غزالٌa gazelle غزاinvaded قلبيmy heart بخيْلِwith the cavalry of صُدودِهhis rejection
غزالٌ غزا قلبي بخيْلِ صُدودِه
وخدَّدand furrowed أحشائيmy entrails بورْدِwith the roses of خدودِهhis cheeks
وخدَّد أحشائي بورْدِ خدودِه
A gazelle invaded my heart with the cavalry of his rejection.
A gazelle has raided my heart with the swords of his eyelids
And furrowed my entrails with the roses of his cheeks.
And gashed my insides with the roses of his cheeks
وقدَّand cleft قُوَىthe strength of صدرِيmy breast بقامةِwith the stature of قدِّهhis form
وقدَّ قُوَى صدرِي بقامةِ قدِّه
وأردفَand struck in turn أكباديmy livers برمحwith the spear of نُهودِهhis swelling breasts
وأردفَ أكبادي برمح نُهودِه
And cleft my breast’s strength with the stature of his form.
And my chest grew tough with the stature of his height
And struck my vitals in turn with the spear of his swelling breasts.
And he lined up my livers with the spear of his flexing
يماطلنيhe puts me off إنْif رُمتI desired إنجازَfulfillment of وعدهhis promise
يماطلني إنْ رُمت إنجازَ وعده
بنفسيwith my life as ransom غزالٌa gazelle لاnot بقيremained بوعودهwith his promises
بنفسي غزالٌ لا بقي بوعوده
He puts me off if I seek fulfillment of his promise.
He plays with me if I try to fulfill his promise
My life for a gazelle who did not remain true to his promises.
A gazelle not a man to keep his word
ويُخْلِفنيand breaks his word to me لماwhen طلبتُI sought وصالَهunion with him
ويُخْلِفني لما طلبتُ وصالَه
وينجزُand fulfills ليfor me منof وَعدهhis promise بوعيدهwith his threat
وينجزُ لي من وَعده بوعيده
And breaks his word to me when I seek union with him.
And he disappoints me when I ask for his union
And fulfills his promise to me with his threat.
And fulfills for me from his promise only 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 over him even of my own glances—how could I not
I envy him for my glances, so how can I not
Be jealous over him of the necklaces around his neck?
Envy him for the necklaces on his neck
رعىmay preserve اللهُGod يومthe day of البينparting جادَwas generous بنظرةٍwith a glance
رعى اللهُ يوم البين جادَ بنظرةٍ
علىin رَغمdefiance of واشيةa female tale-bearer ورغمand in defiance of حسودهhis envier
على رَغم واشية ورغم حسوده
May God preserve the day of parting, when he granted a glance,
God bless the day he glanced with love
In defiance of a tale-bearing woman and of his envier.
Despite the envy of foes and the envious
تَجلّىhe appeared فخلتso I thought الشمسَthe sun تحتَbeneath سمائهhis sky
تَجلّى فخلت الشمسَ تحتَ سمائه
وولّيand he turned away فخلتُso I thought البدرَthe full moon تحتَbeneath برودهhis robes
وولّي فخلتُ البدرَ تحتَ بروده
He appeared, and I thought the sun lay beneath his sky.
He appeared and the sun faded under his sky
And turned away, and I thought the full moon lay beneath his robes.
He turned away and I lost the moon in his distance
ولاand do not تنسforget إنif جئتَyou came الغويرْal-Ghuwayr ولعلماًand Laʿlam
ولا تنس إن جئتَ الغويرْ ولعلماً
فعرّجْthen turn aside بواديthrough the valley of المُنْحَنَىal-Munḥanā وزَرُودِهand its Zarūd
فعرّجْ بوادي المُنْحَنَى وزَرُودِه
And do not forget, if you reach al-Ghuwayr and Laʿlam:
And if you come to Ghuwayr, and it is well known
Then turn aside through the valley of al-Munḥanā and its Zarūd.
Stop by the valley of Al-Munhana and its flowers
هنالكthere ليfor me وُدّlove قديمٌold وطالمَاand many a time
هنالك لي وُدّ قديمٌ وطالمَا
شفيتI cured 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 an old love of mine, and for so long
I cured my heart’s burning anguish by kissing its soil.
My heart's thirst was quenched by kissing its soil
وحيِّand greet رُبَىthe hills of نجدNajd ورَملةand the sandy expanse of عالجٍʿĀlij
وحيِّ رُبَى نجد ورَملة عالجٍ
ومرَّand pass بنعمانٍthrough Nuʿmān وطُفْand roam بنجودِهthrough its uplands
ومرَّ بنعمانٍ وطُفْ بنجودِه
And greet the hills of Najd and the sandy expanse of ʿĀlij.
Say hello to the pastures of Najd and the sands of ‘Alaj
And pass through Nuʿmān, and roam its uplands.
Pass by Naiman and circle its gazelles
وسلّمand offer greetings علىto رَبْعa dwelling لسلمىbelonging to Salmā وزينبٍand Zaynab
وسلّم على رَبْع لسلمى وزينبٍ
بهin it فتكتْstruck fatally آرامُهits gazelles بأسودِهat its lions
به فتكتْ آرامُه بأسودِه
And greet a dwelling belonging to Salmā and Zaynab,
Send regards to Rabia and Salma in the ruins
Where its gazelles slew its lions.
Where he triumphed with his lions over its blacks
وحدثْand speak عنof الحيِّthe tribe الحُلُولencamped بضارحat Ḍāriḥ
وحدثْ عن الحيِّ الحُلُول بضارح
وأخبرْهand tell him عنof بالِيthe worn-out form of الهوَىlove وجديدهand its fresh form
وأخبرْه عن بالِي الهوَى وجديده
And speak of the tribe encamped at Ḍāriḥ.
Tell of my fervor for Al-Hayy Al-Hilool in Dharidh
And tell him of love, faded and fresh.
And inform him of my heart's love 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 proves true بعهودِهto its pledges
ولا تَسْلُ عنه إنْ وَفَى بعهودِه
And watch for a lightning flash at al-Raqmatayn and Ḥājir.
Mark lightning in Raqmtayn and Hajir
And do not forget it if it proves true to its pledges.
And do not ask if he fulfills his vows
وعرِّجand turn aside علىto واديthe valley of الغضاthe ghaḍā trees وظلالهand its shade
وعرِّج على وادي الغضا وظلاله
وخذْand gather خبراnews عنهof it وعنand of روعةthe awe of بيدهits deserts
وخذْ خبرا عنه وعن روعة بيده
And turn aside to the valley of the ghaḍā trees and its shade.
And pass by Wadi Ghadha and its shadows
And gather news of it and of the awe its deserts inspire.
And take news of it and the beauty of its hand
Sol 6.1