لَيسَتare not تُرَدُّrepaid دِياتِblood-money payments مَنthose whom قَدalready قَتَّلَتshe slaughtered
لَيسَت تُرَدُّ دِياتِ مَن قَد قَتَّلَت
قَدindeed طالَhas lasted long ماthat قَتَلَتshe killed بِغَيرِwithout قَتيلِa slain victim
قَد طالَ ما قَتَلَت بِغَيرِ قَتيلِ
She pays no blood-money for those she has slain;
No blood-money is repaid for those she has slain.
long has she been slaying, though no victim lies dead.
Long has she killed, with no slain victim to avenge.
ياO لَيتَهاif only she شَهِدَتhad witnessed تَقَلُّبَthe restless turning لَيلَتيmy night
يا لَيتَها شَهِدَت تَقَلُّبَ لَيلَتي
إِذwhen غابَwas absent عَنّيfrom me ثُمَّthen كُلُّevery خَليلِclose friend
إِذ غابَ عَنّي ثُمَّ كُلُّ خَليلِ
Ah, if only she had witnessed my tossing through the night,
Oh, if only she had witnessed my tossing through the night,
when every intimate friend had then withdrawn from me.
when every close friend had then gone away from me.
تَدنوshe draws near فَتُطمِعُand so arouses hope in ذاone possessed of السَفاهَةِfoolishness وَالصَباand amorous longing
تَدنو فَتُطمِعُ ذا السَفاهَةِ وَالصَبا
مِنهاfrom her إِذاwhen طُلِبَتshe is sought بِغَيرِwithout مُنيلِa bestower
مِنها إِذا طُلِبَت بِغَيرِ مُنيلِ
She draws near, tempting the man of folly and youthful passion
She draws near, giving the foolish, lovesick man hope
to hope for her—yet when sought, she grants nothing.
of her favors; yet, when sought, she grants nothing.
وَكَأَنَّand as if طَعمَthe taste رُضابِsaliva فيهاof her mouth إِذwhen بَدَتshe appeared
وَكَأَنَّ طَعمَ رُضابِ فيها إِذ بَدَت
بَرَدٌhail بِفَرعِon a twig of بَشامَةٍa balsam tree مَصقولِpolished
بَرَدٌ بِفَرعِ بَشامَةٍ مَصقولِ
When she appeared, the taste of the sweet moisture in her mouth
And the taste of her mouth's saliva, when she appeared, was like
was like hail upon the polished branch of a balsam tree.
hail upon a polished balsam twig.
وَلَقَدand indeed دَنَتshe drew near ليto me فيin التَخَلُّبِbeguiling charm إِذwhen دَنَتshe drew near
وَلَقَد دَنَت لي في التَخَلُّبِ إِذ دَنَت
مِنهاfrom her بِلاwithout بَخَلٍwithholding وَلاnor مَبذولِanything bestowed
مِنها بِلا بَخَلٍ وَلا مَبذولِ
Indeed, she drew near to me beguilingly when she approached—
And when she drew close, she truly drew close to beguile me,
a nearness neither grudging nor freely bestowed.
with neither withholding on her part nor anything bestowed.
وَلَقَدand indeed نَمَتit grew بِكَthrough you لِلمَعَلّىfor al-Muʿallā سورَةًeminence
وَلَقَد نَمَت بِكَ لِلمَعَلّى سورَةً
رَفَعَتit raised بِناءَكَyour edifice فيupon أَشَمَّa lofty height طَويلِtowering
رَفَعَت بِناءَكَ في أَشَمَّ طَويلِ
Through you, a surge of glory has risen toward the heights,
And through you al-Muʿallā's eminence has indeed grown,
raising your house upon a proud and towering eminence.
raising your edifice upon a lofty, towering height.
وَلَقَدand indeed بَنىhe built لَكُمُfor you all المُعَلّىal-Muʿallā بَيتَكُمyour house
وَلَقَد بَنى لَكُمُ المُعَلّى بَيتَكُم
فيon فَرعِthe crest of رابِيَةٍa hill بِغَيرِwithout مَسيلِa watercourse
في فَرعِ رابِيَةٍ بِغَيرِ مَسيلِ
Indeed, al-Muʿallā built your noble house for you
And al-Muʿallā indeed built your house for you
upon the crest of a rising hill, far from any floodcourse.
on the crest of a hill, with no watercourse.
إِنّيindeed I بِذِمَّةِunder the protection of مالِكٍMālik وَبِمُنذِرٍand through Mundhir
إِنّي بِذِمَّةِ مالِكٍ وَبِمُنذِرٍ
بِأَلاكَby your favors مُحتَرِسٌon guard لِكُلِّagainst every مَحولِschemer
بِأَلاكَ مُحتَرِسٌ لِكُلِّ مَحولِ
I am under the protection of Mālik and al-Mundhir,
Indeed, under Mālik's protection and through Mundhir,
guarded by those men against every cunning plotter.
I guard myself, by your favors, against every schemer.
وَإِذاand when حُمِلتُI am carried إِلىto الصَلاةِprayer كَأَنَّنيas though I were
وَإِذا حُمِلتُ إِلى الصَلاةِ كَأَنَّني
عِبءٌa burden يَميلُtilts بِعِدلِهِwith its counterload المَعدولِbalanced
عِبءٌ يَميلُ بِعِدلِهِ المَعدولِ
And when I am carried to prayer, I seem to be
And when I am carried to prayer, it is as though I were
a burden that makes its matching counterweight sag.
a burden that tilts with its balanced counterload.
يَمشيwalk الرِجالُthe men بِهِwith it عَلىupon أَيديهِمِtheir hands
يَمشي الرِجالُ بِهِ عَلى أَيديهِمِ
لِلَّهِto God دَرُّbounty, expressing praise مُقَيَّدٍa fettered man مُحمولِbeing carried
لِلَّهِ دَرُّ مُقَيَّدٍ مُحمولِ
The men walk with me borne upon their hands—
The men walk, bearing it upon their hands.
how admirable, this fettered man they carry!
God bless the fettered man being carried!
إِنَّindeed القِرىhospitality سُجِنَتwere imprisoned مَعيwith me نيرانُهُits fires
إِنَّ القِرى سُجِنَت مَعي نيرانُهُ
عَنaway from كُلِّevery نازِلِone who stops to lodge جَنبَةٍas an outsider وَدَخيلِand an admitted guest
عَن كُلِّ نازِلِ جَنبَةٍ وَدَخيلِ
The fires of hospitality have been imprisoned with me,
Indeed, hospitality's fires have been imprisoned with me,
kept from every wayfarer camping apart and every newcomer.
away from every stranger who stops to lodge and every guest within.
قَدindeed كُنتُI used to أُطعِمُهُنَّI feed them كُلَّevery سَمينَةٍfat female beast
قَد كُنتُ أُطعِمُهُنَّ كُلَّ سَمينَةٍ
لِلطارِقينَfor night visitors بَأَسرَعِwith the swiftest التَعجيلِhaste
لِلطارِقينَ بَأَسرَعِ التَعجيلِ
I used to feed those fires with every fat she-camel,
I used to feed them every fat beast,
for nighttime visitors, with the swiftest dispatch.
for guests arriving by night, with the swiftest haste.
وَلَقَدand indeed نَهَضنَthey set out مِنَfrom العِراقِIraq بِلُقَّحٍwith pregnant she-camels
وَلَقَد نَهَضنَ مِنَ العِراقِ بِلُقَّحٍ
قَدalready أوثِقَتwere firmly fastened حَلَقاتُهُنَّtheir rings وَحولِand nonpregnant she-camels
قَد أوثِقَت حَلَقاتُهُنَّ وَحولِ
Those fetters indeed set out from Iraq upon pregnant she-camels,
And indeed they set out from Iraq with pregnant she-camels,
their rings now fastened firmly around me.
whose rings had been fastened, and with nonpregnant ones.
يَعدونَthey run حينَwhen دُفِعنَthey were driven forth لَمّاwhen أَوضَعواthey hastened
يَعدونَ حينَ دُفِعنَ لَمّا أَوضَعوا
بِخَشاشِwith the nose-peg of عادِيَةٍa running she-camel وَكُلِّand every جَديلِplaited rein
بِخَشاشِ عادِيَةٍ وَكُلِّ جَديلِ
The men run when the she-camels are driven, once they urge them to race,
They gallop when driven forth, as their drivers hasten,
with the nose-rein of a racing she-camel and every braided cord.
with a running camel's nose-peg and every plaited rein.
Sol 6.1