حلفتُI swore بشُعثٍby disheveled men منof نِزارٍNizār تعلّقواthey clung
حلفتُ بشُعثٍ من نِزارٍ تعلّقوا
بأستارto curtains مرفوعraised الذّلاذلِthe trailing hems مائلِslanting
بأستار مرفوع الذّلاذلِ مائلِ
I swore by disheveled men of Nizār who clung
I swore by the disheveled hair of a gazelle they clung to
to the hangings of a shrine with raised, slanting hems;
The curtains of one towering with lowered banners leaning
تلاقواthey met عليهat it ثائرينseeking vengeance فأعرضواthen they turned away
تلاقوا عليه ثائرين فأعرضوا
بأرجائهwithin its precincts عنfrom أخذexacting تلكthose الطّوائلِthe blood-debts
بأرجائه عن أخذ تلك الطّوائلِ
they met there seeking vengeance, then turned away,
They met upon it raging yet they refused
within its precincts, from exacting those blood-debts;
To seize those slender sand grouse around its fringes
وماand what رشفواthey sipped منfrom صخرةٍa stone بشفاههمْwith their lips
وما رشفوا من صخرةٍ بشفاههمْ
وماand what مسحواthey stroked منof ركنهits corner بالأنامِلِwith the fingertips
وما مسحوا من ركنه بالأنامِلِ
and by what they sipped from a stone with their lips,
Nor did they sip from a rock with their lips
and by the part of its corner they stroked with their fingertips;
Nor did they touch any part of it with their palms
وماand what عقرواthey slaughtered بالخَيفِat al-Khayf تجريflow شعابُهits ravines
وما عقروا بالخَيفِ تجري شعابُه
بماwith what بذلوهthey offered it منof سديسٍa six-toothed camel وبازلِand a full-grown camel
بما بذلوه من سديسٍ وبازلِ
and by what they slaughtered at al-Khayf, its ravines flowing
Nor did they hamstring she-camels roaming its valleys
with the blood of six-toothed and full-grown camels they offered;
With the efforts they exerted, worthless and feeble
وأيديand the forelegs المطاياthe riding camels إذwhen وقفنthey stood عشيّةًone evening
وأيدي المطايا إذ وقفن عشيّةً
علىat عرفاتٍArafat بعدafter طيّtraversing المنازلِthe journey’s stages
على عرفاتٍ بعد طيّ المنازلِ
and by the forelegs of the riding camels as they stood one evening
And the hands of the riding camels when they halted one evening
at Arafat, after traversing the journey’s stages:
At Arafat after traversing the encampments
لحبُّكِsurely, love for you ياO ظباءُẒibāʾ فيin باطنthe depths of الحشاthe heart
لحبُّكِ يا ظباءُ في باطن الحشا
وإنand though رغمis chagrined الواشيthe talebearer لطيفُsubtle المداخلِthe ways in
وإن رغم الواشي لطيفُ المداخلِ
surely my love for you, O Ẓibāʾ, deep within my heart,
My love for you, O gazelle, is in the innermost thicket
finds subtle ways in, though the talebearer be chagrined.
Though the watcher begrudges the gentle access
وماand not أخلقتْhave worn out منهof it اللّياليthe nights وإنّهand indeed it
وما أخلقتْ منه اللّيالي وإنّه
جديدٌfresh علىthrough مرّthe passage of المدىtime المتطاولِever-lengthening
جديدٌ على مرّ المدى المتطاولِ
Nor have the nights worn any of it away; indeed, it is
The nights did not create it, yet it is
fresh through the passing of ever-lengthening time.
Refreshing throughout the prolonged extent
ويُعجبنيand it delights me منكfrom you الحديثُthe speech إِخالُهُI deem it
ويُعجبني منك الحديثُ إِخالُهُ
صحيحاًtrue وإنْand even if حدّثتناyou tell us بالأباطلِwith falsehoods
صحيحاً وإنْ حدّثتنا بالأباطلِ
And your speech delights me; I take it
And I admire in you the conversation, its insertion
as true, even if you tell us falsehoods.
Being correct even when you told us false tales
كأنّيas though I وقدand indeed نازعتنيyou exchanged with me القولَwords قاطفٌa gatherer
كأنّي وقد نازعتني القولَ قاطفٌ
منfrom الصّبحِthe dawn نُوّاراًblossoms ببعضِin one of الخمائلِthe leafy groves
من الصّبحِ نُوّاراً ببعضِ الخمائلِ
As though I, while you exchanged words with me, were plucking
As if, as the words competed with me, a picker
blossoms from the dawn in one of the leafy groves.
Was plucking some immature dates at dawn
Sol 6.1