إِنَّindeed الخَليطَthe companions الَّذيwhom تَهوىyou love قَدِalready اِئتَمَرواthey took counsel
إِنَّ الخَليطَ الَّذي تَهوى قَدِ اِئتَمَروا
بِالبَينِon parting ثُمَّthen أُجِدَّwas made final البَينُthe parting فَاِبتَكَرواso they set out early
بِالبَينِ ثُمَّ أُجِدَّ البَينُ فَاِبتَكَروا
Indeed, the company you love have taken counsel
on parting; then parting was made final, and they set out early.
بانَتwent away بِهِمwith them غَربَةٌexile عَنfrom دارِناour home قَذَفٌfar-flung
بانَت بِهِم غَربَةٌ عَن دارِنا قَذَفٌ
فيهاin it مَزارٌa visit لِمَحزونٍfor one grieving بِهِمfor them عَسِرُdifficult
فيها مَزارٌ لِمَحزونٍ بِهِم عَسِرُ
A far-flung exile bore them away from our home,
where visiting is hard for one who grieves for them.
وَكُنتُand I was أَكمَيتُI concealed خَوفاًfear مِنof فِراقِهِمُseparation from them
وَكُنتُ أَكمَيتُ خَوفاً مِن فِراقِهِمُ
فَأَصبَحواso they awoke بِالَّذيabout what أَكمَيتُI concealed قَدalready جَهَرواthey spoke openly
فَأَصبَحوا بِالَّذي أَكمَيتُ قَد جَهَروا
I had concealed my fear of separation from them,
but by morning they had proclaimed what I concealed.
بانواthey departed بِهِرwith a full- (split word) كَولَةٍhipped woman (completes هركولة) فَعمٍample مُؤَزَّرُهاher wrap-covered lower body
بانوا بِهِر كَولَةٍ فَعمٍ مُؤَزَّرُها
كَأَنَّهاas though she were تَحتَbeneath سِجفِthe curtain of القُبَّةِthe domed tent القَمَرُthe moon
كَأَنَّها تَحتَ سِجفِ القُبَّةِ القَمَرُ
They departed with a full-hipped woman, ample beneath her waist-wrap,
as though she were the moon beneath the domed tent’s curtain.
هَيفاءَslender-waisted قَبّاءَflat-bellied مَصقولٌpolished عَوارِضُهاher side-teeth
هَيفاءَ قَبّاءَ مَصقولٌ عَوارِضُها
عَسراءَhampered in movement عِندَduring التَكَبّيbending over incense حينَwhen تَجتَمِرُshe perfumes herself with incense
عَسراءَ عِندَ التَكَبّي حينَ تَجتَمِرُ
Slender-waisted, flat-bellied, her teeth polished bright,
hampered in movement when she bends to perfume herself with incense.
تَكادُshe nearly مِنfrom ثِقَلِthe weight of الأَردافِthe buttocks إِنif نَهَضَتshe rises
تَكادُ مِن ثِقَلِ الأَردافِ إِن نَهَضَت
إِلىto الصَلاةِprayer بُعَيدَshortly after البُسرِunripe dates (unclear here) تَنبَتِرُshe breaks in two
إِلى الصَلاةِ بُعَيدَ البُسرِ تَنبَتِرُ
She almost, from the weight of her buttocks, when she rises
to prayer shortly after the unripe dates [unclear reading], breaks in two.
تَجلوshe polishes بِمِسواكِهاwith her tooth-stick غُرّاًgleaming white teeth مُفَلَّجَةٌspaced apart
تَجلو بِمِسواكِها غُرّاً مُفَلَّجَةٌ
كَأَنَّهاas though they were أُقحُوانٌdaisies شافَهُfreshened it مَطَرُrain
كَأَنَّها أُقحُوانٌ شافَهُ مَطَرُ
She polishes gleaming, spaced teeth with her tooth-stick,
as though they were daisies freshened by rain.
قَدalready أَرسَلواthey sent كَيso that يُحَيّونيthey might greet me فَقُلتُso I said لَهُمto them
قَد أَرسَلوا كَي يُحَيّوني فَقُلتُ لَهُم
كَيفَhow السَلامُpeace; greeting وَقَدand already عَدّىcarried away بِهِwith it القَدَرُfate
كَيفَ السَلامُ وَقَد عَدّى بِهِ القَدَرُ
They had sent someone to greet me, and I said to them:
“How can there be peace, when fate has carried it away?”
لَوif أَنَّهُمthat they صَبَرواthey endured عَمداًdeliberately لَنَعرِفَهُso we might know it
لَو أَنَّهُم صَبَروا عَمداً لَنَعرِفَهُ
مِنهُمfrom them إِذاًthen لَصَبَرناwe would surely have endured كَالَّذيlike what صَبَرواthey endured
مِنهُم إِذاً لَصَبَرنا كَالَّذي صَبَروا
Had they deliberately endured, so we might know it
from them, then we too would have endured as they did.
لَكِنَّهُمbut as for them ذادَناdrove us away وَجداًyearning بِهِمfor them كَلَفٌconsuming love
لَكِنَّهُم ذادَنا وَجداً بِهِم كَلَفٌ
وَمُترَعٌand brimful مِنof رَجيعِthe renewed flow of الدَمعِtears مُبتَدِرُrushing forth
وَمُترَعٌ مِن رَجيعِ الدَمعِ مُبتَدِرُ
Yet, yearning for them, we were driven away by consuming love
and a brimming rush of ever-renewed tears.
وَأَنَّهاand that she حَلَفَتshe swore لِلَّهِby God جاهِدَةًsolemnly
وَأَنَّها حَلَفَت لِلَّهِ جاهِدَةً
وَماand by that which أَهَلَّraised the pilgrimage cry لَهُfor it الحُجّاجُthe pilgrims وَاِعتَمَرواand performed the lesser pilgrimage
وَما أَهَلَّ لَهُ الحُجّاجُ وَاِعتَمَروا
And she had sworn solemnly by God,
and by that for which pilgrims chant and perform the lesser pilgrimage:
ماnothing وافَقَpleased النَفسَthe soul مِنof شَيءٍanything تُسَرُّit is gladdened بِهِby it
ما وافَقَ النَفسَ مِن شَيءٍ تُسَرُّ بِهِ
وَأَعجَبَand delighted العَينَthe eye إِلّاexcept فَوقَهُabove it عُمَرُUmar
وَأَعجَبَ العَينَ إِلّا فَوقَهُ عُمَرُ
“There is nothing the soul finds pleasing and delightful,
or that charms the eye, that Umar does not surpass.”
فَذاكَthat, then أَنزَلَهاplaced her عِنديin my esteem بِمَنزِلَةٍin a position
فَذاكَ أَنزَلَها عِندي بِمَنزِلَةٍ
ماnot كانَhad been يَحتَلُّهاoccupying it مِنfrom قَبلِهاbefore her بَشَرُany human
ما كانَ يَحتَلُّها مِن قَبلِها بَشَرُ
That, then, gave her a place in my esteem
that no human had occupied before her.
وَقَدand indeed عَرَفتُI recognized لَهاbelonging to her أَطلالَthe ruins of مَنزِلَةٍa dwelling
وَقَد عَرَفتُ لَها أَطلالَ مَنزِلَةٍ
بِالخَيفِat al-Khayf غَيَّرَهاaltered it الأَرواحُthe winds وَالمَطَرُand the rain
بِالخَيفِ غَيَّرَها الأَرواحُ وَالمَطَرُ
And I recognized the ruins of a dwelling of hers
at al-Khayf, changed by winds and rain.
هاجَتstirred لَناfor us ذِكَراًmemories مِنهاof her مَعارِفُهاits familiar traces
هاجَت لَنا ذِكَراً مِنها مَعارِفُها
وَقَدand indeed تَهيجُstir فُؤادَthe heart of العاشِقِthe lover الذِكَرُmemories
وَقَد تَهيجُ فُؤادَ العاشِقِ الذِكَرُ
Its familiar traces stirred memories of her in us;
and memories can indeed stir a lover’s heart.
Sol 6.1