وَلِرَبِّand many a غانِيَةٍbeautiful woman رَداحٍbuxom مُذwhen رَأَتshe saw
وَلِرَبِّ غانِيَةٍ رَداحٍ مُذ رَأَت
حُكمَthe judgment الزَمانِtime عَلىupon الشَبيبَةِyouth جاريtaking effect
حُكمَ الزَمانِ عَلى الشَبيبَةِ جاري
And many a buxom beauty, when she saw
For the sake of a singing girl of slender shape since she saw
time's judgment upon youth taking effect,
The rule of time over youth take its course,
وَبَداand appeared لَهاto her بَعدَafter النَضارَةِfreshness وَالصَفاand purity
وَبَدا لَها بَعدَ النَضارَةِ وَالصَفا
صُبحُthe dawn المَشيبِgray hair يَشوبُmingles with لَيلَthe night عِذاريmy sideburns
صُبحُ المَشيبِ يَشوبُ لَيلَ عِذاري
and, after freshness and purity, there appeared to her
And after blossoming and purity dawned on her
the dawn of gray hair mingling with the night of my sideburns,
The morning of old age that mars the night of maidens,
آلَتshe swore يَميناًan oath أَنَّهاthat she لاnot أَشرَقَتshe shone
آلَت يَميناً أَنَّها لا أَشرَقَت
أَنّيwherever أَكونُI may be وَلاnor تَلوحُshe appears جِواريbeside me
أَنّي أَكونُ وَلا تَلوحُ جِواري
swore an oath that she would not shine
She decided, since she did not rise as I wished,
wherever I might be, nor appear beside me.
That I would not exist and her neighbors cease to appear.
كَلّاNo indeed وَلاnor أَبداever يَهِلُّrises هِلالَهاher crescent moon
كَلّا وَلا أَبدا يَهِلُّ هِلالَها
مِنfrom بَعدِafter ذَلِكَthat فيin سَماءِthe sky دِياريmy dwellings
مِن بَعدِ ذَلِكَ في سَماءِ دِياري
No—nor would her crescent ever rise
No, never, her crescent will not wane after that
thereafter in the sky of my dwellings.
In the sky of my homes.
فَطَفِقَتso I began بِالدينارِwith dinars أَمَلَأُI fill كَفَّهاher palm
فَطَفِقَت بِالدينارِ أَمَلَأُ كَفَّها
لِأَرَدَّهاto turn her away عَنfrom حَلقَةِthe circle الفُجّارِthe wicked
لِأَرَدَّها عَن حَلقَةِ الفُجّارِ
So I began filling her palm with dinars,
So she took to filling her hand with coins
to turn her away from the circle of the wicked,
To deter her from the circle of the immoral;
وَأَسومُهاand I ask of her بِالمَالِwith money نيلَattainment رِضائِهاher favor
وَأَسومُها بِالمَالِ نيلَ رِضائِها
حَتّىuntil حَلَلتِI undid يَمينَهاher oath بِيَساريwith my wealth (also: my left hand)
حَتّى حَلَلتِ يَمينَها بِيَساري
and with money I sought to win her favor,
And I plied her with wealth to gain her consent
until I undid her oath with my wealth.
Until she made lawful her right hand with my left.
Sol 6.1