ياO اِبنَةَdaughter الخَيرِof goodness عِديناpromise us مَوعِداa meeting
يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ عِدينا مَوعِدا
وَإِذاand if زِغتِyou turn aside فَمَنّيناthen give us hope غَداtomorrow
وَإِذا زِغتِ فَمَنّينا غَدا
O daughter of goodness, promise us a meeting,
and if you turn aside, keep us hoping for tomorrow.
وَاِذكُريand remember قَولَthe words أَديبٍof a cultivated man ناصِحٍa sincere adviser
وَاِذكُري قَولَ أَديبٍ ناصِحٍ
يَومَthe day أَوصانيhe counseled me وَأَوصىand he counseled وَلَداa son
يَومَ أَوصاني وَأَوصى وَلَدا
And remember the words of a wise, sincere adviser,
the day he counseled me and counseled a son:
كَمِّشِhasten الوَأيَthe promise إِذاwhen وَجَّهتَهُyou have offered it
كَمِّشِ الوَأيَ إِذا وَجَّهتَهُ
وَاِلقَand greet زُوّارَكَyour visitors رَوضاًa meadow وَنَداand dew
وَاِلقَ زُوّارَكَ رَوضاً وَنَدا
Hasten to fulfill a promise once you give it,
and greet your visitors like a meadow and dew.
مَعَكَwith you الناسُpeople إِذاwhen أَطعَمتَهُمyou feed them
مَعَكَ الناسُ إِذا أَطعَمتَهُم
وَمَعَand with النَجمِthe stars إِذاwhen اليَأسُdespair بَداappears
وَمَعَ النَجمِ إِذا اليَأسُ بَدا
People are with you when you feed them,
but with the stars when despair appears.
لَعنَةُthe curse اللَهِof God عَلىupon جارِيَةٍa girl
لَعنَةُ اللَهِ عَلى جارِيَةٍ
صَرَفَتshe turned قَلبَكِyour heart عَنّيaway from me حَسَداout of envy
صَرَفَت قَلبَكِ عَنّي حَسَدا
God's curse upon a girl
who turned your heart from me out of envy.
راقَبَتshe watched وُدّيmy affection فَلَمّاthen when اِستَمكَنَتshe gained control
راقَبَت وُدّي فَلَمّا اِستَمكَنَت
وَضَعَتshe placed نيراًa heddle عَلىover غَيرِno سَداwarp threads
وَضَعَت نيراً عَلى غَيرِ سَدا
She watched my love, and once she gained control,
she set a heddle where there was no warp.
فَإِذاthen when نَحنُwe اِلتَقَيناmet فِتنَةًamid discord
فَإِذا نَحنُ اِلتَقَينا فِتنَةً
لَمnot تَكُنshe was عَوناًa help وَكانَتand she was وَتِداa wedge
لَم تَكُن عَوناً وَكانَت وَتِدا
Then, when we met amid discord,
she was no help, but a wedge.
وَتَأَلَّتand she swore ماnot أَتَتshe did ليto me مُسخِطاًanything angering
وَتَأَلَّت ما أَتَت لي مُسخِطاً
كَذَبَتshe lied وَالمُنزِلِby Him who sends down القَطرِthe rain جَداas bounty
كَذَبَت وَالمُنزِلِ القَطرِ جَدا
She swore she had done nothing to anger me;
she lied, by Him who sends down rain as bounty!
ماnot اِتَّقَتshe feared سُخطيmy anger وَلاnor رَوَّعَهاfrightened her
ما اِتَّقَت سُخطي وَلا رَوَّعَها
مُرهَفٌsharp النابِof fang بِزَأرٍwith a roar مَأسَداlion-like (uncertain form)
مُرهَفٌ النابِ بِزَأرٍ مَأسَدا
She did not fear my anger, nor was she frightened
by a sharp-fanged beast, roaring like a lion.
ياO اِبنَةَdaughter الخَيرِof goodness اِحذَريهاbeware of her إِنَّهاindeed she is
يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ اِحذَريها إِنَّها
عَقرَبٌa scorpion تَسريcreeps by night عَلىover مَنwhoever رَقَداsleeps
عَقرَبٌ تَسري عَلى مَن رَقَدا
O daughter of goodness, beware of her: she is
a scorpion creeping by night over whoever sleeps.
إِنَّindeed إِعراضَكِyour turning away مِنbecause of تَبليغِناreports about us
إِنَّ إِعراضَكِ مِن تَبليغِنا
أَسخَطَangered القَلبَthe heart وَأَوهىand weakened الكَبِداthe liver
أَسخَطَ القَلبَ وَأَوهى الكَبِدا
Your turning away, because of reports about us,
has angered the heart and weakened the liver.
وَعَلىand despite سَلواكِforgetting you إِنif مَنَّيتِنيyou gave me hope
وَعَلى سَلواكِ إِن مَنَّيتِني
فَتَعَيَّلتُthen I swaggered قَريباًnear مُبعَداkept far away
فَتَعَيَّلتُ قَريباً مُبعَدا
Yet, even as I sought to forget you, if you gave me hope,
I strutted as one near, though kept afar.
رُحتُI went فيin النوكِfolly كَمَنlike one who قيلَwas told لَهُto him
رُحتُ في النوكِ كَمَن قيلَ لَهُ
أَنتَyou مُبتاعٌbuying بَعيراًa camel فَحَداso he chanted to drive it
أَنتَ مُبتاعٌ بَعيراً فَحَدا
I went on in folly, like a man who was told,
"You will buy a camel"—and began a camel-driver's chant.
فَتَوَلَّيتُso I turned away بِحُزنٍwith sorrow داخِلٍlodged within
فَتَوَلَّيتُ بِحُزنٍ داخِلٍ
فيin الحَشاthe breast يَنمىgrows وَيبقىand remains أَبَداforever
في الحَشا يَنمى وَيبقى أَبَدا
So I turned away with sorrow lodged
within my breast, growing and lasting forever.
وَيَقولونَand they say اِدنُdraw near مِنهاto her مَجلِساًin seating
وَيَقولونَ اِدنُ مِنها مَجلِساً
قُلتُI said لَوif وُقِّدَwere kindled عَمروٌʿAmr وَقَداhe would blaze
قُلتُ لَو وُقِّدَ عَمروٌ وَقَدا
And they say, "Sit closer to her."
I said, "Were ʿAmr kindled, he would blaze."
ياO اِبنَةَdaughter الخَيرِof goodness تَشَكَّرتُI gratefully acknowledged يَداًa kindness
يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ تَشَكَّرتُ يَداً
لَكِof yours عِنديtoward me فَأَعيديso repeat ليfor me يَداa kindness
لَكِ عِندي فَأَعيدي لي يَدا
O daughter of goodness, I gratefully acknowledged a kindness
you showed me; grant me another kindness.
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom أَنتِyou وَإِنand even though باعدَتِنيyou kept me far away
بِأَبي أَنتِ وَإِن باعدَتِني
وَبِأُمّيand with my mother as ransom أَنتِyou ياO نَفسيmy soul الفِداransom
وَبِأُمّي أَنتِ يا نَفسي الفِدا
May my father be your ransom, though you keep me far away,
and my mother too, O my soul, be your ransom!
إِنif نَبَتturned aside عَينيmy eye وَكانَتand it was زَلَّةٌa lapse
إِن نَبَت عَيني وَكانَت زَلَّةٌ
فَاِغفِريهاso forgive it قَبلَbefore أَنto أَلقىI meet الرَدىdeath
فَاِغفِريها قَبلَ أَن أَلقى الرَدى
If my eye turned aside, and it was a lapse,
forgive it before I meet my death.
حِلمُforbearance ذيof one possessing القُدرَةِpower حَظٌّa blessing زانَهُadorns him
حِلمُ ذي القُدرَةِ حَظٌّ زانَهُ
وَالبَلاياand calamities لاnot تُحاشيspare أَحَداanyone
وَالبَلايا لا تُحاشي أَحَدا
Forbearance in one with power is a blessing that adorns him;
and calamities spare no one.
ريمُRīm قَدindeed تُبتُI have repented وَطالَتand has lasted long عِشرَتيmy companionship
ريمُ قَد تُبتُ وَطالَت عِشرَتي
شَهِدَbore witness اللَهُGod وَدَمعيand my tears شَهِداbore witness
شَهِدَ اللَهُ وَدَمعي شَهِدا
Rīm, I have repented; long has our companionship lasted.
God bears witness, and my tears bear witness.
ياO ابنَةَdaughter الخَيرِof goodness اِقبَليaccept مَعذِرَتيmy apology
يا ابنَةَ الخَيرِ اِقبَلي مَعذِرَتي
وَأَنيليand grant me favor بَلَغَhas reached العَيرُthe donkey المَدىthe limit
وَأَنيلي بَلَغَ العَيرُ المَدى
O daughter of goodness, accept my apology,
and grant me favor: the donkey has reached its limit.
لاdo not تَكونيbe كَاِمرِئٍlike a man فارَقتُهُI parted from him
لا تَكوني كَاِمرِئٍ فارَقتُهُ
يَقفَأُstrikes the nape الرادِهُthe [unclear word] الرَدِهُthe [unclear word] يَرعىgrazes رَغَدىat ease
يَقفَأُ الرادِهُ الرَدِهُ يَرعى رَغَدى
Do not be like a man from whom I parted:
He strikes the nape and grazes at ease [two intervening words unclear].
ضَيِّقُtight المَسكِof skin وَلَوand even if أَحمَيتَهُyou heated him
ضَيِّقُ المَسكِ وَلَو أَحمَيتَهُ
لَمnot يَذُبmelt جوداًin generosity وَلَكِنbut جَمَداhe froze
لَم يَذُب جوداً وَلَكِن جَمَدا
Tight-skinned, even if you heated him,
he would not melt into generosity, but would freeze.
لَوif تَرَدّىhe fell to his death لَمnot يَزِدdo more إِخوانُهُhis brothers
لَو تَرَدّى لَم يَزِد إِخوانُهُ
حينَwhen يُنعىhis death is announced أَنto يَقولواthey say بَعِداgood riddance
حينَ يُنعى أَن يَقولوا بَعِدا
If he fell to his death, his brothers would do no more,
when his death was announced, than say, "Good riddance!"
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said لِأُخرىto another woman أَعرَضَتshe presented herself
وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِأُخرى أَعرَضَت
دونَin place of رَيحانَةَRayḥāna قَتليkilling me صَرَداoutright
دونَ رَيحانَةَ قَتلي صَرَدا
And I once told another woman who presented herself
in Rayḥāna's place, to slay me outright:
يَحتَويenfolds وَصلَكِunion with you قَلبيmy heart غادِياًgoing forth at dawn
يَحتَوي وَصلَكِ قَلبي غادِياً
وَتَراكِand sees you العَينُthe eye فيهاwithin it رَمَداeye inflammation
وَتَراكِ العَينُ فيها رَمَدا
Union with you enfolds my heart as it goes forth at dawn,
and the eye sees you as an inflammation within it.
لَيسَthere is not عَنbeyond ريمَةَRīma فَضلٌanything to spare فيin الهَوىlove
لَيسَ عَن ريمَةَ فَضلٌ في الهَوى
لَستُI am not بيmyself حُبُّهاher love أَوor عَقَداbound (unclear syntax)
لَستُ بي حُبُّها أَو عَقَدا
There is no love to spare beyond Rīma;
I am not myself—her love ... or has bound me [wording unclear].
ريمَةُRīma الريمَةُthe white gazelle عَيناًin eye وَحَشاًand in waist
ريمَةُ الريمَةُ عَيناً وَحَشاً
بَعدَbesides رِدفٍa rump مَنwhoever رَآهُsaw it سَجَداfell prostrate
بَعدَ رِدفٍ مَن رَآهُ سَجَدا
Rīma is a gazelle in eye and waist,
besides a rump before which every beholder bowed.
غَيَّبَتshe hid وُدّاًaffection فَلَمّاthen when غُيِّبَتshe was hidden away
غَيَّبَت وُدّاً فَلَمّا غُيِّبَت
أَسَرَتshe took captive نَوميmy sleep وَأَبقَتand left سُهُداsleeplessness
أَسَرَت نَومي وَأَبقَت سُهُدا
She hid her love, and when she was hidden away,
she took my sleep captive and left me sleeplessness,
إِذwhen تَعاطَيناwe passed to one another وَوَهبٌwhile Wahb نائِمُwas asleep
إِذ تَعاطَينا وَوَهبٌ نائِمُ
بَرَدَhail المُزنَةِof the rain-cloud يَسقيgiving drink to البَرَداthe hail
بَرَدَ المُزنَةِ يَسقي البَرَدا
when we passed to one another, while Wahb slept,
the rain-cloud's hail, hail giving drink to hail.
رُبَّmany a عَيشٍlife of pleasure عِندَناwith us عِشناwe lived بِهِin it
رُبَّ عَيشٍ عِندَنا عِشنا بِهِ
وَنَعيمٍand bliss لَوif خَلَدناwe had lived forever خَلَداit would have lasted forever
وَنَعيمٍ لَو خَلَدنا خَلَدا
Many a life of pleasure was ours to live,
and bliss that, had we lived forever, would have lasted forever.
Sol 6.1