وشَمْطَاءَand a gray-haired woman بالخَزِّin silk-and-wool cloth الثمينِcostly تَلَفَّعَتْshe wrapped herself
وشَمْطَاءَ بالخَزِّ الثمينِ تَلَفَّعَتْ
وتَرْشُقُنيand pelts me منfrom لَحْظِهاher glance بِنبَالِwith arrows
وتَرْشُقُني من لَحْظِها بِنبَالِ
And a gray-haired woman wrapped herself in costly silk-and-wool cloth,
With fine brocade she is arrogantly dressed,
and pelts me with arrows from her glance.
And she shoots me with glances from her eyes.
فهامَso fell in love بهاwith her قلبيmy heart ولمand did not أدرِI know أننيthat I
فهامَ بها قلبي ولم أدرِ أنني
تَعَوّضْتُI exchanged عنin place of شِملالةa nimble she-camel بِعِقالِfor a hobble
تَعَوّضْتُ عن شِملالة بِعِقالِ
So my heart fell in love with her, and I did not know that I
My heart was smitten though I did not know,
had exchanged a nimble she-camel for a hobble,
That I had replaced a doe with an old she-mule.
إلىuntil أنthat دَنَتْshe drew near نحويtoward me كشفتُI lifted خمارَهاher veil
إلى أن دَنَتْ نحوي كشفتُ خمارَها
لَمَحْتُI glimpsed لَهاbelonging to her بطناًa belly كمثلِlike سجالِlarge water buckets
لَمَحْتُ لَها بطناً كمثلِ سجالِ
until she drew near me; I lifted her veil.
Until she approached me, I lifted her veil,
I glimpsed her belly, like great water buckets.
I glimpsed her belly like a water skin.
تُحَدِّثُshe speaks عماof what فاتَهاpassed her by منof صبائهاher youth
تُحَدِّثُ عما فاتَها من صبائها
وتَذْكُرand recalls ماwhat فيin دهرِهاher lifetime المتواليever-continuing
وتَذْكُر ما في دهرِها المتوالي
She speaks of her youth, now lost to her,
She speaks of the youth she has left behind,
and recalls what her passing years have held.
And recalls her endless former days.
وكمand many a زحرةٍgrunt تُبْدِينَهاyou let it out إثرَafter زَحْرَةٍa grunt
وكم زحرةٍ تُبْدِينَها إثرَ زَحْرَةٍ
وجَرْجَرةٍand a throat-rattle مخلوطةٍmingled بِسُعالِwith coughing
وجَرْجَرةٍ مخلوطةٍ بِسُعالِ
And how many a grunt you let out, grunt after grunt,
With many a whimper after every bark,
and a throat-rattle mingled with coughing.
Mixed with a throaty wheezing cough.
وقدand indeed حاولتْshe sought منيfrom me عِناقاًan embrace فاغتدتso she began
وقد حاولتْ مني عِناقاً فاغتدت
تُعَلِّلُshe soothes منيfrom me صدقَهاher sincerity بمحالِwith impossibilities
تُعَلِّلُ مني صدقَها بمحالِ
And she had sought an embrace from me, then began
She tried to embrace me, became excited,
to soothe her sincere longing for me with the impossible.
Justifying her affection with absurdities.
تحاولُshe tries تنبيهrousing الفتىthe young man وهوwhile he نائمٌis asleep
تحاولُ تنبيه الفتى وهو نائمٌ
ولمand did not يهوhe desires قرداًa monkey فيin مِثالِthe likeness of غَزَالِa gazelle
ولم يهو قرداً في مِثالِ غَزَالِ
She tries to rouse the young man while he is asleep,
She tries to rouse the lad while he's asleep,
and he did not desire a monkey in the likeness of a gazelle.
He's no ape depicted in a gazelle's form.
Sol 6.1