اسْمَعْlisten مَقَالاًan account مِنْfrom أَخa brother ذَاpossessing وُدِّaffection
اسْمَعْ مَقَالاً مِنْ أَخ ذَا وُدِّ
وَذَاكَand that أَنِّيthat I كُنْتُI was حِلْفَa sworn ally وَجْدِlonging
وَذَاكَ أَنِّي كُنْتُ حِلْفَ وَجْدِ
Hear an account from an affectionate brother:
And it is this: I was a sworn ally of longing,
بِشَادِنٍfor a young gazelle فِيin كُلِّevery حُسْنٍbeauty فَرْدِpeerless
بِشَادِنٍ فِي كُلِّ حُسْنٍ فَرْدِ
مَلِيْحِfair خَدٍّcheek وَمَلِيْحِand fair قَدِّfigure
مَلِيْحِ خَدٍّ وَمَلِيْحِ قَدِّ
For a young gazelle, peerless in every grace,
Fair of cheek and fair of figure,
كَبَدْرِlike a moon تَمٍّfullness فِيin قَضِيْبِa bough رَنْدِlaurel
كَبَدْرِ تَمٍّ فِي قَضِيْبِ رَنْدِ
قَدْindeed زَارَنِيhe visited me الآنَnow بِغَيْرِwithout وَعْدِan appointment
قَدْ زَارَنِي الآنَ بِغَيْرِ وَعْدِ
Like a full moon upon a laurel bough.
He visited me just now, without prior arrangement;
جَاءَhe came مُفَاجَأَةًunexpectedly وَلَيْسَand there was not عِنْدِيwith me
جَاءَ مُفَاجَأَةً وَلَيْسَ عِنْدِي
إِلاَّexcept طَعَامَاًfood غَيْرَnot مُسْتَعِدِّprepared
إِلاَّ طَعَامَاً غَيْرَ مُسْتَعِدِّ
He came unexpectedly, and I had nothing
But food not yet prepared:
دَجَاجَةٌa hen فِيin شَبَهِthe likeness of السَّمَنْدِthe dun-colored horse
دَجَاجَةٌ فِي شَبَهِ السَّمَنْدِ
نَبِيْلَةٌnoble وَفَخْرُهَاand her pride بِالْهِنْدِin India
نَبِيْلَةٌ وَفَخْرُهَا بِالْهِنْدِ
A hen resembling a dun-colored horse,
Noble, with India as her boast,
عَظِيْمَةُlarge الزَّوِْthe breast (reading unclear) بِصَدْرٍwith a chest نَهْدِprominent
عَظِيْمَةُ الزَّوِْ بِصَدْرٍ نَهْدِ
أَجْرَيْتُI drew مِنْهَاof her فِيin مَجَارِيthe courses of العِقْدِthe necklace
أَجْرَيْتُ مِنْهَا فِي مَجَارِي العِقْدِ
Broad in the [breast], with a prominent chest.
Along her necklace's course, I drew
مُرْهَفَةًa finely honed blade ذَاتَpossessing شَبَاًa sharp point وَحَدِّand a cutting edge
مُرْهَفَةً ذَاتَ شَبَاً وَحَدِّ
لِغَيْرِnot for مَاany (emphatic) ذَحْلٍvengeance وَغَيْرِand no حِقْدِrancor
لِغَيْرِ مَا ذَحْلٍ وَغَيْرِ حِقْدِ
A finely honed blade, keen-pointed and sharp-edged,
Not out of vengeance, nor out of rancor,
بَلْrather رَغْبَةًdesire فِيْهَاfor her شَبِيْهakin to الزُّهْدِrenunciation
بَلْ رَغْبَةً فِيْهَا شَبِيْه الزُّهْدِ
وَلَمْand did not تَزَلْcease بِالْمَاءِwith water كَفُّthe hand العَبْدِof the slave
وَلَمْ تَزَلْ بِالْمَاءِ كَفُّ العَبْدِ
But from desire for her, akin to renunciation.
And with water the slave's hand kept
تَغْرِقُplunging بَيْنَbetween رِيْشِهَاher feathers وَالجِلْدِand the skin
تَغْرِقُ بَيْنَ رِيْشِهَا وَالجِلْدِ
وَفُصِّلَتْand were cut apart أَعْضَاؤُهَاher limbs مِنْfrom بَعْدِafterward
وَفُصِّلَتْ أَعْضَاؤُهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ
Plunging between her feathers and her skin.
And afterward her limbs were cut apart,
مَعْwith لُبِّpulp أُتْرُجٍّa citron بَلَوْنِwith the color of الشَّهْدِhoney
مَعْ لُبِّ أُتْرُجٍّ بَلَوْنِ الشَّهْدِ
بَلْbut طَعْمُهُits taste عَنْfrom طَعْمِهِits taste ذَاpossessing بُعْدِdistance
بَلْ طَعْمُهُ عَنْ طَعْمِهِ ذَا بُعْدِ
With citron pulp the color of honey,
But its taste was far removed from honey's.
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen أَسْرَعَهَاhe hastened her cooking بِالوَقْدِwith fire
حَتَّى إِذَا أَسْرَعَهَا بِالوَقْدِ
صَلَّhe poured (reading uncertain) عَلَيْهَاover her اللَّوْزَthe almonds مِثْلَlike الزُّبْدِbutter
صَلَّ عَلَيْهَا اللَّوْزَ مِثْلَ الزُّبْدِ
At last, when he had hastened her cooking with fire,
He [poured] almonds over her, like butter,
وَعُلِّيَتْand she was topped بَعْدُafterward بِمَاءِwith water وَرْدٍroses
وَعُلِّيَتْ بَعْدُ بِمَاءِ وَرْدٍ
ثُمَّthen أَتَىhe came يَسْعَىhurrying بِهَاwith her كَالمُهْدِيlike a gift-bearer
ثُمَّ أَتَى يَسْعَى بِهَا كَالمُهْدِي
And afterward she was topped with rosewater.
Then he came hurrying with her, like one bearing a gift,
كَأَنَّهَاas though she قَدْalready بُخِّرَتْwas perfumed with incense بِالنَّدِّwith nadd incense
كَأَنَّهَا قَدْ بُخِّرَتْ بِالنَّدِّ
As though she had been perfumed with nadd incense.
Sol 6.1