لَيالِيَnights when أَصبوI would yearn بِالعَشِيِّat evening وَبِالضُحىand at midmorning
لَيالِيَ أَصبو بِالعَشِيِّ وَبِالضُحى
إِلىfor خُرَّدٍshy maidens لَيسَتare not بِسودٍdark-skinned وَلاnor عُصلِscrawny
إِلى خُرَّدٍ لَيسَت بِسودٍ وَلا عُصلِ
Nights when I would yearn, at evening and midmorning,
For shy maidens, neither dark-skinned nor scrawny,
مُنَعَّمَةِsoft الأَطرافِthe limbs هَيفٍslender بُطونُهاtheir bellies
مُنَعَّمَةِ الأَطرافِ هَيفٍ بُطونُها
كَواعِبَfull-breasted maidens تَمشيthey walk مَشيَةَthe gait of الخَيلِhorses فيin الوَحلِmud
كَواعِبَ تَمشي مَشيَةَ الخَيلِ في الوَحلِ
Soft of limb, with slender bellies,
Full-breasted, walking as horses walk in mud.
وَأَعناقُهاand their necks أَعناقُthe necks of غِزلانِgazelles رَملَةٍa dune
وَأَعناقُها أَعناقُ غِزلانِ رَملَةٍ
وَأَعيُنُهاand their eyes مِنfrom أَعيُنِthe eyes of البَقَرِwild cattle النُجلِwide-eyed
وَأَعيُنُها مِن أَعيُنِ البَقَرِ النُجلِ
And their necks are the necks of gazelles on a dune,
And their eyes are like those of wide-eyed wild cattle.
وَأَثلاثُهاand their thirds السُفلىlower بُرادِيُّpapyrus stalks ساحِلٍa shore
وَأَثلاثُها السُفلى بُرادِيُّ ساحِلٍ
وَأَثلاثُهاand their thirds الوُسطىmiddle كَثيبٌa mound مِنَof الرَملِsand
وَأَثلاثُها الوُسطى كَثيبٌ مِنَ الرَملِ
And their lower thirds are papyrus stalks along a shore,
And their middle thirds a mound of sand;
وَأَثلاثُهاand their thirds العُلياupper كَأَنَّas though فُروعَهاtheir tresses
وَأَثلاثُها العُليا كَأَنَّ فُروعَها
عَناقيدُclusters تُغذىare nourished بِالدِهانِwith oils وَبِالغِسلِand with cleansing herbs
عَناقيدُ تُغذى بِالدِهانِ وَبِالغِسلِ
And their upper thirds—their tresses are like
Clusters nourished with oils and cleansing herbs.
وَتَرميand shoot فَتَصطادُand thus capture القُلوبَthe hearts عُيونُهاtheir eyes
وَتَرمي فَتَصطادُ القُلوبَ عُيونُها
وَأَطرافَهاand their hands ماnot تُحسِنُare skilled at الرَميَshooting بِالنَبلِwith arrows
وَأَطرافَها ما تُحسِنُ الرَميَ بِالنَبلِ
And their eyes shoot and capture hearts,
Though their hands are unskilled at shooting arrows.
زَرَعنَthey planted الهَوىlove فيin القَلبِthe heart ثُمَّthen سَقَينَهُthey watered it
زَرَعنَ الهَوى في القَلبِ ثُمَّ سَقَينَهُ
صُباباتِdrops ماءِwater الشَوقِlonging بِالأَعيُنِwith the eyes النُجلِwide
صُباباتِ ماءِ الشَوقِ بِالأَعيُنِ النُجلِ
They planted love in the heart, then watered it
With drops of longing's water through their wide eyes.
رَعابيبُsoft, fair beauties أَقصَدنَthey struck dead القُلوبَthe hearts وَإِنَّماand indeed only
رَعابيبُ أَقصَدنَ القُلوبَ وَإِنَّما
هِيَthey النَبلُarrows ريشَتwere fletched بِالفُتورِwith languor وَبِالكُحلِand with kohl
هِيَ النَبلُ ريشَت بِالفُتورِ وَبِالكُحلِ
Soft, fair beauties have struck hearts dead; indeed,
They are but arrows fletched with languor and kohl.
فَفيمَwhy then دِماءُthe blood of العاشِقينَlovers مُطِلَّةٌleft unavenged
فَفيمَ دِماءُ العاشِقينَ مُطِلَّةٌ
بِلاwithout قَوَدٍretaliatory execution عِندَwith الحِسانِthe beauties وَلاnor عَقلِblood money
بِلا قَوَدٍ عِندَ الحِسانِ وَلا عَقلِ
Why, then, is lovers' blood left unavenged,
With neither retaliation against the beauties nor blood money?
وَيَقتُلنَand they slay أَبناءَsons of الصَبابَةِardent longing عَنوَةًby force
وَيَقتُلنَ أَبناءَ الصَبابَةِ عَنوَةً
أَماis there not فيin الهَوىlove ياO رَبِّmy Lord مِنany حَكَمٍjudge عَدلِjust
أَما في الهَوى يا رَبِّ مِن حَكَمٍ عَدلِ
And they slay the sons of longing by force—
Is there no just judge in love, O Lord?
Sol 6.1