أَحَمامَةٌwas it a dove? حَلَبَتmilked شؤونَكَyour tear ducts أَسجَماfreely flowing tears
أَحَمامَةٌ حَلَبَت شؤونَكَ أَسجَما
تَدعوcalling to الهَديلَal-Hadil, the male dove بِذيat the place of الأَراكِthe arak trees سُجوعُcooing
تَدعو الهَديلَ بِذي الأَراكِ سُجوعُ
Was it a dove that milked streaming tears from your tear ducts,
calling to al-Hadil, cooing at Dhu al-Arak,
أَمor مَنزِلٌa dwelling خَلَقٌworn out أَضَرَّcaused damage بِهِto it البلىdecay
أَم مَنزِلٌ خَلَقٌ أَضَرَّ بِهِ البلى
وَالريحُand the wind وَالأَنواءُand seasonal rains وَالتَوديعُand abandonment
وَالريحُ وَالأَنواءُ وَالتَوديعُ
or a worn-out dwelling, damaged by decay,
and wind, seasonal rains, and abandonment,
بِلوىat the curving sands of كُفافَةَKufafah أَوor بِبُرقَةَat the stony tract of أَخزَمٍAkhzam
بِلوى كُفافَةَ أَو بِبُرقَةَ أَخزَمٍ
خيمٌtents عَلىupon آلاتِهنَّtheir frames وَشيعُwoven reed matting
خيمٌ عَلى آلاتِهنَّ وَشيعُ
at Kufafah's curving sands or Akhzam's stony tract—
tents with woven reed matting upon their frames?
عَجِبَتwas astonished أُمامَةُUmamah أَنthat رأَتنيshe saw me شاحِباًpale
عَجِبَت أُمامَةُ أَن رأَتني شاحِباً
ثَكَلَتكَmay she be bereaved of you أُمُّكَyour mother أَيُّwhat of ذاكَthat يَروعُcauses alarm
ثَكَلَتكَ أُمُّكَ أَيُّ ذاكَ يَروعُ
Umamah was astonished to see me pale.
May your mother be bereaved of you! What in that is alarming?
قَدmay يُدرِكُattain الشَرَفَhonor الفَتىthe young man وَرِداؤُهُthough his cloak
قَد يُدرِكُ الشَرَفَ الفَتى وَرِداؤُهُ
خَلَقٌworn out وَجَيبُand the neck-opening of قَميصِهِhis shirt مَرقوعُpatched
خَلَقٌ وَجَيبُ قَميصِهِ مَرقوعُ
A young man may attain honor, though his cloak
is worn and his shirt's neck-opening is patched,
وَيَنالُand obtains حاجَتَهُhis goal الَّتيwhich يَسموhe aspires لَهاto it
وَيَنالُ حاجَتَهُ الَّتي يَسمو لَها
وَيُطِلُّand leaves unavenged وِترَthe blood-claim of المَرءِthe man وَهوَthough he is وَضيعُlowly
وَيُطِلُّ وِترَ المَرءِ وَهوَ وَضيعُ
and obtain the object to which he aspires,
and leave a man's claim to vengeance unmet, though he is lowly.
إِمّاif تَرِينيyou see me شاحِباًpale مُتَبَذِّلاًshabbily dressed
إِمّا تَرِيني شاحِباً مُتَبَذِّلاً
وَالسَيفُand the sword يَخلقُwears out غِمدُهُits scabbard فَيَضيعُand so is neglected
وَالسَيفُ يَخلقُ غِمدُهُ فَيَضيعُ
If you see me pale and shabbily dressed—
and a sword is neglected when its scabbard wears out—
فَلَرُبَّfor many a لَذَّةِdelight of لَيلَةٍa night قَدindeed نِلتُهاI enjoyed it
فَلَرُبَّ لَذَّةِ لَيلَةٍ قَد نِلتُها
وَحَرامُهاand its forbidden pleasures بحَلالِهاby its lawful pleasures مَدفوعُwarded off
وَحَرامُها بحَلالِها مَدفوعُ
for many a night's delight have I enjoyed,
while its forbidden pleasures were warded off by its lawful ones,
بأوانِسٍwith companionable maidens حورِdark-pupilled with bright whites العُيونِof eyes كَأَنَّهاas though they were
بأوانِسٍ حورِ العُيونِ كَأَنَّها
آرامُwhite antelopes of وَجرَةَWajrah جادَهُنَّwatered them generously رَبيعُspring rain
آرامُ وَجرَةَ جادَهُنَّ رَبيعُ
with companionable, dark-eyed maidens, as though they were
white antelopes of Wajrah, generously watered by spring rain.
صَيدُprey of الحَبائِلِthe snares تَستَبينdiscern قُلوبَناour hearts
صَيدُ الحَبائِلِ تَستَبين قُلوبَنا
وَدَلالَهُنَّand their coy charm مُخَلَّقٌperfumed مَمنوعُkept out of reach
وَدَلالَهُنَّ مُخَلَّقٌ مَمنوعُ
Prey of snares, they discern our hearts,
and their coy charm is perfumed and kept out of reach.
Sol 6.1