مَرَّتْshe passed بناby us فيin النصيفthe veil تَنْجذبُis drawn along
مَرَّتْ بنا في النصيف تَنْجذبُ
والبانُand the bān-tree فيamid تلكthose الكثُبُsand-dunes
والبانُ في تلك الكثُبُ
She passed by us in her veil, drawn along,
She passed by us in the summer heat alluring,
And the bān-tree amid those dunes.
Her tent on those sand dunes rising high.
فَشَاقَنَاand stirred our longing فوقَupon خَدِّهاher cheek ضَرَمٌa blaze
فَشَاقَنَا فوقَ خَدِّها ضَرَمٌ
يُطْفيهُextinguishes it منfrom لِثاتهاher gums ضَرَبُwhite honey
يُطْفيهُ من لِثاتها ضَرَبُ
And a blaze upon her cheek stirred our longing,
Above her cheek a birthmark like glowing ember
Which white honey from her gums extinguishes.
Quenched by her drool as she sucks her lip.
فِضّيَةُsilvery اللّونِin color وهيand she is مشرَبَةٌtinged
فِضّيَةُ اللّونِ وهي مشرَبَةٌ
كأنماas though سالflowed فوقهاover her الذهبُgold
كأنما سال فوقها الذهبُ
Silver-hued, and tinged,
Silver-white skin though parched by thirst,
As though gold had flowed over her.
As if gold had spilled over her dunes.
هزّتshe swayed قناةًa spear-shaft علىabove كثيبa dune نقَّاًwhite sand
هزّت قناةً على كثيب نقَّاً
إنindeed النّقاthe sand-dune والقناand the spear-shafts هوit is العجبُthe marvel
إن النّقا والقنا هو العجبُ
She swayed a spear-shaft above a dune of white sand;
She shook a slender branch on a sandy dune—
Indeed, the sand-dune and the spear-shafts are a marvel.
Grace and branch are a wondrous thing!
قدindeed زانهاadorned her الفاحمُthe coal-black hair الأثيثthick علىover
قد زانها الفاحمُ الأثيث على
مَسْحبِthe train of ذاكthat القناعِveil ينسحبtrails
مَسْحبِ ذاك القناعِ ينسحب
Her thick, coal-black hair has adorned her; over
Adorned with dark musk over smooth skin,
The train of that veil it trails.
Below that veil's mysterious folds,
والناظرthe eye الجؤذريٌّlike a wild calf’s واللَّبَبُand the upper chest
والناظر الجؤذريٌّ واللَّبَبُ
واللَّعَسُand the duskiness of the lips الكوثريKawthar-like والشنبand the cool whiteness of the teeth
واللَّعَسُ الكوثري والشنب
And her eye, like a wild calf’s, and her upper chest,
Her languorous eyes, coquettish, smiling,
And her Kawthar-like dusky lips, and her cool, white teeth.
A fawn, a partridge, a shy gazelle—
يسترهاconceals her فرعُهاher tresses ويبرزُهاand reveals her
يسترها فرعُها ويبرزُها
صبحُthe dawn of اللماthe duskiness of the lips فهيso she ليسis not تَحتجِبُconcealed
صبحُ اللما فهي ليس تَحتجِبُ
Her tresses conceal her, yet she is revealed by
Her branch now hides, now reveals her face
The dawn of her dusky lips—so she is not concealed.
Like dawn's first light, unveiled, unhidden.
ياO ليتَif only ليfor me وقفةًa pause ببانِby the bān-trees of قُبَاQuba
يا ليتَ لي وقفةً ببانِ قُبَا
فاسألُso I might ask العاتبينَthose who reproach لمْwhy عَتَبواthey reproached
فاسألُ العاتبينَ لمْ عَتَبوا
Oh, if only I could pause by the bān-trees of Quba,
Would that I had paused awhile at Dhat Quba
And ask those who reproach me why they reproached me.
To ask, why do you shun me, keeping apart?
وليتَand if only ماءَthe water of العُذَيْبal-Udhayb يَعْرُضُwould appear ليfor me
وليتَ ماءَ العُذَيْب يَعْرُضُ لي
يسقينيgives me drink القومُthe people فضلَthe remainder of ماwhat شربواthey drank
يسقيني القومُ فضلَ ما شربوا
And would that the water of al-Udhayb came my way,
Would water from Adh'ib would flow my way
The people giving me what remained of their drink.
To slake my thirst with what they drank!
ياO أهلَpeople of تلكthose الخيامtents إنّeven if بَعُدتis far away
يا أهلَ تلك الخيام إنّ بَعُدت
داريmy home فودّيthen my love لكمfor you كماas يجبُit ought to be
داري فودّي لكم كما يجبُ
O people of those tents, though far away
O people of those tents, though far I live
My home may be, my love for you is as it ought to be.
My love for you remains, as it should.
لاdo not تُهملواneglect صحبتيmy companionship زمانَduring the days of قُبَاQuba
لا تُهملوا صحبتي زمانَ قُبَا
فلنfor ... will not يضيعُforsake الكرامُthe noble منthose whom صحبواthey befriended
فلن يضيعُ الكرامُ من صحبوا
Do not neglect my friendship from the days of Quba;
Do not neglect my company, O Quba folk!
For the noble will not forsake those they have befriended.
For noble hearts do not forsake true friends.
أمَّاas for صِفاتُthe qualities of الجَمالbeauty فهيthen they are لكمyours
أمَّا صِفاتُ الجَمال فهي لكم
والمجدand glory للأشعريto al-Ash‘ari والحَسَبُand ancestral honor
والمجد للأشعري والحَسَبُ
As for the qualities of beauty, they are yours,
As for beauty—that is yours, but glory
And glory and ancestral honor belong to al-Ash‘ari.
Belongs to Ash'ari and repute!
Sol 6.1