دارٌa dwelling نَأَىwent far away عنfrom جوِّهاits precincts أَترابُهاits same-aged companions
دارٌ نَأَى عن جوِّها أَترابُها
ماذاwhat يُفيدُbenefits الُمستَهامَthe love-crazed one تُرابُهاits dust
ماذا يُفيدُ الُمستَهامَ تُرابُها
A dwelling whose companions have gone far from its precincts—
A home from which its people have strayed
what good can its dust do the love-crazed lover?
What good is the dust to one perplexed?
لاmay not ساعدتَهاaid it بعدَafter سُعدىSu'da دَيمةa steady rain
لا ساعدتَها بعدَ سُعدى دَيمة
تَهميpours down ولاnor بَعدَafter الرَّبابِal-Rabab رَبابُهاits white clouds
تَهمي ولا بَعدَ الرَّبابِ رَبابُها
May no steady rain aid it after Su'da,
It did not help her after her lasting glory
pouring down; nor its white clouds after al-Rabab.
Her cares, nor after the flute its player.
لاmay not كُنتُI be ممَّنamong those who سحَّpoured مِنfrom أَجفانهِhis eyelids
لا كُنتُ ممَّن سحَّ مِن أَجفانهِ
فيin مَنزلٍa dwelling أَقوىlay deserted وَسحَّand poured سَحابُهاits clouds
في مَنزلٍ أَقوى وَسحَّ سَحابُها
May I not be one whose tears pour from his eyelids
I was not one who roamed
in a deserted dwelling while its clouds pour.
From a stronger home, or whose clouds poured down.
إِنif سالَflowed غَربُa flood of tears محاجِريmy eye-sockets فيin دمنَةٍa ruined campsite
إِن سالَ غَربُ محاجِري في دمنَةٍ
لاnot ناعقٌcawing إلاَّexcept علَيَّagainst me غُرابُهاits raven
لا ناعقٌ إلاَّ علَيَّ غُرابُها
If a flood of tears from my eye-sockets flows in a ruined campsite,
If the west shed tears in a valley,
its raven caws only against me.
None will cry for me but the ravens.
أَحلىsweeter وَأَعلمُand wiser مِنthan سُؤالِquestioning مَعالمِlandmarks
أَحلى وَأَعلمُ مِن سُؤالِ مَعالمِ
نَقَضتwas undone بَشاشَتُهاtheir cheerfulness وَزادَand increased جَوابُهاtheir reply
نَقَضت بَشاشَتُها وَزادَ جَوابُها
Sweeter and wiser than questioning landmarks
Sweeter and wiser than to ask the road’s marks -
whose cheer is undone and whose reply has grown
Her charm gone, her answer grew terse.
شَجرٌtrees تَميلُsway غُصونهُاtheir branches فيin رَوضةٍa garden
شَجرٌ تَميلُ غُصونهُا في رَوضةٍ
مِسكيَّةٍmusk-scented مِنof سُندسٍfine silk جِلبابُهاits cloak
مِسكيَّةٍ مِن سُندسٍ جِلبابُها
are trees whose branches sway in a garden,
A tree whose boughs lean over a garden
musk-scented, its cloak made of fine silk.
Of musk, her robes of silk brocade,
رَقمَتembroidered لَهاfor it أَثوابَهاits garments أَيديthe hands الحَياthe rain
رَقمَت لَها أَثوابَها أَيدي الحَيا
طُرزاًembroidered patterns علىabove شَمسِsun الضُّحىthe forenoon إِذهابُهاtheir gilding
طُرزاً على شَمسِ الضُّحى إِذهابُها
The hands of rain embroidered its garments for it,
The hands of life embroidered her robes
with patterns whose gilding outshines the midmorning sun.
With patterns from the sun at dawn’s departure,
كَلَّتgrew weary عِشارٌالُمزنِthe rain-clouds' pregnant she-camels عنهاof it وانثنتand turned away
كَلَّت عِشارٌالُمزنِ عنها وانثنت
عَناfrom us وَقدand already بَقيتremained هُناكَthere شعابُهاits watercourses
عَنا وَقد بَقيت هُناكَ شعابُها
The rain-clouds' pregnant she-camels grew weary of it and turned
The crooked fingers of fate left her be, and bent
away from us, while its watercourses remained there.
Away, though crags remained standing there.
وأَغَنَّand a nasal-voiced youth ممنوعِwithheld الرُّضابِsweet saliva لِحاظُهُhis glances
وأَغَنَّ ممنوعِ الرُّضابِ لِحاظُهُ
فيin كُلِّevery قَلبِheart مُغمَدِsheathed نُشَّابُهاtheir arrows
في كُلِّ قَلبِ مُغمَدِ نُشَّابُها
And a mellow-voiced youth, his lip-nectar withheld, whose glances
More melodious than forbidden strings was his glance
have their arrows sheathed in every heart.
In each heart sheathed in its scabbard.
وَمُدامَةِand wine يَسعىhe hastens بِهاwith it مَشمولةٍcooled by the north wind
وَمُدامَةِ يَسعى بِها مَشمولةٍ
باقٍlingering بيُمنىon the right راحتيهِof his two palms خِضابُهاits stain
باقٍ بيُمنى راحتيهِ خِضابُها
And wine cooled by the north wind, which he carries round,
The wine circulates as if his heart
its stain lingering on his right palm.
Were whirled about by the cups passed to him.
لاnot يَستقرُّkeeps still كأَنَّهُas though he فيin قَلبِthe heart مَنof one who
لا يَستقرُّ كأَنَّهُ في قَلبِ مَن
دارتcirculated عليهِto him بصرفِهاwith its unmixed wine أَكوابُهاits cups
دارت عليهِ بصرفِها أَكوابُها
He never keeps still, as though inside the heart of one
The beauty itself sought him out
to whom its cups of unmixed wine have been passed round.
As though robed by her very clothes.
وَخريدةَand a shy maiden وَدَّwished الجَمالُBeauty بِنفسهِitself
وَخريدةَ وَدَّ الجَمالُ بِنفسهِ
لَوif only أَنَّهُthat it خُلعِتwere bestowed عَلَيهupon it ثيابُهاher garments
لَو أَنَّهُ خُلعِت عَلَيه ثيابُها
And a shy maiden—Beauty itself wished
Her glances toy with the minds of men,
that it might be robed in her garments.
Though sick, and play with prohibitions.
تلهوtoy بأَلبابِwith the minds الرِّجالِof men جُفونُهاher eyelids الthe
تلهو بأَلبابِ الرِّجالِ جُفونُها ال
مَرضىlanguid وَتَلعبُand play بالنُّهىwith reason أَطرابُهاher raptures
مَرضى وَتَلعبُ بالنُّهى أَطرابُها
Her eyelids toy with men's hearts—the
languid ones—and her raptures play with reason.
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1