قَالَتْshe said وقَدْand had سَمِعَتْshe heard شِعْرِيmy poetry فَأَعْجَبَهاso it delighted her
قَالَتْ وقَدْ سَمِعَتْ شِعْرِي فَأَعْجَبَها
إِنِّيindeed I أَخَافُfear عَلَىfor هَذَاthis الغُلامِyoung man أَبِيmy father
إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَى هَذَا الغُلامِ أَبِي
She said, having heard my poetry and been delighted by it:
She spoke, and hearing my verse did please her so
Indeed, I fear for this young man because of my father.
"For this young man I fear, my father's ward;
أَرَاهُI see him يَهْتِفُcalling out بِاسْمِيmy name غَيْرَnot مُكْتَرِثٍconcerned
أَرَاهُ يَهْتِفُ بِاسْمِي غَيْرَ مُكْتَرِثٍ
وَلَوْand had كَنَىused a veiled name لَمْnot يَدَعْleave لِلظَّنِّfor suspicion مِنْany سَبَبِcause
وَلَوْ كَنَى لَمْ يَدَعْ لِلظَّنِّ مِنْ سَبَبِ
I see him calling out my name without a care;
I hear him cry my name, caring not who knows,
Had he used a veiled name, he would have left no cause for suspicion.
And if he hinted, none could fault his word.
فَكَيْفَso how أَصْنَعُam I to act إِنْif ذَاعَتْspread مَقَالَتُهُhis words
فَكَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ إِنْ ذَاعَتْ مَقَالَتُهُ
مَاemphatic particle بَيْنَamong قَوْمِيmy people وهُمْand they مِنْamong سادَةِnobles الْعَرَبِthe Arabs
مَا بَيْنَ قَوْمِي وهُمْ مِنْ سادَةِ الْعَرَبِ
What am I to do if his words spread
What can I do, if his talk spread wide,
Among my people, who are among the nobles of the Arabs?
Among my people, high lords of Arab pride?
فَنَازَعَتْهاthen she countered her فَتَاةٌa girl مِنْamong صَوَاحِبِهَاher female companions
فَنَازَعَتْها فَتَاةٌ مِنْ صَوَاحِبِهَا
قَوْلاًwords يُؤَلِّفُreconciles بَيْنَbetween الْمَاءِwater واللَّهَبِand flame
قَوْلاً يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَ الْمَاءِ واللَّهَبِ
Then a girl among her companions countered her
A friend then answered, her speech to appease
With words that reconciled water and flame.
Like water quenching flames, this did she say:
قَالَتْshe said دَعِيهِlet him يَصُوغُfashion الْقَوْلَspeech فيinto جُمَلٍphrases
قَالَتْ دَعِيهِ يَصُوغُ الْقَوْلَ في جُمَلٍ
مِنَof الْهَوَىlove فَهْيَfor they are آياتٌmarvels مِنَof الأَدَبِliterary art
مِنَ الْهَوَى فَهْيَ آياتٌ مِنَ الأَدَبِ
She said: Let him fashion his words into phrases
“Let him speak verses, crafting well-turned phrases
Of love, for they are marvels of literary art.
With passion's fire - signs of courtly ways.
وماand what عَلَيْكِagainst you وفيand among الأَسْمَاءِnames مُشْتَرَكٌshared usage
وما عَلَيْكِ وفي الأَسْمَاءِ مُشْتَرَكٌ
إِنْif قالَhe said فيin الشِّعْرِpoetry ياO لَيْلَىLayla وَلَمْand did not يَعِبِspeak ill
إِنْ قالَ في الشِّعْرِ يا لَيْلَى وَلَمْ يَعِبِ
And what harm is there to you—names are shared—
What's it to you? Names can belong to many -
If he says in verse, ‘O Layla,’ and speaks no ill?
If in verse he says “Layla,” why should you care?
وَحَسْبُهُand enough for him مِنْكَfrom you داءٌan affliction لَوْif تَضَمَّنَهُharbored it
وَحَسْبُهُ مِنْكَ داءٌ لَوْ تَضَمَّنَهُ
قَلْبُheart الْحَمامَةِthe dove ماnot غَنَّتْit sang عَلَىupon عَذَبِa bough
قَلْبُ الْحَمامَةِ ما غَنَّتْ عَلَى عَذَبِ
And he has anguish enough from you: were it harbored
Enough for you a sickness he does carry,
In a dove's heart, the dove would not sing upon a bough.
Else the dove's heart would never trill its airy
فَاسْتَأْنَسَتْso she felt reassured ثُمَّthen قالتْshe said وَهْيَwhile she was بَاسمَةٌsmiling
فَاسْتَأْنَسَتْ ثُمَّ قالتْ وَهْيَ بَاسمَةٌ
إِنْif كانَwas ماwhat قُلْتِyou said حَقَّاًtrue فَهْوَthen he is فيin تَعَبِdistress
إِنْ كانَ ما قُلْتِ حَقَّاً فَهْوَ في تَعَبِ
So she felt reassured, then said with a smile:
Song so sweet." Reassured then, softly smiled she
If what you said is true, then he is suffering.
“If what you said holds truth, he suffers for me.
ياoh حُسْنَهُits beauty مِنْas حَدِيثٍconversation شَفَّdisclosed باطِنُهُits inner meaning
يا حُسْنَهُ مِنْ حَدِيثٍ شَفَّ باطِنُهُ
عَنْof رِقَّةٍtenderness أَلْبَسَتْنِيclothed me خِلْعَةَa robe of honor الطَّرَبِrapture
عَنْ رِقَّةٍ أَلْبَسَتْنِي خِلْعَةَ الطَّرَبِ
How lovely that conversation, whose inner meaning disclosed
How fine your words! Whose tender core laid bare
A tenderness that clothed me in the robe of rapture!
A gentle spirit that decked me with delight.”
Sol 6.1