نَفسيmy soul الفِداءُthe ransom لِبيضٍfor fair-skinned women خُرَّدٍshy virgins عُرُبٍloving
نَفسي الفِداءُ لِبيضٍ خُرَّدٍ عُرُبٍ
لَعِبنَthey toyed بيwith me عِندَat the time of لَثِمِkissing الرُكنِthe Corner وَالحَجَرِand the Stone
لَعِبنَ بي عِندَ لَثِمِ الرُكنِ وَالحَجَرِ
May my soul be ransom for fair, shy, loving maidens,
My soul is ransom for the whiteness of smooth-skinned Arab youths
who toyed with me as I kissed the Corner and the Stone.
Who played with me at the Black Stone and rocks
ماnot تَستَدَلُّyou find your way إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَهتَyou lost your way خَلفَهُمُbehind them
ما تَستَدَلُّ إِذا ما تَهتَ خَلفَهُمُ
إِلّاexcept بِريحِهِمُby their scent مِنfrom طَيِّبِsweetness الأَثَرِthe trail
إِلّا بِريحِهِمُ مِن طَيِّبِ الأَثَرِ
When you lose your way behind them, you find no guidance
I cannot find my way when lost without them
except by their scent, from their fragrant trail.
Except by their fragrance and the traces of their sweet scent
وَلاand no دَجاgrew dark بِيَaround me لَيلٌnight ماnot بِهِin it قَمَرٌa moon
وَلا دَجا بِيَ لَيلٌ ما بِهِ قَمَرٌ
إِلّاexcept that ذَكَرتُهُمُI remembered them فَسِرتُso I journeyed فيin القَمَرِthe moon
إِلّا ذَكَرتُهُمُ فَسِرتُ في القَمَرِ
And no moonless night ever darkened around me
No night is gloomy if it has a moon
but I remembered them and so journeyed in moonlight.
Except when I remember them and wander in the moonlight
وَإِنَّماand only حينَwhen أُمسيI spend the evening فيin رِكابِهِمُtheir caravan
وَإِنَّما حينَ أُمسي في رِكابِهِمُ
فَاللَيلُthen the night عِندِيَto me مِثلُlike الشَمسَthe sun فيin البُكَرِthe early mornings
فَاللَيلُ عِندِيَ مِثلُ الشَمسَ في البُكَرِ
And only when I spend the evening in their caravan
It is only when I spend my evenings in their company
is night to me like the sun in early morning.
That the night becomes to me like the sun at dawn
غازَلتُI wooed مِنfrom غَزَليmy love poetry مِنهُنَّfrom among them واحِدَةًone woman
غازَلتُ مِن غَزَلي مِنهُنَّ واحِدَةً
حَسناءَa beautiful woman لَيسَthere is not لَهاfor her أُختٌa sister مِنَamong البَشَرِhumankind
حَسناءَ لَيسَ لَها أُختٌ مِنَ البَشَرِ
Through my love poetry, I wooed one of them,
Of my love poems, I courted but one maiden
a beauty with no sister among humankind.
A beauty without peer among all people
إِنif أَسفَرَتshe unveiled عَنfrom مُحَيّاهاher face أَرَتكَshe showed you سَناًradiance
إِن أَسفَرَت عَن مُحَيّاها أَرَتكَ سَناً
مِثلَlike الغَزالَةِthe sun إِشراقاًin brilliance بِلاwithout غَبَرِdust
مِثلَ الغَزالَةِ إِشراقاً بِلا غَبَرِ
If she unveils her face, she shows you a radiance
When she reveals her face, she shows you a radiance
like the sun in brilliance, free of dust.
Like that of a doe, pure without blemish
لِلشَّمسِto the sun غُرَّتُهاher bright brow لِلَّيلِto the night طُرَّتُهاher forelock
لِلشَّمسِ غُرَّتُها لِلَّيلِ طُرَّتُها
شَمسٌa sun وَلَيلٌand night مَعاًtogether مِنamong أَعجُبِthe most wondrous الصُوَرِthe forms
شَمسٌ وَلَيلٌ مَعاً مِن أَعجُبِ الصُوَرِ
Her bright brow belongs to the sun, her forelock to the night:
For the sun is her veil, for the night her cloak
sun and night together—among the most wondrous forms.
She is sun and night together, a marvel to behold
فَنَحنُso we بِاللَيلِat night فيin ضَوءِlight النَهارِthe day بِهاthrough her
فَنَحنُ بِاللَيلِ في ضَوءِ النَهارِ بِها
وَنَحنُand we فيat الظُهرِnoon فيin لَيلٍa night مِنَof الشَعَرِthe hair
وَنَحنُ في الظُهرِ في لَيلٍ مِنَ الشَعَرِ
So through her, at night we are in the light of day,
So we are with her in daylight though it be night
and at noon we are in a night of hair.
And we are at noon in a night of poetry
Sol 6.1