وَبِواضِحٍand with a bright mouth رَتلٍwith evenly spaced teeth تَشِفُّare translucent غُروبُهُits tooth-edges
وَبِواضِحٍ رَتلٍ تَشِفُّ غُروبُهُ
عَذبٍsweet وَأَذلَفَand a small, snub nose طَيِّبِpleasant المُتَشَمَّمِwhat is smelled
عَذبٍ وَأَذلَفَ طَيِّبِ المُتَشَمَّمِ
And with a bright mouth, its teeth evenly spaced, their edges translucent,
With a clear, rhythmic chant, whose sunset intoxicates,
sweet, and with a small, snub nose, pleasant to smell.
Sweet, drawing near the fragrance of musk.
وَكَأَنَّand as though فَأرَةَa musk-pod تاجِرٍa merchant's هِندِيَّةًIndian
وَكَأَنَّ فَأرَةَ تاجِرٍ هِندِيَّةً
سَبَقَتarrived before إِلَيَّto me حَديثِthe speech of فيكِyour mouth مِنَfrom الفَمِthe mouth
سَبَقَت إِلَيَّ حَديثِ فيكِ مِنَ الفَمِ
And as though a merchant's Indian musk-pod
As if an Indian merchant's mouse
reached me from your mouth ahead of your words.
Had brought me talk of you from a mouth,
ماnot فَرَّثَتtore apart كَبِديmy liver مِنِany اِمرَأَةٍa woman لَهاshe has
ما فَرَّثَت كَبِدي مِنِ اِمرَأَةٍ لَها
عَينانِtwo eyes مِنamong عَرَبٍArabs وَلاnor مِنamong أَعجَمِa non-Arab
عَينانِ مِن عَرَبٍ وَلا مِن أَعجَمِ
No woman has torn my liver apart—no woman who has
No woman, Arab or non-Arab alike,
two eyes, whether Arab or non-Arab—
Has shredded my liver as she did
مِثلُlike الَّتيher who عَرَضَتpresented لِنَفسيto my soul حَتفَهاits death
مِثلُ الَّتي عَرَضَت لِنَفسي حَتفَها
مِنهاfrom her بِنَظرَةِthrough a glimpse of حُرَّتَينِtwo cheeks وَمِعصَمِand a wrist
مِنها بِنَظرَةِ حُرَّتَينِ وَمِعصَمِ
like her who set before my soul its death,
Who showed me her waist with a glance
from her, through a glimpse of two cheeks and a wrist.
Of her two wrists and bracelet.
ناجِيَةٌNajiyah كَرَمٌnobility أَبوهاher father تَبتَنيbuilds for herself
ناجِيَةٌ كَرَمٌ أَبوها تَبتَني
مِنfrom غالِبٍGhalib قُبَبَthe domes of البِناءِthe edifice الأَعظَمِthe greatest
مِن غالِبٍ قُبَبَ البِناءِ الأَعظَمِ
Najiyah—her father is nobility itself—builds for herself
A confidante whose father’s nobility humbles me,
from Ghalib the domes of the greatest edifice.
Conqueror of the highest abode’s domes.
فَلَئِنso if indeed هِيَshe اِحتَسَبَتreproached عَلَيَّagainst me لَقَدindeed رَأَتsaw
فَلَئِن هِيَ اِحتَسَبَت عَلَيَّ لَقَد رَأَت
عَينايَmy two eyes صَرعَةَthe fall of مَيِّتٍa dead man لَمnot يَسقَمِhad been ill
عَينايَ صَرعَةَ مَيِّتٍ لَم يَسقَمِ
So if she reproaches me, my eyes have indeed seen
For if she thought me insolent, indeed she saw
the fall of a dead man who had never sickened.
My eyes like those of a corpse, sickly and bleak.
هَلwill...? أَنتِyou بايِعَتيselling to me دَميmy blood بِغَلائِهِat its high price
هَل أَنتِ بايِعَتي دَمي بِغَلائِهِ
إِنif أَنتِyou زَفرَةَa sigh عاشِقٍa lover's لَمnot تَرحَميyou pity
إِن أَنتِ زَفرَةَ عاشِقٍ لَم تَرحَمي
Will you sell me my blood at its high price,
Did you sell my blood for its price?
if you have not pitied a lover's sigh?
If you are the sigh of a loveless lover.
ماnot كُنتُI was غَيرَother than رَهينَةٍa hostage مَحبوسَةٍimprisoned
ما كُنتُ غَيرَ رَهينَةٍ مَحبوسَةٍ
بِدَمٍfor blood لِأُختِto the sister of بَنيthe sons of كِنانَةَKinanah مُسلَمِsurrendered
بِدَمٍ لِأُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ مُسلَمِ
I was nothing but a hostage, imprisoned
I was but a captive imprisoned
for blood surrendered to the sister of Banu Kinanah.
By the blood of the sister of Kinanah's clan.
ياO وَيحَalas for أُختِthe sister of بَنيthe sons of كِنانَةَKinanah إِنَّهاindeed she
يا وَيحَ أُختِ بَني كِنانَةَ إِنَّها
لَبَخيلَةٌis surely miserly بِشِفاءِwith healing مَنone who لَمnot يُجرِمِcommitted a wrong
لَبَخيلَةٌ بِشِفاءِ مَن لَم يُجرِمِ
Alas for the sister of Banu Kinanah! She
Oh sister of Kinanah’s clan, how
is indeed miserly with healing one who has done no wrong.
Stingy you are with healing the guiltless!
فَلَئِنso if indeed سَفَكتِyou shed دَماًblood بِغَيرِwithout جَريرَةٍan offense
فَلَئِن سَفَكتِ دَماً بِغَيرِ جَريرَةٍ
لَتُخَلَّدِنَّyou shall surely be kept forever مَعَwith العَذابِthe torment الآلَمِthe most painful
لَتُخَلَّدِنَّ مَعَ العَذابِ الآلَمِ
So if you shed blood for no offense,
If you shed blood without crime
you shall surely be kept forever amid the most painful torment.
You will be damned to endless pain.
وَلَئِنand if indeed حَمَلتِyou take on دَميmy blood عَلَيكِupon you لِتَحمِلِنyou will surely bear
وَلَئِن حَمَلتِ دَمي عَلَيكِ لِتَحمِلِن
ثِقَلاًa weight يَكونُwill be عَلَيكِupon you مِثلَlike يَلَملَمِYalamlam
ثِقَلاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ مِثلَ يَلَملَمِ
And if you take my blood upon yourself, you shall surely bear
And if you take up my blood as your burden
a weight upon you like Yalamlam.
It will weigh on you like an unending gloom.
وَالنَفسُand the life إِنif وَجَبَتbecame due عَلَيكِupon you وَجَدتِهاyou will find it
وَالنَفسُ إِن وَجَبَت عَلَيكِ وَجَدتِها
عِبئاًa burden يَكونُwill be عَلَيكِupon you أَثقَلَthe heaviest مَغرَمِdebt
عِبئاً يَكونُ عَلَيكِ أَثقَلَ مَغرَمِ
And if a life is laid to your charge, you will find it
And the soul, if obligated to you, you'll find it
a burden upon you, the heaviest of debts.
A load heavier than any debt.
لَوif كُنتِyou were فيin كَبِدِthe heart of السَماءِthe sky لَحاوَلَتwould seek
لَو كُنتِ في كَبِدِ السَماءِ لَحاوَلَت
كَفّايَmy two hands مُطَّلَعاًa way up إِلَيكِto you بِسُلَّمِwith a ladder
كَفّايَ مُطَّلَعاً إِلَيكِ بِسُلَّمِ
Were you in the heart of the sky, my two hands would seek
If you were in the sky's heart I'd try
a way up to you with a ladder.
To reach you, a ladder my hands.
وَلَأَكتُمَنَّand I shall surely conceal لَكِfor you الَّذيthat which اِستَودَعتِنيyou entrusted to me
وَلَأَكتُمَنَّ لَكِ الَّذي اِستَودَعتِني
وَالسِرُّand the secret مُنتَشِرٌspread abroad إِذاwhen لَمnot يُكتَمِis concealed
وَالسِرُّ مُنتَشِرٌ إِذا لَم يُكتَمِ
And I shall surely conceal for you what you entrusted to me;
And I shall hide from you what you entrusted me,
and a secret spreads when it is not concealed.
Secrets spread when not concealed.
هَلdo...? تَذكُرينَyou remember إِذاwhen الرِكابُthe riding camels مُناخَةٌmade to kneel
هَل تَذكُرينَ إِذا الرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ
بِرِحالِهاwith their saddles لِرَواحِfor the departure of أَهلِthe people of المَوسِمِthe pilgrimage gathering
بِرِحالِها لِرَواحِ أَهلِ المَوسِمِ
Do you remember when the riding camels were kneeling,
Do you recall when the riding beasts halted
with their saddles, for the pilgrims' departure,
At their stables for pilgrim crowds?
إِذwhen نَحنُwe نَستَرِقُwe snatch furtively الحَديثَconversation وَفَوقَناand above us
إِذ نَحنُ نَستَرِقُ الحَديثَ وَفَوقَنا
مِثلُlike الضَبابِfog مِنَof العَجاجِswirling dust الأَقتَمِdark-gray
مِثلُ الضَبابِ مِنَ العَجاجِ الأَقتَمِ
when we exchanged stolen words, and above us
When we would stealthily whisper, and above us
hung a fog-like cloud of dark, swirling dust?
Was foglike the darkest storm clouds.
Sol 6.1