ياO, marking direct address دارَdwelling or home ميَّةMayya, the beloved’s name بالجَرعاءِat al-Jar‘āʾ, the sandy tract حيّاكmay it greet and bless you with life
يا دارَ ميَّة بالجَرعاءِ حيّاك
صَوبُdownpour or shower الحَياthe life-giving rain الرائحcoming or journeying in the evening الغاديcoming in the morning وأَحياكِand may it revive you
صَوبُ الحَيا الرائح الغادي وأَحياكِ
O home of Mayya at al-Jar‘āʾ—may you be greeted
and revived by life-giving showers, evening and morning.
ولاand may it never أَغَبَّكfail you or visit you only intermittently منfrom دَمعيmy tears سواجمُهtheir streaming floods
ولا أَغَبَّك من دَمعي سواجمُه
إِنif كانَit should be يُرضيكِit pleases you ريّاa full watering or quenching مدمعيmy tearful eye, the source of my tears الباكيthe weeping one
إِن كانَ يُرضيكِ ريّا مدمعي الباكي
Nor may the streaming floods of my tears ever fail you,
if the full watering of my weeping eyes can please you.
سَقياًrain and abundant watering, invoked as a blessing ورَعياًand rich pasture and well-being لأَيّامupon the days قضيتُI spent بهاthere
سَقياً ورَعياً لأَيّام قضيتُ بها
عيشَthe life الشَبيبةof youth فيamid أَكنافthe sheltering bounds or environs مَرعاكِyour grazing grounds
عيشَ الشَبيبة في أَكناف مَرعاكِ
Rain and rich pasture upon the days I spent there,
living the life of youth within your sheltering grazing grounds.
ماwhenever, in the paired “never … but” construction هَينَمَتmurmured or whispered indistinctly نسماتُbreezes الرَوضof the garden meadow خافقةًfluttering
ما هَينَمَت نسماتُ الرَوض خافقةً
إِلّاbut invariably تنسَّمتُI breathed in منهاfrom them طيبَthe sweetness or fragrance ريّاكِof your scent
إِلّا تنسَّمتُ منها طيبَ ريّاكِ
No garden breeze ever murmured as it fluttered
but I breathed from it the sweetness of your scent.
ولاnor did ever تَغنّىsing or warble حمامُthe doves الأَيكof the wooded thicket فيupon فَنَنٍa bough
ولا تَغنّى حمامُ الأَيك في فَنَنٍ
إِلّاbut invariably تذكّرتُI remembered أَيّاميmy days بمغناكِin your abode or resort
إِلّا تذكّرتُ أَيّامي بمغناكِ
No dove of the thicket ever sang upon a bough
but I remembered my days in your abode.
أَصبوI yearn إِلىtoward الرَملthe sands or dunes منof جَرعاءal-Jar‘āʾ, the sandy tract ذيbelonging to Dhū إضمٍIḍam, a place-name
أَصبو إِلى الرَمل من جَرعاء ذي إضمٍ
وَماand what لِقَلبيhas my heart to do وَللجَرعاءِwith al-Jar‘āʾ لَولاكِwere it not for you
وَما لِقَلبي وَللجَرعاءِ لَولاكِ
I yearn for the sands of al-Jar‘āʾ at Dhū Iḍam—
what would my heart have to do with al-Jar‘āʾ, were it not for you?
يخونُنيbetrays or fails me جَلَديmy fortitude and endurance ماwhenever حنَّyearns or moans مكتئبٌa sorrow-stricken person
يخونُني جَلَدي ما حنَّ مكتئبٌ
وَينفذُand is exhausted or runs out الصَبرُpatience مهماwhenever عنَّarises or presents itself ذكراكِremembrance of you
وَينفذُ الصَبرُ مهما عنَّ ذكراكِ
My fortitude betrays me whenever a sorrow-stricken soul moans,
and patience fails whenever remembrance of you arises.
لِلَّهby God, introducing an exclamation of wonder طيبُthe sweetness and delight لَيالٍof nights فيكِin you, meaning in your precincts مشرقةٍradiant
لِلَّه طيبُ لَيالٍ فيكِ مشرقةٍ
مرَّتthey passed away فَماand how, introducing an exclamation كانَthey had been أَحلاهاhow sweet they were وأَحلاكِand how sweet and lovely you were
مرَّت فَما كانَ أَحلاها وأَحلاكِ
By God, the sweetness of radiant nights in you—
now passed! How sweet they were, and how sweet were you,
إِذِwhen النَوىseparation and distance لمhad not ترُعdisturbed or scattered شَمليmy gathered circle and wholeness ولاnor had عرِيَتbeen stripped or left bare
إِذِ النَوى لم ترُع شَملي ولا عرِيَت
منof اِصطيادhunting or catching الظِباءgazelles الغيدgraceful and supple, also suggesting beautiful women أَشراكيmy snares
من اِصطياد الظِباء الغيد أَشراكي
when separation had not yet scattered my circle, nor had my snares
been left bare of catching graceful gazelles.
ياO, marking direct address ظبيةًgazelle, a conventional image of the beloved بالكثيبupon the dune الفردthe solitary one راتعةًgrazing freely
يا ظبيةً بالكثيب الفرد راتعةً
أَوحشتِyou have made desolate or bereft عينيmy eye or sight وفيwhile within الأَحشاءِthe innermost breast or entrails مَثواكِis your dwelling place
أَوحشتِ عيني وفي الأَحشاءِ مَثواكِ
O gazelle grazing freely upon the solitary dune,
you have left my eyes bereft, though your dwelling is deep within my breast.
رميتِyou shot or struck قَلبيmy heart بسهمٍwith an arrow منfrom رَناكِyour gaze وقدalthough already
رميتِ قَلبي بسهمٍ من رَناكِ وقد
سكنتِyou dwelt فيهwithin it, the heart فَماso not أَبعدتِdid you cast far مَرماكِyour target or mark
سكنتِ فيه فَما أَبعدتِ مَرماكِ
You shot my heart with an arrow from your gaze, though
you dwelt within it already—your target was not far.
الغصنُthe branch يُعربexpresses or bespeaks عنof عِطفيكthe curves of your two sides مائسُهُits swaying form
الغصنُ يُعرب عن عِطفيك مائسُهُ
وَطلعةُand the rising countenance or appearance البدرof the full moon تُنبيreveals or tells عنof مُحيّاكِyour face
وَطلعةُ البدر تُنبي عن مُحيّاكِ
The swaying branch bespeaks the curves of your sides;
the full moon’s countenance tells of your face.
وَكادَand nearly يَحكيكِresembled or imitated you ضوءُthe light الصُبحof dawn مبتَسِماًsmiling
وَكادَ يَحكيكِ ضوءُ الصُبح مبتَسِماً
لكنbut ثَناهُturned it back or checked it وَميضٌa flash or gleam منfrom ثَناياكِyour front teeth
لكن ثَناهُ وَميضٌ من ثَناياكِ
The smiling light of dawn almost mirrored you,
but the flash of your front teeth turned it back.
وَقيلand it was said شَمسُthe sun الضُحىof the bright forenoon تَحكيكِresembles you مشرقةًshining radiantly
وَقيل شَمسُ الضُحى تَحكيكِ مشرقةً
وماbut it did not حكتكِresemble you ولكنbut rather أوهِمَimagined it or gave a false impression الحاكيthe one making the comparison
وما حكتكِ ولكن أوهِمَ الحاكي
They said the shining forenoon sun resembles you;
it did not: the one who said so merely imagined it.
Sol 5.6