كَأَنَّas though فاهاher mouth لِمَنto one who تَوَسَّنَهاapproached her as she slept
كَأَنَّ فاها لِمَن تَوَسَّنَها
أَوor هَكَذاlikewise مَوهِناًlate at night وَلَمand not تَنَمِshe had slept
أَو هَكَذا مَوهِناً وَلَم تَنَمِ
Her mouth, to one who approaches her as she sleeps, is like—
Her mouth is as if it were for one who humbles himself to it
or likewise late at night, though she has not slept—
Or thus pliant but did not sleep
بَيضاءُwhite مِنof عُسلِhoney ذَروَةٍDharwa ضَرَبٍthick white honey
بَيضاءُ مِن عُسلِ ذَروَةٍ ضَرَبٍ
شَجَّتwas mixed بِماءwith water الفَلاةِthe desert مِنfrom عَرِمِa dam
شَجَّت بِماء الفَلاةِ مِن عَرِمِ
a white draught of thick honey from Dharwa,
White from the honey of a lofty, unblemished peak
mixed with desert water from a dam.
It cracked with the water of the wilderness from the tent peg
دَعleave عَنكَaway from you سَلمىSalma إِذsince فاتَis beyond reach مَطلَبُهاwinning her
دَع عَنكَ سَلمى إِذ فاتَ مَطلَبُها
وَاِذكُرand remember خَليلَيكَyour two friends مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of الحَكمِal-Hakam
وَاِذكُر خَليلَيكَ مِن بَني الحَكمِ
Leave Salma aside, now that winning her is beyond reach,
Leave Salma be since her goal has evaded her
and remember your two friends of Banu al-Hakam.
And remember your two friends from the tribe of Hakam
ماnot أَعطَيانيthey both gave me وَلاnor سَأَلتُهُماI asked them both
ما أَعطَياني وَلا سَأَلتُهُما
إِلّاexcept وَإِنّيand indeed I لَحاجِزيsurely restraining me كَرَميmy nobility
إِلّا وَإِنّي لَحاجِزي كَرَمي
They never gave to me, nor did I ask them,
Whatever they gave me or I asked of them
without my nobility holding me back.
If I were not to screen my generosity
إِنّيindeed I مَتىwhenever لاnot يَكُنis نَوالُهاher bounty
إِنّي مَتى لا يَكُن نَوالُها
عِنديin my view بِماfor what قَدalready فَعَلتُI have done أَحتَشِمِI feel ashamed
عِندي بِما قَد فَعَلتُ أَحتَشِمِ
Indeed, whenever her bounty is not
Truly when its attainment is not with me
in my view a reward for what I have done, I feel ashamed,
By what I have already done, I am too shy
مُبديshowing الرِضاcontentment عَنهُماwith them both وَمُنصَرِفٌand turning away
مُبدي الرِضا عَنهُما وَمُنصَرِفٌ
عَنfrom بَعضِsome ماwhat لَوif فَعَلتُI did لَمnot أُلَمِI would be blamed
عَن بَعضِ ما لَو فَعَلتُ لَم أُلَمِ
showing contentment with them both, and turning away
Expressing satisfaction with them while also turning away
from some things I could do without being blamed.
From some things which, had I done, I would not be blamed
لاnot أَنزُرُI importune النائِلَthe giver الخَليلَthe friend إِذاwhen
لا أَنزُرُ النائِلَ الخَليلَ إِذا
ماemphatic particle اِعتَلَّhe makes excuses نَزرُpressing الظؤورِthe foster-nursing she-camel لَمnot تَرِمِshe accepts a calf
ما اِعتَلَّ نَزرُ الظؤورِ لَم تَرِمِ
I do not importune a generous friend when
I do not condemn the intimate friend when
he makes excuses, as one presses a foster-camel that will not nurse.
The tent peg did not condemn the tents it secured
Sol 6.1