لَئِنif indeed عانِسٌa spinster قَدalready شابَhas gone gray بَينَbetween قَرنِهاher crown
لَئِن عانِسٌ قَد شابَ بَينَ قَرنِها
إِلىto كَعبِهاher ankle وَاِمتُصَّand was drained عَنهاfrom her شَبابُهاher youth
إِلى كَعبِها وَاِمتُصَّ عَنها شَبابُها
If indeed a spinster has gone gray from her crown
to her ankle, and her youth has been drained away,
صَبَتshe grew amorous فيin طِلابِpursuit of اللَهوِpleasure يَوماًone day وَعَلَّقَتand hung
صَبَت في طِلابِ اللَهوِ يَوماً وَعَلَّقَت
حِجاباًa curtain لَقَدindeed كانَتhad been سَتيراًconcealing حِجابُهاher veil
حِجاباً لَقَد كانَت سَتيراً حِجابُها
she once grew amorous in pursuit of pleasure and hung
a curtain; her veil had indeed kept her hidden.
لَقَدindeed مُتَّعَتshe was granted enjoyment فيin العَيشِlife حَتّىuntil تَمَتَّعَتshe took pleasure
لَقَد مُتَّعَت في العَيشِ حَتّى تَمَتَّعَت
مِنَof اللَهوِpleasure إِذwhen لاnot يُنكِرُrejects اللَهوَpleasure بابُهاher door
مِنَ اللَهوِ إِذ لا يُنكِرُ اللَهوَ بابُها
She was granted enjoyment in life until she took her fill
of pleasure, when her door did not reject pleasure.
فَبينيso depart بِرَغمٍin humiliation ثُمَّthen ظَلّيremain فَرُبَّماfor often
فَبيني بِرَغمٍ ثُمَّ ظَلّي فَرُبَّما
ثَوىhas rested الزَعمُthe claim مِنهاfrom her حَيثُwhere يَثويrests نِقابُهاher face-veil
ثَوى الزَعمُ مِنها حَيثُ يَثوي نِقابُها
So depart in humiliation, then remain—for often
a claim of hers has rested where her face-veil rests.
لِبَيضاءَfor a fair-skinned woman لَمnot تُنسَبwas traced لِجَدٍّto an ancestor يَعيبُهاwho disgraces her
لِبَيضاءَ لَم تُنسَب لِجَدٍّ يَعيبُها
هِجانٍof pure lineage وَلَمand never تَنبَحbarked at لَئيماًan ignoble man كِلابُهاher dogs
هِجانٍ وَلَم تَنبَح لَئيماً كِلابُها
For a fair-skinned woman, traced to no ancestor who disgraces her,
of pure lineage, whose dogs never barked at an ignoble man.
تَأَوَّدُshe sways فيin المَمضىwalking كَأَنَّas though قِناعَهاher head-veil
تَأَوَّدُ في المَمضى كَأَنَّ قِناعَها
عَلىon ظَبيَةٍa gazelle أَدماءَwhite, dusky-backed طابَتwere fragrant ثِيابُهاher garments
عَلى ظَبيَةٍ أَدماءَ طابَت ثِيابُها
She sways as she walks, as though her head-veil were
on a white, dusky-backed gazelle, her garments fragrant,
مُهَفهَفَةِslender الأَعطافِthe flanks خَفّاقَةِslim الحَشاthe waist
مُهَفهَفَةِ الأَعطافِ خَفّاقَةِ الحَشا
جَميلٍlovely مُحَيّاهاher face قَليلٍlittle عِتابُهاher reproach
جَميلٍ مُحَيّاها قَليلٍ عِتابُها
slender of flank and slim of waist,
her face lovely, her reproaches few.
إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) دَعَتshe invoked بِاِبنَيby the two sons of نِزارٍNizār وَنازَعَتand vied for
إِذا ما دَعَت بِاِبنَي نِزارٍ وَنازَعَت
ذُراthe summits of المَجدِglory لَمnot يُردَدis rejected عَلَيهاagainst her اِنتِسابُهاher claim of descent
ذُرا المَجدِ لَم يُردَد عَلَيها اِنتِسابُها
When she invokes the two sons of Nizār and vies for
the summits of glory, her claim of descent is not denied.
Sol 6.1