ماذاwhat علىupon ذاتِthe woman with اللَّمَىthe dusky hue of lips والخالِand the beauty spot
ماذا على ذاتِ اللَّمَى والخالِ
لَوif ساعدتshe obliged منهاfrom her بطَيفِwith an apparition of خَيالٍa vision
لَو ساعدت منها بطَيفِ خَيالٍ
What would it cost the lady of dusky lips and a beauty spot
What of the one with anguish and separation
If she favored me with a phantom vision of herself?
If an apparition of her aided me
خَطرَتshe sauntered وماستand she swayed فانثنيتُso I turned مُرنَّحاًreeling
خَطرَت وماست فانثنيتُ مُرنَّحاً
طَرِباًenraptured منَby المعسولِthe honey-sweet والعسَّالِand the swaying
طَرِباً منَ المعسولِ والعسَّالِ
She sauntered and swayed; I turned, reeling,
She came to mind and I reeled, bent with love
Enraptured by her honeyed sweetness and swaying grace.
Confused by the intoxicant, and the honeybee
عهديmy recollection بتلكَof that الدَّارِthe dwelling وهيَwhile it was مُضيئةٌradiant
عهدي بتلكَ الدَّارِ وهيَ مُضيئةٌ
بجميلةٍwith a beautiful woman بَعُدتwas far removed عنfrom الأَجمالشunclear as written
بجميلةٍ بَعُدت عن الأَجمالش
I remember that dwelling when it was radiant
My promise to that house when it was lit
With a beautiful woman far removed from [unclear word in the source].
By a beauty, the best of beauties fled
خلَّO friend انفرادُكyour standing aloof يومَon the day of جرعاءَJarʿāʾ (sandy tract) الحمىal-Ḥimā (protected pasture)
خلَّ انفرادُك يومَ جرعاءَ الحمى
عنfrom نصرِaiding خلِّكَyour friend غايةَthe utmost degree of الإِخلالِneglect
عن نصرِ خلِّكَ غايةَ الإِخلالِ
Friend, your standing aloof that day at Jarʿāʾ al-Ḥimā
Your loneliness the day fever racked
From aiding your friend was the height of neglect.
Neglected your duty, the greatest neglect
عُجturn aside بيwith me فلستَfor you are not إذاif فَعلتَyou do so بِأَوَّلِthe first of الthe (continued next line)
عُج بي فلستَ إذا فَعلتَ بِأَوَّلِ ال
عُشَّاقِlovers تَعريجاًin turning aside علىat الأطلالِthe ruined dwellings
عُشَّاقِ تَعريجاً على الأطلالِ
Turn aside with me; if you do, you will not be the first
Return to me, for if with lovers first
Among lovers to pause at the ruined dwellings.
You dealt evasively, at the ruins
عِبثَtoyed العُقارُthe wine بعِطفهِاwith her flank فأمالَهاand made her lean
عِبثَ العُقارُ بعِطفهِا فأمالَها
سُكرانِtwo intoxications سُكرُthe intoxication of صِباًyouth وسُكرُand the intoxication of دَلالِcoquetry
سُكرانِ سُكرُ صِباً وسُكرُ دَلالِ
Wine toyed with her flank, and she was made to lean
The planets in their orbits made her tilt
By two intoxications: the intoxication of youth and of coquetry.
Drunk with youth’s wine, drunk with coquetry
أدَّتconveyed ضفائرُهاher braids رسالةَthe message of قُرطهِاher earring
أدَّت ضفائرُها رسالةَ قُرطهِا
منهاfrom her مشافهةًmouth to mouth إلىto الخَلخالِthe anklet
منها مشافهةً إلى الخَلخالِ
Her braids conveyed her earring's message
Her braids delivered her earring’s message
From her, mouth to mouth, to her anklet.
Whispering, from her mouth to her anklet
للهِGod! (admiration) ماhow أحلىsweet مُقاساتيmy suffering بِهاbecause of her
للهِ ما أحلى مُقاساتي بِها
ذُلَّthe humiliation of الهَوىlove وقَساوةَand the harshness of العُذَّالِthe reproachers
ذُلَّ الهَوى وقَساوةَ العُذَّالِ
God, how sweet is my suffering for her sake—
God, how sweet was my devotion to her
Love's humiliation and the harshness of reproachers!
Love's submission, the tormentor's cruelty
ياO ضَرَّةَrival (co-wife) of القمرِthe moon المنيرِradiant وأُختَand sister of غُصbranch (continued next line)
يا ضَرَّةَ القمرِ المنيرِ وأُختَ غُص
نِfragment completing 'branch' البانةِthe bān tree المتأوِّدِbending الميَّالِswaying
نِ البانةِ المتأوِّدِ الميَّالِ
O rival of the radiant moon and sister of the branch
O radiant, shining moon, sister of a gazelle
Of the bān tree, bending and swaying!
With a supple, gently swaying gait
بأسيلِby the smoothness of خدِّكَyour cheek باتَspent the night دمعيmy tears سائلاًflowing; also pleading
بأسيلِ خدِّكَ باتَ دمعي سائلاً
ماذاwhat يُضرُّكَwould harm you لوif أجبتِyou answered سُؤاليmy plea
ماذا يُضرُّكَ لو أجبتِ سُؤالي
By your smooth cheek, my tears flowed all night, pleading.
With your cheek's flood my tears flowed all night
What harm would it do you if you answered my plea?
What harm if you answered my question?
ياO نسمةَbreeze of الآصالِthe late afternoons هَلis there لِسَلامناfor our greeting
يا نسمةَ الآصالِ هَل لِسَلامنا
عنَّاfrom us إلىto الأحبابِthe loved ones منany (emphatic) إيصالِconveyance
عنَّا إلى الأحبابِ من إيصالِ
O breeze of late afternoon, can our greeting
O breeze of realization, will you convey
Be carried from us to our loved ones?
Greetings from us to the beloved?
باللهِby God إِلاَّplease (exhortatory) ماemphatic particle حمَلتِyou would carry تحيَّةًa greeting
باللهِ إِلاَّ ما حمَلتِ تحيَّةً
منِّيfrom me علىto ذاكَthat الجَنابِthe presence العاليexalted
منِّي على ذاكَ الجَنابِ العالي
For God's sake, do carry a greeting
By God, only that you carried a greeting
From me to that exalted presence.
From me to that noble spirit
Sol 6.1