ماwhat لِهِندwith Hind وَكُلُّand every حَسناءَbeautiful woman هِندُHind
ما لِهِند وَكُلُّ حَسناءَ هِندُ
كُلُّevery يَومٍday تَبدوshe appears بِزِيٍّin attire جَديدِnew
كُلُّ يَومٍ تَبدو بِزِيٍّ جَديدِ
What ails Hind—and every beauty is a Hind?
What is the matter with Hind? For every beauty is a Hind.
Every day she appears in new attire.
Every day she appears in a new guise.
تَلبِسُshe wears الثَوبَthe dress يَومَهاher day وَهيَwhile she تَطريـpraises…
تَلبِسُ الثَوبَ يَومَها وَهيَ تَطريـ
ـه…it وَتَطريهِand praises it عِندَهاin her presence كُلُّevery خَودِfair maiden
ـه وَتَطريهِ عِندَها كُلُّ خَودِ
She wears the dress that day, praising
She wears a gown for a day, praising it,
it, while every fair maiden with her praises it.
And every young beauty praises it in her presence.
فَإِذاthen when جاءَcomes غَيرُهُsomething other than it أَنكَرَتهُshe disowns it
فَإِذا جاءَ غَيرُهُ أَنكَرَتهُ
فَرَأَيناso we saw الحَميدَthe praiseworthy غَيرَnot حَميدِpraiseworthy
فَرَأَينا الحَميدَ غَيرَ حَميدِ
Then, when another comes, she disowns it;
But when another arrives, she disavows the first,
thus we find the praiseworthy unworthy of praise.
And we see the once-lauded object become despised.
أَولَعَتshe enamored نَفسَهاherself بِكُلِّof every طَريفٍnovelty
أَولَعَت نَفسَها بِكُلِّ طَريفٍ
لَيتَهاwould that she أَولَعَتbecame enamored بِبَعضِof some التَليدِthe time-honored
لَيتَها أَولَعَت بِبَعضِ التَليدِ
She has enamored herself of every novelty;
She has obsessed herself with every novelty;
would that she loved something time-honored!
Would that she were fond of something ancient instead.
أَصبَحَتshe has come to تَعشَقُshe adores المِشَدthe corset وَلَمand have not أُبـI…
أَصبَحَت تَعشَقُ المِشَد وَلَم أُبـ
ـصِر…seen طَليقاًa free person مُتَيَّماًenamored بَِلقُيودِof shackles
ـصِر طَليقاً مُتَيَّماً بَِلقُيودِ
She has come to adore the corset, and I have not
She has grown to love the corset, though I have never seen
seen a free person enamored of shackles.
A free soul so enamored with shackles.
رَحمَةًmercy بِالخُصورِfor the waists أَيَّتُهاO you الغيـthe graceful…
رَحمَةً بِالخُصورِ أَيَّتُها الغيـ
ـد…women وَرِفقاًand gentleness رِفقاًgentleness بِتِلكَtoward those القُدودِfigures
ـد وَرِفقاً رِفقاً بِتِلكَ القُدودِ
Have mercy on the waists, O graceful
Have mercy upon your waists, O slender beauties,
women, and be gentle, gentle with those figures!
And be gentle, be gentle with those figures.
ماwhat جَنَتهُthey committed it الزُنودُthe arms حَتّىthat يَنالَmay take a toll الـthe…
ما جَنَتهُ الزُنودُ حَتّى يَنالَ الـ
ـعُريُ…nakedness مِنهاon them ياO عارِياتِwomen baring الزُنودِthe arms
ـعُريُ مِنها يا عارِياتِ الزُنودِ
What crime have the arms committed, to be harmed
What crime have the forearms committed that
by nakedness, O bare-armed women?
Exposure should claim them, O women of bared arms?
لَهَفَanguish of نَفسيmy soul عَلىfor المَعاصِمِthe wrists تَغدوbecome
لَهَفَ نَفسي عَلى المَعاصِمِ تَغدو
غَرَضَa target of الحَرِّthe heat عُرضَةًexposed لِلجَليدِto ice
غَرَضَ الحَرِّ عُرضَةً لِلجَليدِ
How my soul grieves for the wrists that become
My soul grieves for wrists that have become
targets of heat, exposed to ice!
Targets for the heat and exposed to the biting frost.
عَلامَwhy الأَذيالُthe trains أَمسَتhave become طِوالاًlong
عَلامَ الأَذيالُ أَمسَت طِوالاً
كَلَياليlike the nights of الصُدودِestrangement أَوor كَالبُنودِlike banners
كَلَيالي الصُدودِ أَو كَالبُنودِ
Why have the trains grown so long,
Why have the trains of your dresses grown so long,
like nights of estrangement, or like banners?
Like nights of estrangement, or like streaming banners?
لَوif تَكونُwere الذُيولُthe trains أَعمارَthe lifespans of قَومٍa people
لَو تَكونُ الذُيولُ أَعمارَ قَومٍ
لَضَمِنّاwe would surely guarantee لَهُمfor them نَوالَattainment of الخُلودِimmortality
لَضَمِنّا لَهُم نَوالَ الخُلودِ
If trains were people's lifespans,
If these trailing hems were but the lifespans of men,
we would guarantee them immortality.
We would guarantee them the gift of eternity.
قَصَرَتconfined هَمَّهاtheir concern الحِسانُthe beauties عَلىto اللَهthe amusement…
قَصَرَت هَمَّها الحِسانُ عَلى اللَه
و(completes 'amusement') وَياand oh لَيتَwould that لَهوَهاtheir amusement بِالمُفيدِwith what is useful
و وَيا لَيتَ لَهوَها بِالمُفيدِ
The beauties have confined their concerns to amusement—
The beauties have devoted their cares only to pleasure,
and would that their amusement were useful!
And oh, how I wish their pleasure lay in something useful.
ساءَis wretched حالُthe lot of الأَزواجِthe husbands فيin عَصرِناour age هَـthis…
ساءَ حالُ الأَزواجِ في عَصرِنا هَـ
ـذا(completes 'this') وَساءَتand are wretched أَحوالُthe circumstances of كُلِّevery وَليدِnewborn
ـذا وَساءَت أَحوالُ كُلِّ وَليدِ
Husbands' lot is wretched in this age of ours,
The state of husbands has grown wretched in this era,
and wretched is the lot of every newborn.
And wretched too is the plight of every newborn child.
كُلُّevery زَوجٍhusband شاكcomplaining وَكُلُّand every صَغيرٍlittle child
كُلُّ زَوجٍ شاك وَكُلُّ صَغيرٍ
دامِعِtearful الطَرفِthe eye كارِهٍaverse لِلوُجودِto existence
دامِعِ الطَرفِ كارِهٍ لِلوُجودِ
Every husband complains, and every little child
Every husband complains, and every little one
is tearful-eyed and loathes existence.
Is teary-eyed, despising their very existence.
يَظلُمُone wrongs الدَهرُTime حينَwhen يَعزوone ascribes إِلَيهِto it
يَظلُمُ الدَهرُ حينَ يَعزو إِلَيهِ
البُؤسmisery وَالبُؤسُand misery كُلُّevery أُمٍّmother كَنودِungrateful
البُؤس وَالبُؤسُ كُلُّ أُمٍّ كَنودِ
One wrongs Time when one ascribes to it
Fate is wrongly blamed when one attributes to it
misery—yet misery is every ungrateful mother.
This misery; for the source of misery is every ungrateful mother.
لاmay … not رَعىprotect اللَهُGod زَوجَةًa wife تُنفِقُshe spends الأَمـthe wealth…
لا رَعى اللَهُ زَوجَةً تُنفِقُ الأَمـ
ـوال(completes 'wealth') وَالعُمرَand life فيon اِقتِناءِacquiring البُرودِstriped cloaks
ـوال وَالعُمرَ في اِقتِناءِ البُرودِ
May God never protect a wife who spends
May God show no care for a wife who spends her wealth
wealth and life acquiring striped cloaks.
And her life in the acquisition of fine robes.
لَيسَthere is no فيin اللَهوamusement وَالبَطالَةِand idleness فَخرٌhonor
لَيسَ في اللَهو وَالبَطالَةِ فَخرٌ
إِنَّماonly الفَخرُhonor كُلُّevery عُرسٍwife كَدودِhardworking
إِنَّما الفَخرُ كُلُّ عُرسٍ كَدودِ
There is no honor in amusement and idleness;
There is no glory in amusement and idleness;
true honor lies in every hardworking wife.
True glory belongs only to the diligent, toiling wife.
Sol 6.1