جنِّبانيkeep me away, you two خليجgulf بحرsea الرومِthe Romans
جنِّباني خليج بحر الرومِ
وقفاand stop, you two بيwith me علىon ضفافbanks الغديرِthe pool
وقفا بي على ضفاف الغديرِ
You two, keep me away from the gulf of the Sea of the Romans,
The seaside spared me a gulf of the Sea of Rum,
And stop with me on the banks of the pool.
where it stopped me on the banks of the pond.
هاهناhere الغيدthe graceful maidens فيin ائتلاقradiance النجومِthe stars
هاهنا الغيد في ائتلاق النجومِ
حُمْنَthey circled حولَaround المياهthe waters مثلَlike الطيورِthe birds
حُمْنَ حولَ المياه مثلَ الطيورِ
Here, the graceful maidens, radiant as stars,
and doves coo around the waters like birds.
Circled around the water like birds.
Beauties approached with prominent busts,
هنَّthey أَقبلنَthey came بارزاتِuncovered الصدورِthe chests
هنَّ أَقبلنَ بارزاتِ الصدورِ
ثمthen شمَّرنthey hitched up كلَّevery ذيلٍhem عفيفِmodest
ثم شمَّرن كلَّ ذيلٍ عفيفِ
They came, their chests exposed,
then lifted up every chaste tail.
Then hitched up every modest hem.
What purity in their revelation!
ياoh لهاfor it منof طهارةpurity فيin سفورِunveiling!
يا لها من طهارة في سفورِ!
جُمعَwas gathered الطهرُpurity كلهall of it فيin الريفِthe countryside
جُمعَ الطهرُ كله في الريفِ
Oh, what purity in unveiling!
All chastity gathered in the countryside.
All purity was gathered in the countryside.
They uncovered their tails from their stalks.
قدalready كشفنthey drew aside الذيولthe hems عنfrom سيقانِlegs
قد كشفن الذيول عن سيقانِ
أرأيتhave you seen? الدُّمىthe dolls وهنَّand they عوارِbare؟
أرأيت الدُّمى وهنَّ عوارِ؟
They had drawn their hems away from their legs;
Did you see the shapely dolls in disarray?
Have you seen the dolls, bare as they were?
They advanced in slow, swaying strides
وتقدمنَand they advanced فيin خطاsteps متوانِunhurried
وتقدمنَ في خطا متوانِ
يتمايلنthey sway خيفةَfor fear of التيارِthe current
يتمايلن خيفةَ التيارِ
And they advanced with unhurried steps,
floating gently in the current.
Swaying for fear of the current.
One raised her dusky tail in the gloom
رفعتْshe lifted ذيلَhem حالكٍpitch-black فيin السوادِblackness
رفعتْ ذيلَ حالكٍ في السوادِ
عنfrom حواشيextremities مورَّدrosy اللونthe color دامِblood-red
عن حواشي مورَّد اللون دامِ
She lifted the hem of a pitch-black robe
above the pink edges of her skirt,
From rosy limbs, red as blood.
so that when she folded this finery,
فإذاand behold طيّwithin the folds of هذهthese الأبرادِthe robes
فإذا طيّ هذه الأبرادِ
شفقٌa twilight glow لاحappeared تحتbeneath جنحthe wing of الظلامِthe darkness
شفقٌ لاح تحت جنح الظلامِ
And behold, within the folds of these robes,
a glow appeared under the wings of darkness.
A twilight glow appeared beneath the wing of darkness.
Whenever the eye sees the vista of the creek,
وإذاand when ماemphatic particle رأيتَyou saw رأىsight العينِthe eye
وإذا ما رأيتَ رأى العينِ
منظرthe sight of السوقthe legs غصْنَthey plunged فيin الأمواجِthe waves
منظر السوق غصْنَ في الأمواجِ
And when you saw with your own eyes
you’d say: a valley with a forest of ivory,
The sight of legs plunged into the waves,
each branch bending gracefully,
قلتَyou said: وادٍa valley أديمُهits surface منof لجينِsilver
قلتَ: وادٍ أديمُه من لجينِ
نبتتْit sprang up فيهin it غابةٌa forest منof عاجِivory
نبتتْ فيه غابةٌ من عاجِ
You said: 'A valley whose surface is silver,
like a virgin bowing in prayer,
Where a forest of ivory has sprung up.'
who saw her face’s shadow in the water,
ركعتْshe knelt كلevery غادةgraceful maiden هيفاءِslender-waisted
ركعتْ كل غادة هيفاءِ
كركوعlike the kneeling of البتولthe Virgin فيin المحرابِthe sanctuary
كركوع البتول في المحرابِ
Each slender-waisted maiden knelt,
and the water saw in it the shade of eyelids.
Like the Virgin kneeling in the sanctuary.
The pots submerged into the plentiful,
فرأتْthen she saw ظلَّthe reflection of وجههاher face فيin الماءِthe water
فرأتْ ظلَّ وجهها في الماءِ
ورأىand it saw الماءthe water فيهin it ظلthe reflection of العبابِthe surging waves
ورأى الماء فيه ظل العبابِ
Then she saw her face reflected in the water,
but refused immersion flirtatiously, swaying.
And the water saw its billows reflected in her face.
So when the little ones won a victory,
رُمْنَthey sought غمسimmersing الجرارthe jars فيin الآذيِّthe surging water
رُمْنَ غمس الجرار في الآذيِّ
فأبىbut it refused غمسَهاimmersing them دلالاًcoyly وتيهاand proudly
فأبى غمسَها دلالاً وتيها
They sought to immerse their jars in the surging water,
each pot laughed with joyful clamor.
But it resisted their immersion, coy and proud.
Then they turned away, carrying the pots
فإذاthen when ماemphatic particle انتصرنthey triumphed نصرvictory الكميِّthe armored warrior
فإذا ما انتصرن نصر الكميِّ
ضحكتit laughed كلevery جرةjar ملءَthe fullness of فيهاits mouth
ضحكت كل جرة ملءَ فيها
Then, when they won a warrior's victory,
which swayed beneath them.
Each jar laughed with its whole mouth.
Not flirtatiously do those chaste girls
ثمthen أدبرنthey turned away يحتملنthey bear الجرارَاthe jars
ثم أدبرن يحتملن الجرارَا
تنثَّنيthey bend منfrom تحتهاbeneath them الأجيادُthe necks
تنثَّني من تحتها الأجيادُ
Then they turned away, carrying the jars,
pet each gentle beast that brays.
Their necks bending beneath them.
When walking right, they raised
ماnot دلالاًout of coyness تميسthey sway تلكthose العذارَىthe maidens
ما دلالاً تميس تلك العذارَى
كلُّevery لدنٍsupple thing تئودهyou burden it ينآدُit bends
كلُّ لدنٍ تئوده ينآدُ
Not out of coyness did those maidens sway:
a quivering, fluttering tail
Anything supple bends when you weigh it down.
and warded off with their left hand
رفعتْshe lifted عندduring سيرهاher walking باليمينِwith the right hand
رفعتْ عند سيرها باليمينِ
ذيلَthe hem of ضافٍlong and ample، مهفهفlight and fluttering، معثارcausing stumbling
ذيلَ ضافٍ، مهفهف، معثار
As she walked, she lifted with her right hand
the sunbeams' raids on eyes.
The hem of a long, light robe apt to trip her,
They walked proudly when arriving,
واتقتand she warded off بالشمالwith the left hand فوقabove الجبينِthe brow
واتقت بالشمال فوق الجبينِ
غزواتِassaults الشعاعthe sunbeams للأبصارِupon the eyes
غزواتِ الشعاع للأبصارِ
And, with her left hand above her brow, warded off
and when they set out, swayed gently,
The sunbeams' assaults upon her eyes.
have you seen darkness in confusion,
سرْنَthey walked سيرthe stride of المجدِّthe earnest one عندupon الورودِcoming to the water
سرْنَ سير المجدِّ عند الورودِ
فإذاthen when ماemphatic particle صدرنthey left the water سرنthey walked اتئاداslowly
فإذا ما صدرن سرن اتئادا
They walked briskly on their way to the water;
or swaying ducks as they waddle?
But when they left it, they walked slowly.
We marveled at the bearers of pots
أرأيتhave you seen? الظليمthe male ostrich عندwhen الشرودِfleeing
أرأيت الظليم عند الشرودِ
أوor رأيتyou saw القطاةَthe sandgrouse إذas تتهادىit moves gracefully؟
أو رأيت القطاةَ إذ تتهادى؟
Have you seen the male ostrich as it flees,
swung high above their heads like towers.
Or seen the sandgrouse as it saunters?
How can that which has the mighty’s resolve
وعجبناand we marveled لحاملاتat the women bearing الجرارِthe jars
وعجبنا لحاملات الجرارِ
لحْنَthey appeared فوقabove الرءوسthe heads كالأبراجِlike the towers
لحْنَ فوق الرءوس كالأبراجِ
And we marveled at the women carrying jars,
appear with a body like liquid mercury?
Which loomed above their heads like towers.
A market smoothed out in the open,
كيفhow تبدوshe appears فيwith عزمةresolve الجبارِthe giant
كيف تبدو في عزمة الجبارِ
ذاتُa woman with جسمa body كالزئبقlike quicksilver الرجراجِquivering؟
ذاتُ جسم كالزئبق الرجراجِ؟
How can she show a giant's resolve—
untouched by silken socks,
She whose body is like quivering quicksilver?
and heads created for burdens,
تلكَthose سوقٌlegs مصقولةburnished فيin العراءِthe open air
تلكَ سوقٌ مصقولة في العراءِ
لمdid not تَمِسْthey sway فيin جواربٍstockings منof حريرِsilk
لم تَمِسْ في جواربٍ من حريرِ
Those are legs burnished in the open air,
not heads accustomed to cutting their hair.
That never swayed in stockings of silk;
They neither weakened in the gloom of rooms,
ورءوسٌand heads خُلقنthey were created للأعباءِfor burdens
ورءوسٌ خُلقن للأعباءِ
لاnot رءوسٌheads أَلفْنَthey were accustomed to قصَّcutting الشعورِthe hair
لا رءوسٌ أَلفْنَ قصَّ الشعورِ
And heads created to bear burdens,
nor dyed the leather with colors.
Not heads accustomed to having their hair cut.
But the sun's redness - the Almighty's dye -
ماnot ترهَّلنthey grew flabby فيin ظلامthe darkness of الخدورِthe secluded chambers
ما ترهَّلن في ظلام الخدورِ
أوor طليْنthey painted الأديمthe skin بالألوانِwith colors
أو طليْن الأديم بالألوانِ
They have not grown flabby in the darkness of secluded chambers,
ran onto their faces like sable.
Or coated their skin with colors.
Ask me about the people of those songs -
بلrather جرتit flowed فيin الوجوهthe faces جريَthe flowing of النميرِpure, sweet water
بل جرت في الوجوه جريَ النميرِ
حمرةُthe redness of الشمسthe sun صبغةُthe dye of الرحمنِthe Most Merciful
حمرةُ الشمس صبغةُ الرحمنِ
Rather, through their faces flowed, like pure water,
indeed this valley was my capital.
The sun's redness—the dye of the Most Merciful.
Its birds taught me their melodies
سائلانيask me, you two عنabout أهلthe people of تلكthose المغانيthe dwelling places
سائلاني عن أهل تلك المغاني
إنindeed هذاthis الأديمَthe ground مسقطُfalling place راسيmy head
إن هذا الأديمَ مسقطُ راسي
You two, ask me about the people of those haunts:
and let me drink the first cup of its air.
Indeed, this ground is my birthplace.
I was upon its theater for a time,
لقَّنَتْنيtaught me طيورُهits birds ألحانيmy melodies
لقَّنَتْني طيورُه ألحاني
وسقانيand gave me a drink هواءair أولَthe first كاسِcup
وسقاني هواء أولَ كاسِ
Its birds taught me my melodies,
playing the role of a boy.
And the air gave me my first cup to drink.
For you, O countryside, is my sigh and yearning!
مسرحa stage كنتI was فوقهupon it منذsince حينِa while
مسرح كنت فوقه منذ حينِ
وعليهand upon it لعبتُI played دورthe role of الغلامِthe boy
وعليه لعبتُ دور الغلامِ
A stage where I once stood,
For you, I have a sanctity like the Sacred House!
And on it I played the role of a boy.
لكto you ياO ريفُcountryside زفرتيmy sigh، وحنينيand my longing
لك يا ريفُ زفرتي، وحنيني
لكto you عنديin my regard تقديسreverence بيتa house حرامِsacred
لك عندي تقديس بيت حرامِ
Yours, O countryside, are my sigh and longing;
I revere you as I would a sacred house.
Partial English translation: 57 of 60 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1