أَياO عَمروُAmr كَمhow many مِنof مُهرَةٍa filly عَرَبِيَّةٍArabian
أَيا عَمروُ كَم مِن مُهرَةٍ عَرَبِيَّةٍ
مِنَamong الناسِthe people قَدhas بُليَتbeen afflicted بِوَغدٍwith a lout يَقودُهاleads her
مِنَ الناسِ قَد بُليَت بِوَغدٍ يَقودُها
O ʿAmr, how many an Arabian filly
O Amr, how many an Arabian filly
among people has been afflicted with a base wretch who leads her—
Among people has been afflicted with a lout who leads her!
يَسوسُhe manages وَماand not يَدريhe knows لَهاfor her مِنof سِياسَةٍmanagement
يَسوسُ وَما يَدري لَها مِن سِياسَةٍ
يُريدُhe wants بِهاfor her أَشياءَthings لَيسَتdoes not تُريدُهاshe wants them
يُريدُ بِها أَشياءَ لَيسَت تُريدُها
governing her though he knows nothing of how she should be governed,
He manages her, yet knows nothing of how to guide her;
seeking from her things she herself does not desire.
He wants for her things she does not want.
مُبَتَّلَةُshapely الأَعجازِof the hips زانَتshe adorned عُقودَهاher necklaces
مُبَتَّلَةُ الأَعجازِ زانَت عُقودَها
بِأَحسَنَwith greater beauty مِمّاthan what زَيَّنَتهاadorned her عُقودُهاher necklaces
بِأَحسَنَ مِمّا زَيَّنَتها عُقودُها
Finely formed in figure, she adorned her necklaces
Shapely-hipped, she adorned her necklaces
with beauty finer than that with which her necklaces adorned her.
More beautifully than her necklaces adorned her.
خَليلَيَّmy two friends شُدّاbind, both of you بِالعَمامَةِwith the turban وَاِحزِماand fasten, both of you
خَليلَيَّ شُدّا بِالعَمامَةِ وَاِحزِما
عَلىaround كَبِدٍa liver قَدhas بانَparted صَدعاًasunder عَمودُهاits pillar
عَلى كَبِدٍ قَد بانَ صَدعاً عَمودُها
My two companions, draw the turban tight and bind it
My two friends, bind me with the turban and fasten it
over a liver whose supporting column has plainly split apart.
Around a liver whose pillar has split asunder.
خَليلَيَّmy two friends هَلwhether لَيلىLayla مُؤَدِّيَةٌpaying compensation for دَميmy blood
خَليلَيَّ هَل لَيلى مُؤَدِّيَةٌ دَمي
إِذاif قَتَلَتنيshe kills me أَوor أَميرٌa ruler يُقيدُهاexecutes her in retribution
إِذا قَتَلَتني أَو أَميرٌ يُقيدُها
My two companions, will Layla be held answerable for my blood
My two friends, will Layla pay compensation for my blood
if she kills me—or is there a prince who will exact requital from her?
If she kills me—or will a ruler execute her in retribution?
وَكَيفَand how تُقادُis taken in retribution النَفسُthe life بِالنَفسِfor the life لَمhas not تَقُلshe said
وَكَيفَ تُقادُ النَفسُ بِالنَفسِ لَم تَقُل
قَتَلتُI killed وَلَمand did not يَشهَدtestify عَلَيهاagainst her شُهودُهاher witnesses
قَتَلتُ وَلَم يَشهَد عَلَيها شُهودُها
But how can life be exacted for life? She did not say,
And how can a life be taken for a life, when she has not said
“I killed him,” nor have witnesses testified against her.
'I killed him,' and her witnesses have not testified against her?
وَلَنand will not يَلبَثَdelay الواشونَthe talebearers أَنto يَصدَعواsplit العَصاthe staff
وَلَن يَلبَثَ الواشونَ أَن يَصدَعوا العَصا
إِذاif لَمnot يَكُنbe صُلباًhard عَلىagainst البَريِwhittling عودُهاits wood
إِذا لَم يَكُن صُلباً عَلى البَريِ عودُها
The tale-bearers will soon split the staff apart
And the talebearers will not be long in splitting the staff,
unless its wood is hard against their whittling.
If its wood is not hard enough to withstand the whittling.
نَظَرتُI looked إِلَيهاat her نَظرَةًa glance ماnot يَسُرُّنيpleases me
نَظَرتُ إِلَيها نَظرَةً ما يَسُرُّني
بِهاin exchange for it حُمرُthe red ones أَنعامَlivestock البِلادِthe lands وَسودُهاand its black ones
بِها حُمرُ أَنعامَ البِلادِ وَسودُها
A glance at her—one I would not gladly exchange
I cast her a glance I would not gladly exchange
for all the red and black herds in the land.
For the lands' livestock, red and black.
إِذاwhen جِئتُهاI came to her وَسطَamid النِساءِthe women مَنَحتُهاI offered her
إِذا جِئتُها وَسطَ النِساءِ مَنَحتُها
صُدوداًcoldness كَأَنَّas though النَفسَthe soul لَيسَتdoes not تُريدُهاdesires her
صُدوداً كَأَنَّ النَفسَ لَيسَت تُريدُها
When I come to her among the women, I grant her
When I come to her amid the women, I show her
aloofness, as though my soul did not desire her.
Coldness, as though my soul did not desire her.
وَليand I have نَظرَةٌa glance بَعدَafter الصُدودِthe turning away مِنَfrom الهَوىlove
وَلي نَظرَةٌ بَعدَ الصُدودِ مِنَ الهَوى
كَنَظرَةِlike the glance of ثُكلىa bereaved mother قَدhas أُصيبَbeen struck down وَحيدُهاher only child
كَنَظرَةِ ثُكلى قَد أُصيبَ وَحيدُها
Yet after that aloofness, I have a glance born of passion,
And after my coldness, I have a glance born of love,
like the gaze of a bereaved mother whose only child has been struck down.
Like the glance of a bereaved mother whose only child has been struck down.
فَحَتّىso until مَتىwhen هَذاthis الصُدودُthe turning away إِلىuntil مَتىwhen
فَحَتّى مَتى هَذا الصُدودُ إِلى مَتى
لَقَدindeed شَفَّhas worn thin نَفسيmy soul هَجرُهاher desertion وَصُدودُهاand her turning away
لَقَد شَفَّ نَفسي هَجرُها وَصُدودُها
How long, then, must this aloofness last—how long?
So how long this coldness—how long?
Her abandonment and aversion have worn my soul thin.
Her desertion and coldness have indeed worn my soul thin.
فَلَوso if أَنَّthat ماwhat أَبقيتَyou have left مِنّيof me مُعَلَّقٌsuspended
فَلَو أَنَّ ما أَبقيتَ مِنّي مُعَلَّقٌ
بِعودِfrom a stalk of ثُمامٍthumam grass ماnot تَأَوَّدَwould bend عودُهاits stalk
بِعودِ ثُمامٍ ما تَأَوَّدَ عودُها
If what you have left of me were hung
So if what you have left of me were suspended
from a stalk of thumām grass, that stalk would not bend.
From a stalk of thumam grass, its stalk would not bend.
Sol 6.1