ياAh رُبَّmany a بِكرٍa virgin عاتِقٍa maiden of marriageable age
يا رُبَّ بِكرٍ عاتِقٍ
حُطَّتwas brought down إِلَيناto us مِنfrom عَلِon high
حُطَّت إِلَينا مِن عَلِ
Ah, many a virgin maiden
Oh Lord of the early morning dawn
was brought down to us from on high,
That descended upon us from on high
مِنfrom حِجرِthe lap of أُمٍّa mother خِدرُهاher secluded chamber
مِن حِجرِ أُمٍّ خِدرُها
دونَbeneath السِماكِal-Simak (Spica) الأَعزَلِthe Unarmed One
دونَ السِماكِ الأَعزَلِ
from the lap of a mother whose chamber lies
From the rock of a numbed mother
beneath Spica, the Unarmed One,
Below the naked heights
مُطعِمَةٍfeeding ضُيوفَهاher guests
مُطعِمَةٍ ضُيوفَها
فيin كُلِّevery عامٍyear مُمحِلِdrought-stricken
في كُلِّ عامٍ مُمحِلِ
feeding her guests
Who feeds her guests
in every drought-stricken year.
Every fruitful year
وَطالَماand often ديسَتshe was trodden on عَلىdespite
وَطالَما ديسَت عَلى
عُلوِّهاher height بِالأَرجُلِby feet
عُلوِّها بِالأَرجُلِ
And often she was trampled,
And long has it been trodden
despite her height, underfoot.
In its loftiness by feet
مِنfrom دونِهاbefore her شَوكٌthorns كَأَطlike the tips (first part)
مِن دونِها شَوكٌ كَأَط
رافِtips (word continuation) الرِماحِthe spears الذُبَّلِslender
رافِ الرِماحِ الذُبَّلِ
Before her stood thorns like the tips
Beyond it thorns like the fins
of slender spears.
Of rusted spears
حَصَّلَهاhe secured her القَنّاصُthe hunter بِالby the
حَصَّلَها القَنّاصُ بِال
حيلَةِcunning وَالتَوَصُّلِand resourcefulness
حيلَةِ وَالتَوَصُّلِ
The hunter secured her through
Ensnared by the hunter through
cunning and resourcefulness.
Cunning and drawing near
لَوif لَمnot يُساعِدهُhelp him أَخٌa brother
لَو لَم يُساعِدهُ أَخٌ
مِنfrom أُمِهاher mother لَمnot تَحصُلِbe obtained
مِن أُمِها لَم تَحصُلِ
Had a brother not helped him—
Had a brother not aided him
one born of her mother—she would not have been won.
It would not have been caught
جاءَhe came بِهاwith her عَذراءَa virgin حُبpregnant (first part)
جاءَ بِها عَذراءَ حُب
لىpregnant (word continuation) كَالجِرابِlike a leather sack المُمتَليfull
لى كَالجِرابِ المُمتَلي
He brought her a virgin, yet pregnant,
He brought it untouched like a sack
like a sack filled to the brim.
Filled to the brim
عاطِلَةٌunadorned كَأَنَّهاas though she were
عاطِلَةٌ كَأَنَّها
ذِراعُthe arm of خودٍa young maiden عَيطَلِtall and graceful
ذِراعُ خودٍ عَيطَلِ
Unadorned, she seemed
Idle as if it were
the arm of a tall, graceful maiden,
A lame man’s arm
فيin حُلَّةٍa robe خَفيفَةٍlight
في حُلَّةٍ خَفيفَةٍ
تَروقُdelights عَينَthe eye of المُجتَليthe beholder
تَروقُ عَينَ المُجتَلي
in a light robe
In a sheer garment
that delights the beholder's eye.
Pleasing the ogler’s eye
فَشَقَّهاthen he split her open وَاِستَلَّهاand drew her out
فَشَقَّها وَاِستَلَّها
مِنfrom غِمدِهاher sheath كَالمُنصُلِlike a sword-blade
مِن غِمدِها كَالمُنصُلِ
Then he split her open and drew her out
So he opened it and drew it
from her sheath, like a sword-blade.
From its sheath like a blade
فَاِبتَسَمَتthen she smiled عَنrevealing لُؤلُؤٍpearls
فَاِبتَسَمَت عَن لُؤلُؤٍ
فيon السِلكِthe thread لَمnot يَنفَصِلِcome apart
في السِلكِ لَم يَنفَصِلِ
Then she smiled, revealing pearls
And it smiled with pearls
still strung together on a thread.
In a wire not yet separated
كَأَنَّهاas though she were إِذwhen بَرَزَتshe emerged
كَأَنَّها إِذ بَرَزَت
بَيضاءَwhite كَالسَجَنجَلِlike a mirror
بَيضاءَ كَالسَجَنجَلِ
As though, when she emerged,
As if when it emerged
white as a mirror,
White as gravel
سَبيكَةٌan ingot مِنof فِضَّةٍsilver
سَبيكَةٌ مِن فِضَّةٍ
فيin سَفَطٍa casket مِنof صَندَلِsandalwood
في سَفَطٍ مِن صَندَلِ
she were an ingot of silver
A silver ingot
in a casket of sandalwood.
In a box of sandalwood
Sol 6.1