وَلَمّاand when لَحِقناwe caught up بِالحُمولِwith the laden camels وَدونَهَاand before them
وَلَمّا لَحِقنا بِالحُمولِ وَدونَهَا
خَميصُlean الحَشاthe belly تُوهِىweaken القَميصَthe shirt عواتِقُهhis shoulders
خَميصُ الحَشا تُوهِى القَميصَ عواتِقُه
And when we caught up with the laden camels, before them stood
When we reached the sand dunes below them
a lean-waisted man whose shoulders strained his shirt,
The gown of beauty concealed her shoulders' grace
قَليلُlittle قَذَىspecks of dirt العَينَينِthe two eyes نَعلَمُwe know أَنَّهُthat he
قَليلُ قَذَى العَينَينِ نَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ
هُوَhe المَوتُdeath غِنif (apparent typo) لمnot تُصرَعَنّاfell us بَوَائِقُهhis calamities
هُوَ المَوتُ غِن لم تُصرَعَنّا بَوَائِقُه
with scarcely a speck in his eyes—we know that he
A little dust in the eyes reveals to us
is death itself, even if his ravages have not felled us.
That it is death if its straps did not make us collapse
وَقَفناwe stopped فَسَلَّمناthen we greeted فَسلَّمَthen he greeted كارهاًreluctantly
وَقَفنا فَسَلَّمنا فَسلَّمَ كارهاً
عليناto us وتَبريحٌand torment مِنَfrom الغَيظِrage خانِقُهchoking him
علينا وتَبريحٌ مِنَ الغَيظِ خانِقُه
We stopped and greeted him; reluctantly he greeted
We stopped and greeted, so she reluctantly
us, while the torment of rage choked him.
Greeted us back with suffocating anger
فَسَاءلتُهُso I questioned him تّىuntil (truncated) اطمَأنَّhe calmed وَقدand already بَدَاappeared
فَسَاءلتُهُ تّى اطمَأنَّ وَقد بَدَا
لناto us بَرَدٌhail مِنهُfrom him تَطيرُfly صَواعِقُهits thunderbolts
لنا بَرَدٌ مِنهُ تَطيرُ صَواعِقُه
So I questioned him until he calmed, though there had appeared
I asked her again and again until she calmed down
before us a hailstorm from him, its thunderbolts flying.
And a coldness from her flew towards us like lightning bolts
فَسايَرتُهُthen I traveled beside him مِيلَينِtwo miles ياoh لَيتَif only أَنَّنىthat I
فَسايَرتُهُ مِيلَينِ يا لَيتَ أَنَّنى
عَلَىdespite سُخطِهِhis displeasure حتّىuntil المَماتِdeath أُرافِقُهI accompany him
عَلَى سُخطِهِ حتّى المَماتِ أُرافِقُه
Then I traveled beside him for two miles—oh, if only I
I walked with her gently, oh I wish
could accompany him, despite his displeasure, until death!
I could endure her anger until death accompanies me
فَلمّاthen when رَأتshe saw أنthat لاno جَوابَreply وَأنّماand that only
فَلمّا رَأت أن لا جَوابَ وَأنّما
مَدَىthe span الصَّرمِof estrangement مَضروبٌpitched عليناover us سُرادِقُهits pavilion
مَدَى الصَّرمِ مَضروبٌ علينا سُرادِقُه
Then, when she saw there was no reply, and that only
When she saw no answer, but rather
the span of estrangement had its pavilion pitched over us,
The drawn sword hanging over us like a canopy
رَمَتنِىshe struck me بِطَرفٍwith a glance كَمِيَّاan armored warrior رَمَتshe struck بِهِwith it
رَمَتنِى بِطَرفٍ كَمِيَّا رَمَت بِهِ
لَبُلَّwould be drenched نَجِيعاًin blood نَحرُهُhis throat وَبَنائِقُهand his shirt-gussets
لَبُلَّ نَجِيعاً نَحرُهُ وَبَنائِقُه
she struck me with a glance—had she struck an armored warrior with it,
She glanced at me with eyes that glanced
his throat and shirt-gussets would have been drenched in blood—
To melt my throat and jugular altogether
بِنُورٍwith light بَدَاshone منfrom حاجِبَيهَاher two brows كأنَّهُas though it were
بِنُورٍ بَدَا من حاجِبَيهَا كأنَّهُ
بُروقُlightning flashes الحَياof rain تُهدَىare sent لِنَجدٍtoward Najd شَقائِقُهits streaks
بُروقُ الحَيا تُهدَى لِنَجدٍ شَقائِقُه
with light shining from her two brows, as though it were
With a light that shone from her eyebrows as if
the lightning of rain, its streaks sent toward Najd.
It was the lightning of life sent down to Najd's meadows
وَرُحناand we departed وكلٌّand each نَفسُهُhis soul قَدalready تَصَعَّدَتhad risen
وَرُحنا وكلٌّ نَفسُهُ قَد تَصَعَّدَت
إِلىto النَّحرِthe throat حتَّىuntil ضَمَّهاenclosed it مُتَضَايِقُهits narrow passage
إِلى النَّحرِ حتَّى ضَمَّها مُتَضَايِقُه
And we departed, each one's soul having risen
We left and each one’s soul had flared up
to the throat, until its narrow passage enclosed it,
To the throat until congested by distress
مِنَfrom الوَجدِlonging إِلاّexcept أَنَّthat مَنwhoever فَاضَoverflowed دَمعُهُhis tears
مِنَ الوَجدِ إِلاّ أَنَّ مَن فَاضَ دَمعُهُ
أراحَfound relief وَظِلُّand the shadow المَوتِof death تَغشَىenvelop بَوارِقُهits flashes
أراحَ وَظِلُّ المَوتِ تَغشَى بَوارِقُه
from longing—except that whoever's tears overflowed
Except those whose tears had overflowed
found relief, while the flashes of death's shadow enveloped us.
Were relieved while the shadow of death covered the innocent
مَنَحتُI bestowed صَرِيحَpure الوُدِّlove لَيلىLayla كَرامةًin honor
مَنَحتُ صَرِيحَ الوُدِّ لَيلى كَرامةً
لِلَيلىfor Layla ولكنّىbut I لِغَيرِكfor anyone but you ماذِقُهdiluting it
لِلَيلى ولكنّى لِغَيرِك ماذِقُه
I bestowed pure love on Layla, in honor
I gave honesty to Layla as a gift
of Layla; but for anyone other than you, I dilute it.
Out of respect for Layla but I do not taste it for another
فَلَمyet did not تَجزِنيrepay me بالوُدِّwith love لَيلىLayla وَلَمand did not تَخَفfear
فَلَم تَجزِني بالوُدِّ لَيلى وَلَم تَخَف
مَلاَمَكَyour reproach فىconcerning عَهدٍa covenant عليناupon us وَثائِقُهits bonds
مَلاَمَكَ فى عَهدٍ علينا وَثائِقُه
Yet Layla did not repay me with love, nor did she fear
Layla did not reward me with love, and did not fear
your reproach over a covenant whose bonds held us.
Blaming me despite our binding covenant
Sol 6.1