لمّاwhen اِعتَنقناwe embraced ليلةَon the night of الرّملal-Raml (the sands)
لمّا اِعتَنقنا ليلةَ الرّمل
ومُضاجِعِيand my bedfellow ماwhat lay بينناbetween us نَصْلِيmy blade
ومُضاجِعِي ما بيننا نَصْلِي
When we embraced on the night of al-Raml,
When we embraced on the sandy night
and my bedfellow—what lay between us—was my blade,
And between us lay unsheathed blades
قالتshe said أماare you not ترضىyou are content ضجيعكyour bedfellow مِنْof
قالت أما ترضى ضجيعك مِنْ
جسميmy body الرّطيبsupple ومِعْصَميand my wrist الطَّفْلِtender
جسمي الرّطيب ومِعْصَمي الطَّفْلِ
she said, 'Are you not content with your bedfellow—
She said, does not my moist body please you
my supple body and tender wrist?
Nor my wrists, so soft as a child's?
ألّاcould you not اِحتَملتَyou endured فراقَparting from نصلكyour blade ذاthis
ألّا اِحتَملتَ فراقَ نصلك ذا
فيin هذهِthis الظّلماءdarkness مِنfor أجليmy sake
في هذهِ الظّلماء مِن أجلي
Could you not bear to part with this blade of yours
Could you not bear your unsheathed sword
in this darkness, for my sake?
In this darkness just for me?
اِنظرْlook إِلىat ضيقtightness العناقِthe embrace بناaround us
اِنظرْ إِلى ضيق العناقِ بنا
تنظرْyou will see إلىat عقدٍa knot بلاwithout حَلِّuntying
تنظرْ إلى عقدٍ بلا حَلِّ
Look how tightly our embrace binds us:
Look how tight is our embrace
you will see a knot that cannot be untied.
Like a knot that cannot be unbound
لاnot بينناbetween us يجريflows العُقارُwine ولاnor
لا بيننا يجري العُقارُ ولا
فضلٌspare room بهin it لمَدبَّةِfor the crawling of النَّمْلِants
فضلٌ به لمَدبَّةِ النَّمْلِ
No wine can flow between us, nor
No perfume flows between us
is there room there for ants to crawl.'
Nor excess like the crawling ant
فأَجَبتُهاso I answered her إنّيindeed, I أَخافُI fear إذاif
فأَجَبتُها إنّي أَخافُ إذا
فطنواthey become aware بناof us أهلوكِyour family أوْor أهليmy family
فطنوا بنا أهلوكِ أوْ أهلي
So I answered her, 'I fear what may happen if
I answered her, I fear if they find us
your family or mine discover us.
Your family or mine will kill you or me
عدّيهِreckon it مثلَlike تميمةٍan amulet نصبتْwas hung up
عدّيهِ مثلَ تميمةٍ نصبتْ
كيso that لاnot نُصابَwe are stricken بأعينٍby eyes نُجْلِwide
كي لا نُصابَ بأعينٍ نُجْلِ
Think of it as an amulet hung up
Consider me like an idol one passes
so that wide eyes may not strike us.
So no eyes may light on us
إنّيindeed, I أخافI fear العارَdisgrace يلصقclings بِيto me
إنّي أخاف العارَ يلصق بِي
يوماًone day ولاand not أَخشىI fear منof القتلِbeing killed
يوماً ولا أَخشى من القتلِ
I fear that disgrace may cling to me
For I fear dishonor will stick to me
one day; I do not fear being killed.'
One day, though I fear not death itself
Sol 6.1