وَكائِنand many a لهوناwe played مِنof رَبيعِspringtime مَسَرَّةٍjoy
وَكائِن لهونا مِن رَبيعِ مَسَرَّةٍ
وَصيفٍand a summer لهوناهwe enjoyed it قَصيرٍshort ظَهائِرُهits noontides
وَصيفٍ لهوناه قَصيرٍ ظَهائِرُه
And many a joyful spring we spent in play,
And summer we enjoyed, with noontides brief,
بِجِزعٍin a valley-bend تُغَنِّيناshe sings to us بِهِin it مُستَظِلَّةٌa shade-sheltered female
بِجِزعٍ تُغَنِّينا بِهِ مُستَظِلَّةٌ
بِساقٍwith a sāq-call تُغَنّيهshe sings it وَساقٌand a sāq-call يُحاوِرُهanswers it
بِساقٍ تُغَنّيه وَساقٌ يُحاوِرُه
In a valley-bend, where a shade-sheltered dove sang to us,
Singing a 'sāq' call, with another 'sāq' answering it.
دَعَتshe called ساقsāq, a dove-call حُرٍّḥurr, completing the call وانتَحىand he followed مِثلَthe like of صَوتِهاher voice
دَعَت ساق حُرٍّ وانتَحى مِثلَ صَوتِها
يُمائِرهاhe vies with her نَوحاًin lamentation بِهِwith it وتُمائرُهand she vies with him
يُمائِرها نَوحاً بِهِ وتُمائرُه
She called 'sāq ḥurr'; he took up a voice like hers,
Vying with her in that lament, as she vied with him.
أَظلَّhe remained بأَطلالِat the ruins of المَليحَةِal-Malīḥa بَعدَناafter us
أَظلَّ بأَطلالِ المَليحَةِ بَعدَنا
دَروجُthe gently drifting wind السَّفاthe fine sand تأتابهُvisits him repeatedly وَتُباكِرُهand comes to him at dawn
دَروجُ السَّفا تأتابهُ وَتُباكِرُه
He remained at al-Malīḥa's ruins after we had gone;
The sand-drifting wind visits him, coming to him at dawn.
فَلوthen if أَنَهاthat she كانَتhad بَدَتappeared يَومon the day of حَيَّةٍḤayya
فَلو أَنَها كانَت بَدَت يَوم حَيَّةٍ
لِمُنعَطفِto one with recurved القَرنينthe two horns وَعرٍrugged مطامِرُهhis leaping-places
لِمُنعَطفِ القَرنين وَعرٍ مطامِرُه
Had she appeared on the day of Ḥayya,
To a recurved-horned buck whose leaping-places are rugged,
مِنَamong الهائِباتِthose fearing السَّهلِthe plains فيin مُشَمخِرةa towering height
مِنَ الهائِباتِ السَّهلِ في مُشَمخِرة
بِحَيدِon a rocky ridge وَعولٍof ibexes يأَمَنُfeels safe from القَومَthe people فادِرُهits mature buck
بِحَيدِ وَعولٍ يأَمَنُ القَومَ فادِرُه
One of those that fear the plains, on a towering height,
On an ibex ridge, where its mature buck is safe from men,
أَتاهاhe would come to her وَلَوeven if قامَstood الرماةُthe archers وَساقَهُand drove him
أَتاها وَلَو قامَ الرماةُ وَساقَهُ
حِبالُthe cords الصِّباof youthful longing حَتىuntil تَحينَcome due مَقادِرُهhis allotted fates
حِبالُ الصِّبا حَتى تَحينَ مَقادِرُه
He would have come to her, even if archers stood there, driven
By the cords of youthful longing until his appointed fate came due.
تَهادىshe sways gracefully كَسَيلِlike the flow of الرَّكِّlight rain يَجريflows حَبابُهits foam
تَهادى كَسَيلِ الرَّكِّ يَجري حَبابُه
بِبَطحاءthrough a gravelly valley-bed ذيwith وَعثٍloose sand قَليلٍfew نَهابِرهits hollows
بِبَطحاء ذي وَعثٍ قَليلٍ نَهابِره
She sways like a stream from light rain, its foam flowing
Through a gravelly valley-bed of loose sand, with few hollows.
خَلوبٌcaptivating لأَلبابِto the minds of الرِّجالِmen بِدَلِّهاwith her coy grace
خَلوبٌ لأَلبابِ الرِّجالِ بِدَلِّها
حِماهاher guarded domain حَرامٌforbidden أَنthat تُحَلَّbe trespassed upon مَحاجِرُهits protected precincts
حِماها حَرامٌ أَن تُحَلَّ مَحاجِرُه
She captivates men's minds with her coy grace;
Her guarded domain is inviolate; its precincts must not be breached.
إِذاif لَمnot يُحَدِّثكَtells you الفَتىthe young man عَنabout بَلائِهِhis proven mettle
إِذا لَم يُحَدِّثكَ الفَتى عَن بَلائِهِ
أَتاكَbrings you بِماwith what يُبليproves himself الفَتىthe young man مَنone who يُعاشِرُهkeeps his company
أَتاكَ بِما يُبلي الفَتى مَن يُعاشِرُه
If the young man does not tell you of his mettle,
His companion brings you word of how the young man proves himself.
وَزايَلَand parted from عِندَat المَوتِdeath ماwhat كانَhe used to يَحتَويpossess
وَزايَلَ عِندَ المَوتِ ما كانَ يَحتَوي
كَأَنas though لَمnot يَكُنhad been تُلقىlavished عَليهِupon it شِراشِرُهhis whole heart
كَأَن لَم يَكُن تُلقى عَليهِ شِراشِرُه
And at death he parts from all he once possessed,
As though his whole heart had never been lavished upon it.
أَقولُI say وَقَدand already حالَstood between الأَجارعthe sandy flats دونَهاbetween me and her
أَقولُ وَقَد حالَ الأَجارع دونَها
وَغيّبهاand hid her عُلمانُهُits landmark hills وأَباهِرُهand its ridges
وَغيّبها عُلمانُهُ وأَباهِرُه
I say, though sandy flats have come between me and her,
And its landmark hills and ridges have hidden her.
Sol 6.1