أتنساهاdo you forget them? علىat خَيْفِKhayf, the mountain slope
أتنساها على خَيْفِ
مِنىًMina تَهوِىdescending أبابيلاin scattered bands
مِنىً تَهوِى أبابيلا
Do you forget them at the Khayf
Do you forget her on the hillside,
of Mina, descending in scattered bands,
While she yearns for me, Abayla?
وقدand already ألبسهاhas clothed them الوخدُthe swift camel gait
وقد ألبسها الوخدُ
مِنof المَرْوflint خلاخيلاanklets
مِن المَرْو خلاخيلا
while their swift gait has clothed them
Slumber has clothed her in kohl
in anklets of flint?
Of bitterness and sorrows.
رُبىًhills فيهاin them ترىyou see الحامthe bearer (word begins)
رُبىً فيها ترى الحام
لcompletes 'the bearer' قدalready شابَهَhas resembled محمولاone carried
ل قد شابَهَ محمولا
Hills where you see the bearer
You see the love-crazed camel there
come to resemble the one borne:
Turned hoary, made weary by love,
فذاso this one بالنُّسكthrough ritual sacrifice منحوراslaughtered
فذا بالنُّسك منحورا
وذاand that one بالحبّby love مقتولاslain
وذا بالحبّ مقتولا
so this one is slaughtered in ritual sacrifice,
Renouncing passion to live devout
and that one slain by love.
Or passion's victim, slain thereof.
أتدرِىdo you know? أيّهاwhich of them أَسرswifter (word begins)
أتدرِى أيّها أَسر
عُcompletes 'swifter' للأرواحfor the souls ترحيلاsending away
عُ للأرواح ترحيلا
Do you know which of them is swifter
Do you know, O secret-keeper mine,
at sending souls away?
When souls take leave for good or ill?
هلis it? البِيضَthe white swords المباتيرَthe keen-cutting ones
هل البِيضَ المباتيرَ
أمor البيضَthe fair women العَطابيلاthe shapely, long-necked ones
أم البيضَ العَطابيلا
Is it the white, keen-cutting swords,
Are eggs that hatch to cockerels
or the fair, shapely, long-necked women?
Or eggs that birth ostriches still?
وليسand is not الخدُّthe cheek مصقولاpolished
وليس الخدُّ مصقولا
بدونinferior to السيفthe sword مصقولاpolished
بدون السيف مصقولا
And the polished cheek is not
No naked blade's as smooth as one
inferior to the polished sword.
Sheathed in its scabbard fine.
أمَنis one who? يقطعُcuts فيin غِمدٍa sheath
أمَن يقطعُ في غِمدٍ
كمنlike one who يقطعcuts مسلولاunsheathed
كمن يقطع مسلولا
Is one who cuts within a sheath
Who cuts not sheathed harms more
like one who cuts unsheathed?
Than who cuts with steel bare.
ألاAh! ياO زاجرَaugur السانthe right-passing creature (word begins)
ألا يا زاجرَ السان
حcompletes 'the right-passing creature' ماnot أحسنتَyou did well تأويلاin interpretation
ح ما أحسنتَ تأويلا
Ah, O augur of the creature passing on the right,
Hush! Cease these words, lest you provoke
you have not interpreted it well.
A soul's undoing, and dire regrets.
جرَىran اليمنّىon the right وماand did not صادفfind (verb begins)
جرَى اليمنّى وما صادف
تَyou (verb ending) حبلَthe cord الوصلof union موصولاjoined
تَ حبلَ الوصل موصولا
It ran on the right, yet you did not find
The right hand errs though it intends
the cord of union unbroken.
To grasp affinities unseen as yet.
أرَىI deem الخِدرَthe curtained chamber لماbecause of what يصنdoes (verb begins)
أرَى الخِدرَ لما يصن
عُcompletes 'does' بىto me سُكَّانُهُits inhabitants غِيلاa thicket
عُ بى سُكَّانُهُ غِيلا
I deem the curtained chamber, for what
Beholding a campsite abandoned
its dwellers do to me, a thicket.
By its dwellers, my heart was dismayed
Sol 6.1