إِنَّindeed سُلَيمىSulayma وَاللَهُand God يَكلَؤُهاguards her
إِنَّ سُلَيمى وَاللَهُ يَكلَؤُها
ضَنَّتshe was miserly بِشَيءٍwith something ماnot كانَwould have يَرزَؤُهاdiminished her
ضَنَّت بِشَيءٍ ما كانَ يَرزَؤُها
Indeed Sulayma—may God guard her—
Surely Sulayma, whom God confound,
Has begrudged something that would have cost her nothing.
Has become disaffected with something she never expected.
وَعَوَّدَّتنيand she accustomed me فيماamong what تُعَودُِّنيshe accustoms me to
وَعَوَّدَّتني فيما تُعَودُِّني
أَظماءَintervals of thirst وَردٍdrinking ماnot كنتُI was أَجزَؤُهاable to endure them
أَظماءَ وَردٍ ما كنتُ أَجزَؤُها
And she has accustomed me, among the things she accustoms me to,
She has accustomed me to enduring patiently
To intervals of thirst between draughts I could not endure.
The long night whose length I never thought I could endure.
وَلاand not أَراهاI see her تَزالُcease to be ظالِمَةًunjust
وَلا أَراها تَزالُ ظالِمَةً
تُحَدِثُshe causes ليfor me نَكبَةًa misfortune وَتَنكؤُهاand reopens its wound
تُحَدِثُ لي نَكبَةً وَتَنكؤُها
Nor do I see her cease being unjust:
And I see that she persists in wronging me,
She brings me misfortune and reopens its wound.
Stirring up calamity for me and then blaming it on me.
وَتَزدَهينيand captivate me منfrom غَيرِother than فاحِشَةٍindecency
وَتَزدَهيني من غَيرِ فاحِشَةٍ
أَشياءُthings عَنهاabout her بالغَيبِin her absence أنبؤُهاI am told of them
أَشياءُ عَنها بالغَيبِ أنبؤُها
And, with no indecency, I am captivated
And without being indecent she tells me of things,
By things I am told about her in her absence.
About which I can only guess from hints she drops.
لَوif تُهنِيَbrought delight to العاشِقينَthe lovers ماwhat وَعَدَتshe promised
لَو تُهنِيَ العاشِقينَ ما وَعَدَت
لَكانَthen would be خَيرَthe best العِداةِpromises أَهنؤُهاthe sweetest of them
لَكانَ خَيرَ العِداةِ أَهنؤُها
If what she promised brought lovers delight,
If she were true to her promises to lovers,
The sweetest of them would be the best of promises.
Her perfidy would be far better hidden.
شَبَّتshe grew up وَشَبَّand grew العَفافُchastity يَتبَعُهاfollowing her
شَبَّت وَشَبَّ العَفافُ يَتبَعُها
فَلَمso not يُعَبwas faulted خِدنُهاher intimate companion وَمَنشَؤُهاand her upbringing
فَلَم يُعَب خِدنُها وَمَنشَؤُها
She grew up, and chastity grew, following her;
She grew up and chastity grew up with her,
So neither her intimate companion nor her upbringing was faulted.
So her scruple and her breeding were never impugned,
وَبَوَّأَتand she was settled فيin صَميمthe very heart مَعشَرِهاher clan
وَبَوَّأَت في صَميم مَعشَرِها
فَنَمَّso proclaimed فيamong قَومِهاher people مُبَوَّؤُهاher station
فَنَمَّ في قَومِها مُبَوَّؤُها
And she was settled in the very heart of her clan;
And she took her place in the choicest ranks,
So her station among her people spoke for her.
And one held in highest honor by her tribe,
خَودٌa lovely maiden تُعاطيكَoffers you بَعدَafter رَقدَتِهاher sleep
خَودٌ تُعاطيكَ بَعدَ رَقدَتِها
إِذاwhen يُلاقيmeets العُيونَthe eyes مَهدَؤُهاtheir repose
إِذا يُلاقي العُيونَ مَهدَؤُها
A lovely maiden offers you, after her sleep,
A cheek that even when it sleeps
When slumber comes to the eyes,
Rivals the eyes in its allure when it wakes,
كأساًa cup بفيهاfrom her mouth صَهباءَtawny مُعرِقَةًlightly diluted
كأساً بفيها صَهباءَ مُعرِقَةً
يَغلوis costly بِأَيديin the hands of التِجارthe merchants مَسبَؤُهاits purchase price
يَغلو بِأَيدي التِجار مَسبَؤُها
A cup of tawny, lightly diluted wine from her mouth,
A wine-filled cup passing from hand to hand
Whose purchase price runs high in the merchants’ hands.
Among the merchants, who bid high to own it.
Sol 6.1