نَعمyes هذهِthis نُعمٌNuʿm تَنَوَّرتُI espied نارَهاher fire
نَعم هذهِ نُعمٌ تَنَوَّرتُ نارَها
دَعُواlet كَبِديmy liver منِهاfrom it تَذوقُtaste أَوارَهاits scorching heat
دَعُوا كَبِدي منِها تَذوقُ أَوارَها
Yes, this is Nuʿm; I espied her fire.
Let my liver taste the scorching heat of her fire.
وَقُصُّواand recount حَديثَthe tale الدَّارِof the dwelling عَنهاfrom her مُعَنعَناًthrough a chain of narrators
وَقُصُّوا حَديثَ الدَّارِ عَنها مُعَنعَناً
سَقَىmay water اللهُGod فيin ظِلِّshade علىat الخَيفِal-Khayf دارهاher dwelling
سَقَى اللهُ في ظِلِّ على الخَيفِ دارها
And recount the dwelling’s tale from her, narrator by narrator.
May God water her dwelling, in the shade at al-Khayf.
وَخلُّواand leave alone دُموعيmy tears فَهيَfor they تَروِيwater عَلىdespite النَّوىseparation
وَخلُّوا دُموعي فَهيَ تَروِي عَلى النَّوى
بَراهاher soil وَتَسقيand water رَندَهاher laurels وَعَرارَهاand her oxeye daisies
بَراها وَتَسقي رَندَها وَعَرارَها
And let my tears flow: despite separation, they drench
her soil, and water her laurels and oxeye daisies.
وَحيُّواand greet حِماهاher sanctuary فالغَرامُfor passion يُعيدُbrings back ليto me
وَحيُّوا حِماها فالغَرامُ يُعيدُ لي
دُروسَthe faded traces رُباًof hills فيهاin them أَلفتُI was accustomed to ادِّكارَهاremembering her
دُروسَ رُباً فيها أَلفتُ ادِّكارَها
And greet her sanctuary, for passion brings back to me
the faded traces of hills where I was wont to remember her.
تَدلَّتdangled علىupon الجيدِthe neck الرِّعاثُthe earrings فَخِلتُهُso I imagined it الthe
تَدلَّت على الجيدِ الرِّعاثُ فَخِلتُهُ ال
ثُّرياPleiades فَظَنَّيتُso I thought الهِلالَthe crescent سِوارَهاher bracelet
ثُّريا فَظَنَّيتُ الهِلالَ سِوارَها
Earrings dangled upon her neck; I took it for the
Pleiades, and thought the crescent her bracelet.
وَمِنand from سِربِهاher herd عَنَّتappeared لعَينيَّto my eyes ظَبيةٌa gazelle
وَمِن سِربِها عَنَّت لعَينيَّ ظَبيةٌ
سَرَتshe journeyed by night بيwith me فَراحَso became القَلبُthe heart فيin السِّربِthe herd جارَهاher neighbor
سَرَت بي فَراحَ القَلبُ في السِّربِ جارَها
And from her herd a gazelle appeared before my eyes.
She journeyed by night with me; my heart became her neighbor in the herd.
وَعَرَّضَand hinted ليto me لِينُthe suppleness القَضيبِof the bough بِقَدِّهاat her figure
وَعَرَّضَ لي لِينُ القَضيبِ بِقَدِّها
وَذكَّرنيand reminded me ظَبيُthe gazelle الصَّريمِof the thicket نفِارَهاof her shying away
وَذكَّرني ظَبيُ الصَّريمِ نفِارَها
And the bough’s suppleness suggested her figure to me.
And the thicket’s gazelle reminded me of her shying away.
وَشَبَّهتُand I likened وَمضَthe flash البَرقِof lightning فيin حِنِسِthe murk (unclear reading) الدُّجىof night
وَشَبَّهتُ وَمضَ البَرقِ في حِنِسِ الدُّجى
لَهاof hers مَبسِماًa smiling mouth يُبديrevealing لِعَينيto my eye مَنارَهاher beacon
لَها مَبسِماً يُبدي لِعَيني مَنارَها
And I likened lightning’s flash in the murk of night
to her smiling mouth, revealing her beacon to my eye.
وَكَمand how often غَرَّنيbeguiled me الغَرَّارُّthe deceiver منfrom صُبحِthe dawn وَجهِهاof her face
وَكَم غَرَّني الغَرَّارُّ من صُبحِ وَجهِها
وَلمand did not أَدرِI know أَنَّthat اللَّيلَnight راحَhad become خِمارَهاher veil
وَلم أَدرِ أَنَّ اللَّيلَ راحَ خِمارَها
And how often her face’s deceptive dawn beguiled me,
while I knew not that night had become her veil.
فَإِنso if قُلتَyou say إِنَّthat الأُقحوانَةَthe daisy ثَغرُهاher mouth
فَإِن قُلتَ إِنَّ الأُقحوانَةَ ثَغرُها
فإِنَّthen indeed لهاhers غالَvanquished (unclear syntax) الطِّلاَwine وُخمارَهاand its intoxication
فإِنَّ لها غالَ الطِّلاَ وُخمارَها
If you say that the daisy is her mouth,
then hers has vanquished wine and its intoxication.
فإِنso if بخَلِتshe is miserly بِالوَصلِwith union فَالطَّيفُthen the dream-image رُبَّماperhaps
فإِن بخَلِت بِالوَصلِ فَالطَّيفُ رُبَّما
يُقَرِّبُbrings near منfrom بَعدِafter البِعادِseparation مَزارَهاa visit to her
يُقَرِّبُ من بَعدِ البِعادِ مَزارَها
If she begrudges union, her dream-image may
bring a visit to her within reach after separation.
أَهَلwill …? عائِدٌreturning ياO نُعمُNuʿm أَيَّامنُاour days التيwhich
أَهَل عائِدٌ يا نُعمُ أَيَّامنُا التي
بِنَعمانَat Nuʿmān قَدindeed كانَhad الزَّمانُTime أَعارَهاlent them
بِنَعمانَ قَد كانَ الزَّمانُ أَعارَها
Will our days return, O Nuʿm—those that
Time once lent us at Nuʿmān?
وَتَجمَعُناand brings us together دارٌa dwelling علىon أَبرقِAbraq (a stony rise) الحِمَىal-Ḥimā (the sanctuary)
وَتَجمَعُنا دارٌ على أَبرقِ الحِمَى
نُواصِلُwe prolong لَيلاًby night بالوِصَالِin union نَهارَهاits daytime
نُواصِلُ لَيلاً بالوِصَالِ نَهارَها
And will a dwelling bring us together on Abraq al-Ḥimā,
where, in union, we prolong its day into night?
Sol 6.1