ومربعand a spring meadow بالغورin al-Ghawr جزناهwe crossed it
ومربع بالغور جزناه
يرّقصsets dancing الطلthe dew خزاماهits lavender
يرّقص الطل خزاماه
And a spring meadow in al-Ghawr we crossed,
where dew set its lavender dancing.
مرَّتshe passed بهthrough it رهواًgently غريريةa Ghurayri she-camel
مرَّت به رهواً غريرية
تخديshe strides swiftly بيمناهalong its right side ويسراهand its left side
تخدي بيمناه ويسراه
A Ghurayri she-camel passed through it gently,
striding along its right and left,
بجنحunder cover of ليلٍa night أَليلdeeply dark حالكٍpitch-black
بجنح ليلٍ أَليل حالكٍ
يرميit hurls بوجهinto the face of الصبحdawn ظلماهits darkness
يرمي بوجه الصبح ظلماه
under cover of a deeply dark, pitch-black night,
hurling its darkness into dawn’s face.
ليلa night كليلlike the night of الصبthe lovesick lover وانيslow الخطىthe steps
ليل كليل الصب واني الخطى
مرتعدtrembling النجمthe star ادّstart of ادّرعناه: we donned it رعناهremainder of ادّرعناه: we donned it
مرتعد النجم ادّ رعناه
A night like the lovesick lover’s, slow of step,
with trembling stars—we wrapped ourselves in it.
أطالhe prolonged اذas قصَّرit shortened منof خطوهits stride
أطال اذ قصَّر من خطوه
فيهwithin it سميرthe evening companion of الحيthe camp نجواهhis whispered talk
فيه سمير الحي نجواه
As it shortened its stride, he prolonged
his whispered talk within it—the camp’s evening companion,
حتىuntil اذاwhen انجابlifted ظلامthe darkness of الدجىdeep night
حتى اذا انجاب ظلام الدجى
واسفرand unveiled الصبحdawn محياهits face
واسفر الصبح محياه
until the gloom of deep night lifted
and dawn unveiled its face,
وهبّand sprang up ذوthe one with الرعثةthe wattle منfrom نومهhis sleep
وهبّ ذو الرعثة من نومه
مستيقظاًawake فيin الحيthe camp ينعاهannouncing its death
مستيقظاً في الحي ينعاه
and the wattled cock sprang up from sleep,
awake in the camp, announcing the night’s death.
وعذبةand a woman sweet of الريقsaliva لهاshe has مبسمa smiling mouth
وعذبة الريق لها مبسم
تفترّshe smiles عنrevealing فلجa gap between ثناياهits front teeth
تفترّ عن فلج ثناياه
And a sweet-lipped maiden had a smiling mouth:
she smiled, revealing the gap between its front teeth.
تقنَّصتhunted down عينايmy two eyes فيهin it طلىa fawn
تقنَّصت عيناي فيه طلى
تنفثbreathe forth مثلthe like of السحرmagic عيناهits two eyes
تنفث مثل السحر عيناه
My eyes captured a fawn there,
whose eyes breathed forth the like of magic.
ترَّجلتshe dismounted عنfrom كورthe saddle of خطَّارةa tail-tossing she-camel
ترَّجلت عن كور خطَّارة
تلتقطshe gathers الدرthe pearls بحصباهamong its pebbles
تلتقط الدر بحصباه
She dismounted from a tail-tossing she-camel’s saddle,
gathering pearls among its pebbles.
Sol 6.1