ويومٍand a day خَدعتُI deceived الدّهَرTime عنهaway from it فلمso did not أَزَلْcease
ويومٍ خَدعتُ الدّهَر عنه فلم أَزَلْ
أُعَلِّلI soothe نفسيmyself فيهduring it بالرّاحwith wine مَعْwith صَحْبيmy companions
أُعَلِّل نفسي فيه بالرّاح مَعْ صَحْبي
And on a day I concealed from Time by guile, I never ceased
One day I deceived fate about it, so I did not cease
Soothing myself that day with wine among my companions,
Justifying myself with it being the wind's fault, along with my companions,
لدىbeside روضةٍa garden عالَتrose above رُباهاits hills كُرومُهاits grapevines
لدى روضةٍ عالَت رُباها كُرومُها
وجادand bestowed generously عليهupon it النِّيلthe Nile منfrom مائهits water العَذْبsweet
وجاد عليه النِّيل من مائه العَذْب
Beside a garden whose grapevines rose above its hills,
Near a garden whose bushes grew tall,
And the Nile lavished its sweet water upon it.
And the Nile generously watered it with its sweet water,
كأنّas though سحيقَpowder المسكmusk خالَطmingled with أرضَهاits earth
كأنّ سحيقَ المسك خالَط أرضَها
فجالتso whirled بهwith it فيهاwithin it الرِّياحthe winds معwith التُّرْبthe dust
فجالت به فيها الرِّياح مع التُّرْب
As though powdered musk had mingled with its earth,
As if the purest musk were mixed with its soil,
So the winds whirled it about there with the dust.
So the winds blew it everywhere along with the dust,
كأنّas though بناتِdaughters النِّيلthe Nile والرِّيحُand the wind تَرْتميtosses about
كأنّ بناتِ النِّيل والرِّيحُ تَرْتمي
بهنّwith them طُلَىnecks خيلhorses مُؤَثَّلةof noble stock شُهْبgray
بهنّ طُلَى خيل مُؤَثَّلة شُهْب
As though the daughters of the Nile, while the wind tosses
As if the Nile's daughters and the winds were throwing
Them about, were the necks of noble-bred gray horses.
With them the coats of stallions with graying manes,
وطوراًand at times تَخالyou imagine الماءَthe water فيin رونقradiance الضُّحىmidmorning
وطوراً تَخال الماءَ في رونق الضُّحى
مُتونَbacks سيوفٍswords لُحْنgleamed مصقولةٍpolished قُضْبٍkeen-edged
مُتونَ سيوفٍ لُحْن مصقولةٍ قُضْبٍ
And at times, in the brilliance of midmorning, you imagine the water
And sometimes the water seemed in the glow of morning
The backs of gleaming swords, polished and keen-edged.
Like the blades of polished swords with curved hilts,
وتَحسبهand you deem it إنif مَخَّضتهchurned it يَدُthe hand الصَّباthe east wind
وتَحسبه إن مَخَّضته يَدُ الصَّبا
قَواريَرglass flasks ماnot يَفْتُرنslacken منfrom قلقrestlessness اللِّعْبplay
قَواريَر ما يَفْتُرن من قلق اللِّعْب
And you deem it, if the east wind’s hand churns it,
And if the morning breeze stirred it, you would think
Glass flasks that never tire of restless play.
It was flasks that girls were playing with, unsettled.
كأنّas though المَدَارِيthe combs فيin تَراكُبlayering شَعْرِهاher hair
كأنّ المَدَارِي في تَراكُب شَعْرِها
نجومُstars الثرياthe Pleiades فيin سوادblackness دُجىًnight’s darkness صَعْبforbidding
نجومُ الثريا في سواد دُجىً صَعْب
As though the combs amid her layered hair
As if the waves in the tangled hair
Were the stars of the Pleiades in the blackness of a forbidding night.
Were stars of Tura in the darkness of an arduous night.
Sol 6.1