عنby أَيمنِthe right-hand side of الجِزعِthe valley bend دونَbefore الأَثلِthe tamarisks باناتُben trees
عن أَيمنِ الجِزعِ دونَ الأَثلِ باناتُ
لنَاfor us بِحُكمِby the decree of الهوىَlove فيهاthere لُباناتُlongings
لنَا بِحُكمِ الهوىَ فيها لُباناتُ
To the right of the valley bend, before the tamarisks, stand ben trees.
From the left of the sad group, not from their best, appear
By love's decree, we have longings there.
For us, by the judgment of love among them, gazelles.
وأربُعٌand dwellings للصبَّاfor youth وَلِّىwent by بِهاin them زَمَنٌa time
وأربُعٌ للصبَّا وَلِّى بِها زَمَنٌ
غَضٌّfresh and tender فَللَّهِso, by God! هاتيكَthose اللُّييلاتُthe little nights
غَضٌّ فَللَّهِ هاتيكَ اللُّييلاتُ
And haunts of youth, where there passed a time
Four for the darting breeze, time has turned with them,
Fresh and tender—by God, those little nights!
Young, so for God those smooth night companions.
ياO سعدُSaʿd قفhalt ناشِداًseeking ليfor me فيin مَلاعِبهاtheir playgrounds
يا سعدُ قف ناشِداً لي في مَلاعِبها
حياًa tribe ظباهُits gazelles نفوراتٌskittish أنيساتُfriendly
حياً ظباهُ نفوراتٌ أنيساتُ
O Saʿd, halt and seek for me in their playgrounds
O Saad, stand reciting poetry to me among their playgrounds
A tribe whose gazelles are skittish yet friendly.
Alive, lively gazelles, friendly, gentle ones.
ففيfor in خدورِthe private chambers of خيِامِthe tents of القَومِthe tribe غانِيَةٌa beauty
ففي خدورِ خيِامِ القَومِ غانِيَةٌ
بِغَيرهاwithout her لمnot تكُنwere تصفوgrow unclouded المسراَّتpleasures
بِغَيرها لم تكُن تصفو المسراَّت
For in the private chambers of the tribe's tents is a beauty,
For in the bosoms of the people's tents singers
Without whom pleasures were never unclouded.
Without them the joys would not be pure.
للحليfor the jewelry فيon قَدِّهاher figure إِwhen (incomplete word) تَنثَنيshe bends زَجلٌa ringing sound
للحلي في قَدِّها إِ تَنثَني زَجلٌ
كَمَاas تَغنَّتsang علىupon غُصنٍa branch حَمَاماتُdoves
كَمَا تَغنَّت على غُصنٍ حَمَاماتُ
Her jewelry rings upon her figure when she bends,
For the adornment in its flow a song bends
As doves sing upon a branch.
As doves sang on a bough, turtledoves.
صَحتَgrew sober وصَحَّتand grew sound لناfor us أَعطافُthe curves of قامَتِهاher figure النthe… (start of 'drunken')
صَحتَ وصَحَّت لنا أَعطافُ قامَتِها الن
شوىdrunken (word ending) وأَجَفانُهاand her eyelids الَمرضىsickly السَّقيماتailing
شوى وأَجَفانُها الَمرضى السَّقيمات
Sober and sound for us grew the curves of her drunken figure,
They were healthy and regained for us the sides of their stature
And her sickly, ailing eyelids.
Ailing, inflamed their sick eyes.
ماhow أَبعدfar removed الصَّبرَpatience منfrom قَلبٍa heart كَسَتهُclothed it أَسىًsorrow
ما أَبعد الصَّبرَ من قَلبٍ كَسَتهُ أَسىً
كواعِبٌfull-breasted maidens عَربيَّاتٌArab أَبيَّاتُproud and unyielding
كواعِبٌ عَربيَّاتٌ أَبيَّاتُ
How far patience is from a heart clothed in sorrow
How far is patience from a heart clad in sorrow
By proud, full-breasted Arab maidens!
Maids of Arabia, resistant, firm.
غِيدقgraceful maidens (unclear spelling) لهُنَّfor them خُصورwaists قدalready لَعِبنَthey played بِهاwith them
غِيدق لهُنَّ خُصور قد لَعِبنَ بِها
هِيفٌslender ظِماءٌthirsty وأَردافٌand hips رَوياتُwell-watered
هِيفٌ ظِماءٌ وأَردافٌ رَوياتُ
Graceful maidens, with waists they have toyed with—
Necks that they have toyed with, thirsty, yearning curves and hips
Slender and thirsty—and hips well-watered.
Generous, the bending South winds make them sway
يُميلهُنَّmakes them sway الصبِّاyouth تيهاًin pride فَتُضِرمُso kindle فيin
يُميلهُنَّ الصبِّا تيهاً فَتُضِرمُ في
أَحشائناour entrails لاعِجَthe searing flame of الوَجدِpassion الصبَّاباتُardent longings
أَحشائنا لاعِجَ الوَجدِ الصبَّاباتُ
Youth makes them sway in pride; thus is kindled in
Kindling in our insides the live coals of passion, the pouring rains.
Our entrails the searing flame of passion, by ardent longings.
As though they are the delicate boughs and over them
كأَنهنَّas though they were الغُصونُthe boughs النَّاعماتُsupple وقَدand already
كأَنهنَّ الغُصونُ النَّاعماتُ وقَد
لاحَتappeared عَلَيهنَّupon them أَقمارٌmoons مُنيراتُradiant
لاحَت عَلَيهنَّ أَقمارٌ مُنيراتُ
They seem like supple boughs; and already
Shone full moons, illuminating.
Radiant moons have appeared upon them.
The eyes by them have the magic of singers and for thought
للَجفنِfor the eyelid منهُنَّof them سِحرُmagic الغانياتِthe beauties وللسُّand for… (start of 'intoxication')
للَجفنِ منهُنَّ سِحرُ الغانياتِ وللسُّ
كرِintoxication (word ending) الثُّغورُthe mouths وَكُلٌّand all بابِليَاتُBabylonian
كرِ الثُّغورُ وَكُلٌّ بابِليَاتُ
Their eyelids hold the magic of beauties; and for intoxication,
The breasts while all are Babylonian.
Their mouths—and all are Babylonian.
Those noble ladies are but their glances and those
ماnot الَمشَرفِياتُthe Mashrafi swords إِلاَّexcept لَحظُهُنَّtheir glances ولاand not
ما الَمشَرفِياتُ إِلاَّ لَحظُهُنَّ ولا
تلكَthose المعاطِفُthe swaying forms إِلاَّexcept السَّمهرياتُthe Samhari spears
تلكَ المعاطِفُ إِلاَّ السَّمهرياتُ
Mashrafi swords are nothing but their glances; nor
Mantles are but of Damascus fabrication.
Are those swaying forms anything but Samhari spears.
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1