غزالٌa gazelle غزاraided قلبيmy heart بخيْلِwith the cavalry of صُدودِهhis aversion
غزالٌ غزا قلبي بخيْلِ صُدودِه
وخدَّدand furrowed أحشائيmy entrails بورْدِwith the roses of خدودِهhis cheeks
وخدَّد أحشائي بورْدِ خدودِه
A gazelle raided my heart with the cavalry of his aversion.
A gazelle has raided my heart with the spears of his eyelashes,
And furrowed my entrails with the roses of his cheeks.
And lacerated my entrails with the roses of his cheeks.
وقدَّand rent قُوَىthe strength of صدرِيmy breast بقامةِwith the stature of قدِّهhis figure
وقدَّ قُوَى صدرِي بقامةِ قدِّه
وأردفَand followed up أكباديmy livers برمحwith the spear of نُهودِهhis breasts
وأردفَ أكبادي برمح نُهودِه
And rent my breast’s strength with his stature.
My chest has been strengthened by the stature of his forearm,
And struck my vitals in turn with the spear of his breasts.
And my liver has been kicked by the blow of his glance.
يماطلنيhe puts me off إنْif رُمتI sought إنجازَthe fulfillment of وعدهhis promise
يماطلني إنْ رُمت إنجازَ وعده
بنفسيI would ransom with my life غزالٌa gazelle لاnot بقيremained بوعودهby his promises
بنفسي غزالٌ لا بقي بوعوده
He puts me off if I seek the fulfillment of his promise.
He teases me if I want him to fulfill his promise;
I would give my life for a gazelle who did not stand by his promises.
A gazelle, not true to his oaths with my soul.
ويُخْلِفنيand he breaks his promise to me لماwhen طلبتُI sought وصالَهunion with him
ويُخْلِفني لما طلبتُ وصالَه
وينجزُand he fulfills ليfor me منof وَعدهhis promise بوعيدهwith his threat
وينجزُ لي من وَعده بوعيده
And he breaks his promise to me when I seek union with him.
He breaks his word when I request his company,
And fulfills his promise to me with his threat.
And fulfills for me his promise with threats.
أغارُI am jealous عليهover him منof لِحَاظيmy glances فكيفso how لاnot
أغارُ عليه من لِحَاظي فكيف لا
أغارُI am jealous عليهover him منof قلائِدthe necklaces of جيدهhis neck
أغارُ عليه من قلائِد جيده
I am jealous of my own glances at him—so how could I not
How can I not be jealous of him from my cheek?
Be jealous of the necklaces around his neck?
How can I not envy him for the necklaces on his neck?
رعىmay He bless اللهُGod يومthe day of البينparting جادَhe bestowed generously بنظرةٍwith a glance
رعى اللهُ يوم البين جادَ بنظرةٍ
علىin رَغمspite of واشيةa female talebearer ورغمand despite حسودهhis envier
على رَغم واشية ورغم حسوده
May God bless the day of parting, when he bestowed a glance,
May God protect the day we parted, when he glanced
Despite a slandering woman and one who envied him.
Defiantly, despite the slanderers and enviers.
تَجلّىhe appeared فخلتso I imagined الشمسَthe sun تحتَbeneath سمائهhis sky
تَجلّى فخلت الشمسَ تحتَ سمائه
وولّيand he turned away فخلتُso I imagined البدرَthe full moon تحتَbeneath برودهhis robes
وولّي فخلتُ البدرَ تحتَ بروده
He appeared, and I imagined the sun beneath his sky.
He appeared, so the sun faded beneath his sky,
And he turned away, and I imagined the full moon beneath his robes.
And he turned away, so I abandoned the moon in his coldness.
ولاand do not تنسforget إنif جئتَyou come to الغويرْal-Ghuwayr ولعلماًand Laʿlam
ولا تنس إن جئتَ الغويرْ ولعلماً
فعرّجْthen turn aside بواديto the valley of المُنْحَنَىal-Munḥanā وزَرُودِهand its Zarūd
فعرّجْ بوادي المُنْحَنَى وزَرُودِه
And do not forget, if you come to al-Ghuwayr and Laʿlam:
If you come to al-Ghuwayr, do not forget—for knowledge—
Then turn aside to the valley of al-Munḥanā and its Zarūd.
To stop at the valley of al-Munhani and its flowers.
هنالكthere ليfor me وُدّlove قديمٌlong-standing وطالمَاand many a time
هنالك لي وُدّ قديمٌ وطالمَا
شفيتI healed جَوَىthe burning anguish of قلبيmy heart بِلَثْمby kissing صِعيدهits soil
شفيت جَوَى قلبي بِلَثْم صِعيده
There I have an old love, and many a time
There, I have an old love, and often
I healed my heart’s burning anguish by kissing its soil.
My heart’s thirst was quenched by kissing its ground.
وحيِّand greet رُبَىthe hills of نجدNajd ورَملةand the sands of عالجٍʿĀlij
وحيِّ رُبَى نجد ورَملة عالجٍ
ومرَّand pass بنعمانٍthrough Naʿmān وطُفْand roam بنجودِهthrough its uplands
ومرَّ بنعمانٍ وطُفْ بنجودِه
And greet the hills of Najd and the sands of ʿĀlij.
Give regards to the highlands of Najd and the sands of ‘Alaj,
And pass through Naʿmān and roam its uplands.
And pass by Numan and roam around its gazelles.
وسلّمand offer greetings علىto رَبْعa dwelling-place لسلمىbelonging to Salmā وزينبٍand Zaynab
وسلّم على رَبْع لسلمى وزينبٍ
بهin it فتكتْslew آرامُهits gazelles بأسودِهits lions
به فتكتْ آرامُه بأسودِه
And salute a dwelling-place belonging to Salmā and Zaynab,
Send greetings to Rab’a for Salma and Zaynab,
Where its gazelles slew its lions.
With whom elegance was perfected through its lions.
وحدثْand speak عنof الحيِّthe tribe الحُلُولencamped بضارحat Ḍāriḥ
وحدثْ عن الحيِّ الحُلُول بضارح
وأخبرْهand tell it عنabout بالِيthe worn-out part of الهوَىlove وجديدهand its new part
وأخبرْه عن بالِي الهوَى وجديده
And tell of the tribe encamped at Ḍāriḥ.
Tell of the living district of al-Hulul, which stirs
And tell them of love, both worn and new.
And inform it of the passion in my heart and its renewal.
وشِمْand watch for بارقاًa lightning flash بالرقمتينat al-Raqmatayn وحاجرٍand Ḥājir
وشِمْ بارقاً بالرقمتين وحاجرٍ
ولاand do not تَسْلُforget عنهabout it إنْif وَفَىit kept faith بعهودِهwith its pledges
ولا تَسْلُ عنه إنْ وَفَى بعهودِه
And watch for a lightning flash at al-Raqmatayn and Ḥājir.
Mark the two oath stones and Hajir,
And do not forget it, if it keeps its pledges.
And do not ask if he has kept his oaths.
وعرِّجand turn aside علىto واديthe valley of الغضاal-Ghaḍā (saxaul) وظلالهand its shade
وعرِّج على وادي الغضا وظلاله
وخذْand gather خبراnews عنهabout it وعنand about روعةthe awe of بيدهits desert expanses
وخذْ خبرا عنه وعن روعة بيده
And turn aside to the valley of al-Ghaḍā and its shade.
Stop by the valley of al-Ghada and its shade,
And gather news of it and of the awe its deserts inspire.
And get news of it and the beauty of its handwriting.
Sol 6.1