حَيِّgreet الرَبابَal-Rabab وَتِربَهاand her age-mate
حَيِّ الرَبابَ وَتِربَها
أَسماءَAsma قَبلَbefore ذَهابِهاher departure
أَسماءَ قَبلَ ذَهابِها
Greet al-Rabab and her age-mate,
Strum her strings and their melody,
Asma, before she departs.
Before Asma's departure.
اِرجِعreturn إِلَيهاto her بِالَّذيwith what
اِرجِع إِلَيها بِالَّذي
قالَتshe said بِرَجعِby echoing جَوابَهاher reply
قالَت بِرَجعِ جَوابَها
Return to her with what
Return to her with that which
she said, echoing her reply.
She said in her song's refrain.
عَرَضَتshe offered عَلَيناto us خُطَّةًa proposal
عَرَضَت عَلَينا خُطَّةً
مَشروقَةًsuffused بِرُضابِهاwith her sweet saliva
مَشروقَةً بِرُضابِها
She offered us a proposal,
She presented us a radiant plan,
suffused with her mouth’s nectar.
Beaming with her approval.
وَتَدَلَّلَتand she acted coyly عِندَat العِتاthe reproach (continued)
وَتَدَلَّلَت عِندَ العِتا
بِcompletion of ‘reproach’ فَمَرحَباًso welcome بِعِتابِهاto her reproach
بِ فَمَرحَباً بِعِتابِها
And she grew coy at reproach—
And coquettishly complained
so welcome her reproach!
When met with reproach - so welcome her blame!
تُبديshe reveals مَواعِدَpromises جَمَّةًabundant
تُبدي مَواعِدَ جَمَّةً
وَتَضَنُّand she is stingy عِندَwhen it comes to ثَوابِهاtheir recompense
وَتَضَنُّ عِندَ ثَوابِها
She holds out abundant promises,
She reveals trysts of beauty,
but is stingy when it comes to fulfilling them.
Yet is shy of rewards.
ماnot نَلتَقيwe meet إِلّاexcept إِذاwhen
ما نَلتَقي إِلّا إِذا
نَزَلَتshe encamps مِنىًMina بِقِبابِهاwith her domed tents
نَزَلَت مِنىً بِقِبابِها
We meet only when
We only meet when she descends,
she camps at Mina with her domed tents,
Cloaked, to visit me.
فيduring النَفرِthe departure أَوor فيon لَيلَةِthe night of الthe (attached to next word)
في النَفرِ أَو في لَيلَةِ ال
تَحصيبِcamping at al-Muhassab عِندَbeside حِصابِهاits pebbled ground
تَحصيبِ عِندَ حِصابِها
during the departure, or on the night of
In a caravan, or on a starless night,
the stay at al-Muhassab, beside its pebbled ground.
Near the walls of her abode.
اُزجُرrestrain فُؤادَكَyour heart إِذsince نَأَتshe went far away
اُزجُر فُؤادَكَ إِذ نَأَت
وَتَعَزَّand take consolation عَنaway from تَطلابِهاseeking her
وَتَعَزَّ عَن تَطلابِها
Rein in your heart, since she has gone far away,
Restrain your heart when she comes,
and find consolation, giving up the pursuit of her.
Though it longs to seek her.
وَاِشعِرand imbue فُؤادَكَyour heart سَلوَةًrelease from longing
وَاِشعِر فُؤادَكَ سَلوَةً
عَنهاfrom her وَعَنand from أَترابِهاher age-mates
عَنها وَعَن أَترابِها
And instill in your heart forgetfulness
And make your heart feel solace
of her and of her age-mates.
From her and her friends.
وَغَريرَةٍand many an innocent maiden رُؤدِtender الشَباyouth (continued)
وَغَريرَةٍ رُؤدِ الشَبا
بِcompletion of ‘youth’ النُسكُpiety مِنamong أَقرابِهاher close kin
بِ النُسكُ مِن أَقرابِها
And many an innocent maiden, tender in youth,
For, my lad, piety is best
with piety among her closest kin:
When kin are far.
حَدَّثتُهاI spoke to her فَصَدَقتُهاthen I told her the truth
حَدَّثتُها فَصَدَقتُها
وَكَذَبتُهاand I lied to her بِكِذابِهاin return for her lies
وَكَذَبتُها بِكِذابِها
I spoke to her and told her the truth,
I spoke true and lied to her
and lied to her in return for her lies.
With her own lies.
وَبَعَثتُand I sent كاتِمَةَa woman who conceals الحَديthe conversation (continued)
وَبَعَثتُ كاتِمَةَ الحَدي
ثِcompletion of ‘conversation’ رَفيقَةًgentle بِخِطابِهاin her speech
ثِ رَفيقَةً بِخِطابِها
And I sent a woman who keeps confidences,
And sent the keeper of secrets
gentle in her speech,
As a friend with my letter,
وَحشِيَّةًwild إِنسِيَّةًhuman
وَحشِيَّةً إِنسِيَّةً
خَرّاجَةًfrequently going out مِنfrom بابِهاher door
خَرّاجَةً مِن بابِها
wild yet human,
A female companion,
often going out through her door.
Sneaking out her door.
فَرَقَتthen she worked charms فَسَهَّلَتِthen she eased المَعاthe approaches (continued)
فَرَقَت فَسَهَّلَتِ المَعا
رِضَcompletion of ‘approaches’ مِنfrom سَبيلِthe path نِقابِهاher veil
رِضَ مِن سَبيلِ نِقابِها
Then she worked her charms, easing the approaches
She left and cleared the obstacles,
along the path to her veil.
Lifting her veil from the path.
Sol 6.1