لَقَدindeed طَرَقَتنيshe visited me by night أُمُّmother of خِشفٍa fawn وَإِنَّهاand indeed she
لَقَد طَرَقَتني أُمُّ خِشفٍ وَإِنَّها
إِذاwhen صَرَعَlaid low القَومَthe people الكَرىslumber لَطَروقُsurely a frequent night visitor
إِذا صَرَعَ القَومَ الكَرى لَطَروقُ
Indeed, Umm Khishf—mother of a fawn—visited me by night, and she
The mother of misfortunes has struck me, and she
Is surely a frequent night visitor when slumber lays the people low.
Strikes the people whenever disasters appear
أَقامَstayed فَريقٌa group مِنof أُناسٍpeople بِوُدِّهِمout of their affection
أَقامَ فَريقٌ مِن أُناسٍ بِوُدِّهِم
بِذاتِat Dhāt الشَرىal-Sharā عِنديwith me وَباتَand spent the night فَريقُa group
بِذاتِ الشَرى عِندي وَباتَ فَريقُ
A group of people stayed, out of their affection,
A group of people stayed with me out of their love
With me at Dhāt al-Sharā; another group spent the night
And another group spent the night with the evils of fate
بِحاجَةِattending to the need of مَحزونٍa sorrowful man كَئيبٍdespondent فُؤادُهُhis heart
بِحاجَةِ مَحزونٍ كَئيبٍ فُؤادُهُ
رَهينٌheld captive بِبَيضاتِby fair maidens (literally eggs) of الحِجالِthe curtained chambers صَديقُa devoted lover
رَهينٌ بِبَيضاتِ الحِجالِ صَديقُ
Seeing to the need of a sorrowful man whose heart is despondent,
With the need of a grieving sorrowful heart
A devoted lover, captive to the egg-fair maidens of curtained chambers.
A friend held hostage in the eggs of ostriches
تَخَيَّلنَthey imagined أَنthat هَبَّتblew لَهُنَّfor them عَشيَّةٌone evening
تَخَيَّلنَ أَن هَبَّت لَهُنَّ عَشيَّةٌ
جَنوبٌa south wind وَأَنand that لاحَتappeared لَهُنَّto them بُروقُflashes of lightning
جَنوبٌ وَأَن لاحَت لَهُنَّ بُروقُ
They imagined that one evening there blew toward them
They imagined a southern wind blew for them
A south wind, and that flashes of lightning appeared to them.
And lightning flashed for them in the evening
فَياso, oh كَبِداًa liver أَخشىI fear عَلَيهاfor it وَإِنَّهاand indeed it
فَيا كَبِداً أَخشى عَلَيها وَإِنَّها
مَخافَةَfor fear of هَضباتِthe hills of اللِوىal-Liwā لَخَفوقُsurely fluttering
مَخافَةَ هَضباتِ اللِوى لَخَفوقُ
Ah, my liver! I fear for it, and indeed it
So, O my liver that I fear for, it
Flutters in dread of the hills of al-Liwā.
Fears the slopes of seasickness will shake
كَأَنَّas though فُضولَthe trailing ends of الرَقمِthe patterned cloth حينَwhen جَعَلنَهاthey made them
كَأَنَّ فُضولَ الرَقمِ حينَ جَعَلنَها
غَريّاًclinging عَلىupon أُدمِthe white ones of الجِمالِthe camels عُذوقُclusters of dates
غَريّاً عَلى أُدمِ الجِمالِ عُذوقُ
As though the patterned cloth’s trailing ends, when they made them
As if the tattoos when they made them
Cling to the white camels, were clusters of dates.
A necklace on the skin of beauty, bite
وَفيهِنَّand among them مِنfrom نُجلِthe wide-eyed ones of النِساءِthe women نَجيبَةٌa noble lady
وَفيهِنَّ مِن نُجلِ النِساءِ نَجيبَةٌ
تَكادُshe almost عَلىabove غُرِّthe gleaming white ones of السَحابِthe clouds تَروقُoutshines
تَكادُ عَلى غُرِّ السَحابِ تَروقُ
Among them is a noble lady, one of the wide-eyed women,
Among them is a noble of the women
Who almost outshines the gleaming white clouds.
Who almost floats above the clouds
هِجانٌfair and pure-born فَأَمّاso, as for الضَعصُthe sand-mound مِنof أُخرَياتِهاher hindquarters
هِجانٌ فَأَمّا الضَعصُ مِن أُخرَياتِها
فَوَعثٌthen it is soft and yielding وَأَمّاand as for خَصرُهاher waist فَدَقيقُthen it is slender
فَوَعثٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُها فَدَقيقُ
Fair and pure-born; as for the sand-mound of her hindquarters,
Passionate so as for the weak ones among the rest
It is soft and yielding; as for her waist, it is slender.
They are disheveled, and as for her waist, it is slender
Sol 6.1