لَقَدindeed ظَلَمتshe wronged مِرآتَهاher mirror أُمُّmother of مالكٍMalik
لَقَد ظَلَمت مِرآتَها أُمُّ مالكٍ
بِماbecause of what لاقتِit encountered المرآةُthe mirror كانَwas مُحَرَّداa cause for anger
بِما لاقتِ المرآةُ كانَ مُحَرَّدا
Umm Malik has indeed wronged her mirror,
The mirror of Umm Malik has done her wrong
for what the mirror endured was cause for anger.
With what the mirror faced, it was stripped bare
أَرَتهاit showed her بِخدَّيهاon her two cheeks غُضوناًwrinkles كأَنّهاas though they were
أَرَتها بِخدَّيها غُضوناً كأَنّها
مَجَرُّdrag-marks غُصونِboughs الطلحِthe acacia ماwhen ذُقنَthey tasted فَدفَداa barren plain
مَجَرُّ غُصونِ الطلحِ ما ذُقنَ فَدفَدا
It showed her wrinkles on both her cheeks, as though they were
It showed her cheeks to be tender branches, as if
the drag-marks of acacia boughs when they tasted a barren plain.
They were the flowing branches of tamarisk, undefended
رأَتshe saw مَحجِراًan eye socket تَبغيseek الغطاريفُthe noble youths غَيرَهُsomething other than it
رأَت مَحجِراً تَبغي الغطاريفُ غَيرَهُ
وَفَرعاًand hair أَبىit refused إِلاexcept انحِداراًfalling away فأَبعَداand so went far away
وَفَرعاً أَبى إِلا انحِداراً فأَبعَدا
She saw an eye socket, not the kind noble youths desire,
It saw an eyebrow seeking to outdo others'
and hair that would only fall away, far away;
And a branch that insisted on sagging, so it distanced
وأَسنانَand teeth سَوءٍugliness شاخِصاتٍjutting out كأَنَّهاas though they were
وأَسنانَ سَوءٍ شاخِصاتٍ كأَنَّها
سوامُgrazing livestock أُناسٍsome people سارحٌroaming at pasture قَدalready تَبَدّداscattered apart
سوامُ أُناسٍ سارحٌ قَد تَبَدّدا
and ugly, jutting teeth, as though they were
And bad projecting teeth, as if they
some people's herd, roaming at pasture, already scattered.
Were tent pegs of folks dispersed and separated
فأقسمُso I swear لَولاwere it not for أَنthat حُدباًhardships تَتابَعَتfollowed one another
فأقسمُ لَولا أَن حُدباً تَتابَعَت
عَليَّupon me وَلَمand did not أَبرَحI cease بدَينٍby debt مُطَرَّداhounded
عَليَّ وَلَم أَبرَح بدَينٍ مُطَرَّدا
So I swear, were it not for hardships that followed one another
So I swear, had successive sorrows not
upon me, and my being ceaselessly hounded by debt,
Afflicted me, and I did not remain in constant debt
لَزاحمتُI would surely have pressed close to مِكسالاًa languid woman كأَنَّas though ثِيابَهاher garments
لَزاحمتُ مِكسالاً كأَنَّ ثِيابَها
تَجِنّconceal غَزالاًa gazelle بِالخَميلةِin the leafy thicket أَغيَداlithe
تَجِنّ غَزالاً بِالخَميلةِ أَغيَدا
I would have pressed close to a languid woman, whose clothes seemed
I would have contended with her weariness, as if her clothes
to conceal a lithe gazelle in a leafy thicket.
Were hunting a gazelle with a noose, lying in wait
إِذاwhen أَنتyou باكَرتyou attend early to المَنيئةthe hide soaking for tanning باكَرتshe attends early to
إِذا أَنت باكَرت المَنيئة باكَرت
مَداكاًground perfume لَهاfor her مِنfrom زَعفرانٍsaffron وإِثمداand antimony kohl
مَداكاً لَها مِن زَعفرانٍ وإِثمدا
When you attend early to the hide soaking for tanning, she attends early
When you start early for al-Mani'a, you start
to her ground saffron perfume and antimony kohl.
Provisions for it of saffron and perfumed leather
Sol 6.1