انصرمwas severed الحبلَthe cord حبلَthe cord of البيضfair-skinned women أمor تصِلُyou join
انصرم الحبلَ حبلَ البيض أم تصِلُ
وكيفand how والشيبُand gray hair فيat فوديكyour two temples مشتعلُblazing
وكيف والشيبُ في فوديك مشتعلُ
Has the cord—the cord with fair-skinned women—been severed, or will you join it?
Has the rope of eggs broken, or does it connect?
And how could you, when gray hair blazes at your temples?
How so when gray hair flames in your temples?
لاnot عينthe eye ناركyour fire عنfrom سارٍa night traveler مغَمَّضَةclosed
لا عين نارك عن سارٍ مغَمَّضَة
ولاnor محلتكyour dwelling الطأطاءthe low ground والدَّغلُand the thickets
ولا محلتك الطأطاء والدَّغلُ
The eye of your fire is never closed to a night traveler,
Neither does the fire of your eye sleep from joy,
Nor is your dwelling in low ground and thickets.
Nor does your soft cheek and charm.
تحبسyou keep وفودكyour guests والنيرانand the fires مغمضةclosed
تحبس وفودك والنيران مغمضة
إذاwhen أناخsettled down بجنحbeneath the wing of الليلةthe night الطفلُdusk
إذا أناخ بجنح الليلة الطفلُ
You keep your guests while the fires' eyes are shut,
You withhold your generosity while the fires sleep
When dusk settles beneath the wing of night.
When the young night lands with its wings.
لماwhen عبأتyou readied لقوسfor the bow of المجدglory أسهمهاits arrows
لما عبأت لقوس المجد أسهمها
حينwhen الجدودforebears عنon behalf of الأحسابancestral honors تنتضلُvie in archery
حين الجدود عن الأحساب تنتضلُ
When you readied glory's arrows for its bow,
When you prepared the arrows of glory for its bow,
When forebears vied in archery for ancestral honors,
As the ancestors excel in reckoning.
أحرزتyou won منout of عَشرهاits ten تسعاًnine وواحدةand one
أحرزت من عَشرها تسعاً وواحدة
فلاso no العمىblindness لكfor you منas رامٍan archer ولاnor شللُparalysis
فلا العمى لك من رامٍ ولا شللُ
You won nine of its ten—and one more.
You have taken nine out of its ten
So may you, archer, suffer neither blindness nor paralysis.
So neither blindness nor paralysis is for you.
أنسيتناyou made us forget فيin الندىgenerosity أسلافforebears أولناour earliest ones
أنسيتنا في الندى أسلاف أولنا
فأنتso you للجودfor generosity فيماin what بعدناafter us مثلُan exemplar
فأنت للجود فيما بعدنا مثلُ
In generosity, you made us forget our earliest forebears.
You forgot us in the dew, our ancient ancestors,
So you are a model of generosity for those who come after us.
Yet after us, you are the example of generosity.
الشمسthe sun أدتكyour counterpart إلاexcept أناI امرأةa woman
الشمس أدتك إلا أنا امرأة
والبدرand the full moon ادَّاكyour counterpart إلاexcept أنهthat he is رجلُa man
والبدر ادَّاك إلا أنه رجلُ
The sun is your counterpart, except that I am a woman,
The sun led you, though I am a woman,
And the full moon is your counterpart, except that he is a man.
And the moon led you, though he is a man.
Sol 6.1