أَطَعتُI obeyed داعيthe call of الهَوىpassion رَغماًagainst the will عَلىof العاصيthe defiant one
أَطَعتُ داعي الهَوى رَغماً عَلى العاصي
لَمّاwhen نَزَلناwe alighted عَلىbeside ناعورَةِthe waterwheel of العاصيthe Orontes
لَمّا نَزَلنا عَلى ناعورَةِ العاصي
I obeyed the call of passion, against the defiant one's will,
I obeyed the caller of passion, though unwilling,
When we alighted beside the waterwheel of the Orontes.
When we descended upon Na'urat al-'Asi
وَباتَand that night there were ليfor me بِمَغانيin the haunts of أَهلِهاits people وَبِهاand in it
وَباتَ لي بِمَغاني أَهلِها وَبِها
شُغلانِtwo distractions عَنfrom أَهلِthe people of شَعلانٍSha'lan وَبَغراصِand Baghras
شُغلانِ عَن أَهلِ شَعلانٍ وَبَغراصِ
And that night, in its people's haunts and in the place itself, I had
And I was preoccupied with its meanings and people
Two distractions from the people of Sha'lan and Baghras.
Distracted from the people of Sha'lan and Baghras
وَالريحُand the wind تَجريflows رُخاءًgently فَوقَover جَدوَلِهاits stream
وَالريحُ تَجري رُخاءً فَوقَ جَدوَلِها
وَالطَيرُand the birds ماan emphatic particle بَينَbetween بَنّاءٍa builder وَغَوّاصِand a diver
وَالطَيرُ ما بَينَ بَنّاءٍ وَغَوّاصِ
And the wind blew gently over its stream,
The wind blows gently above its stream
And the birds were some builders, some divers.
While the birds fly between the builder and diver
وَقَدand already تَلاقَتhad met فُروعُthe branches of الدَوحِthe spreading trees وَاِشتَبَكَتand intertwined
وَقَد تَلاقَت فُروعُ الدَوحِ وَاِشتَبَكَت
كَأَنَّماas though الطَيرُthe birds مِنهاamong them فَوقَabove أَقفاصِcages
كَأَنَّما الطَيرُ مِنها فَوقَ أَقفاصِ
And the branches of the spreading trees had met and intertwined,
The branches of the palm tree have intertwined
As though the birds among them perched above cages.
As if the birds above were in cages
تُدارُis passed around ماan emphatic particle بَينَناamong us حَمراءُred wine صافِيَةٌclear
تُدارُ ما بَينَنا حَمراءُ صافِيَةٌ
كانَتit was هَداياgifts يَزيدٍYazid مِنof بَنيthe sons of العاصِal-'As
كانَت هَدايا يَزيدٍ مِن بَني العاصِ
A clear red wine was passed around among us,
Wine circulates pure red among us
That was among the gifts of Yazid of the Banu al-'As.
Gifts from Yazid and the clan of al-'Asi
مَعwith شادِنٍa young gazelle رُبَّpossessor of أَقراطٍearrings وَمِنطَقَةٍand a girdle
مَع شادِنٍ رُبَّ أَقراطٍ وَمِنطَقَةٍ
وَقَينَةٍand a singing girl ذاتِpossessing أَحجالٍanklets وَأَخراصِand hoop earrings
وَقَينَةٍ ذاتِ أَحجالٍ وَأَخراصِ
With a young gazelle wearing earrings and a girdle,
With a necklace, earrings, and belt
And a singing girl with anklets and hoop earrings.
And a flask with bags and pouches
تُدنيهِdraws him near كَفّيmy hand فَيَثنيthen he bends جيدَهُhis neck مَرَحاًplayfully
تُدنيهِ كَفّي فَيَثني جيدَهُ مَرَحاً
كَأَنَّهُas though he جُؤذَرٌa wild-ox calf فيin كَفِّthe hand of قَنّاصِa hunter
كَأَنَّهُ جُؤذَرٌ في كَفِّ قَنّاصِ
My hand drew him near, and he bent his neck playfully,
I bring it near and he playfully turns his cheek
As though he were a wild-ox calf in a hunter's hand.
As if it were a partridge in a hunter's palm
وَكَمand how many لَديناwith us بِهاthere شادٍa male singer وَشادِيَةٍand a songstress
وَكَم لَدينا بِها شادٍ وَشادِيَةٍ
تُشجيstirs the heart وَراقِصَةٍand a dancing girl تَعصوwields a staff وَرَقّاصِand a dancer
تُشجي وَراقِصَةٍ تَعصو وَرَقّاصِ
And there we had many a singer and songstress
We have among us many a singer and dancing girl
Who stirred the heart, and many a girl dancing with a staff, and many a dancer.
Who entices, and a tambourine player who excites and awakens
إِذاwhen ثَناهاbends her نَسيمُthe breeze of الرَقصِthe dance مِنfrom مَرَحٍmerriment
إِذا ثَناها نَسيمُ الرَقصِ مِن مَرَحٍ
عَجِبتَyou marvel مِنat هَزِّthe swaying of أَغصانٍbranches وَأَدعاصِand sand dunes
عَجِبتَ مِن هَزِّ أَغصانٍ وَأَدعاصِ
When the breeze of the dance bends her in merriment,
When the breeze of dance sways her from delight
You marvel at the swaying of branches and sand dunes.
You are amazed by the shaking branches and trunks
ياO قاطِعَcrosser of البيدِthe wastes يَطويهاfolding them up عَلىon نُجُبٍfine-bred camels
يا قاطِعَ البيدِ يَطويها عَلى نُجُبٍ
لَمdid not تُبقِleave مِنهاof them الفَيافيthe deserts غَيرَanything but أَشخاصِbodily forms
لَم تُبقِ مِنها الفَيافي غَيرَ أَشخاصِ
O crosser of the wastes, folding them up on fine-bred camels,
O you who crosses the desert, winding it over dunes
Of which the deserts have left nothing but mere frames:
Leaving nothing but traces and figures
إِذاwhen وَرَدتَyou reach بِهاwith them شاطيthe bank of الفُراتِthe Euphrates وَقَدand having already
إِذا وَرَدتَ بِها شاطي الفُراتِ وَقَد
نَكَّبتَyou turned aside عَنfrom ماءِthe waters of حَورانٍHawran وَقَيّاصِand Qayyas
نَكَّبتَ عَن ماءِ حَورانٍ وَقَيّاصِ
When you reach the Euphrates' bank with them, having
When you arrive with it on the shore of the Euphrates
Turned aside from the waters of Hawran and Qayyas,
Turning away from the water of Hawran and Qays
وَجُزتَand you passed بِالحِلَّةِthrough al-Hillah الفَيحاءِthe spacious مُلتَمِحاًcatching sight of
وَجُزتَ بِالحِلَّةِ الفَيحاءِ مُلتَمِحاً
آرامَgazelles سِربٍa herd حَمَتهاguarded them أُسدُlions of عَيّاصِthickets
آرامَ سِربٍ حَمَتها أُسدُ عَيّاصِ
And pass through spacious al-Hillah, catching sight of
Reward with the splendid robe, sparkling,
A herd of gazelles guarded by lions of the thickets,
Like a flock Awsad the lion of 'Ayyas terrified
فَقِفthen stop بِسَعدَيِّهاby its Sa'dite المَشكورِpraised مَنشَأُهُhis lineage
فَقِف بِسَعدَيِّها المَشكورِ مَنشَأُهُ
سَعدِSa'd بنِson of مَزيدَMazyad لاnot سَعدِSa'd بنِson of وَقّاصِWaqqas
سَعدِ بنِ مَزيدَ لا سَعدِ بنِ وَقّاصِ
Then stop by its Sa'dite, whose lineage is praised—
Stop at its blessed camp, its origin
Sa'd ibn Mazyad, not Sa'd ibn Waqqas.
Sa'd bin Mazid, not Sa'd bin Waqqas
وَاِقرَand convey السَلامَgreetings of peace عَلىto مَنwhoever حَلَّsettled in ساحَتَهُhis courtyard
وَاِقرَ السَلامَ عَلى مَن حَلَّ ساحَتَهُ
وَصِفand describe ثَنائيmy praise وَأَشواقيand my longings وَإِخلاصيand my sincerity
وَصِف ثَنائي وَأَشواقي وَإِخلاصي
And convey greetings to whoever has settled in his courtyard,
Convey greetings to those who camped in its valley
And describe my praise, my longings, and my sincerity.
Describe my praise, longing, and loyalty
وَأَخبِرُand tell بِأَنّيthat I وَإِنalthough أَصبَحتُI have become مُبتَنِياًa builder of
وَأَخبِرُ بِأَنّي وَإِن أَصبَحتُ مُبتَنِياً
مَجداًglory وَأُغليand I raise قَدريmy worth بَعدَafter إِرخاصيmy devaluation
مَجداً وَأُغلي قَدري بَعدَ إِرخاصي
And tell them that, although I am now building
And inform that even if I spend my mornings lovesick
Glory, and raising my worth after it was held cheap,
And my worth increases after being debased
صابٍyearning إِلىtoward نَحوِكُمyour direction صَبٌّan ardent lover بِحُبِّكُمwith love for you
صابٍ إِلى نَحوِكُم صَبٌّ بِحُبِّكُم
مُحافِظُpreserving الوُدِّaffection لِلدّانيfor those near وَلِلقاصيand for those far
مُحافِظُ الوُدِّ لِلدّاني وَلِلقاصي
I yearn toward you, consumed by love for you,
My passion for you pours to you, with love of you
Preserving affection for those near and those far.
Loyal to the near and far
Sol 6.1