هَلis there عِندَwith سُعدىSaʿdā اِبنَةِdaughter of العَمرِيِّal-ʿAmrī مِنany زادٍprovisions
هَل عِندَ سُعدى اِبنَةِ العَمرِيِّ مِن زادٍ
أَمor هَلis there لِعانٍfor a captive لَدَيهاwith her مُوثَقٍfettered فاديa ransomer
أَم هَل لِعانٍ لَدَيها مُوثَقٍ فادي
Does Saʿdā, daughter of al-ʿAmrī, have any provisions?
Or has she a ransomer for a fettered captive?
قامَتِshe rose تَراءىshowing herself لَناto us سُعدىSaʿdā فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her
قامَتِ تَراءى لَنا سُعدى فَقُلتُ لَها
ماذاwhat تُريدينَdo you want مِنfrom قَتليkilling me وَإِقصاديand striking me down
ماذا تُريدينَ مِن قَتلي وَإِقصادي
Saʿdā rose and showed herself to us, so I said to her:
What do you want from killing me and striking me down?
أَبدَتshe bared تَرائِبَupper chest-bones عَبلاتٍfull and fleshy وَسالِفَةًand a neck's side
أَبدَت تَرائِبَ عَبلاتٍ وَسالِفَةً
وَجيدَand a neck مُغزِلَةٍa doe with a fawn مِنamong خَيرِthe finest أَجيادِnecks
وَجيدَ مُغزِلَةٍ مِن خَيرِ أَجيادِ
She bared a full, fleshy upper chest and the side of her neck,
And the neck of a doe with a fawn, among the finest necks,
حاليadorned التَرائِبِthe upper chest-bones وَالذِفرىand the upper nape عُقِدنَwere strung بِهِupon it
حالي التَرائِبِ وَالذِفرى عُقِدنَ بِهِ
مِنof لُؤلُؤٍpearls وَجُمانٍand pearl-like beads غَيرَnot أَفرادِsingle ones
مِن لُؤلُؤٍ وَجُمانٍ غَيرَ أَفرادِ
Adorned at breast and nape with ornaments strung upon it,
Of pearls and pearl-like beads, not set singly.
تَبدوare heard وَساوِسُfaint rustlings مِنهاfrom her كُلَّماwhenever اِرتَفَقَتshe leaned on her elbow
تَبدو وَساوِسُ مِنها كُلَّما اِرتَفَقَت
هَزَّshook الجَنوبُthe south wind اِستَخَفَّتِlightly tossed عَشرِقَʿishriq (senna) shrubs الواديof the valley
هَزَّ الجَنوبُ اِستَخَفَّتِ عَشرِقَ الوادي
Faint rustlings come from her whenever she leans on her elbow,
Like the south wind shaking and lightly tossing the valley's ʿishriq shrubs,
فيin ضامِرِslender الكَشحِthe waist وَالأَحشاءِand the entrails تَحسَبُهُyou would think it
في ضامِرِ الكَشحِ وَالأَحشاءِ تَحسَبُهُ
مِمّاfrom what تَخَضَّدَbent مِنهُof it طَيَّa folding of أَسنادِcloths
مِمّا تَخَضَّدَ مِنهُ طَيَّ أَسنادِ
On a body slender at waist and belly, which you would take,
From its supple bending, for folded lengths of cloth;
مِنهاfrom her إِلىto كَفَلٍa rump نَهدٍfull and raised رَوادِفُهُits haunches
مِنها إِلى كَفَلٍ نَهدٍ رَوادِفُهُ
مُرتَجَّةٍquivering كَاِرتِجاجِlike the trembling of الدَعصِthe sandhill مَيّادِswaying
مُرتَجَّةٍ كَاِرتِجاجِ الدَعصِ مَيّادِ
From her waist down to a swelling rump, whose haunches
Quiver like the trembling of a swaying sandhill.
وَوارِدٍand flowing hair كَعُذوقِlike the fruit clusters of النَخلِdate-palms زَيَّنَهُbeautified it
وَوارِدٍ كَعُذوقِ النَخلِ زَيَّنَهُ
مَنُّthe bounty of الجَداوِلِthe streams لاneither زَعرٍsparse وَلاnor كاديstunted
مَنُّ الجَداوِلِ لا زَعرٍ وَلا كادي
And flowing hair like date-palm clusters, beautified
By the streams' bounty, neither sparse nor stunted.
طالَwas prolonged اِتِّباعيmy pursuit أُموراًthings ماnot تَجودُshe is generous بِهاwith them
طالَ اِتِّباعي أُموراً ما تَجودُ بِها
حَتّىuntil يَئِستُI despaired فَهَبنيso reckon me غَيرَnot مُزدادِgaining more
حَتّى يَئِستُ فَهَبني غَيرَ مُزدادِ
Long have I pursued things she does not grant,
Until I despaired; so reckon me as gaining no more.
ثُمَّthen اِستَمَرَّتshe went on her way وَلَمand did not تَقضِfulfill الَّتيthat which وَعَدَتshe promised
ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّت وَلَم تَقضِ الَّتي وَعَدَت
لاmay not يَهنَئَنَّكِbring you joy إِذsince اِخلَفتِyou failed to keep ميعاديmy appointed meeting
لا يَهنَئَنَّكِ إِذ اِخلَفتِ ميعادي
Then she went on her way, without fulfilling what she had promised.
May it bring you no joy, since you failed to keep your tryst with me.
دَعهاleave her لِشَأنِكِfor your own affairs وَاِنظُرand consider أَنتَyou yourself كَيفَhow تَرىyou regard
دَعها لِشَأنِكِ وَاِنظُر أَنتَ كَيفَ تَرى
شَأنَthe standing of اِمرَأَينِtwo men ذَوَيpossessing مالٍwealth وَأَولادِand children
شَأنَ اِمرَأَينِ ذَوَي مالٍ وَأَولادِ
Leave her; mind your own affairs, and see for yourself how you judge
The standing of two men with wealth and children.
إِنّيindeed I اِمرُؤٌa man ليI have رَوابٍheights لاnot يُشَقِّقُهاcleaves them
إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ لي رَوابٍ لا يُشَقِّقُها
سَيلُa torrent الأَتِيِّof incoming floodwater وَلاand not تُسطاعُbe overcome أَوتاديmy stakes
سَيلُ الأَتِيِّ وَلا تُسطاعُ أَوتادي
Indeed, I am a man with heights that cannot be cleft
By an oncoming torrent; nor can my stakes be dislodged.
إِنَّindeed المَكارِمَnoble virtues وَالأَحسابَand ancestral honors عُوِّدَهاwere trained in them
إِنَّ المَكارِمَ وَالأَحسابَ عُوِّدَها
مِنfrom آلِthe clan of مُرَّةَMurrah أَعماميmy paternal uncles وَأَجداديand my forefathers
مِن آلِ مُرَّةَ أَعمامي وَأَجدادي
Indeed, noble virtues and ancestral honors were instilled
In my paternal uncles and forefathers of the clan of Murrah.
أَناI اِبنُthe son of عَوفٍʿAwf وَمِنّيand of my kin إِنif فَخَرتُI boast بِهِمof them
أَنا اِبنُ عَوفٍ وَمِنّي إِن فَخَرتُ بِهِم
بَنوthe sons of سِنانٍSinān وَمَسعودُand Masʿūd بنُson of شَدادِShaddād
بَنو سِنانٍ وَمَسعودُ بنُ شَدادِ
I am the son of ʿAwf; and of my kin, if I boast of them,
Are the sons of Sinān and Masʿūd son of Shaddād.
Sol 6.1