ماnot رَحَّلواthey saddled بانواthey departed البُزَّلَthe mature camels العيساthe pale ones
ما رَحَّلوا بانوا البُزَّلَ العيسا
إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already حَمَلواthey loaded فيهاin them الطَواويساthe peacocks
إِلّا وَقَد حَمَلوا فيها الطَواويسا
They did not saddle the mature, pale camels and depart
Whenever they packed their bags and left Buzaala,
without having loaded them with peacocks:
They would surely take with them doves.
مِنof كُلِّeach فاتِكَةِdeadly الأَلحاظِthe glances مالِكَةٍa sovereign lady
مِن كُلِّ فاتِكَةِ الأَلحاظِ مالِكَةٍ
تَخالُهاyou imagine her فَوقَabove عَرشِa throne الدُرِّof pearls بِلقيساBilqis
تَخالُها فَوقَ عَرشِ الدُرِّ بِلقيسا
each a queen with murderous glances,
With glances that enchant, each a queen,
you would take her for Bilqis upon a throne of pearls.
You'd think them throned above a galaxy of pearls.
إِذاwhen تَمَشَّتshe walks عَلىupon صَرحِthe court الزُجاجِof glass تَرىyou see
إِذا تَمَشَّت عَلى صَرحِ الزُجاجِ تَرى
شَمساًa sun عَلىupon فَلَكٍa celestial sphere فيin حِجرِthe lap إِدريساof Idris
شَمساً عَلى فَلَكٍ في حِجرِ إِدريسا
When she walks across the glass court, you see
When she walks on glass palaces you see
a sun upon a celestial sphere in Idris's lap.
A sun orbiting, in the hand of Idris, a sphere.
تُحييshe revives إِذاwhen قُتِلَتshe was slain بِاللَحظِby a glance مَنطِقَهاher speech
تُحيي إِذا قُتِلَت بِاللَحظِ مَنطِقَها
كَأَنَّهاas though she عِندَماwhen تُحييshe gives life بِهِthrough it عيسىJesus
كَأَنَّها عِندَما تُحيي بِهِ عيسى
She revives her speech when she is slain by a glance,
Her gaze, if it killed, its eloquence
as though, when she gives life through it, she were Jesus.
Would revive, as Jesus did, the dead with a mere breath.
تَوراتُهاher Torah لَوحُthe tablet ساقَيهاof her two shins سَناًradiance وَأَناand I
تَوراتُها لَوحُ ساقَيها سَناً وَأَنا
أَتلوI recite وَأَدرُسُهاand I study it كَأَنَّنيas though I موسىMoses
أَتلو وَأَدرُسُها كَأَنَّني موسى
Her Torah is the radiant tablet of her two shins, and I
Her Torah is the tablets of her legs, and I
recite and study it as though I were Moses.
Recite and study them as if I were Moses.
أُسقُفَّةٌa female bishop مِنamong بَناتِthe daughters الرومِof the Romans عاطِلَةٌunadorned
أُسقُفَّةٌ مِن بَناتِ الرومِ عاطِلَةٌ
تَرىyou see عَلَيهاupon her مِنَof الأَنوارِthe lights ناموساa sacred law
تَرى عَلَيها مِنَ الأَنوارِ ناموسا
A bishopess among the daughters of the Romans, unadorned,
Bishops of Rome's girls are unemployed;
you see upon her a sacred law of light.
You'd see halos of light around them.
وَحشِيَّةٌwild ماnot بِهاin her أُنسٌfamiliarity قَدalready اِتَّخَذَتshe has established
وَحشِيَّةٌ ما بِها أُنسٌ قَد اِتَّخَذَت
فيin بَيتِthe house خَلوتِهاof her seclusion لِلذِّكرِfor remembrance ناووساa tomb
في بَيتِ خَلوتِها لِلذِّكرِ ناووسا
Wild, with no familiarity in her, she has set up
And a lonely woman who has no company has made
a tomb for remembrance in the house of her seclusion.
Her private room a monastery for chanting God's name.
قَدindeed أَعجَزَتshe has baffled كُلَّevery عَلّامٍlearned scholar بِمِلَّتِناin our faith
قَد أَعجَزَت كُلَّ عَلّامٍ بِمِلَّتِنا
وَداوُدِيّاًand a follower of David وَحِبراًand a rabbi ثُمَّthen قِسّيساa priest
وَداوُدِيّاً وَحِبراً ثُمَّ قِسّيسا
She has baffled every learned scholar of our faith,
She has confounded every scholar of our faith,
and a follower of David, and a rabbi, then a priest.
Davidic singers, rabbis, priests and bishops too.
إِنif أَومَأَتshe gestures تَطلُبُshe seeks الإِنجيلَthe Gospel تَحسَبُهاyou think her
إِن أَومَأَت تَطلُبُ الإِنجيلَ تَحسَبُها
أَقِسَّةًpriests أَوor بَطاريقاًpatriarchs شَماميساdeacons
أَقِسَّةً أَو بَطاريقاً شَماميسا
If she gestures, seeking the Gospel, you would take her for
If she gestures, seeking the Bible, you'd suppose her
priests, or patriarchs and deacons.
A Coptic pope or patriarch, a deacon.
نادَيتُI called out إِذwhen رَحَّلَتshe saddled لِلبَنينَfor the sons ناقَتَهاher she-camel
نادَيتُ إِذ رَحَّلَت لِلبَنينَ ناقَتَها
ياO حادِيَcamel-driver العيسِthe pale camels لاdo not تَحدوdrive on with song بِهاwith her العيساthe pale camels
يا حادِيَ العيسِ لا تَحدو بِها العيسا
I called out when she saddled her she-camel for the sons:
As she packed her camel's bags for Baniin,
O driver of the pale camels, do not sing them onward with her!
"O guide," I cried, "do not take her to Buzaala!"
عَبَّيتُI marshalled أَجيادَthe necks صَبريmy patience يَومَthe day بَينِهِمُtheir departure
عَبَّيتُ أَجيادَ صَبري يَومَ بَينِهِمُ
عَلىupon الطَريقِthe road كَراديساًsquadrons كَراديساsquadrons
عَلى الطَريقِ كَراديساً كَراديسا
I marshalled the necks of my patience on the day of their departure,
I reined my steeds of patience the day they left,
upon the road, squadron after squadron.
Along the road, many times over.
سَأَلتُI asked إِذwhen بَلَغَتit reached نَفسيmy soul تَراقِيَهاits collarbones
سَأَلتُ إِذ بَلَغَت نَفسي تَراقِيَها
ذاكَthat الجَمالَbeauty وَذاكَand that اللُطفَkindness تَنفيساrelief
ذاكَ الجَمالَ وَذاكَ اللُطفَ تَنفيسا
I asked, when my soul had reached its collarbones,
When she reached the peak of my soul's desire,
that beauty and that kindness for relief.
I asked for that beauty, that charm, as solace.
فَأَسلَمَتso she surrendered وَوَقاناand protected us اللَهُGod شِرَّتَهاher fierceness
فَأَسلَمَت وَوَقانا اللَهُ شِرَّتَها
وَزَحزَحَand drove away المَلِكُthe king المَنصورُal-Mansur (the victorious) إِبليساIblis
وَزَحزَحَ المَلِكُ المَنصورُ إِبليسا
So she surrendered, and God protected us from her fierceness,
She submitted, and God protected us from her evil,
and King al-Mansur drove Iblis away.
As the King, the Helper, banished Iblis.
Sol 6.1