أَهاجَكَhas it stirred you? مَغنىthe dwelling-site دِمنَةٍof a ruined camp وَمَساكِنُand dwellings
أَهاجَكَ مَغنى دِمنَةٍ وَمَساكِنُ
خَلَتlay deserted وَعَفاهاand effaced them المُعصَراتُthe rain-bringing winds السَوافِنُthe ground-sweeping ones
خَلَت وَعَفاها المُعصَراتُ السَوافِنُ
Have a ruined campsite and dwellings stirred your longing,
deserted and effaced by sweeping, rain-bringing winds?
دِيارُthe dwellings اِبنَةِof the daughter الضَمرِيِّof al-Damri إِذwhen حَبلُthe cord وَصلِهاof union with her
دِيارُ اِبنَةِ الضَمرِيِّ إِذ حَبلُ وَصلِها
مَتينٌfirm وَإِذand when مَعروفُهاher kindness لَكَfor you عاهِنُready at hand
مَتينٌ وَإِذ مَعروفُها لَكَ عاهِنُ
The dwellings of al-Damri’s daughter, when the cord of union with her
was firm, and her kindness lay ready for you.
تَقولُshe says اِبنَةَthe daughter الضُمَرِيُّof al-Damri مالَكَwhat is wrong with you? شاحِباًlooking wan
تَقولُ اِبنَةَ الضُمَرِيُّ مالَكَ شاحِباً
وَقَدand indeed تَنبَريstand forth لِلعَينِto the eye فيكَin you المَحاسِنُthe charms
وَقَد تَنبَري لِلعَينِ فيكَ المَحاسِنُ
Al-Damri’s daughter says: Why are you so wan,
when your charms stand plainly revealed to the eye?
جَفَوتَyou have grown aloof فَماso not تَهوىshe delights in حَديثَكَyour conversation أَيَّمٌan unmarried woman
جَفَوتَ فَما تَهوى حَديثَكَ أَيَّمٌ
وَلاand not تَجتَديكَthey seek gifts from you الآنِساتُthe lovely women الحَواضِنُthe home-keeping women
وَلا تَجتَديكَ الآنِساتُ الحَواضِنُ
You have grown aloof: no unmarried woman delights in your talk,
nor do the lovely, home-keeping women seek your gifts.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her بَلrather أَنتِyou حَنَّةُthe wife حَوقَلٍof a decrepit old man
فَقُلتُ لَها بَل أَنتِ حَنَّةُ حَوقَلٍ
جَرىhas run بِالفِرىwith fabrications بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكِand between you طابِنُa cunning man
جَرى بِالفِرى بَيني وَبَينَكِ طابِنُ
I said to her: Rather, you are a decrepit old man’s wife;
a cunning fellow has run between you and me with lies.
فَصَدَّقتِهِso you believed him فيin كُلِّevery حَقٍّtruth وَباطِلٍand falsehood
فَصَدَّقتِهِ في كُلِّ حَقٍّ وَباطِلٍ
أَتاكِhe came to you بِهِwith it نَمُّa tale-bearer الأَحاديثِof tales خائِنُtreacherous
أَتاكِ بِهِ نَمُّ الأَحاديثِ خائِنُ
So you believed him in every truth and falsehood
brought you by a treacherous tale-bearer.
رَأَتنيshe saw me كَأَنضاءِlike worn-thin iron pieces اللِجامِof a bridle وَبَعلُهاand her husband
رَأَتني كَأَنضاءِ اللِجامِ وَبَعلُها
مِنَfrom المَلءِoverfeeding أَبزىswaybacked عاجِزٌfeeble مُتَباطِنُpotbellied
مِنَ المَلءِ أَبزى عاجِزٌ مُتَباطِنُ
She saw me thin as the worn ironwork of a bridle, while her husband,
from overfeeding, is swaybacked, feeble, and potbellied.
رَأَتshe saw رَجُلاًa man أَودىhad brought ruin السِفارُjourneying بِوَجهِهِto his face
رَأَت رَجُلاً أَودى السِفارُ بِوَجهِهِ
فَلَمso not يَبقَremained إِلّاexcept مَنظَرٌan outward form وَجَناجِنُand chest bones
فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا مَنظَرٌ وَجَناجِنُ
She saw a man whose face journeying had ravaged,
leaving only an outward form and ribs.
فَإِنso if أَكُI am مَعروقَstripped of flesh العِظامِin the bones فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I
فَإِن أَكُ مَعروقَ العِظامِ فَإِنَّني
إِذاwhen وُزِنَare weighed الأَقوامُthe peoples بِالقَومِagainst a people وازِنُweighty
إِذا وُزِنَ الأَقوامُ بِالقَومِ وازِنُ
If I am fleshless to the bone, still I am,
when peoples are weighed against one another, a man of weight.
مَتىwhenever تَحسِرواyou remove عَنّيfrom me العَمامَةَthe turban تَبصُرواyou will see
مَتى تَحسِروا عَنّي العَمامَةَ تَبصُروا
جَميلَhandsome المُحَيّاof face أَغفَلَتهُthey have neglected him الدَواهِنُthe women who apply oil
جَميلَ المُحَيّا أَغفَلَتهُ الدَواهِنُ
Whenever you lift the turban from me, you will see
a fair-faced man neglected by the women who apply oil.
يَروقُhe delights العُيونَthe eyes الناظِراتِthat gaze كَأَنَّهُas though he were
يَروقُ العُيونَ الناظِراتِ كَأَنَّهُ
هِرَقلِيُّHeraclian وَزنٍin weight أَحمَرُred التِبرِin gold وازِنُfull-weight
هِرَقلِيُّ وَزنٍ أَحمَرُ التِبرِ وازِنُ
He delights the eyes that gaze on him, as though he were
a coin of Heraclian weight, ruddy-gold and full-weight.
نِساءُthe wives الأَخِلّاءِof close friends المُصافينَsincerely devoted مَحرَمٌforbidden
نِساءُ الأَخِلّاءِ المُصافينَ مَحرَمٌ
عَلَيَّto me وَجاراتُand the female neighbors البُيوتِof the homes كَنائِنُdaughters-in-law
عَلَيَّ وَجاراتُ البُيوتِ كَنائِنُ
The wives of close, devoted friends are forbidden
to me, and the women next door are as daughters-in-law.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لِماfor whatever اِستَودَعتِنيyou entrusted to me مِنof أَمانَةٍa trust
وَإِنّي لِما اِستَودَعتِني مِن أَمانَةٍ
إِذاwhen ضاعَتِare let slip الأَسرارُthe secrets لِلسِرِّof the secret دافِنُa burier
إِذا ضاعَتِ الأَسرارُ لِلسِرِّ دافِنُ
And I, with any trust you have placed in my keeping,
when secrets are let slip, keep the secret buried.
وَماand not زلتُI have ceased مِنfrom لَيلىLayla لَدُنsince طرَّfirst sprouted شارِبيmy mustache
وَما زلتُ مِن لَيلى لَدُن طرَّ شارِبي
إِلىuntil اليَومِtoday أَخفيI conceal حُبَّهاlove for her وَأُداجِنُand I dissemble
إِلى اليَومِ أَخفي حُبَّها وَأُداجِنُ
And as for Layla, ever since my mustache first sprouted,
to this day I have hidden my love for her and dissembled.
وَأَحمِلُand I bear فيover لَيلىLayla لِقَومٍagainst some people ضَغينَةًa grudge
وَأَحمِلُ في لَيلى لِقَومٍ ضَغينَةً
وَتُحمَلُand are borne فيover لَيلىLayla عَلَيَّagainst me الضَغائِنُthe grudges
وَتُحمَلُ في لَيلى عَلَيَّ الضَغائِنُ
And over Layla I bear a grudge against some people,
and over Layla grudges are borne against me.
Sol 6.1