كَمhow many غَدوَةٍa morning وَعَشِيَّهand an evening
كَم غَدوَةٍ وَعَشِيَّه
نَعِمتُI lived in bliss بِالقادِسِيَّهat al-Qadisiyyah
نَعِمتُ بِالقادِسِيَّه
How many a morning and evening
I spent in bliss at al-Qadisiyyah!
وَكَمand how many هَجيرٍa scorching noon وَقَتنيsheltered me
وَكَم هَجيرٍ وَقَتني
مِنfrom حَرِّthe heat of شَمسٍa sun ذَكِيَّهblazing
مِن حَرِّ شَمسٍ ذَكِيَّه
And at how many a scorching noon was I sheltered
from the heat of a blazing sun
مُعَشِّراتُheavy with fruit كُرومٍgrapevines
مُعَشِّراتُ كُرومٍ
أَبنائُهاtheir children حَبَشِيَّهAbyssinian
أَبنائُها حَبَشِيَّه
by grapevines heavy with child,
whose children are Abyssinian.
لَمnot يَبقَremained مِنof وَهَجِthe blaze of الشَمthe sun (word continues)
لَم يَبقَ مِن وَهَجِ الشَم
سِ(completes ‘the sun’) بَينَهُنَّamong them بَقِيَّهa trace
سِ بَينَهُنَّ بَقِيَّه
Not a trace of the sun’s blaze
remained among them.
يُسكَرنَthey intoxicate أَنهارَstreams of ماءٍwater
يُسكَرنَ أَنهارَ ماءٍ
زُرقاًblue عِذاباًsweet نَقِيَّهpure
زُرقاً عِذاباً نَقِيَّه
They intoxicate streams of water,
blue, sweet, and pure.
تَحكيresemble ذَوائِبُهاtheir tendrils فيin
تَحكي ذَوائِبُها في
رَواحِهاtheir going وَالمَجِيَّهand coming
رَواحِها وَالمَجِيَّه
Their tendrils resemble, in
their going and coming,
عَقارِباًscorpions شائِلاتٍraising
عَقارِباً شائِلاتٍ
أَذنابَهاtheir tails مَحمِيَّهenraged
أَذنابَها مَحمِيَّه
scorpions raising
their tails in fury,
تَدُبُّcrawling فَوقَover زُجاجٍglass
تَدُبُّ فَوقَ زُجاجٍ
مَصقولَةٍpolished طَبَرِيَّهfrom Tiberias
مَصقولَةٍ طَبَرِيَّه
crawling over glass,
polished, from Tiberias.
وَإِنand if أَرَدتُI wished سَقَتنيshe gave me drink
وَإِن أَرَدتُ سَقَتني
خَمّارَةٌa female wine-seller قِبطِيَّهCoptic
خَمّارَةٌ قِبطِيَّه
And if I wished, she gave me drink—
a Coptic wine-seller,
تَرنوgazing بِعَينِwith the eye of غَزالٍa gazelle
تَرنو بِعَينِ غَزالٍ
سَحّارَةٍbewitching بابِلِيَّهBabylonian
سَحّارَةٍ بابِلِيَّه
gazing with a gazelle’s eye,
bewitching, Babylonian.
جاءَتshe came إِليَّto me تَهادىswaying gracefully
جاءَت إِليَّ تَهادى
عَشِيَّةًone evening شاطِرِيَّهin roguish guise
عَشِيَّةً شاطِرِيَّه
She came to me swaying,
one evening, in roguish guise,
فيin قُرطَقٍa short tunic خَصَّرَتهُcinched it at the waist
في قُرطَقٍ خَصَّرَتهُ
مَناطِقٌgirdles ذَهَبِيَّهgolden
مَناطِقٌ ذَهَبِيَّه
in a short tunic, cinched at the waist
by golden girdles,
قَدalready زُرِّدَتwere linked like mail فَوقَover فَرعٍa bough
قَد زُرِّدَت فَوقَ فَرعٍ
مِنfrom فَوقِهِabove it شَمسِيَّهa sunlike face
مِن فَوقِهِ شَمسِيَّه
linked like mail around a bough,
with a sunlike face above it.
ياO طيبَsweetness ذَلِكَthat عَيشاًa life
يا طيبَ ذَلِكَ عَيشاً
لَوif only صالَحَتنيwould make peace with me المَنِيَّهdeath
لَو صالَحَتني المَنِيَّه
Oh, how sweet that life—
if only death would make peace with me!
سَقياًa blessing of rain لِعَصرِupon the days of شَبابيmy youth
سَقياً لِعَصرِ شَبابي
إِذwhen لِمَّتيmy locks سَبَجِيَّهjet-black
إِذ لِمَّتي سَبَجِيَّه
May rain bless the days of my youth,
when my locks were jet-black,
وَإِذand when أَمُدُّI stretch out رِدائيmy cloak
وَإِذ أَمُدُّ رِدائي
بِقامَةٍwith a stature خَطِّيَّهlike a Khatt spear
بِقامَةٍ خَطِّيَّه
and when I filled out my cloak
with a stature like a Khatt spear.
فَالآنَbut now آنَستُI have grown receptive لِلعَذto reproof (word continues)
فَالآنَ آنَستُ لِلعَذ
لِ(completes ‘reproof’) وَاِستَمَعتُand I listened to الوَصِيَهthe counsel
لِ وَاِستَمَعتُ الوَصِيَه
But now I have grown receptive
to reproof, and heeded counsel.
وَبُيِّضَتand were whitened شَعَراتٌa few hairs
وَبُيِّضَت شَعَراتٌ
فيin مَفرِقيthe parting of my hair فِضِّيَّهsilvery
في مَفرِقي فِضِّيَّه
And a few hairs have turned white,
silvery along my parting.
Sol 6.1