أَلاbehold إِنَّindeed لَيلىLayla العامِريَّةَof ʿAmir أَصبَحَتshe has become
أَلا إِنَّ لَيلى العامِريَّةَ أَصبَحَت
تَقَطَّعُare severed إِلّاexcept مِنfrom ثَقيفٍThaqif حِبالُهاher cords
تَقَطَّعُ إِلّا مِن ثَقيفٍ حِبالُها
Behold, Layla of ʿAmir now has
Behold! The dwellings of Layla al-Aamiriyyah are now in ruins,
her cords severed, save those with Thaqif.
Her ropes tied fast to none but the men of Thaqif,
إِذاwhen اِلتَفَتَتshe turns back وَالعيسُand the pale camels صُعرٌwith bent necks مِنَfrom البُرىthe nose-rings
إِذا اِلتَفَتَت وَالعيسُ صُعرٌ مِنَ البُرى
بِنَخلَةَat Nakhla غَشَّbelied عَبرَةَthe tears العَينِof the eye حالُهاher state
بِنَخلَةَ غَشَّ عَبرَةَ العَينِ حالُها
When she turns back, while the pale camels' necks are bent by their nose-rings,
When she turns her eyes with the owl wary of open spaces,
at Nakhla, her state belies the eye's tears.
To a palm-tree, sadness veils her state,
فَهُمso they حَبَسوهاconfined her مَحبَسَthe confinement of البُدنِthe sacrificial camels وَاِبتَغىand sought
فَهُم حَبَسوها مَحبَسَ البُدنِ وَاِبتَغى
بِهاthrough her المالَwealth أَقوامٌsome people أَلاah قَلَّmay diminish مالُهاher wealth
بِها المالَ أَقوامٌ أَلا قَلَّ مالُها
So they penned her like sacrificial camels, and some people sought
They have imprisoned her in bodily incarceration, while
wealth through her—ah, may her wealth dwindle!
Men have sought wealth through her, Oh! How paltry her wealth!
خَليلَيَّmy two dear friends هَلis there مِنany حيلَةٍstratagem تَعلَمانِهاyou two know it
خَليلَيَّ هَل مِن حيلَةٍ تَعلَمانِها
يُدَنّيbrings nearer لَناfor us تَكليمَspeaking to لَيلىLayla اِحتِيالُهاdevising it
يُدَنّي لَنا تَكليمَ لَيلى اِحتِيالُها
My two dear friends, do you know of any stratagem
My two friends! Is there a cunning you know,
whose use would bring us nearer to speaking to Layla?
That might let us steal speech with Layla through her guile?
فَإِنand if أَنتُماyou two لَمdid not تَعلَماهاyou two know it فَلَستُماthen you two are not
فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تَعلَماها فَلَستُما
بِأَوَّلَthe first باغٍseeker of حاجَةًsomething desired لاnot يَنالُهاhe attains it
بِأَوَّلَ باغٍ حاجَةً لا يَنالُها
And if you two do not know it, then you are not
For if you know it not, you are not
the first to seek something they cannot attain.
The first to need what you cannot attain,
كَأَنَّas though مَعَwith الرَكبِthe caravan الَّذينَwho اِغتَدواset out at dawn بِهاwith her
كَأَنَّ مَعَ الرَكبِ الَّذينَ اِغتَدوا بِها
غَمامَةُa cloud صَيفٍof summer زَعزَعَتهاshook it شَمالُهاits north wind
غَمامَةُ صَيفٍ زَعزَعَتها شَمالُها
As though, with the caravan that set out at dawn with her,
As if the party who abused her
there were a summer cloud shaken by its north wind.
Were a summer cloud routed by its driving wind,
نَظَرتُI gazed بِمُفضىat the outlet of سَيلِthe torrent of جَوشَينِJawshayn إِذwhen غَدواthey set out at dawn
نَظَرتُ بِمُفضى سَيلِ جَوشَينِ إِذ غَدوا
تَخُبُّtrots بِأَطرافِalong the edges of المَخارِمِthe mountain passes آلُهاtheir mirage
تَخُبُّ بِأَطرافِ المَخارِمِ آلُها
I gazed where Jawshayn's torrent empties, when they set out,
I looked out on the overflowing torrent at dawn, as they departed,
their mirage trotting along the edges of the mountain passes,
Skirting the meadows edge, her family,
بِشافِيَةِat a healer of الأَحزانِsorrows حَيَّجَstirred شَوقَهاher longing
بِشافِيَةِ الأَحزانِ حَيَّجَ شَوقَها
مُجامَعَةُthe gathering of الأُلّافِthe dear companions ثُمَّthen زِيالُهاtheir parting
مُجامَعَةُ الأُلّافِ ثُمَّ زِيالُها
at a healer of sorrows, whose longing was stirred
Solace for sorrows saluted her longing
by the gathering of dear companions, then their parting.
At the parting of friends, then their departure.
Sol 6.1