غداhe went out in the morning يبكيweeping for أحبتَهhis loved ones وراحَاand went out in the evening
غدا يبكي أحبتَه وراحَا
وناحتand lamented وُرْقُgray doves ذيDhu سَلَمٍSalam فنَاحَاso he lamented
وناحت وُرْقُ ذي سَلَمٍ فنَاحَا
He set out at dawn, weeping for his loved ones, and departed.
Morning and evening, he wept for his loved ones.
The gray doves of Dhū Salam lamented, and he too lamented.
And the gray doves of Dhu Salam lamented, so he lamented.
ولاحand shone لهbefore him البُريقُthe glimmer of lightning بارضin the land of نجْدٍNajd
ولاح له البُريقُ بارض نجْدٍ
فنَحنّso we yearn لبرقِfor the lightning of نجْدٍNajd حينwhen لاحاit shone
فنَحنّ لبرقِ نجْدٍ حين لاحا
A lightning-flash appeared to him in a cloud bank over Najd;
And a glimmer of lightning shone before him in the land of Najd.
So he yearned for Najd’s lightning when it flashed.
So we yearn for Najd's lightning when it gleams.
رأىhe saw وَمْضَthe flash of البريقthe lightning فلاso no مناماًsleep
رأى وَمْضَ البريق فلا مناماً
وعاجَand turned aside علىtoward الطلولِthe ruined campsites فلاso no براحاdeparture
وعاجَ على الطلولِ فلا براحا
He saw the lightning’s gleam—there was no sleep for him.
He saw the lightning's flash, and there was no sleep.
He turned aside by the ruined camps—and there was no leaving.
And he turned aside to the ruined campsites and would not leave.
وفيand in نجدٍNajd لهhe has خَودٌa lovely young woman رَداحٌfull-hipped
وفي نجدٍ له خَودٌ رَداحٌ
فَدتْmay ransom أحشاؤهhis vitals الخَودَthe young beauty الرداحَاthe full-hipped one
فَدتْ أحشاؤه الخَودَ الرداحَا
In Najd he has a tender, full-figured maiden;
And in Najd he has a full-hipped young beauty.
His very heart would ransom that tender, full-figured maiden.
May his very vitals ransom that full-hipped young beauty.
إذاwhen بَسَمَتshe smiles رأيتyou see لهاher ثناياcentral incisors
إذا بَسَمَت رأيت لها ثنايا
كمثلlike الدُّرpearls لَوْناًin color والأقاحَاand daisies
كمثل الدُّر لَوْناً والأقاحَا
When she smiled, you would see that she had front teeth
When she smiles, you see her front teeth,
Like pearls in color, and like daisies.
Like pearls in color, and like daisies.
تريكshe shows you قضيبَa slender bough of بانٍthe ban tree فوقabove غُصنٍa branch
تريك قضيبَ بانٍ فوق غُصنٍ
يقلّbears اللّيلَthe night أجمعَin its entirety والصَّباحاand the morning
يقلّ اللّيلَ أجمعَ والصَّباحا
She shows you a slender wand of the bān tree upon a bough
She shows you a slender bough of the ban tree above a branch,
That bears all of night—and morning too.
Bearing the whole night and the morning.
وكمand how often سَحَرتْshe bewitched ومَاyet did not عبثتshe dabbled لسِحْرٍfor sorcery
وكم سَحَرتْ ومَا عبثت لسِحْرٍ
وكمand how often قتلتْshe slew ومَاyet did not حملتshe carried سِلاَحَاa weapon
وكم قتلتْ ومَا حملت سِلاَحَا
How often she bewitched, though she never toyed with sorcery;
And how often she has bewitched without dabbling in magic!
And how often she slew, though she never bore a weapon.
And how often she has slain without carrying a weapon!
لئنif indeed نطقَتْspoke دمالجُهاher armlets دَلاَلاًwith coy allure
لئن نطقَتْ دمالجُها دَلاَلاً
وخلخالاًand an anklet لقدsurely نطقتshe spoke وشاحاa sash
وخلخالاً لقد نطقت وشاحا
If her bracelets spoke with coquettish charm,
If indeed her armlets speak with coy allure,
And her anklet too—then surely her sash spoke.
And her anklet—she has surely spoken through her sash.
وإنand if ملكتshe possesses نصابَthe measure of الحسنِbeauty طُراًentirely
وإن ملكت نصابَ الحسنِ طُراً
فعزُّthen Izz الدينal-Din قدindeed مَلِكhas possessed السماحَاgenerosity
فعزُّ الدين قد مَلِك السماحَا
And if she possesses the whole measure of beauty,
And if she possesses beauty's entire measure,
Then ʿIzz al-Dīn has possessed generosity itself.
Then Izz al-Din has made generosity his own.
Sol 6.1