قَالَتْshe said سُلَيْمَىSulayma إِذْwhen رَأَتْshe saw حُفُوفِيmy dishevelment
قَالَتْ سُلَيْمَى إِذْ رَأَتْ حُفُوفِي
مَعَalong with اضْطِرابِthe trembling of اللَحْمِthe flesh والشُسُوفِand emaciation
مَعَ اضْطِرابِ اللَحْمِ والشُسُوفِ
Sulayma said, when she saw my unkempt hair,
Along with trembling flesh and emaciation,
أَحْدَبُstooped كَالمُقَيَّدِlike one fettered المكْتُوفِbound-armed
أَحْدَبُ كَالمُقَيَّدِ المكْتُوفِ
مَاwhat شَأْنis the matter with أَعْلاthe top of رَأْسِكyour head المَنْتُوفِplucked bare
مَا شَأْن أَعْلا رَأْسِك المَنْتُوفِ
Stooped like one fettered, his arms bound:
What ails the plucked-bare crown of your head?
فَقُلْتُso I said بَيْنَbetween الخَفْضِgentleness وَالتَأْسِيفِand lamentation
فَقُلْتُ بَيْنَ الخَفْضِ وَالتَأْسِيفِ
غَيَّرَchanged لَوْنَthe colour of اللِمَّةِthe locks الخَصِيفِmixed black and grey
غَيَّرَ لَوْنَ اللِمَّةِ الخَصِيفِ
I answered, gently but sorrowfully:
What changed the colour of my grizzled locks,
وَدَاجِياًand a dark mass كَالكرْمِlike the vine ذِيbearing القُطُوفِthe fruit clusters
وَدَاجِياً كَالكرْمِ ذِي القُطُوفِ
أَثْمَرَit bore fruit فِيin مَاءِthe water of النَدَىthe dew النَطُوفِdripping
أَثْمَرَ فِي مَاءِ النَدَى النَطُوفِ
And their darkness, like a vine laden with clusters,
Fruiting in the dripping water of dew,
حَفْزُthe thrust of اللَيَالِيthe nights أَمَدthe time of التَدْلِيفِshuffling steps
حَفْزُ اللَيَالِي أَمَد التَدْلِيفِ
وَالدَهْرand Time إِنif أَضْعَفَit weakens ذُوpossessed of تَضْعِيفِfurther weakening
وَالدَهْر إِن أَضْعَفَ ذُو تَضْعِيفِ
Was the nights' drive onward into shuffling age.
And Time, if it weakens, can weaken yet more;
باقٍenduring يُدَانِيit brings near القَيْدَthe fetter لِلرُّسُوفِfor shuffling in chains
باقٍ يُدَانِي القَيْدَ لِلرُّسُوفِ
أَوْor نَاجِلbringing forth الأَتْلافِfatal calamities لِلْتَتْلِيفِfor destruction
أَوْ نَاجِل الأَتْلافِ لِلْتَتْلِيفِ
Enduring, it brings the fetter near for shackled steps,
Or brings forth deadly perils to destroy,
بَعدafter اضَطِرَابِthe tossing of العُنُقِthe neck الغِطْرِيفِnoble
بَعد اضَطِرَابِ العُنُقِ الغِطْرِيفِ
فِيamid دَغْفَلِيِّthe abundance of عَيْشِنَاour life المَغْدُوفِlavishly bestowed
فِي دَغْفَلِيِّ عَيْشِنَا المَغْدُوفِ
After the tossing of a noble neck
Amid our ample, lavish life.
فَقُلْso say لِذَاكَto that one الوالِهِlove-distraught المَشْعُوفِpassion-stricken
فَقُلْ لِذَاكَ الوالِهِ المَشْعُوفِ
إِنَّindeed الَّذِيwhat تَرْجُوyou hope for مِنَfrom الصَدُوفِthe aloof woman
إِنَّ الَّذِي تَرْجُو مِنَ الصَدُوفِ
So tell that love-distraught, infatuated man:
Indeed, what you hope for from the aloof woman
كَالْبَرْقِlike lightning بَيْنَamid القَيْظِthe scorching heat وَالمَصِيفِand summer
كَالْبَرْقِ بَيْنَ القَيْظِ وَالمَصِيفِ
أَبْعَدَdrove far away حِلْمَthe reason of المُسْلِمِthe Muslim الحَنِيفِupright in faith
أَبْعَدَ حِلْمَ المُسْلِمِ الحَنِيفِ
Is like lightning amid summer's scorching heat.
The upright Muslim's reason has been driven far away
سَيْبُكِyour bounty ذاتَO lady of العِقْدِthe necklace وَالسُيُوفِand the swords
سَيْبُكِ ذاتَ العِقْدِ وَالسُيُوفِ
بِمُقْلَتَيْwith the two eyes of مَكْحُولَةِone kohl-darkened الذَرِيفِat the tear-ducts
بِمُقْلَتَيْ مَكْحُولَةِ الذَرِيفِ
By your bounty, O lady of necklace and swords,
With twin eyes, their tear-ducts dark with kohl.
صَفْراءُgolden-hued فِيin بَيْضَاءَwhite كَالنَزِيفِlike one intoxicated
صَفْراءُ فِي بَيْضَاءَ كَالنَزِيفِ
تَسْقِيshe gives drink بِأَذْكَىwith the most fragrant مِسْكِهَاof her musk المَدُوفِblended
تَسْقِي بِأَذْكَى مِسْكِهَا المَدُوفِ
Golden-hued in white, like one intoxicated,
She gives her most fragrant blended musk to drink
حُرَّnoble المُحَيَّاof face لَيِّنَsoft الغَضْرُوفِof cartilage
حُرَّ المُحَيَّا لَيِّنَ الغَضْرُوفِ
كَأَنَّas though تَحْتَbeneath المِرْطِthe mantle وَالشُفُوفِand the sheer garments
كَأَنَّ تَحْتَ المِرْطِ وَالشُفُوفِ
To one noble of face and soft of cartilage.
As though beneath the mantle and the sheer garments
رَمْلاًsand حَبَاit crept مِنْfrom عُقَدِthe clustered dunes of الغَرِيفِal-Gharif
رَمْلاً حَبَا مِنْ عُقَدِ الغَرِيفِ
إِلَىto عِنَانَيْthe two sides of ضَامِرٍslender لَطِيفِdelicate
إِلَى عِنَانَيْ ضَامِرٍ لَطِيفِ
Sand had crept up from al-Gharif's clustered dunes
To either side of a slender, delicate waist.
عَجْزاءُfull-hipped رَمْلٍsand وَعْثَةُsoft and yielding الرَدِيفِthe rump
عَجْزاءُ رَمْلٍ وَعْثَةُ الرَدِيفِ
تَجْلُوshe reveals نَقِيّاًspotless مُظْلِمَmoistly lustrous الشُفُوفِthe clear sheen
تَجْلُو نَقِيّاً مُظْلِمَ الشُفُوفِ
Full-hipped as a sandhill, soft of rump,
She bares spotless teeth with a moist, clear sheen.
Sol 6.1