لمنwhose سارياتٌnight-travelers بينbetween وَهنٍearly night وَتَغليسِand pre-dawn darkness
لمن سارياتٌ بين وَهنٍ وَتَغليسِ
تزفُّthey move swiftly زَفيفَwith the fluttering of الطَّيرbirds فيin صُورِthe forms of العيسِpale camels
تزفُّ زَفيفَ الطَّير في صُورِ العيسِ
Whose are these night-travelers, between early night and the dark before dawn,
flitting like birds in the forms of pale camels?
إِذاwhen أَنشقَتهاit lets them inhale طيبthe fragrance of نَجدٍNajd وَرندِهand its laurels
إِذا أَنشقَتها طيب نَجدٍ وَرندِه
صَباًan east wind نفَّستit relieves منof كَربِهاtheir distress بعضsome تَنفيسِrelief
صَباً نفَّست من كَربِها بعض تَنفيسِ
When it lets them breathe the scent of Najd and its laurels,
the east wind grants their anguish some relief.
وإِنand if نَفحَتهاwafts over them نَسمةٌa breeze حاجريَّةٌfrom Hajir
وإِن نَفحَتها نَسمةٌ حاجريَّةٌ
أَبَتthey refuse منout of غَرامardent longing أَنto تَميلَturn aside لِتَعريسِfor a brief night halt
أَبَت من غَرام أَن تَميلَ لِتَعريسِ
And if a breeze from Hajir wafts over them,
their longing makes them refuse to turn aside for a brief night halt.
يُطرِّبُهاenraptures them جرسُthe sound الحُداةof the singing camel-drivers فَتَنثَنيso they sway
يُطرِّبُها جرسُ الحُداة فَتَنثَني
تقلِّبُtossing قَلباًa heart بينbetween وَجدٍardent longing وَتأنيسِand solace
تقلِّبُ قَلباً بين وَجدٍ وَتأنيسِ
The camel-drivers' chanting thrills them, and they sway,
tossing a heart between yearning and solace.
سرتthey traveled by night تَتَهادىswaying gently بالحدوجwith the litters كأَنَّهاas though they were
سرت تَتَهادى بالحدوج كأَنَّها
بُروجُmansions of نجومٍstars أَوor وكورُnests of طَواويسِpeacocks
بُروجُ نجومٍ أَو وكورُ طَواويسِ
They traveled by night, swaying gently with litters that seemed
mansions of stars, or nests of peacocks.
عَلىon كُلِّevery فتلاءِa she-camel with out-turned المَرافقelbows هَودجٌa howdah
عَلى كُلِّ فتلاءِ المَرافق هَودجٌ
تَقيسُyou compare بهwith it فيin حُسنهits beauty عرشَthe throne بِلقيسِof Bilqis
تَقيسُ به في حُسنه عرشَ بِلقيسِ
On every she-camel with out-turned elbows rests a howdah,
against whose beauty you would measure the throne of Bilqis.
حَوىit held قَمَراًa moon منon دونهthis side of him لَيلُa night عِثيرٍof dust
حَوى قَمَراً من دونه لَيلُ عِثيرٍ
وَظبيَand a gazelle كِناسٍof a covert دونَهbefore him لَيثُa lion عرِّيسِof a lair
وَظبيَ كِناسٍ دونَه لَيثُ عرِّيسِ
It held a moon screened by a night of dust,
and a gazelle in its covert, guarded by a lion in its lair.
إِذاwhen رقَّhe grows tender ليtoward me مِمّاbecause of what أُقاسيI endure صَبابَةًin love-longing
إِذا رقَّ لي مِمّا أُقاسي صَبابَةً
تنمَّرturns leopard-fierce ليtoward me منamong قَومهhis people كُلُّevery غِطريسِarrogant man
تنمَّر لي من قَومه كُلُّ غِطريسِ
Whenever he pities me for the longing I endure,
every arrogant man of his people turns on me like a leopard.
وإِنand if قُلتُI say عجturn aside بيto me قالَhe says عُجبيmy conceit يَصدُّنيholds me back
وإِن قُلتُ عج بي قالَ عُجبي يَصدُّني
فَيُبديthus displays بديعُthe wondrous one الحسنِin beauty أَحسنthe finest تَجنيسِwordplay
فَيُبدي بديعُ الحسنِ أَحسن تَجنيسِ
And if I say, 'Turn to me,' he says, 'My conceit turns me away,'
thus that wonder of beauty displays the finest wordplay.
وَكَمand many a عاذِلٍreproacher فيهconcerning him يُنمِّقembellishes عذلَهhis reproach
وَكَم عاذِلٍ فيه يُنمِّق عذلَه
وَواشٍand a tale-bearer يَشيspreads slander تَنميسَdisguising إِفكٍfalsehood بِتَدليسِwith deceit
وَواشٍ يَشي تَنميسَ إِفكٍ بِتَدليسِ
And many a critic of my love for him embellishes his rebuke,
and many a tale-bearer slanders, cloaking falsehood in deceit.
فَلِلَّهِso, to God belongs قَلبٌa heart لاnot يَزالceases معذَّباًtormented
فَلِلَّهِ قَلبٌ لا يَزال معذَّباً
بِتَنميقِby the embellishment of عَذلٍreproach فيconcerning الغَرامardent love وَتَنميسِand deception
بِتَنميقِ عَذلٍ في الغَرام وَتَنميسِ
By God, what a heart—forever tormented
by ornate reproaches over love, and by deceit.
وَلَمand did not أَنسَI forget أَيّاماًdays نعِمتُI delighted بقُربِهin his nearness
وَلَم أَنسَ أَيّاماً نعِمتُ بقُربِه
وَغيسانُand the youthful bloom عُمريof my life منهthrough him فيamid نعمblessings عيسِbright white
وَغيسانُ عُمري منه في نعم عيسِ
And I have not forgotten days when I delighted in his nearness,
while my youthful life, through him, enjoyed bright blessings;
وَلَيلَةand a night أُنسٍof intimacy للوصالfor union كأَنَّماas though
وَلَيلَة أُنسٍ للوصال كأَنَّما
تزيَّنwas adorned ثغرُthe mouth الدَهرِof Time منهاby it بتَلعِيسِwith a dusky lip-tint
تزيَّن ثغرُ الدَهرِ منها بتَلعِيسِ
and a night of intimacy and union, as though
Time's mouth were adorned by it with a lovely dusky tint.
تَجلّىhe shone forth فجلّىand dispelled للنَدامىfor the drinking companions ظَلامَهاits darkness
تَجلّى فجلّى للنَدامى ظَلامَها
بِبكرِwith a virgin مدامwine لاnot تُعابis faulted بتَعنيسِfor long maidenhood
بِبكرِ مدام لا تُعاب بتَعنيسِ
He shone forth, dispelling its darkness for the drinking companions
with virgin wine, whose long maidenhood was no disgrace.
سُلافٌchoice wine كستcloaked ضوءَthe light البُدورof full moons كؤوسُهاits cups
سُلافٌ كست ضوءَ البُدور كؤوسُها
وَبَزَّتand outshone ضياءَthe radiance الشَمسِof the sun فيin حالa state of تَشميسِexposure to sunlight
وَبَزَّت ضياءَ الشَمسِ في حال تَشميسِ
A choice wine whose cups veiled the light of full moons,
and outshone the sun's radiance when exposed to sunlight.
إِذاwhen اِفترَّparts in a smile للنَدمانِupon the drinking companion ثَغرُthe mouth حَبابِهاof its bubbles
إِذا اِفترَّ للنَدمانِ ثَغرُ حَبابِها
يُقابلُmeets مِنهاfrom it البشرthe cheerful welcome كلٌّeach one بتَعبيسِwith a frown
يُقابلُ مِنها البشر كلٌّ بتَعبيسِ
When its bubbling mouth smiles upon the drinker,
each answers its smile with a frown.
عَمَرناwe made flourish بِهاwith it ربعَthe abode السُرورِof joy وَلَمand did not نزلwe cease
عَمَرنا بِها ربعَ السُرورِ وَلَم نزل
نؤسِّسُwe lay foundations for بُنيانَthe edifice الهويof love أَيَّwhat a تأسيسِfoundation-laying
نؤسِّسُ بُنيانَ الهوي أَيَّ تأسيسِ
With it we made the abode of joy flourish, and never ceased
to build love's edifice on the firmest foundations.
Sol 6.1