أَنيريshine مَكانَin place of البَدرِthe full moon إِنif أَفَلَsets البَدرُthe full moon
أَنيري مَكانَ البَدرِ إِن أَفَلَ البَدرُ
وَقوميand stand مَقامَin the place of الشَمسِthe sun ماas long as اِستَأخَرَis delayed الفَجرُthe dawn
وَقومي مَقامَ الشَمسِ ما اِستَأخَرَ الفَجرُ
Shine in the full moon's place if the full moon sets.
Illuminate the place of the full moon if the full moon sets
And take the sun's place while dawn is delayed.
And take the place of the sun if the dawn is delayed
فَفيكِfor in you مِنَof الشَمسِthe sun المُنيرَةِradiant ضَوءُهاits light
فَفيكِ مِنَ الشَمسِ المُنيرَةِ ضَوءُها
وَلَيسَyet there is not لَهاfor it مِنكِof yours التَبَسُّمُthe smile وَالثَغرُand the mouth
وَلَيسَ لَها مِنكِ التَبَسُّمُ وَالثَغرُ
For in you is the radiant sun's light,
For you have the radiant sun’s light
yet it has neither your smile nor your mouth.
Though not its smile and lips
بَلىindeed لَكِyours نورُthe light of الشَمسِthe sun وَالبَدرُand the full moon كُلُّهُall of it
بَلى لَكِ نورُ الشَمسِ وَالبَدرُ كُلُّهُ
وَلاand neither حَمَلَتhas borne عَينَيكِyour two eyes شَمسٌa sun وَلاnor بَدرُa full moon
وَلا حَمَلَت عَينَيكِ شَمسٌ وَلا بَدرُ
Indeed, yours are the sun's light and the whole full moon,
Indeed, the light of sun and moon belongs to you
yet neither sun nor full moon has ever borne your eyes.
Neither sun nor moon bore your eyes
لَكِyours الشَرقَةُradiance اللَألاءُdazzling brilliance وَالبَدرُand the full moon طالِعٌrising
لَكِ الشَرقَةُ اللَألاءُ وَالبَدرُ طالِعٌ
وَلَيسَyet there is not لَهاfor it مِنكِof yours التَرائِبُthe upper breastbones وَالنَحرُand the throat
وَلَيسَ لَها مِنكِ التَرائِبُ وَالنَحرُ
Yours is dazzling radiance while the full moon rises,
The shining dawn and full moon belong to you
yet it has neither your upper breast nor your throat.
Not their twinkling and throat
وَمِنand from أَينَwhere لِلشَمسِfor the sun المُنيرَةِradiant بِالضُحىin the forenoon
وَمِن أَينَ لِلشَمسِ المُنيرَةِ بِالضُحى
بِمَكحولَةِwith one kohl-darkened العَينَينِin both eyes فيin طَرفِهاher gaze فَترُlanguor
بِمَكحولَةِ العَينَينِ في طَرفِها فَترُ
And how could the sun, radiant in the forenoon,
Whence comes the radiant sun at dawn
match a kohl-eyed woman whose gaze is languid?
With languid eyes, a moment of weakness?
وَأَنّىand how could لَهاit have مَنof دَلَّcoquetry لَيلىLayla إِذاwhen اِنثَنَتshe turns
وَأَنّى لَها مَن دَلَّ لَيلى إِذا اِنثَنَت
بِعَينَيwith the two eyes of مَهاةِa female oryx الرَملِthe sands قَدalready مَسَّهاhas touched her الذُعرُfright
بِعَينَي مَهاةِ الرَملِ قَد مَسَّها الذُعرُ
And how could it have Layla's coy charm when she turns,
And when did it guide Layla when she blinked
with the eyes of a sand-dwelling oryx touched by fright?
With eyes of startled desert deer?
تَبَسَّمُsmiles لَيلىLayla عَنrevealing ثَناياfront teeth كَأَنَّهاas though they were
تَبَسَّمُ لَيلى عَن ثَنايا كَأَنَّها
أَقاحٍchamomile blossoms بِجَرعاءِon the sandy tract of المَراضينِal-Maradin أَوor دُرُّpearls
أَقاحٍ بِجَرعاءِ المَراضينِ أَو دُرُّ
Layla smiles, revealing front teeth that seem
Layla smiles from behind her veil as if
like chamomile blossoms on al-Maradin's sandy tract, or pearls.
Anemones smiling at the ill
مُنَعَّمَةٌdelicately nurtured لَوif باشَرَtouched الذَرُّtiny ants جِلدَهاher skin
مُنَعَّمَةٌ لَو باشَرَ الذَرُّ جِلدَها
لَآثَرَwould surely leave marks مِنهاon her فيalong مَدارِجِهاtheir crawling paths الذَرُّthe tiny ants
لَآثَرَ مِنها في مَدارِجِها الذَرُّ
She is delicately nurtured; were tiny ants to touch her skin,
Her skin, had it met a mote, the mote
the ants would leave marks on her wherever they crawled.
Would have chosen it over its own path
إِذاwhen أَقبَلَتshe approaches تَمشيwalking تُقارِبُshe shortens خَطوَهاher steps
إِذا أَقبَلَت تَمشي تُقارِبُ خَطوَها
إِلىto الأَقرَبِthe nearer الأَدنىthe closest تَقَسَّمَهاovercomes her البُهرُbreathlessness
إِلى الأَقرَبِ الأَدنى تَقَسَّمَها البُهرُ
When she comes walking, she takes short steps,
When she walks, her steps draw near
yet even toward the nearest place, breathlessness overcomes her.
To the nearest, clearest space, awed
مَريضَةُlanguid أَثناءَduring التَعَطُّفِswaying إِنَّهاindeed she
مَريضَةُ أَثناءَ التَعَطُّفِ إِنَّها
تَخافُshe fears عَلىfor الأَردافِthe hips يَثلُمُهاit mars them الخَصرُthe waist
تَخافُ عَلى الأَردافِ يَثلُمُها الخَصرُ
Languid as she sways, she
Sickly in her charm, she fears
fears for her hips, lest her waist mar them.
For her hips, cinched at the waist
فَماand no أُمُّmother of خِشفٍa fawn بِالعَقيقَينِat al-Aqiqayn تَرعَويturning back
فَما أُمُّ خِشفٍ بِالعَقيقَينِ تَرعَوي
إِلىtoward رَشَأٍa young gazelle طِفلٍtender مَفاصِلُهُits joints خُدرُweak
إِلى رَشَأٍ طِفلٍ مَفاصِلُهُ خُدرُ
And no mother of a fawn at al-Aqiqayn, turning
What caring mother of suckling babes
toward a tender young gazelle whose joints are weak,
Watches for a crawling babe's joints to firm?
بِمُخضَلَّةٍin a rain-soaked meadow جادَlavishly watered الرَبيعُspring زُهائَهاits expanse
بِمُخضَلَّةٍ جادَ الرَبيعُ زُهائَها
رَهائِمَgentle showers وَسمِيٍّearly autumn rain سَحائِبُهُits clouds غُزرُcopious
رَهائِمَ وَسمِيٍّ سَحائِبُهُ غُزرُ
in a rain-soaked meadow whose expanse spring has drenched
With the spring's blossoms she bloomed,
with gentle autumn rains, their clouds pouring copiously—
Its clouds abundant showers, gentle rain
وَقَفناwe stood عَلىby أَطلالِthe ruins of لَيلىLayla عَشيَّةًone evening
وَقَفنا عَلى أَطلالِ لَيلى عَشيَّةً
بِأَجزَعِat the sandy bend of حَزوىHazwa وَهيَand they are طامِسَةٌeffaced دُثرُworn away
بِأَجزَعِ حَزوى وَهيَ طامِسَةٌ دُثرُ
we stood one evening by the ruins of Layla's dwelling
We stood at Layla’s ruins one evening,
at Hazwa's sandy bend, effaced and worn away.
Bereft of joy, forlorn, cloaked in gloom.
يُجادُrain is lavished بِهاupon them مُزنانِtwo rain clouds أَسحَمُblack باكِرٌearly-arriving
يُجادُ بِها مُزنانِ أَسحَمُ باكِرٌ
وَآخَرُand another مِعهادُoften returning الرَواحِat evening لَهُit has زَجرُa thunderous cry
وَآخَرُ مِعهادُ الرَواحِ لَهُ زَجرُ
Two rain clouds shower them: one black, arriving early,
A dewy dawn breaks with her,
and another that often returns at evening, with a thunderous cry.
Another place of return roars its warning.
وَأَوفىand rose عَلىover رَوضِthe meadow of الخُزامىlavender نَسيمُهاits breeze
وَأَوفى عَلى رَوضِ الخُزامى نَسيمُها
وَأَنوارُهاand its blossoms وَاِخضَوضَلَand grew lushly green الوَرَقُthe leaves النَضرُfresh
وَأَنوارُها وَاِخضَوضَلَ الوَرَقُ النَضرُ
And over the lavender meadow rose its breeze
Her breeze reached the garden’s blossoms
and its blossoms; the fresh leaves grew richly green,
Her lights and the leaves fluttered green.
رَواحاًat evening وَقَدand already حَنَّتmoaned أَوائِلَin the first hours of لَيلِهاits night
رَواحاً وَقَد حَنَّت أَوائِلَ لَيلِها
رَوائِحُevening clouds لِلإِظلامِtoward darkness أَلوانُهاtheir colors كُدرُmurky
رَوائِحُ لِلإِظلامِ أَلوانُها كُدرُ
at evening, when, in the first hours of its night, there moaned
The eve’s early scents mingled
dark-hued clouds drifting toward darkness—
With shades of darkness, colors murky.
تُقَلِّبُshe turns عَينَيthe two eyes of خازِلٍa straggling doe بَينَbetween مُرعَوٍa grazing ground
تُقَلِّبُ عَينَي خازِلٍ بَينَ مُرعَوٍ
وَآثارِand the vestiges of آياتٍlandmarks وَقَدand already راحَتِhad gone العُفرُthe tawny gazelles
وَآثارِ آياتٍ وَقَد راحَتِ العُفرُ
turning her eyes, a straggling doe's eyes, between pasture
My roving eyes move between traces
and vestiges of landmarks, when the tawny gazelles had gone,
Of signs, though solitude has departed.
بِأُحسَنَany fairer مِنthan لَيلىLayla مِعُيدَةَcasting again نَظرَةٍa glance
بِأُحسَنَ مِن لَيلى مِعُيدَةَ نَظرَةٍ
إِلَيَّtoward me اِلتِفاتاًturning back حينَwhen وَلَّتturned away بِهاwith her السَفرُthe travelers
إِلَيَّ اِلتِفاتاً حينَ وَلَّت بِها السَفرُ
is fairer than Layla, casting another glance
With a glance back at me, more beautiful than Layla's,
back toward me when the travelers turned away with her,
When the journey pulled her away.
مُحاذِيَةًfacing عَينيmy eyes بِدَمعٍwith tears كَأَنَّماas though
مُحاذِيَةً عَيني بِدَمعٍ كَأَنَّما
تَحَلَّبُdrip مِنfrom أَشفارِهاher eyelashes دُرَرٌpearls غُزرُabundant
تَحَلَّبُ مِن أَشفارِها دُرَرٌ غُزرُ
meeting my eyes with tears, as though
Her eyes brimming as if
abundant pearls were dripping from her lashes.
Pearls cascaded from her lashes.
فَلَمso did not أَرَI see إِلّاexcept مُقلَةًan eye لَمnot أَكَدI almost managed بِهاwith it
فَلَم أَرَ إِلّا مُقلَةً لَم أَكَد بِها
أَشيمُI discern رُسومَthe traces of الدارِthe dwelling ماwhat فَعَلَhas done الذِكرُremembrance
أَشيمُ رُسومَ الدارِ ما فَعَلَ الذِكرُ
Thus I saw only an eye, with which I could scarcely
I saw only a place I barely discerned,
discern the dwelling's traces—what remembrance has wrought!
What memory can do when it departs.
رَفَعنَthey raised بِهاthere, in it خوصَnarrow العُيونِthe eyes وَجوهُهاtheir faces
رَفَعنَ بِها خوصَ العُيونِ وَجوهُها
مُلَفَّعَةٌshrouded تُرباًin dust وَأَعيُنُهاand their eyes خُزرُlooking askance
مُلَفَّعَةٌ تُرباً وَأَعيُنُها خُزرُ
The narrow-eyed ones raised their faces there,
It lifted the withered eyes and faces,
shrouded in dust, their eyes looking askance.
Covered in dust, bleary.
وَماand not زِلتُhave I ceased مَحمودَpraised التَصَبُّرِfor patient endurance فيin الَّذيwhat
وَما زِلتُ مَحمودَ التَصَبُّرِ في الَّذي
يَنوبُbefalls وَلَكِنbut فيin الهَوىlove لَيسَthere is no ليfor me صَبرُpatience
يَنوبُ وَلَكِن في الهَوى لَيسَ لي صَبرُ
And I have always been praised for patiently bearing what
I remain steadfast in patience with what
befalls me, but in love I have no patience.
Befalls me, but love leaves me no patience.
Sol 6.1