بأبيwith my father as ransom وغيرِand others besides أبيmy father مخدرةًa secluded maiden
بأبي وغيرِ أبي مخدرةً
ماnot نولتنيgranted me وصلَهاunion with her الحيلُstratagems
ما نولتني وصلَها الحيلُ
May my father, and others besides him, be ransom for a secluded maiden.
By my father and others' fathers intoxicated
No stratagems have won me union with her.
I attained not her affection though I schemed
بجفونهاin her eyelids منfrom غنجهاher coquetry شركٌa snare
بجفونها من غنجها شركٌ
وبساقهاand in her leg منfrom حجلهاher anklet حجلa hopping gait
وبساقها من حجلها حجل
In her eyelids, her coquetry has laid a snare;
In her eyelids from her coquetry is idolatry
And her anklet gives her leg a hopping gait.
And in her legs from her anklets are anklets
مرَّpassed الهوىthe breeze بخمارهاby her veil فهوىand it fell
مرَّ الهوى بخمارها فهوى
عنهاfrom her فقامthen took مقامهits place الخجلbashfulness
عنها فقام مقامه الخجل
The breeze passed by her veil, and it fell
Love passed by her veil so it fell in love
From her; then bashfulness took its place.
With her, so in its place shyness stood
وتمايلتand she swayed فحسبتهاso I thought her قمراًa moon
وتمايلت فحسبتها قمراً
يجلوهreveals it غصنٌa bough تحتهbeneath it جبلa mountain
يجلوه غصنٌ تحته جبل
And she swayed, so I thought her a moon,
And she swayed so I reckoned her a moon
Revealed by a bough, with a mountain beneath it.
Lit by a branch beneath which is a mountain
نادمتهاI kept her company فسمعتand I heard منfrom فمهاher mouth
نادمتها فسمعت من فمها
ملحاًwitticisms حلتwere sweet فكأنهاso they seemed like قُبَلkisses
ملحاً حلت فكأنها قُبَل
I kept her company and heard from her lips
I reproached her but heard from her mouth
Witticisms so sweet they seemed like kisses.
Salt, so it was as if she were a kiss
ودعوتهاand I invited her للراحto wine فابتعدتso she drew away
ودعوتها للراح فابتعدت
عنيfrom me تقولsaying لأمِّكfor your mother الهبلbereavement
عني تقول لأمِّك الهبل
And I invited her to wine, so she drew away
And I called her to comfort but she distanced
From me, saying, “May your mother be bereft!
Herself from me, saying to your mother confusion
هذيthis حرامforbidden لستI am not أشربهاI drink it
هذي حرام لست أشربها
شربيmy drink حليبmilk النوقthe she-camels ياO رجلman
شربي حليب النوق يا رجل
This is forbidden; I do not drink it.
This is forbidden, I won't drink it
My drink is she-camels’ milk, O man!”
My drinking is the milk of the camel, O man
واللَهand by God لوif شربتshe had drunk لقربهاwould have brought her closer
واللَه لو شربت لقربها
منيto me وقربنيand brought me closer لهاto her الثَمَلintoxication
مني وقربني لها الثَمَل
And by God, had she drunk, she would have been drawn closer
By God, if I drank to be near it
To me, and I to her, by intoxication.
And it brought me near to her, the thirst
Sol 6.1