لناfor us بينbetween بطنِthe bottom of الواديينthe two valleys مُعَرَّجُa stopping place
لنا بين بطنِ الواديين مُعَرَّجُ
بحيثُwhere الغَضَاريَّانُthe ghada is well-watered والظلُّand the shade سَجْسَجُmild; temperate
بحيثُ الغَضَاريَّانُ والظلُّ سَجْسَجُ
Between the two valley bottoms we have a stopping place,
In the midst of the two valleys we have a winding path
where the ghada is well-watered and the shade is mild.
Where the bushes and shade intertwine
وفيand at ملتقىthe meeting of ظلِّthe shade of الأَراكِthe arak trees ومائِهِand its water
وفي ملتقى ظلِّ الأَراكِ ومائِهِ
نسيمٌa breeze بأنفاسwith the breaths of الرُّبَىthe hills يتأَرَّجُis fragrant
نسيمٌ بأنفاس الرُّبَى يتأَرَّجُ
And where the arak’s shade meets its water,
And where the meeting of shadow and water
a breeze is fragrant with the breaths of the hills.
A breeze with the scent of meadows flows gently
وتصفيقُand the clapping of أَمواهٍwaters لرقصِto the dance of أَمالدٍsupple boughs
وتصفيقُ أَمواهٍ لرقصِ أَمالدٍ
عليهنabove them أصواتُthe voices of الحمائمِthe doves تَهْزِجُsing melodiously
عليهن أصواتُ الحمائمِ تَهْزِجُ
And waters clap to the dance of supple boughs,
And the clapping of waters dancing
while above them the doves’ voices sing.
As the cooing of doves flutter around them
وقدand indeed نَسَجَhas woven النُّوَّارُthe blossoms بالغيمwith clouds أَبْرُداًstriped cloaks
وقد نَسَجَ النُّوَّارُ بالغيم أَبْرُداً
ولمand did not أَحْسَبِI imagine الأَبرادَthe striped cloaks بالغيمwith clouds تُنْسَجare woven
ولم أَحْسَبِ الأَبرادَ بالغيم تُنْسَج
And blossoms have woven striped cloaks with clouds,
The dew has woven the clouds into a cool veil
and I never thought cloaks could be woven with clouds.
I did not expect the clouds to weave the dew
ودارَand encircled علىaround الأَغصانِthe branches زَهْرٌblossoms كأنهاas though they were
ودارَ على الأَغصانِ زَهْرٌ كأنها
قدودٌslender figures عليهنupon them المُلاَءَthe mantles المُدَبَّجُbrocaded
قدودٌ عليهن المُلاَءَ المُدَبَّجُ
And flowers encircled the branches, as though they were
Upon the branches flowers turn as if
slender figures draped in brocaded mantles.
Adorned with glittering necklaces
خليليَّmy two friends منfrom قحطانَQahtan هاجَstirred لِيَfor me الأَسىsorrow
خليليَّ من قحطانَ هاجَ لِيَ الأَسى
حمامٌdoves بأَفْنَانِamong the boughs of الغصونِthe branches مُهَيَّجagitated
حمامٌ بأَفْنَانِ الغصونِ مُهَيَّج
My two friends of Qahtan, sorrow was stirred in me
My beloved Qahtan, sorrow has provoked in me,
by restless doves among the branching boughs.
A dove in the branches ardently stirred
أَحِنُّI yearn إلىfor البرقِthe lightning اليمانيْYemeni لأَنَّهbecause it
أَحِنُّ إلى البرقِ اليمانيْ لأَنَّه
كقلبيَlike my heart خفَّاقُfluttering الجناحِthe wing مُوَهَّجaflame
كقلبيَ خفَّاقُ الجناحِ مُوَهَّج
I yearn for the lightning of Yemen, for it
I yearn for the Yemeni lightning for it
is like my heart: fluttering-winged and aflame.
Flutters its wings like my restless heart
وقدand indeed ضَرَّجَstained crimson الدمعَthe tears الذيthat كانwas ناصعاًclear; pure
وقد ضَرَّجَ الدمعَ الذي كان ناصعاً
بعينيَّin my two eyes خدٌّa cheek بالحياءِwith modesty مُضَرَّجcrimsoned
بعينيَّ خدٌّ بالحياءِ مُضَرَّج
And tears that once were clear have been crimsoned
And tears once pure have stained
in my eyes by a cheek crimsoned with modesty.
My cheeks in bashfulness dyed
بداappeared فيin بياضٍwhiteness للشبابِof youth وحُمْرَةٍand redness
بدا في بياضٍ للشبابِ وحُمْرَةٍ
كأنَّas though عليهupon it النارَfire بالماءwith water تُمْزَجis mixed
كأنَّ عليه النارَ بالماء تُمْزَج
It appeared in youth’s whiteness and redness,
Appearing in youthful white and blush
as though fire were mixed with water upon it.
As if fire and water were mixed upon it
فأماand as for سوادُthe dark core of القلبthe heart منيof mine فَحَازَهُthen claimed it
فأما سوادُ القلب مني فَحَازَهُ
منfrom الغادةِthe tender maiden الحسناءbeautiful وسْنَانُdrowsy أَدْعَجdark-pupilled
من الغادةِ الحسناء وسْنَانُ أَدْعَج
And as for my heart’s dark core, it was claimed
As for the blackness of my heart, it has been seized
by the lovely maiden’s drowsy, dark eye.
By beautiful languor and the charm of a fawn
وليلٍand on a night تركتُI left البرقَthe lightning خَلْفِيَbehind me عاثراًstumbling
وليلٍ تركتُ البرقَ خَلْفِيَ عاثراً
وتحتَand beneath غُباريmy dust راشحُsweating العِطْفِthe flank دَيْزَجُa dark, unmarked horse
وتحتَ غُباري راشحُ العِطْفِ دَيْزَجُ
And on a night I left lightning stumbling behind me,
I left the lightning behind me, stumbling
and beneath my dust was a dark, unmarked horse, its flank sweating.
Beneath my dust, a compassionate glance, limping
ولاand no ناصرٌa defender إلاexcept قناةٌa lance وصارمٌand a keen sword
ولا ناصرٌ إلا قناةٌ وصارمٌ
ولاand no صاحبٌa companion إلاexcept فتاةٌa maiden وهَوْدَجand a howdah
ولا صاحبٌ إلا فتاةٌ وهَوْدَج
And no defender but a lance and a keen sword,
No ally but a sword and a blade
and no companion but a maiden and a howdah.
No companion but a maiden and an unsheathed sword
وقدand indeed لَمَعتْflashed زُرْقُblue الأَسنَّةِthe spearheads أَنجماًlike stars
وقد لَمَعتْ زُرْقُ الأَسنَّةِ أَنجماً
وماand not إِنْemphatic particle لهاfor them غيرُother than القناthe spear shafts اللَّدْنِsupple أَبْرُجcelestial houses
وما إِنْ لها غيرُ القنا اللَّدْنِ أَبْرُج
And the blue spearheads flashed like stars,
The blue of swords shone like stars
and had no celestial houses but the supple spear shafts.
Though they have none but rusty scabbards
فأيقظَthen awakened جفنَthe eyelid of الحيِّthe encampment منِّيَof mine صاهلٌa neighing steed
فأيقظَ جفنَ الحيِّ منِّيَ صاهلٌ
وَرَوَّعَهُand terrified it شَخْتُthin الصفيحينthe two blade faces أَبلَجُgleaming
وَرَوَّعَهُ شَخْتُ الصفيحين أَبلَجُ
Then a neighing steed of mine awakened the camp’s eyelid,
A night traveler awoke my living eyelid
and a thin-bladed, gleaming sword terrified it.
And frightened it with the clanging of two swords
وقالتand she said هزبرُa lion of الغابِthe forest زارَvisited خيامَهاher tents
وقالت هزبرُ الغابِ زارَ خيامَها
وماand not زارهاvisited her إلاexcept كَمِيٌّa warrior مُدَجَّجُfully armed
وما زارها إلا كَمِيٌّ مُدَجَّجُ
And she said a lion of the forest had visited her tents;
The bushes of the forest said a visitor came
yet none had visited her but a fully armed warrior,
But no one came except a fully armed warrior
وأَسمرُand a brown lance مَيَّادٌswaying وَعَضْبٌand a keen sword كأَنماas though
وأَسمرُ مَيَّادٌ وَعَضْبٌ كأَنما
يلوحُgleams عليهupon it الزِّئْبَقُquicksilver المُتَرَجْرِجُquivering
يلوحُ عليه الزِّئْبَقُ المُتَرَجْرِجُ
and a swaying brown lance, and a keen sword, as though
A dark bay, its mane as if
quivering quicksilver gleamed upon it.
Coated with rippling mercury
أتَأْنَفُdo you disdain أَنthat نَسْرِيwe travel by night إليهاto her بصافنٍon a steed with one hoof poised
أتَأْنَفُ أَن نَسْرِي إليها بصافنٍ
إلىto جودِthe generosity of إسماعيلَIsmail يَسْرِيtravels by night ويُدْلجُand travels early at night
إلى جودِ إسماعيلَ يَسْرِي ويُدْلجُ
Do you disdain our riding by night to her on a poised steed
Would I disdain to race to it with a mare
that travels by night to Ismail’s bounty and journeys at nightfall?
To the generosity of Ishmael galloping and plunging?
Sol 6.1