كَمhow many فيin بُيوتٍtents بِسَفحِat the foot of الرَّملِthe sands منof قَمَرa moon
كَم في بُيوتٍ بِسَفحِ الرَّملِ من قَمَر
علَىupon قَوامِa figure كخُوطِlike a shoot of البانَةِthe bān tree النَّضرِfresh
علَى قَوامِ كخُوطِ البانَةِ النَّضرِ
How many a moon dwells in tents at the foot of the sands,
Upon a figure like a fresh shoot of the bān tree!
وَكَمand how many هِلالٍa crescent منamong الأطواقِthe neck-rings مَطلعُةُits rising-place
وَكَم هِلالٍ من الأطواقِ مَطلعُةُ
ذوائِبُthe tresses of الشَّعرِthe hair فيin بَيتٍa tent منof الشَّعرِhair
ذوائِبُ الشَّعرِ في بَيتٍ من الشَّعرِ
And how many a crescent among neck-rings, whose rising-place
Is the tresses of hair, within a tent of hair.
وكَمand how many غُصونِbranches علىabove الأحداقٍthe eyes قدalready بسقتgrew tall
وكَم غُصونِ على الأحداقٍ قد بسقت
تخَتالُsway proudly تحتَbeneath نُهودِthe breasts of الغيدِgraceful maidens فيamid ثَمَرfruit
تخَتالُ تحتَ نُهودِ الغيدِ في ثَمَر
And how many branches have grown tall above the eyes,
Swaying proudly beneath graceful maidens’ breasts, amid fruit.
ياO رَكبُriders حَيُّواgreet علىat الجَرعاءِal-Jarʿāʾ دارَa dwelling of هَوىًlove
يا رَكبُ حَيُّوا على الجَرعاءِ دارَ هَوىً
كَمhow much نِلتُI gained فيهاin it وَكمand how many قضيَّتُI fulfilled منof وطَرِa desire
كَم نِلتُ فيها وَكم قضيَّتُ من وطَرِ
O riders, greet love’s dwelling at al-Jarʿāʾ,
How much I gained there, how many desires I fulfilled!
أَيامَin the days when ليfor me منfrom عُيونِthe eyes of الغيدِgraceful maidens إنif نَظرتthey looked
أَيامَ لي من عُيونِ الغيدِ إن نَظرت
سِهامُarrows of لَحظٍglances حَمتguarded وردَthe watering-place of اللَّمىthe lips’ duskiness الخَصِرِcool
سِهامُ لَحظٍ حَمت وردَ اللَّمى الخَصِرِ
In days when I had, from graceful maidens’ eyes whenever they looked,
Arrows of glances guarding the cool watering-place of dusky lips.
والسُّمرand the dusky maidens تُبديreveal منfrom الأعطافthe flanks إنif خطرتthey sway
والسُّمر تُبدي من الأعطاف إن خطرت
سُمراًbrown spears وبيضاًand white swords منfrom الأَجفانِthe eyelids فيin النَّظرِthe gaze
سُمراً وبيضاً من الأَجفانِ في النَّظرِ
And dusky maidens, when they sway, reveal from their flanks
Brown spears, and white swords from their eyelids as they gaze.
وللِصَّباand for the east wind نفحةٌa waft تَسريdrifts بِضائعهاits wares
وللِصَّبا نفحةٌ تَسري بِضائعها
مَنابتُthe growing places of البانِthe bān trees والحَوذانِand the buttercups والسَّمرُand the acacias
مَنابتُ البانِ والحَوذانِ والسَّمرُ
And the east wind has a breath that drifts; its wares
Are the places where bān, buttercups, and acacias grow.
والرَّوضُand the garden قدalready حَدقتstared intently أحداقُthe eyes of نرجسهِits narcissi
والرَّوضُ قد حَدقت أحداقُ نرجسهِ
كأنَّهاas though they were حدَقٌpupils فيin فاترlanguid الحَوَرِthe eyes’ black-and-white contrast
كأنَّها حدَقٌ في فاتر الحَوَرِ
And the garden—its narcissi’s eyes have fixed their gaze,
As though they were pupils in languid eyes, dark against white.
قفِواhalt فإِنthen if خِلتمُyou think الأكوارthe camel-saddles مائلةًtilting
قفِوا فإِن خِلتمُ الأكوار مائلةً
بكُمwith you فَذاكَthen that is نَسيمٌa breeze جاءَhas come بالخَبرِwith the news
بكُم فَذاكَ نَسيمٌ جاءَ بالخَبرِ
Halt; if you think the camel-saddles are tilting
With you, that is a breeze that has come bearing news.
فَحدِّثوهُthen tell it بوَجديof my yearning فَهوَfor it يُبلِغُهُit will convey it
فَحدِّثوهُ بوَجدي فَهوَ يُبلِغُهُ
إِلىto النُّزولِthose dwelling in حِمَىthe sanctuary of قَلبيmy heart وفَيand in بَصَريmy sight
إِلى النُّزولِ حِمَى قَلبي وفَي بَصَري
Then tell it of my yearning, for it will convey it
To those dwelling in my heart’s sanctuary and in my sight.
Sol 6.1