أَضحَتshe has become أُمامَةُUmamah بَعدَafter النَّأىِseparation قَدalready قَرُبَتshe has drawn near
أَضحَت أُمامَةُ بَعدَ النَّأىِ قَد قَرُبَت
وَالحَمدُand praise لِلهِto God هَذَاthis يَومُthe day نَأتِيهاwe come to her
وَالحَمدُ لِلهِ هَذَا يَومُ نَأتِيها
Umamah has now drawn near after being far away;
Umamah has come near after the separation
And praise be to God: this is the day we come to her.
Praise be to Allah, this is the day I meet her
عَجزَاءُfull-hipped مُدبِرَةًturning away هَيفَاءٌslender-waisted مُقبِلَةًapproaching
عَجزَاءُ مُدبِرَةً هَيفَاءٌ مُقبِلَةً
كَمُخَّةِlike the marrow of السّاقِthe shank رَضَّcrushed العَظمَthe bone نَاقِيهَاits marrow-extractor
كَمُخَّةِ السّاقِ رَضَّ العَظمَ نَاقِيهَا
Full-hipped as she turns away, slender-waisted as she approaches,
Tottering away backwards, advancing coquettishly
Like shank-bone marrow whose extractor has crushed the bone.
Like the swaying of a leg whose bone its tendon supports
كأَنَّas though حِقفَىtwo curved ridges of كَثِيبٍa sand dune أُزِّرَتshe was girdled بِهِمَاwith them both
كأَنَّ حِقفَى كَثِيبٍ أُزِّرَت بِهِمَا
وَمَعقِدُand the fastening-place of الحَلىِthe jewelry شَمسٌa sun فىamid تَرَاقِيهَأher collarbones
وَمَعقِدُ الحَلىِ شَمسٌ فى تَرَاقِيهَأ
As though she were girdled with a dune's two curved ridges,
As if the anklets of a dune, adorned with them both
And where her jewels are fastened is a sun amid her collarbones.
And the necklace's pendant, a sun in its rising
لَوif يَستَطِيعُhe could ضجِيعُthe bedfellow of الحُبِّlove أَدخَلَهَاhe would draw her in
لَو يَستَطِيعُ ضجِيعُ الحُبِّ أَدخَلَهَا
فِىinto جَوفِهِhis interior عَجَباًin wonder مِمّاat what يَرَىhe sees فِيهَاin her
فِى جَوفِهِ عَجَباً مِمّا يَرَى فِيهَا
If love's bedfellow could, he would draw her
If only the lover could take her into
Into his own body, marveling at what he sees in her.
His bosom, out of wonder at what he sees in her
فَلاso not يَمِيلُhe turns away وَلاَand not يَكرَىhe grows drowsy مُضَاجِعُهَاher bedfellow
فَلا يَمِيلُ وَلاَ يَكرَى مُضَاجِعُهَا
وَلاَand not يَمَلُّhe tires مِنَof النَّجوَىwhispered talk مُنَاجِيهَاher confidant
وَلاَ يَمَلُّ مِنَ النَّجوَى مُنَاجِيهَا
So her bedfellow neither turns away nor grows drowsy,
Neither leaning to one side, nor turning away are her pillows
Nor does her confidant tire of their whispered talk.
Nor is her confidant ever tired of whispering to her
ياoh لَيتَwould that شِعرِىَmy knowledge وَالإِنسَانُand man ذُوpossessed of أَمَلٍhope
يا لَيتَ شِعرِىَ وَالإِنسَانُ ذُو أَمَلٍ
وَالنَّفسُand the soul أَذكَرُmost mindful of شَىءٍa thing لاَnot يُوَاتِيهَاcomes its way
وَالنَّفسُ أَذكَرُ شَىءٍ لاَ يُوَاتِيهَا
Oh, would that I knew—for man is full of hope,
If only I knew—though man is ever hopeful
And the soul dwells most on what eludes it—
And the soul remembers best what never comes to it—
هَلwhether ترجِعَنَّwill surely return نَوىًseparation لِلحىِّfor the tribe جَامِعَةًgathering together
هَل ترجِعَنَّ نَوىً لِلحىِّ جَامِعَةً
فِيهِمamong them أُمَيمَةُUmaymah قَدalready فَاءَتhave returned قَوَاصِيهَاits far-flung ones
فِيهِم أُمَيمَةُ قَد فَاءَت قَوَاصِيهَا
Will separation ever turn back and reunite the tribe,
Will she ever consent to a life with me
With Umaymah among them, its far-flung members returned?
Where Umamah returns and fulfils her promises?
أَبلِغtell أُمَيمَةَUmaymah أنِّىthat I لَستُI am not نَاسِيهَاforgetting her
أَبلِغ أُمَيمَةَ أنِّى لَستُ نَاسِيهَا
وَلاَand not مُطِيعاًobeying بِظَهرِbehind the back of الغَيبِabsence وَاشِيهَاher slanderer
وَلاَ مُطِيعاً بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ وَاشِيهَا
Tell Umaymah that I do not forget her,
Give Umamah the message that I've not forgotten her
Nor heed her slanderer in her absence,
Nor obeyed the slanderers behind her back
وَلاand not مُضِيعاًbetraying لَهاof hers سِرَاًa secret عَلِمتُI learned بِهِof it
وَلا مُضِيعاً لَها سِرَاً عَلِمتُ بِهِ
حَتّىuntil يُجِيبَanswers حِمَامَthe doom of المَوتِdeath دَاعِيهَاthe one calling to her
حَتّى يُجِيبَ حِمَامَ المَوتِ دَاعِيهَا
Nor betray a secret of hers that I have learned,
Nor betrayed any secret of hers I learned
Until he who calls to her answers death's decree.
Until the dove of death answers its caller
ياoh لَيتَنَاwould that we فَرَدَاtwo solitary ones وَحشٍwild beasts نَبِيتُwe spend the night مَعاًtogether
يا لَيتَنَا فَرَدَا وَحشٍ نَبِيتُ مَعاً
نَرعَىwe graze المِتَانَthe firm uplands ونَخفَىand we hide فِىin فَيَافِيهاtheir desert wastes
نَرعَى المِتَانَ ونَخفَى فِى فَيَافِيها
Oh, would that we were two lone wild beasts, spending the night together,
If only we were wild beasts, living together
Grazing the firm uplands and hiding in their desert wastes.
Grazing the acacia's blossoms and hiding in its thickets
وَلَيتَand would that كُدرَthe dusky ones of القَطَاthe sandgrouse حَلَّقنَthey soared بِىwith me وَبِهَاand with her
وَلَيتَ كُدرَ القَطَا حَلَّقنَ بِى وَبِهَا
دُونَbeneath السَّماءِthe sky فَعِشناso we lived فىamong خَوَافِيهَاtheir inner wing-feathers
دُونَ السَّماءِ فَعِشنا فى خَوَافِيهَا
And would that dusky sandgrouse bore me and her aloft,
If only the wild doves circled me and her
Beneath the sky, so we might live among their inner wing-feathers.
Beneath the sky so we could live in their nests
وَلَيتَand would that أَنِّيthat I وَإِيّاهَاand with her عَلَىon جَبَلٍa mountain
وَلَيتَ أَنِّي وَإِيّاهَا عَلَى جَبَلٍ
فىat رَأسِthe summit of شَاهِقَةٍa towering height صَعبٍhard مَرَاقِيهَاits paths of ascent
فى رَأسِ شَاهِقَةٍ صَعبٍ مَرَاقِيهَا
And would that I were with her on a mountain,
If only she and I were on a lofty mountain
Atop a towering height whose paths are hard to climb.
At the peak of an impregnable towering height
أَكثَرتُI have repeated often مِنof لَيتنِى'would that I...' لَوif كَانَit were يَنفَعُنِىbenefiting me
أَكثَرتُ مِن لَيتنِى لَو كَانَ يَنفَعُنِى
وَمِنand of مُنَىthe wishes of النَّفسِthe soul لَوif only تُعطَىit were granted أَمانِيهاits desires
وَمِن مُنَى النَّفسِ لَو تُعطَى أَمانِيها
I have said 'would that I...' so often—if only it would help me—
I have said "if only" too much, though it will not avail me
And dwelt on the soul's wishes—if only it were granted its desires.
Nor will my soul's wishes be granted if I name them
Sol 6.1