أَفْدِيI would ransom الَّتِيher who أَهْوَتْbrought down لَنَاfor us
أَفْدِي الَّتِي أَهْوَتْ لَنَا
شَمْسَthe sun الضُّحَىof midmorning واللَّيْلُwhile the night حَالِكُis pitch-dark
شَمْسَ الضُّحَى واللَّيْلُ حَالِكُ
I would ransom her who brought down for us
the midmorning sun, while the night was pitch-dark.
مَمْلُوكَةٌa bondwoman جَلَّتْwas of surpassing worth فَلَيْso not (word continues)
مَمْلُوكَةٌ جَلَّتْ فَلَيْ
سَcompletion of 'not' تَفِيsuffice بِقِيْمَتِهَاfor her price الْمَمَالِكْthe kingdoms
سَ تَفِي بِقِيْمَتِهَا الْمَمَالِكْ
A bondwoman of such worth that not
even kingdoms could meet her price.
عَرَضَتْshe came forward فَأَعْطَتْthen she gave عُودَهَاher lute
عَرَضَتْ فَأَعْطَتْ عُودَهَا
ضَرْبَاًstrokes يُعَرِّضُexposes one لِلْمَهَالِكْto mortal perils
ضَرْبَاً يُعَرِّضُ لِلْمَهَالِكْ
She came forward and gave her lute
strokes that expose one to mortal peril.
وَتَبِعْتُهَاand I followed her فَتَصَرَّفَتْthen she ranged freely
وَتَبِعْتُهَا فَتَصَرَّفَتْ
بِالضَّرْبِin her playing فِيthrough كُلِّevery الْمَسَالِكْpath
بِالضَّرْبِ فِي كُلِّ الْمَسَالِكْ
And I followed her; then she ranged freely
in her playing through every path.
وَيَئِسْتُand I despaired مِنْof إِدْرَاكِهَاcatching up with her
وَيَئِسْتُ مِنْ إِدْرَاكِهَا
فَجَعَلْتُso I made صَوْتِيmy song عِنْدَat ذَلِكْthat moment
فَجَعَلْتُ صَوْتِي عِنْدَ ذَلِكْ
And I despaired of catching up with her,
so then I sang:
قَصُرَتْfell short يَدِيmy hand عَنْكِof you الغَدَاthis morning (word continues)
قَصُرَتْ يَدِي عَنْكِ الغَدَا
ةَcompletion of 'morning' فَكَيْفَso how لِيfor me بِيَدٍwith a hand تَنَالُكْreaches you
ةَ فَكَيْفَ لِي بِيَدٍ تَنَالُكْ
“My hand fell short of you this morning;
how, then, can I have a hand that reaches you?”
Sol 6.1