahili woman's shadow, since she has come
toward me with the whims of a lover who keeps aloof.
إِذاwhenever شِئتُI wish راعَتنيshe dazzles me وَإِنand even if كُنتُI am لاهِياًdallying
إِذا شِئتُ راعَتني وَإِن كُنتُ لاهِياً
بِذاتِwith a woman having خَليلٍa lover أَوor بِعَذراءَwith a maiden ناهِدِwith budding breasts
بِذاتِ خَليلٍ أَو بِعَذراءَ ناهِدِ
Whenever I wish, she dazzles me, even if I am dallying
with a woman who has a lover, or a maiden with budding breasts,
لَعوبٍtoying with بِأَلبابِthe minds of الرِجالِmen كَأَنَّهاas though she were
لَعوبٍ بِأَلبابِ الرِجالِ كَأَنَّها
إِذاwhen سَفَرَتshe unveils بَدرٌa full moon بَداappeared فيin المَجاسِدِthe saffron-dyed robes
إِذا سَفَرَت بَدرٌ بَدا في المَجاسِدِ
who toys with men's minds, as though she were,
when she unveils, a full moon appearing amid saffron-dyed robes.
تَشَكّىshe complains of الضَنىwasting illness حَتّىso that تُعادَshe may be visited وَماyet not بِهاin her
تَشَكّى الضَنى حَتّى تُعادَ وَما بِها
سِوىexcept فَترَةِthe languor of العَينَينِthe two eyes سُقمٌillness لِعائِدِto a sickbed visitor
سِوى فَترَةِ العَينَينِ سُقمٌ لِعائِدِ
She complains of wasting illness so she may be visited, yet she has
no illness a visitor can find but the languor of her eyes.
كَأَنَّas though الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades يَومَon the day راحَتshe went forth عَشِيَّةًin the evening
كَأَنَّ الثُرَيّا يَومَ راحَت عَشِيَّةً
عَلىupon نَحرِهاher upper chest مَنظومَةًstrung فيin القَلائِدِthe necklaces
عَلى نَحرِها مَنظومَةً في القَلائِدِ
It was as though the Pleiades, when she went forth one evening,
were strung in necklaces upon her breast.
عَقيلَةُthe finest of أَترابٍfemale peers يُقَوِّمنَthey straighten themselves حَولَهاaround her
عَقيلَةُ أَترابٍ يُقَوِّمنَ حَولَها
إِذاwhen رُحنَthey go forth أَمثالَlike الغُصونِthe branches المَوائِدِswaying
إِذا رُحنَ أَمثالَ الغُصونِ المَوائِدِ
She is the finest of her peers, who draw themselves up around her,
when they go forth, like swaying branches.
لَقيتُI found بِهاwith her سَعدَfortune of السُعودِfortunes وَإِنَّماwhereas
لَقيتُ بِها سَعدَ السُعودِ وَإِنَّما
لَقيتُI found بِأُخرىwith another woman ناحِساتِill-omened المَوارِدِthe watering places
لَقيتُ بِأُخرى ناحِساتِ المَوارِدِ
With her I found Saʿd al-Suʿud, the best of fortunes; whereas
with another I found ill-omened watering places.
فَتِلكَso she is الَّتيthe one who نُصحيmy loyalty لَهاfor her وَمَوَدَّتيand my affection
فَتِلكَ الَّتي نُصحي لَها وَمَوَدَّتي
وَنَصريand my support وَماليand my wealth طارِفٌnewly acquired بَعدَafter تالِدِinherited
وَنَصري وَمالي طارِفٌ بَعدَ تالِدِ
So she is the one who has my loyalty and affection,
and my support and wealth—new acquisitions after ancestral riches.
Sol 6.1