قِفاstop, you two حيَّياgreet, you two بالكرخin al-Karkh عنيon my behalf ربيبَهاits fosterling
قِفا حيَّيا بالكرخ عني ربيبَها
فياso O طيبsweetness ريَّاهhis fragrance الغداةَthis morning وطيبَهاand her sweetness
فيا طيب ريَّاه الغداةَ وطيبَها
Stop, you two; in al-Karkh, greet its fosterling on my behalf.
Stop the greetings in Al-Karkh, about the youth being reproached
And oh, how sweet his fragrance this morning, and hers!
With a sweet morning breeze and sweetness
تفيأَhe rested in shade منfrom تلكthose المقاصرِsecluded chambers ظلَّهاtheir shade
تفيأَ من تلك المقاصرِ ظلَّها
فعطَّرso he perfumed فيهنَّwithin them الصَباthe east wind وجُنوبَهاand their south wind
فعطَّر فيهنَّ الصَبا وجُنوبَها
He took shelter in the shade of those secluded chambers,
Shaded by those palaces, their shade perfumed
and within them perfumed the east wind and their south wind.
By the morning breeze and their doors
غُزالٌa gazelle ولكنand yet فيin الرُصافةِal-Rusafa ناشئٌreared
غُزالٌ ولكن في الرُصافةِ ناشئٌ
وهلand do تألفُfrequent الغزلانُgazelles إلاَّexcept كثيبَهاtheir sand dune
وهل تألفُ الغزلانُ إلاَّ كثيبَها
A gazelle, yet one reared in al-Rusafa—
A gazelle, but raised in refinement
and do gazelles frequent anything but their own sand dune?
Can gazelles be raised except in the dunes?
فواللهso, by God ماnot أدريI know أزَرَّdid he button جيوبهhis robe openings
فوالله ما أدري أزَرَّ جيوبه
علىaround الشمسِthe sun أمor زرَّتshe buttoned عليهaround him جُيوبهاher robe openings
على الشمسِ أم زرَّت عليه جُيوبها
By God, I cannot tell: did he button his robe
By God, I don’t know if his clothes
around the sun, or did she button hers around him?
Were dyed by the sun or the sun was dyed by his clothes
تعشقتهُI fell in love with him نشوانَintoxicated منfrom خمرةِthe wine of الصِباyouth
تعشقتهُ نشوانَ من خمرةِ الصِبا
منعَّمdelicate أطرافtips البنانِof the fingers خضيبهاwith them dyed
منعَّم أطراف البنانِ خضيبها
I fell in love with him, drunk on the wine of youth,
The vigor of youth fell in love with him
his fingertips delicate and dyed.
The edges of his teeth shining white
لوif أنَّthat النصارىthe Christians عاينتthey beheld نارَthe fire of خدِّهhis cheek
لو أنَّ النصارى عاينت نارَ خدِّه
إذاًthen أوقدتthey would set alight ناقوسَهاtheir church bell وصليبهاand their cross
إذاً أوقدت ناقوسَها وصليبها
If the Christians beheld the fire of his cheek,
If the Christians saw the fire of his cheek
they would set their church bell and cross alight.
They would light their church bells and crosses
يُرشِفنيهاhe lets me sip it ريقةًa drop of saliva عنبيَّةًgrape-like
يُرشِفنيها ريقةً عنبيَّةً
كخُلقِlike the character of أبيAbu (father of) الهاديal-Hadi روتit recounted عنهُon his authority طيبهاits sweetness
كخُلقِ أبي الهادي روت عنهُ طيبها
He lets me sip it—a grape-sweet drop of saliva,
His saliva intoxicates me
like Abu al-Hadi’s character, reporting its sweetness on his authority.
Like the morals of Abul Hadi, its goodness recited about him
فتىًa youth كلُّevery فخرٍglory إنif ناظرناwe examine قِداحَهُits lot-arrows
فتىً كلُّ فخرٍ إن ناظرنا قِداحَهُ
وجدناwe find مُعلاَّهاits seven-share arrow لهُbelongs to him ورقيبَهاand its three-share arrow
وجدنا مُعلاَّها لهُ ورقيبَها
A youth: if we examine the lot-arrows of every glory,
A young man whose every pride, if we look at his goblets
we find its Muʿalla and Raqib arrows belong to him.
We find its elevation and guardian for him
تراهُthey see him الورىthe people فيin المحلdrought فرَّاجَreliever of خطبِهاtheir distress
تراهُ الورى في المحل فرَّاجَ خطبِها
ندىًgenerosity ولدىand in فصلِdecisiveness الخطابof speech خطيبَهاtheir orator
ندىً ولدى فصلِ الخطاب خطيبَها
The people see him, in drought, relieving their distress
People see him as the lantern of his requests
with bounty, and in decisive speech as their orator.
A beloved when the time of speech arrives, its speaker
إلىto الحسنِal-Hasan اجتَبناwe traversed الفلاthe wastes بنوازعٍon eager she-camels
إلى الحسنِ اجتَبنا الفلا بنوازعٍ
خفافٍlightly laden سيُثقِلنَwill weigh down الحقائبُthe saddlebags نيبَهاtheir aged she-camels
خفافٍ سيُثقِلنَ الحقائبُ نيبَها
To al-Hasan we crossed the wastes on eager she-camels,
We chose the good fortune to fall in love
lightly laden; soon the saddlebags will weigh their aged she-camels down.
Feathers that will weigh down the burdens of his nobility
حلفتُI swore بأيديهاby their forelegs لسوفَsurely will أزيرُهاI bring them to visit
حلفتُ بأيديها لسوفَ أزيرُها
علىat الكرخal-Karkh وضّاحَthe radiant one العَشاياof the evenings طروبهاtheir merry one
على الكرخ وضّاحَ العَشايا طروبها
I swore by their forelegs: I shall surely bring them to visit
I swore by her hands I will visit her
at al-Karkh, the radiant, merry one of its evenings.
At Al-Karkh, clear are its evenings and clouds
إذاwhen ما(emphasis) طرحناwe remove الرحلَthe saddle عنهاfrom them بربعهِat his dwelling
إذا ما طرحنا الرحلَ عنها بربعهِ
غفرتُI shall forgive لأيامِto the days of الزمانِtime ذُنوبهاtheir sins
غفرتُ لأيامِ الزمانِ ذُنوبها
Once we remove the saddles from them at his dwelling,
If we pitched a tent away from it by a quarter
I shall forgive the days of Time their sins.
I would forgive the days of time for their sins
Sol 6.1