أَمِنis it because of فَقدِlack جودِgenerosity الحِسانِthe beautiful women المِلاحِthe lovely ones
أَمِن فَقدِ جودِ الحِسانِ المِلاحِ
سَقَطتَyou fell مُكِبّاًface-down عَلىupon خَيثَمَهKhaythamah
سَقَطتَ مُكِبّاً عَلى خَيثَمَه
Is it for lack of the generosity of beautiful, lovely women
that you fell headlong upon Khaythamah,
وَظَلتَand you kept تُسابِقُracing رَحلَsaddle الحُداthe camel-drivers (continued)
وَظَلتَ تُسابِقُ رَحلَ الحُدا
ةِending of 'camel-drivers' حِرصاًout of greed وَماand not هِيَshe بِالمُطعِمَهa giver of food
ةِ حِرصاً وَما هِيَ بِالمُطعِمَه
and kept racing the camel-drivers' saddle,
out of greed, though she is no giver of food?
إِذاif ماever (emphasis) أَذَعتَyou made known لَهاto her دِرهَماًa dirham
إِذا ما أَذَعتَ لَها دِرهَماً
وَجَدتَyou found عَزيزَتَهُits beloved مُحكَمَهfirmly secured
وَجَدتَ عَزيزَتَهُ مُحكَمَه
If ever you tell her of a dirham,
you find its beloved firmly secured.
إِذاif رُزِقَتshe was given دِرهَماًa dirham زائِفاًcounterfeit
إِذا رُزِقَت دِرهَماً زائِفاً
يَظَلُّcontinues عَلَيهِover it لَهاfrom her زَمزَمَهmuttering
يَظَلُّ عَلَيهِ لَها زَمزَمَه
If she is given a counterfeit dirham,
her muttering over it goes on.
وَلَوand even if مَلَكَتpossessed كَفُّهاher hand سِمسِماًsesame seeds
وَلَو مَلَكَت كَفُّها سِمسِماً
لَماwould certainly not ضَيَّعَتwaste كَفُّهاher hand سِمسِمَهa sesame seed
لَما ضَيَّعَت كَفُّها سِمسِمَه
Even if her hand held sesame seeds,
her hand would not waste a single sesame seed.
لَهاshe has مَنزِلٌa dwelling ساذِجٌbare لَيسَthere is not فيهِin it
لَها مَنزِلٌ ساذِجٌ لَيسَ فيهِ
سِواهاexcept herself وَمَقنَعَةٌand a headscarf مُعلَمَهpatterned
سِواها وَمَقنَعَةٌ مُعلَمَه
She has a bare house, with nothing in it
but herself and a patterned headscarf.
كَأَنَّكَas though you إِنif جِئتَهاyou came to her سائِلاًbegging
كَأَنَّكَ إِن جِئتَها سائِلاً
تُقَطِّرُyou drip فيinto عَينِهاher eye حِصرِمَهan unripe grape
تُقَطِّرُ في عَينِها حِصرِمَه
As though, if you came to her begging,
you were dripping an unripe grape's juice into her eye.
يُطيعُكَobeys you تَمريضُlanguor أَلحاظِهاher glances
يُطيعُكَ تَمريضُ أَلحاظِها
وَتَحتَand beneath سوآلٍa request لَهاfrom her حَمحَمَهa low neigh
وَتَحتَ سوآلٍ لَها حَمحَمَه
Her languishing glances obey you,
yet a request draws a low neigh from her.
تَرىyou see بَينَbetween أَسنانِهاher teeth لِلعَشاfor supper
تَرى بَينَ أَسنانِها لِلعَشا
إِذاwhen فَتَحَتshe opened فَمَهاher mouth قَرطَمَهa safflower seed
إِذا فَتَحَت فَمَها قَرطَمَه
You see between her teeth, for supper,
when she opens her mouth, a single safflower seed.
Sol 6.1