رَمىmay cast اللَهُGod فيinto عَينَيthe two eyes of بُثَينَةَButhayna بِالقَذىwith grit
رَمى اللَهُ في عَينَي بُثَينَةَ بِالقَذى
وَفيand into الغُرِّthe gleaming-white ones مِنamong أَنيابِهاher canine teeth بِالقَوادِحِwith tooth-boring worms
وَفي الغُرِّ مِن أَنيابِها بِالقَوادِحِ
May God cast grit into Buthayna’s eyes—
May God cast grit into Buthayna’s eyes,
and gnawing decay into her gleaming teeth.
And tooth-boring worms into her gleaming-white canines.
رَمَتنيshe shot me بِسَهمٍwith an arrow ريشُهُits fletching الكُحلُkohl لَمdid not يَضِرharm
رَمَتني بِسَهمٍ ريشُهُ الكُحلُ لَم يَضِر
ظَواهِرَthe outer surfaces of جِلديmy skin فَهوَyet it فيin القَلبِthe heart جارِحيwounding me
ظَواهِرَ جِلدي فَهوَ في القَلبِ جارِحي
She shot me with an arrow feathered with kohl;
She shot me with an arrow whose fletching is kohl; it did not harm
it did not wound my outer skin, yet it cuts within the heart.
The surface of my skin, yet it wounds me in the heart.
أَلاah لَيتَنيif only I قَبلَbefore الَّذيwhat قُلتِyou said شيبَwas mixed ليfor me
أَلا لَيتَني قَبلَ الَّذي قُلتِ شيبَ لي
مِنَof المُذعِفِthe swift-killing القاضيthe death-dealing سِمامُpoisons of الذَرارِحِblister beetles
مِنَ المُذعِفِ القاضي سِمامُ الذَرارِحِ
If only, before there was mixed for me
Ah, if only, before what you said, there had been mixed for me
that weakening, death-dealing poison of the limbs,
Some swift-killing, deadly venom of blister beetles,
فَمُتُّso I died وَلَمand not تُعلَمbe known عَلَيَّagainst me خِيانَةٌtreachery
فَمُتُّ وَلَم تُعلَم عَلَيَّ خِيانَةٌ
أَلاah رُبَّmany a باغيseeker of الرِبحِprofit لَيسَis not بِرابِحِone who profits
أَلا رُبَّ باغي الرِبحِ لَيسَ بِرابِحِ
I had died, while she knew no treachery in me.
And I had died, with no treachery known against me.
How many a seeker of profit proves no gainer!
Ah, many a seeker of profit does not profit.
فَلاso do not تَحمِليهاbear it وَاِجعَليهاand regard it as جِنايَةٌan offense
فَلا تَحمِليها وَاِجعَليها جِنايَةٌ
تَرَوَّحتُI found relief مِنهاfrom it فيin مِياحَةِthe water-drawing of مائِحِa well-dipper
تَرَوَّحتُ مِنها في مِياحَةِ مائِحِ
So do not take it upon yourself; count it as an offense
So do not bear it; regard it as an offense
from which I have drawn back, with a water-drawer’s backward sway.
From which I found relief in a well-dipper’s drawing.
أَبوءُI confess بِذَنبيto my sin أَنَّنيthat I قَدindeed ظَلَمتُهاwronged her
أَبوءُ بِذَنبي أَنَّني قَد ظَلَمتُها
وَإِنّيand indeed I بِباقيof the rest of سِرِّهاher secret غَيرُnot بائِحِone who divulges
وَإِنّي بِباقي سِرِّها غَيرُ بائِحِ
I confess my sin: I have wronged her;
I confess my sin: I have wronged her,
yet of the rest of her secret I shall disclose nothing.
And I do not divulge the rest of her secret.
Sol 6.1