ياO حاديdriver of العيسَthe white camels بِسَلعٍat Salʿ عَرَّجِturn aside
يا حادي العيسَ بِسَلعٍ عَرَّجِ
وَقِفand halt عَلىby البانَةِthe moringa tree بِالمُدَرَّجِat al-Mudarraj
وَقِف عَلى البانَةِ بِالمُدَرَّجِ
O driver of the white camels, turn aside at Salʿ,
O guide of the caravan passing through Salu,
and halt by the moringa tree at al-Mudarraj.
Stop at the high grounds near the winding path,
وَنادِهِمand call to them مُستَعطِفاًseeking compassion مُستَلطِفاًseeking kindness
وَنادِهِم مُستَعطِفاً مُستَلطِفاً
ياO سادَتيmy masters هَلis there عِندَكُمwith you مِنany فَرَجِrelief
يا سادَتي هَل عِندَكُم مِن فَرَجِ
And call to them, seeking compassion and kindness:
Call out to them gently, politely,
O my masters, have you any relief?
My masters, is there any relief for me?
بِرامَةٍat Rāma بَينَbetween النَقاal-Naqā وَحاجِرٍand Ḥājir
بِرامَةٍ بَينَ النَقا وَحاجِرٍ
جارِيَةٌa maiden مَقصورَةٌsecluded فيin هَودَجِa howdah
جارِيَةٌ مَقصورَةٌ في هَودَجِ
At Rāma, between al-Naqā and Ḥājir,
In Rama, between al-Naqa and Hajir,
a maiden is secluded in a howdah.
There is a girl secluded in her chamber,
ياoh حُسنَهاher beauty مِنas a طَفلَةٍtender maiden غُرَّتُهاher brow
يا حُسنَها مِن طَفلَةٍ غُرَّتُها
تُضيءُshines لِلطارِقِfor the night traveler مِثلَlike السُرُجِthe lamps
تُضيءُ لِلطارِقِ مِثلَ السُرُجِ
How lovely she is—a tender maiden whose brow
How beautiful is that young maiden,
shines for the night traveler like lamps!
Her radiance lights the night like a lamp,
لُؤلُؤَةٌa pearl مَكنونَةٌhidden فيin صَدَفٍa shell
لُؤلُؤَةٌ مَكنونَةٌ في صَدَفٍ
مِنof شَعَرٍhair مِثلِlike سَوادِthe blackness of السَبَجِjet
مِن شَعَرٍ مِثلِ سَوادِ السَبَجِ
A pearl hidden in a shell
A hidden pearl in a shell,
of hair, as black as jet.
With hair black like the darkest night,
لُؤلُؤَةٌa pearl غَوّاصُهاher diver الفِكرُthought فَماand never
لُؤلُؤَةٌ غَوّاصُها الفِكرُ فَما
تَنفَكُّceases فيin أَغوارِthe depths of تِلكَthose اللُجَجِthe deep seas
تَنفَكُّ في أَغوارِ تِلكَ اللُجَجِ
A pearl whose diver is thought, and she never
A pearl whose diver is thought, never ceasing
ceases to dwell in the depths of those seas.
To plunge into the depths of those waves,
يَحسَبُهاtakes her to be ناظِرُهاher beholder ظَبيَa gazelle of نَقاًa sand dune
يَحسَبُها ناظِرُها ظَبيَ نَقاً
مِنbecause of جيدِهاher neck وَحُسنِand the beauty of ذاكَthat الغَنَجِcoy charm
مِن جيدِها وَحُسنِ ذاكَ الغَنَجِ
Her beholder takes her for a gazelle of the dunes,
Whoever sees her thinks her a gazelle of al-Naqa,
because of her neck and the beauty of that coy charm.
With her beautiful neck and charm,
كَأَنَّهاas though she were شَمسُthe sun of ضُحىًmidmorning فيin حَمَلٍAries
كَأَنَّها شَمسُ ضُحىً في حَمَلٍ
قاطِعَةٌtraversing أَقصىthe utmost مَعاليheights of الدَرَجِthe degrees
قاطِعَةٌ أَقصى مَعالي الدَرَجِ
It is as though she were the midmorning sun in Aries,
As if she were the dawn sun in its cradle,
traversing the very highest degrees of the zodiac.
Rising above the highest heavens,
إِنif حَسَرَتshe draws back بُرقُعَهاher face veil أَوor سَفَرَتshe unveils
إِن حَسَرَت بُرقُعَها أَو سَفَرَت
أَزرَتshe put to shame بِأَنوارِthe lights of الصَباحِthe dawn الأَبلَجِradiant
أَزرَت بِأَنوارِ الصَباحِ الأَبلَجِ
If she lifts her veil or uncovers her face,
When she unveils or travels abroad,
she puts the lights of radiant dawn to shame.
She is adorned with the lights of the brilliant dawn,
نادَيتُهاI called to her بَينَbetween الحِمىal-Ḥimā (the protected pasture) وَرامَةٍand Rāma
نادَيتُها بَينَ الحِمى وَرامَةٍ
مَنwho لِفَتىًfor a youth حَلَّhas alighted بِسَلعٍat Salʿ يَرتَجيhoping
مَن لِفَتىً حَلَّ بِسَلعٍ يَرتَجي
I called to her between al-Ḥimā and Rāma:
I called to her between al-Hima and Rama,
Who will aid a youth who has alighted at Salʿ in hope?
“Who will help a lad who came to Salu in distress?
مَنwho لِفَتىًfor a youth مُتَيَّهٍlost فيin مَهمَهٍa trackless desert
مَن لِفَتىً مُتَيَّهٍ في مَهمَهٍ
مُوَلَّهٍlove-distraught مُدَلَّهِbewildered in العَقلِmind شَجىgrief-stricken
مُوَلَّهٍ مُدَلَّهِ العَقلِ شَجى
Who will aid a youth lost in a trackless desert,
Who will help a confused, wandering lad,
love-distraught, bewildered in mind, grief-stricken?
Bewildered, broken in mind and heart?
مَنwho لِفَتىًfor a youth دَمعَتُهُhis tear مُغرِقَةٌdrowning
مَن لِفَتىً دَمعَتُهُ مُغرِقَةٌ
أَسكَرَهُmade him drunk خَمرٌwine بِذاكَin that الفَلَجِgap between the front teeth
أَسكَرَهُ خَمرٌ بِذاكَ الفَلَجِ
Who will aid a youth whose tear drowns him,
Who will help a lad whose tears are flooding,
made drunk by wine in that gap between her front teeth?
Intoxicated by the wine of those meadows?
مَنwho لِفَتىًfor a youth زَفرَتُهُhis sigh مُحرِقَةٌscorching
مَن لِفَتىً زَفرَتُهُ مُحرِقَةٌ
تَيَّمَهُenslaved him with love جَمالُthe beauty of ذاكَthat البَلَجِclear space between the brows
تَيَّمَهُ جَمالُ ذاكَ البَلَجِ
Who will aid a youth whose sigh is scorching,
Who will help a lad whose sighs are scorching,
enslaved by the beauty of that clear space between her brows?
Infatuated by the beauty of those fields?”
قَدindeed لَعِبَتhave toyed أَيديthe hands of الهَوىpassion بِقَلبِهِwith his heart
قَد لَعِبَت أَيدي الهَوى بِقَلبِهِ
فَماso no عَلَيهِupon him فيregarding الَّذيthat which مِنany حَرَجِblame
فَما عَلَيهِ في الَّذي مِن حَرَجِ
The hands of passion have toyed with his heart,
The hands of love have played with his heart,
so he bears no blame for any of this.
He has no qualms in what happened to him.
Sol 6.1