أَنّىhow سَرَبتِyou came wandering وَكُنتِwhile you were غَيرَnot سَروبِgiven to roaming
أَنّى سَرَبتِ وَكُنتِ غَيرَ سَروبِ
وَتُقَرِّبُand bring near الأَحلامُdreams غَيرَnot قَريبِnear
وَتُقَرِّبُ الأَحلامُ غَيرَ قَريبِ
How did you come here, when you were not one to roam?
How did you roam while not roaming,
And dreams bring near what is far away.
And dreams draw near though not near,
ماwhatever تَمنَعيyou withhold يَقظىwhile awake فَقَدyet perhaps تُؤتينَهُyou grant it
ما تَمنَعي يَقظى فَقَد تُؤتينَهُ
فيin النَومِsleep غَيرَnot مُصَرَّدٍdoled out sparingly مَحسوبِcounted out
في النَومِ غَيرَ مُصَرَّدٍ مَحسوبِ
Whatever you withhold awake, you may yet grant
Do not prevent wakefulness, it may grant in sleep,
In sleep, unstinted and unmeasured.
Other than one lying in wait, unforeseen.
كانَwas المُنىthe longing بِلِقائِهاfor meeting her فَلَقيتُهاso I met her
كانَ المُنى بِلِقائِها فَلَقيتُها
فَلَهَوتُso I took pleasure مِنof لَهوِthe pleasure اِمرِئٍa man مَكذوبِdeceived
فَلَهَوتُ مِن لَهوِ اِمرِئٍ مَكذوبِ
My wish was to meet her, and I met her;
The wish was to meet her, so I met her,
So I took my pleasure, like a man deceived.
And became heedless with the heedlessness of a liar.
فَرَأَيتُso I saw مِثلَlike الشَمسِthe sun عِندَat طُلوعِهاits rising
فَرَأَيتُ مِثلَ الشَمسِ عِندَ طُلوعِها
فيin الحُسنِbeauty أَوor كَدُنُوِّهاlike its approach لِغُروبِto setting
في الحُسنِ أَو كَدُنُوِّها لِغُروبِ
So I saw her, like the sun at its rising,
So I saw the likeness of the sun at its rising,
In beauty, or as it draws near to setting.
In beauty, or nearing its setting.
صَفراءُgolden-skinned أَعجَلَهاmade her mature sooner الشَبابُyouth لِداتِهاher age-mates
صَفراءُ أَعجَلَها الشَبابُ لِداتِها
مَوسومَةٌmarked بِالحُسنِwith beauty غَيرُnot قَطوبِhabitually scowling
مَوسومَةٌ بِالحُسنِ غَيرُ قَطوبِ
Golden-skinned, youth had ripened her before her peers,
Yellowish, whose youth was hastened by her essence,
Marked with beauty, never scowling.
Adorned with beauty, not stern.
تَخطوshe steps عَلىupon بَردِيَّتَينِtwo papyrus reeds غَذاهُماnourished them both
تَخطو عَلى بَردِيَّتَينِ غَذاهُما
غَدِقٌabundant water بِساحَةِin the expanse of حائِرٍa pool يَعبوبِbrimming
غَدِقٌ بِساحَةِ حائِرٍ يَعبوبِ
She walks on two papyrus reeds, nourished
She walked on two cool garments, nourished
By abundant water in the expanse of a brimming pool.
By the downpour of a bewildered wasteland.
تَنكَلُّshe smiles عَنto reveal حَمشِslender اللِثاتِthe gums كَأَنَّهُas though it were
تَنكَلُّ عَن حَمشِ اللِثاتِ كَأَنَّهُ
بَرَدٌhailstones جَلَتهُpolished it الشَمسُthe sun فيin شُؤبوبِa downpour
بَرَدٌ جَلَتهُ الشَمسُ في شُؤبوبِ
She smiles, showing teeth in slender gums, as though they were
She strutted away from the rough pebbles, as though
Hailstones the sun has polished amid a downpour.
It were a cold roasted by the sun on a hot windy day.
كَشَقيقَةِlike a strip of السَيراءِstriped silk أَوor كَغَمامَةٍlike a cloud
كَشَقيقَةِ السَيراءِ أَو كَغَمامَةٍ
بَحرِيَّةٍsea-born فيin عارِضٍa cloudbank مَجنوبِdriven by the south wind
بَحرِيَّةٍ في عارِضٍ مَجنوبِ
Like a strip of striped silk, or a cloud
Like the chameleon, or like a sea cloud
From the sea, in a cloudbank driven by the south wind.
In a passing rain-laden south wind.
أَبَنيO sons of دُحَيٍّDuhayy وَالحَناand stooping مِنamong شَأنِكُمyour ways
أَبَني دُحَيٍّ وَالحَنا مِن شَأنِكُم
أَنّىhow يَكونُcan there be الفَخرُboasting لِلمَغلوبِfor the vanquished
أَنّى يَكونُ الفَخرُ لِلمَغلوبِ
O sons of Duhayy—stooping is your way—
O Duhayy's sons, and praise belongs to you,
How can the vanquished have cause to boast?
How can pride belong to the defeated?
وَكَأَنَّهُمand they seem like فيin الحَربِbattle إِذwhen تَعلوهُمُit overwhelms them
وَكَأَنَّهُم في الحَربِ إِذ تَعلوهُمُ
غَنَمٌsheep تُعَبِّطُهاslaughter them wantonly غُواةُwastrels شُروبِheavy drinkers
غَنَمٌ تُعَبِّطُها غُواةُ شُروبِ
And in battle, when it overwhelms them, they are like
As if they were in war when loot overcame them,
Sheep that drunken wastrels slaughter wantonly.
Spoils ripped apart by the plundering of drinking.
إِنَّindeed الفَضاءَthe open ground لَناis ours فَلاso do not تَمشواwalk بِهِupon it
إِنَّ الفَضاءَ لَنا فَلا تَمشوا بِهِ
أَبَداًever بِعالِيَةٍin the upper reaches وَلاnor بِذَنوبِin the lower reaches
أَبَداً بِعالِيَةٍ وَلا بِذَنوبِ
Indeed, the open ground is ours; so do not walk upon it
Indeed space is ours, so walk not through it
Ever, neither in its upper reaches nor in its lower.
Ever haughtily, nor with sins.
وَتَفَقَّدواand look for تِسعينَninety مِنof سَرَواتِكُمyour chiefs
وَتَفَقَّدوا تِسعينَ مِن سَرَواتِكُم
أَشباهَlike نَخلٍpalm trees صُرِّعَتwere toppled لِجُنوبِonto their sides
أَشباهَ نَخلٍ صُرِّعَت لِجُنوبِ
And look for ninety of your chiefs,
And check on ninety of your treetops
Like palm trees toppled onto their sides.
Resembling palm trees felled by the south wind.
وَسَلواand ask صَريحَthe true-born scion of الكاهِنَينِthe two priests وَمالِكاًand Malik
وَسَلوا صَريحَ الكاهِنَينِ وَمالِكاً
عَنabout مَنthose who لَكُمare yours مِنamong دارِعٍa mail-clad warrior وَنَجيبِand a nobleman
عَن مَن لَكُم مِن دارِعٍ وَنَجيبِ
And ask the true-born scion of the two priests, and Malik,
And ask the truthful priest and Malik
About your mail-clad warriors and noblemen.
Who can protect and save you.
Sol 6.1