أَظَبيَةَO gazelle of الوَحشِthe wild لَولاwere it not for ظَبيَةُthe gazelle of الأَنَسِhumankind
أَظَبيَةَ الوَحشِ لَولا ظَبيَةُ الأَنَسِ
لَماwould not غَدَوتُI became بِجَدٍّwith fortune فيin الهَوىlove تَعِسِwretched
لَما غَدَوتُ بِجَدٍّ في الهَوى تَعِسِ
O gazelle of the wild, were it not for the gazelle of humankind,
O doe of the wild, were it not for the doe of humankind,
I would not have met with wretched fortune in love.
I would not have woken with such wretched luck in love,
وَلاand not سَقَيتُI watered الثَرىthe earth وَالمُزنُand the rainclouds مُخلِفَةٌbreaking their promise
وَلا سَقَيتُ الثَرى وَالمُزنُ مُخلِفَةٌ
دَمعاًtears يُنَشِّفُهُdries it مِنfrom لَوعَةٍburning anguish نَفَسيmy breath
دَمعاً يُنَشِّفُهُ مِن لَوعَةٍ نَفَسي
Nor would I have watered the earth while the rainclouds broke their promise,
Nor watered the soil—while rain-clouds broke their promise—
with tears that my breath, burning with yearning, dries.
With tears my own breath dries up from burning anguish,
وَلاand not وَقَفتُI stood بِجِسمٍwith a body مُسيَat evening ثالِثَةٍthe third night
وَلا وَقَفتُ بِجِسمٍ مُسيَ ثالِثَةٍ
ذيhaving أَرسُمٍoutlines دُرُسٍeffaced فيamong الأَرسُمِthe ruins الدُرُسِeffaced
ذي أَرسُمٍ دُرُسٍ في الأَرسُمِ الدُرُسِ
Nor would I have stood on the third evening with a body
Nor stood with a body—a third ghost among them—
whose outlines were effaced among the effaced ruins,
A fading ruin amidst the faded ruins,
صَريعَfelled by مُقلَتِهاher eye سَآلَconstantly questioning دِمنَتِهاher dwelling's ruins
صَريعَ مُقلَتِها سَآلَ دِمنَتِها
قَتيلَslain by تَكسيرِthe languid droop of ذاكِthat الجَفنِeyelid وَاللَعَسِand the lips' duskiness
قَتيلَ تَكسيرِ ذاكِ الجَفنِ وَاللَعَسِ
felled by her gaze, forever questioning her dwelling's ruins,
Slain by her gaze, questioning her abandoned camp,
slain by that eyelid's languor and the duskiness of her lips.
A victim of that languid eyelid and those dark lips.
خَريدَةٌa shy maiden لَوif رَأَتهاsaw her الشَمسُthe sun ماnot طَلَعَتrose
خَريدَةٌ لَو رَأَتها الشَمسُ ما طَلَعَت
وَلَوand if رَآهاsaw her قَضيبُa slender branch of البانِthe bān tree لَمdid not يَمِسِsway
وَلَو رَآها قَضيبُ البانِ لَم يَمِسِ
A shy maiden—had the sun seen her, it would not have risen;
A maiden so fair, had the sun beheld her, it would not rise,
and had a bān branch seen her, it would not have swayed.
And had the willow branch seen her, it would cease to sway.
ماnot ضاقَgrew tight قَبلَكِbefore you خَلخالٌan anklet عَلىon رَشَأٍa young gazelle
ما ضاقَ قَبلَكِ خَلخالٌ عَلى رَشَأٍ
وَلاand not سَمِعتُI heard بِديباجٍof brocade عَلىon كَنَسِa lair-dwelling gazelle
وَلا سَمِعتُ بِديباجٍ عَلى كَنَسِ
Before you, no anklet ever grew tight on a young gazelle,
Never before you did an anklet constrict the leg of a fawn,
nor have I heard of brocade on a gazelle in its lair.
Nor have I heard of silk brocade worn within a wild covert.
إِنif تَرمِنيstrike me نَكَباتُthe calamities of الدَهرِtime عَنfrom كَثَبٍclose range
إِن تَرمِني نَكَباتُ الدَهرِ عَن كَثَبٍ
تَرمِthey strike اِمرَأًa man غَيرَnot رِعديدٍa trembling coward وَلاand not نَكِسِa weakling
تَرمِ اِمرَأً غَيرَ رِعديدٍ وَلا نَكِسِ
If time's calamities strike me at close range,
If the calamities of time strike me from close range,
they strike a man who is neither a trembling coward nor a weakling.
They strike a man neither cowardly nor weak.
يَفديmay ransom بَنيكَyour sons عُبَيدَUbayd اللَهِAllah حاسِدُهُمtheir envier
يَفدي بَنيكَ عُبَيدَ اللَهِ حاسِدُهُم
بِجَبهَةِwith the forehead of العيرِthe donkey يُفدىis ransomed حافِرُthe hoof of الفَرَسِthe horse
بِجَبهَةِ العيرِ يُفدى حافِرُ الفَرَسِ
May their envier be a ransom for your sons, Ubayd Allah;
May the envier of your sons be their ransom, O Ubayd Allah,
a horse's hoof is ransomed with a donkey's forehead.
Just as the horse's hoof is ransomed by the wild ass's brow.
أَباO father of الغَطارِفَةِthe noble lords الحامينَwho protect جارَهُمُtheir neighbor
أَبا الغَطارِفَةِ الحامينَ جارَهُمُ
وَتارِكيand those who leave اللَيثِthe lion كَلباًa dog غَيرَnot مُفتَرَسِpreyed upon
وَتارِكي اللَيثِ كَلباً غَيرَ مُفتَرَسِ
O father of noble lords who protect their neighbor,
Father of the noble lords who protect their neighbor,
and leave the lion a dog they do not prey upon,
And leave the lion seeming but a dog, stripped of its prey.
مِنfrom among كُلِّeach أَبيَضَfair وَضّاحٍradiant عَمامَتُهُhis turban
مِن كُلِّ أَبيَضَ وَضّاحٍ عَمامَتُهُ
كَأَنَّماas though اِشتَمَلَتenfolded نوراًlight عَلىaround قَبَسِa flame
كَأَنَّما اِشتَمَلَت نوراً عَلى قَبَسِ
each a fair, radiant man, whose turban
Each one fair of face, his turban shining bright,
seems to wrap a flame in light;
As if it wrapped pure light around a burning brand.
دانٍnear بَعيدٍdistant مُحِبٍّloving مُبغِضٍhating بَهِجٍjoyful
دانٍ بَعيدٍ مُحِبٍّ مُبغِضٍ بَهِجٍ
أَغَرَّbright-browed حُلوٍsweet مُمِرٍّbitter لَيِّنٍgentle شَرِسِfierce
أَغَرَّ حُلوٍ مُمِرٍّ لَيِّنٍ شَرِسِ
near yet distant, loving yet hating, joyful;
Near yet far, loving yet loathing, cheerful,
bright-browed, sweet yet bitter, gentle yet fierce;
Radiant, sweet yet bitter, gentle yet fierce.
نَدٍgenerous أَبِيٍّunbowed غَرٍardent وافٍfaithful أَخيa man of ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness
نَدٍ أَبِيٍّ غَرٍ وافٍ أَخي ثِقَةٍ
جَعدٍsturdily built سَرِيٍّnoble نَهٍwise نَدبٍgallant رَضاًwell-approved نَدُسِkeen-witted
جَعدٍ سَرِيٍّ نَهٍ نَدبٍ رَضاً نَدُسِ
generous, unbowed, ardent, faithful and trustworthy;
Generous, proud, noble, loyal, a brother of trust,
sturdy, noble, wise, gallant, well-approved, keen-witted.
Strong, high-born, commanding, swift, pleasing, and wise.
لَوif كانَwere فَيضُthe flood of يَدَيهِhis two hands ماءَthe water of غادِيَةٍa morning raincloud
لَو كانَ فَيضُ يَدَيهِ ماءَ غادِيَةٍ
عَزَّwould be hard to find القَطاthe sandgrouse فيin الفَيافيthe deserts مَوضِعُa place of اليَبَسِdryness
عَزَّ القَطا في الفَيافي مَوضِعُ اليَبَسِ
If the flood from his hands were a morning raincloud's water,
If the bounty of his hands were morning rain,
the sandgrouse would struggle to find dry ground in the deserts.
The sandgrouse in the desert would scarce find a dry place to land.
أَكارِمٌnoble men حَسَدَenvied الأَرضَthe earth السَماءُthe sky بِهِمbecause of them
أَكارِمٌ حَسَدَ الأَرضَ السَماءُ بِهِم
وَقَصَّرَتand fell short كُلُّevery مِصرٍcity عَنof طَرابُلسِTripoli
وَقَصَّرَت كُلُّ مِصرٍ عَن طَرابُلسِ
Nobles for whom the sky envied the earth,
Noble ones, for whom the heavens envied the earth,
and every city fell short of Tripoli.
And every great city fell short of Tripoli.
أَيُّwhich of المُلوكِthe kings وَهُمand they قَصديmy destination أُحاذِرُهُI fear him
أَيُّ المُلوكِ وَهُم قَصدي أُحاذِرُهُ
وَأَيُّand which قِرنٍadversary وَهُمand they سَيفيmy sword وَهُمand they تُرُسيmy shield
وَأَيُّ قِرنٍ وَهُم سَيفي وَهُم تُرُسي
Which king should I fear, when they are my destination?
Which king need I fear when they are my destination?
And which adversary, when they are my sword and my shield?
And what opponent, when they are my sword and my shield?
Sol 6.1