أَبلِغinform سُلَيمىSulayma بِأَنَّthat البَينَparting قَدalready أَفِداdrew near
أَبلِغ سُلَيمى بِأَنَّ البَينَ قَد أَفِدا
وَاِنبِئand inform سُلَيمىSulayma بِأَنّاthat we رائِحونَare departing غَداtomorrow
وَاِنبِئ سُلَيمى بِأَنّا رائِحونَ غَدا
Tell Sulayma that parting has drawn near.
Tell Sulayma that separation has brought ruin,
And inform Sulayma that we are departing tomorrow.
And inform Sulayma that we are leaving tomorrow,
وَقُلand say لَهاto her كَيفَhow أَنto يَلقاكِhe may meet you خالِيَةًalone
وَقُل لَها كَيفَ أَن يَلقاكِ خالِيَةً
فَلَيسَfor it is not مَنone who بانَdeparted لَمdid not يَعهَدmake a pledge كَماlike عَهِداmade a pledge
فَلَيسَ مَن بانَ لَم يَعهَد كَما عَهِدا
And say to her, 'How might one meet you alone?'
And say to her, how can she meet you while empty-handed?
For one who parts without a farewell pledge is not like one who has given one.
For one who has been away is not as one who stayed.
نَعهَدwe pledge إِلَيكِto you فَأَوفيناso keep faith with us بِعَهدِناwith our pledge
نَعهَد إِلَيكِ فَأَوفينا بِعَهدِنا
ياO أَصدَقَtruest الناسِof people مَوعوداًin what is promised إِذاwhen وَعَداhe promises
يا أَصدَقَ الناسِ مَوعوداً إِذا وَعَدا
We pledge ourselves to you; so honor our pledge for us,
We made a pledge to you and fulfilled our vow,
O truest of people in what is promised, when a promise is made,
O most trustworthy of people when making a promise!
وَأَحسَنَand fairest الناسِof people فيin عَينيmy eye وَأَجمَلَهُمand most beautiful of them
وَأَحسَنَ الناسِ في عَيني وَأَجمَلَهُم
مِنof ساكِنِa dweller الغَورِal-Ghawr (the lowlands) أَوor مَنone who يَسكُنُlives in النَجداNajd (the uplands)
مِن ساكِنِ الغَورِ أَو مَن يَسكُنُ النَجدا
And fairest of all in my sight, and most beautiful among them,
And the best of people in my eyes and the most beautiful,
Of those dwelling in al-Ghawr or those who live in Najd.
Whether from the dweller of the cave or one who resides in Najd.
لَقَدindeed حَلَفتُI swore يَميناًan oath غَيرَnot كاذِبَةٍfalse
لَقَد حَلَفتُ يَميناً غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ
صَبراًsolemnly أُضاعِفُهاI redouble it ياO سُكنَSukn مُجتَهِداstriving earnestly
صَبراً أُضاعِفُها يا سُكنَ مُجتَهِدا
Indeed, I swore an oath, not a false one,
I swore an oath that was no lie,
Solemnly I redouble it, O Sukn, striving earnestly:
With patience I will redouble it, O you who reside striving!
بِاللَهِby God ماnot نِمتُI slept مِنany نَومٍsleep تَقَرُّfinds rest بِهِthrough it
بِاللَهِ ما نِمتُ مِن نَومٍ تَقَرُّ بِهِ
عَينيmy eye وَلاand not زالَceased قَلبيmy heart بَعدَكُمafter you كَمِداgrief-stricken
عَيني وَلا زالَ قَلبي بَعدَكُم كَمِدا
By God, I have had no sleep that could bring rest to
By God, I have not slept a sleep that would rest my eye,
My eyes; nor has my heart ceased grieving since you left.
Nor has my heart found peace after you all.
كَمmany a بِالحَرامِin the Sanctuary وَلَوand even if كُنّاwe were نُحالِفُهُwe ally with him
كَم بِالحَرامِ وَلَو كُنّا نُحالِفُهُ
مِنamong كاشِحٍa spiteful foe وَدَّwished أَنّاthat we لاnot نُرىare seen أَبَداever
مِن كاشِحٍ وَدَّ أَنّا لا نُرى أَبَدا
Many a one in the Sanctuary—even were we to ally with him—
How much forbidden, even if we pretend to swear by it,
Is a spiteful foe who wished that we might never be seen.
From a passionate lover who wishes we don't ever part!
حُمِّلَhe was burdened مِنfrom بُغضِناhatred of us غِلّاًrancor يُعالِجُهُhe wrestles with it
حُمِّلَ مِن بُغضِنا غِلّاً يُعالِجُهُ
فَقَدfor indeed تَمَلّاhas filled up عَلَيناagainst us قَلبُهُhis heart حَسَداwith envy
فَقَد تَمَلّا عَلَينا قَلبُهُ حَسَدا
He was burdened, through hatred of us, with rancor he wrestles with;
He carries a grudge against us that obsesses him,
For his heart has filled with envy toward us.
For his heart has become completely envious of us.
وَذاتِand a woman with وَجدٍyearning عَلَيناfor us ماnot تَبوحُshe speaks openly بِهِof it
وَذاتِ وَجدٍ عَلَينا ما تَبوحُ بِهِ
تُحصيshe counts اللَياليthe nights إِذاwhen غِبناwe are absent لَناfor us عَدَداone by one
تُحصي اللَيالي إِذا غِبنا لَنا عَدَدا
And many a woman with longing for us that she does not reveal
A love with passion for us she does not confess,
Counts the nights for us, one by one, when we are away.
She counts the nights when we are absent for us in number.
تَبكيshe weeps عَلَيناfor us إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَهلُهاher family غَفَلواare heedless
تَبكي عَلَينا إِذا ما أَهلُها غَفَلوا
وَتَكحَلُand she lines with kohl العَينَthe eye مِنfrom وَجدٍyearning بِناfor us سَهَداsleeplessness
وَتَكحَلُ العَينَ مِن وَجدٍ بِنا سَهَدا
She weeps for us whenever her family are heedless,
She weeps for us when her people are unaware,
And lines her eye with sleeplessness, out of yearning for us.
And she lines her eyes with tears for us while awake.
حَريصَةٍeager إِنif تَكُفَّshe restrains الدَمعَthe tears جاهِدَةًstriving hard
حَريصَةٍ إِن تَكُفَّ الدَمعَ جاهِدَةً
فَماyet not رَقاsubsided دَمعُthe tears عَينَيهاof her two eyes وَماand not جَمَداdried up
فَما رَقا دَمعُ عَينَيها وَما جَمَدا
Eager to restrain her tears if she can, striving hard,
Eagerly trying to restrain her tears with great effort,
Yet the tears of her eyes have neither subsided nor dried.
But neither does her tear flow nor freeze.
بَيضاءَfair-skinned آنِسَةٍgracious لِلخِدرِto the curtained chamber آلِفَةٍaccustomed
بَيضاءَ آنِسَةٍ لِلخِدرِ آلِفَةٍ
وَلَمand not تَكُنshe was تَألَفُshe is accustomed to الخَوخاتِthe wicket doors وَالسَدَداand the entranceways
وَلَم تَكُن تَألَفُ الخَوخاتِ وَالسَدَدا
Fair-skinned and gracious, accustomed to her curtained chamber,
A fair, intimate companion, accustomed to chatting,
And unused to wicket doors and entranceways.
Who did not befriend empty talk and contrived manners.
قامَتshe rose تَراءىshowing herself عَلىin خَوفٍfear تُشَيِّعُنيshe sees me off
قامَت تَراءى عَلى خَوفٍ تُشَيِّعُني
مَشىthe gait الحَسيرِof the weary beast المُزَجّىdriven onward جُشِّمَforced to endure الصَعَداthe ascent
مَشى الحَسيرِ المُزَجّى جُشِّمَ الصَعَدا
She rose into view, in fear, to see me off,
She stood to bid me farewell in fear,
Walking like a weary beast, driven onward and forced uphill.
Like a broken-winged dove with ruffled feathers.
لَمnot تَبلُغِshe reached البابَthe door حَتّىuntil قالَsaid نِسوَتُهاher women
لَم تَبلُغِ البابَ حَتّى قالَ نِسوَتُها
مِنbecause of شِدَّةِthe severity of البُهرِbreathlessness هَذاthis الجَهدُexertion فَاِتَّئداso go gently, you two
مِن شِدَّةِ البُهرِ هَذا الجَهدُ فَاِتَّئدا
She had not reached the door before her women said,
She had not reached the door when her women said,
Because she was so breathless: 'Such strain—go gently, both of you!'
Out of extreme shock, “This effort is too much, rest!”
أَقعَدنَهاthey seated her وَبِناand within us ماwhat قالَsaid ذوone of حَسَبٍnoble standing
أَقعَدنَها وَبِنا ما قالَ ذو حَسَبٍ
صَبٌّenamored بِسَلمىof Salma إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أُقعِدَتshe was seated قَعَداhe sat down
صَبٌّ بِسَلمى إِذا ما أُقعِدَت قَعَدا
They sat her down; we felt what a man of noble standing had described:
They sat her down, and not one of noble lineage
'A man in love with Salma: when she was seated, he too sat down.'
Would sit Sulayma down when she has risen!
فَكانَand it was آخِرَthe last ماwhat قالَتshe said وَقَدand already قَعَدَتshe had sat down
فَكانَ آخِرَ ما قالَت وَقَد قَعَدَت
أَنthat سَوفَwill تُبديshe shows لَهُنَّto them الصَبرَpatience وَالجَلَداand fortitude
أَن سَوفَ تُبدي لَهُنَّ الصَبرَ وَالجَلَدا
And the last thing she said, once she had sat down, was
The last thing she said when seated
That she would show them patience and fortitude.
Was that she would show them patience and resilience.
ياO لَيلَةَnight of السَبتِSaturday قَدindeed زَوَّدتِنيyou have provisioned me سَقَماًsickness
يا لَيلَةَ السَبتِ قَد زَوَّدتِني سَقَماً
حَتّىuntil المَماتِdeath وَهَمّاًand anguish صَدَّعَsplit الكَبِداthe liver
حَتّى المَماتِ وَهَمّاً صَدَّعَ الكَبِدا
O Saturday night, you have furnished me with sickness
O night of Saturday, you have burdened me with sickness,
Until death, and anguish that has split my liver.
To the point of death, and worries that have split open my liver!
Sol 6.1