نَعَقَcawed الغُرابُthe crow بِبَينِat the departure of ذاتِthe wearer of الدُملُجِthe armlet
نَعَقَ الغُرابُ بِبَينِ ذاتِ الدُملُجِ
لَيتَif only الغُرابَthe crow بِبَينِهاat her departure لَمdid not يَزعَجِraise alarm
لَيتَ الغُرابَ بِبَينِها لَم يَزعَجِ
The crow cawed at the armlet-wearer's departure.
If only the crow had not raised alarm at her departure!
نَعَقَcawed الغُرابُthe crow وَدَقَّand may ... be shattered عَظمَthe bone of جَناحِهِits wing
نَعَقَ الغُرابُ وَدَقَّ عَظمَ جَناحِهِ
وَذَرَتand may ... scatter بِهِwith it الأَرواحُthe winds بَحرَthe sea of السَمهَجِal-Samhaj
وَذَرَت بِهِ الأَرواحُ بَحرَ السَمهَجِ
The crow cawed—may its wing-bone be shattered,
and may the winds cast it into the sea of al-Samhaj.
ماnot زِلتُI ceased أَتبَعُهُمI follow them لِأَسمَعَto hear حَدوَهُمtheir camel-driving chant
ما زِلتُ أَتبَعُهُم لِأَسمَعَ حَدوَهُم
حَتّىuntil دَخَلتُI entered عَلىupon رَبيبَةِa nurtured maiden هَودَجِa howdah
حَتّى دَخَلتُ عَلى رَبيبَةِ هَودَجِ
I kept following them to hear their camel-driving chant,
until I came upon a maiden reared in a howdah.
نَظَرَتshe looked إِلَيَّat me رِئمٍa white gazelle أَكحَلٍkohl-eyed
نَظَرَت إِلَيَّ رِئمٍ أَكحَلٍ
عَمداًdeliberately وَرَدَّتand she warded off عَنكَfrom you دَعوَةَthe call of عَوهَجِa long-necked gazelle
عَمداً وَرَدَّت عَنكَ دَعوَةَ عَوهَجِ
She looked at me like a kohl-eyed white gazelle,
deliberately, and warded off from you a long-necked gazelle's call.
فَبَهَتthen she shone بِدُرِّwith the pearls of حُلِيِّهاher jewelry وَوِشاحِهاand her sash
فَبَهَت بِدُرِّ حُلِيِّها وَوِشاحِها
وَبَريمِهاand with her braided girdle وَسِوارِهاand her bracelet فَالدُملُجِthen the armlet
وَبَريمِها وَسِوارِها فَالدُملُجِ
Then she shone with the pearls of her jewelry and her sash,
and with her braided girdle, her bracelet, and then her armlet.
فَظَلِلتُthen I remained فيin أَمرِthe affair of الهَوىlove مُتَحَيِّراًbewildered
فَظَلِلتُ في أَمرِ الهَوى مُتَحَيِّراً
مِنfrom حَرِّthe heat of نارٍa fire بِالحَشاwithin the breast مُتَوَهِّجِblazing
مِن حَرِّ نارٍ بِالحَشا مُتَوَهِّجِ
I remained bewildered by the affair of love,
from the heat of a fire blazing within my breast.
مَنwho ذاthis one يَلومَنيblames me إِنif بَكَيتُI wept صَبابَةًout of longing
مَن ذا يَلومَني إِن بَكَيتُ صَبابَةً
أَوor نُحتُI lamented صَبّاlovesick بِالفُؤادِwith the heart المُنضَجِseared
أَو نُحتُ صَبّا بِالفُؤادِ المُنضَجِ
Who would blame me if I wept from longing,
or lamented, lovesick, with a seared heart?
قالواthey said اِصطَبِرbear patiently عَنaway from حُبِّهاher love مُتَعَمِّداًwith resolve
قالوا اِصطَبِر عَن حُبِّها مُتَعَمِّداً
لاdo not تَهلِكَنَّever perish صَبابَةًfrom longing أَوor تَحرِجِfall into distress
لا تَهلِكَنَّ صَبابَةً أَو تَحرِجِ
They said, 'Resolve to bear being without her love;
do not perish of longing or fall into distress.'
كَيفَhow اِصطِباريmy patient endurance عَنwithout فَتاةٍa maiden طَفلَةٍtender-skinned
كَيفَ اِصطِباري عَن فَتاةٍ طَفلَةٍ
بَيضاءَfair-skinned فيin لَونٍa complexion لَهاof hers ذيpossessing زِبرِجِradiance
بَيضاءَ في لَونٍ لَها ذي زِبرِجِ
How can I bear being without a tender maiden,
fair-skinned, with a radiant complexion?
نافَتshe surpassed عَلىabove العَذَقِthe date cluster الرَطيبِfresh بِريقِهاwith her saliva
نافَت عَلى العَذَقِ الرَطيبِ بِريقِها
وَعَلىand above الهِلالِthe crescent المُستَبينِclearly visible الأَبلَجِradiant
وَعَلى الهِلالِ المُستَبينِ الأَبلَجِ
With the moisture of her mouth she surpassed the fresh date cluster,
and the clearly visible, radiant crescent.
لَمّاwhen تَعاظَمَgrew great أَمرُthe matter of وَجديmy passion فيin الهَوىlove
لَمّا تَعاظَمَ أَمرُ وَجدي في الهَوى
وَكَلِفتُand I became enamored شَوقاًwith longing بِالغَزالِwith the gazelle الأَدعَجِdeep-black-eyed
وَكَلِفتُ شَوقاً بِالغَزالِ الأَدعَجِ
When the force of my passion in love grew great,
and I became enamored, longing for the dark-eyed gazelle,
فَسَرَيتُthen I traveled by night فيin دَيجورِthe gloom of لَيلٍa night حِندِسٍpitch-black
فَسَرَيتُ في دَيجورِ لَيلٍ حِندِسٍ
مُتَنَجِّداًgirt بِنِجادِwith the baldric of سَيفٍa sword أَعوَجِcurved
مُتَنَجِّداً بِنِجادِ سَيفٍ أَعوَجِ
I set out through the gloom of a pitch-black night,
girt with the baldric of a curved sword.
فَقَعَدتُthen I sat مُرتَقِباًwatchful أُلِمُّI draw near بِبَيتِهاto her dwelling
فَقَعَدتُ مُرتَقِباً أُلِمُّ بِبَيتِها
حَتّىuntil وَلَجتُI entered بِهِinto it خَفِيَّconcealed المَولَجِthe entrance
حَتّى وَلَجتُ بِهِ خَفِيَّ المَولَجِ
Then I sat watching, keeping close to her dwelling,
until I slipped inside it, my entrance concealed,
حَتّىuntil دَخَلتُI entered عَلىupon الفَتاةِthe maiden وَإِنَّهاand indeed she
حَتّى دَخَلتُ عَلى الفَتاةِ وَإِنَّها
لَتَحُظُّsurely takes her fill نَوماًsleep مِثلَlike نَومِthe sleep of المُبهَجِa happy person
لَتَحُظُّ نَوماً مِثلَ نَومِ المُبهَجِ
until I came in upon the maiden, and she
was taking her fill of sleep, as a happy person sleeps.
وَإِذاand there was أَبوهاher father نائِمٌasleep وَعَبيدُهُand his slaves
وَإِذا أَبوها نائِمٌ وَعَبيدُهُ
مِنfrom حَولِهاaround her مِثلُlike الجِمالِthe camels الهُرَّجِpanting
مِن حَولِها مِثلُ الجِمالِ الهُرَّجِ
And there was her father asleep, and his slaves
around her, like panting camels.
فَوَضَعتُthen I placed كَفّيmy palm عِندَat مَقطَعِthe narrowing of خَصرِهاher waist
فَوَضَعتُ كَفّي عِندَ مَقطَعِ خَصرِها
فَتَنَفَّسَتthen she breathed نَفَساًa breath فَلَمand did not تَتَلَهَّجِutter a word
فَتَنَفَّسَت نَفَساً فَلَم تَتَلَهَّجِ
Then I placed my palm where her waist narrowed;
she drew a breath, but did not utter a word.
فَلَزِمتُهاthen I clasped her فَلَثِمتُهاthen I kissed her فَتَفَزَّعَتthen she took fright
فَلَزِمتُها فَلَثِمتُها فَتَفَزَّعَت
مِنّيat me وَقالَتand she said مَنwho فَلَمand did not أَتَلَجلَجstammer
مِنّي وَقالَت مَن فَلَم أَتَلَجلَج
I clasped her and kissed her, and she took fright
at me, and said, 'Who?'—but I did not stammer.
قالَتshe said وَعَيشِby the life of أَبيmy father وَحُرمَةِand by the honor of إِخوَتيmy brothers
قالَت وَعَيشِ أَبي وَحُرمَةِ إِخوَتي
لَأُنَبِّهَنَّI will surely rouse الحَيَّthe clan إِنif لَمnot تَخرُجِyou leave
لَأُنَبِّهَنَّ الحَيَّ إِن لَم تَخرُجِ
She said, 'By my father's life and my brothers' honor,
I will surely rouse the clan if you do not leave!'
فَخَرَجتُthen I went out خَوفَfor fear of يَمينِهاher oath فَتَبَسَّمَتthen she smiled
فَخَرَجتُ خَوفَ يَمينِها فَتَبَسَّمَت
فَعَلِمتُthen I knew أَنَّthat يَمينِهاher oath لَمhad not تَحرَجِimposed constraint
فَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ يَمينِها لَم تَحرَجِ
I went out, fearing her oath, and she smiled;
then I knew her oath had imposed no constraint.
فَتَناوَلَتthen she reached for رَأسيmy head لِتَعلَمَto learn مَسَّهُits feel
فَتَناوَلَت رَأسي لِتَعلَمَ مَسَّهُ
بِمُخَضَّبِwith a henna-dyed hand الأَطرافِthe fingertips غَيرَnot مُشَنَّجِgnarled
بِمُخَضَّبِ الأَطرافِ غَيرَ مُشَنَّجِ
She reached for my head to learn its feel,
with a hand henna-dyed at the fingertips, not gnarled.
فَلَثَمتُthen I kissed فاهاher mouth آخِذاًholding بِقُرونِهاby her braids
فَلَثَمتُ فاها آخِذاً بِقُرونِها
شُربَthe drinking of النَزيفِthe parched man بِبَردِwith the coolness of ماءِwater الحَشرَجِthe pebbles
شُربَ النَزيفِ بِبَردِ ماءِ الحَشرَجِ
Then I kissed her mouth, holding her braids,
like a parched man drinking cool water from among the pebbles.
Sol 6.1