لِمَنِwhose الدِيارُthe dwellings كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were سُطورُlines of writing
لِمَنِ الدِيارُ كَأَنَّهُنَّ سُطورُ
تُسدىweaves the warp of مَعالِمَهاtheir traces الصَباthe east wind وَتُنيرُand weaves the weft
تُسدى مَعالِمَها الصَبا وَتُنيرُ
Whose are these dwellings, as though they were lines of script?
Whose are these dwellings, like lines of writing?
The east wind weaves over their traces and brings them to light;
The east wind weaves their traces, warp and weft.
لَعِبَتplayed بِهاwith them الأَرواحُthe winds بَعدَafter أَنيسِهاtheir dwellers
لَعِبَت بِها الأَرواحُ بَعدَ أَنيسِها
نَكباءُa crosswind تَطَّرِدُdrives along السَفاthe fine dust وَدَبورُand the west wind
نَكباءُ تَطَّرِدُ السَفا وَدَبورُ
the winds have played through them since their days of habitation,
The winds played with them after their dwellers were gone—
a crosswind driving the dust, and the west wind.
A crosswind driving fine dust, and the west wind.
دارٌa dwelling لِهِندٍbelonging to Hind إِذwhen تَهيمُyou are enraptured بِذِكرِهاby her memory
دارٌ لِهِندٍ إِذ تَهيمُ بِذِكرِها
وَإِذاand when الشَبابُyouth المُستَعارُborrowed نَضيرُfresh
وَإِذا الشَبابُ المُستَعارُ نَضيرُ
The dwelling of Hind—when you wandered mad at her remembrance,
A dwelling of Hind's, when you were enraptured by her memory,
while youth, that borrowed splendor, was radiant;
And when borrowed youth was fresh.
إِذwhen تَستَبيكَshe takes you captive بِجيدِwith the neck of آدَمَtawny شادِنِa young gazelle
إِذ تَستَبيكَ بِجيدِ آدَمَ شادِنِ
دُرٌّpearls عَلىupon لَبّاتِهِits upper chest وَشُذورُand gold beads
دُرٌّ عَلى لَبّاتِهِ وَشُذورُ
when she enthralled you with the neck of a tawny young gazelle,
When she took you captive with a tawny young gazelle's neck,
pearls and beads of gold upon her upper breast.
Pearls upon its upper chest, and beads of gold.
تِلكَthat one الَّتيwho سَبَتِcaptured الفُؤادَthe heart فَأَصبَحَتand she came to be
تِلكَ الَّتي سَبَتِ الفُؤادَ فَأَصبَحَت
وَالقَلبُand the heart رَهنٌa hostage عِندَهاin her keeping مَأسورُcaptive
وَالقَلبُ رَهنٌ عِندَها مَأسورُ
She is the one who stole the heart, until it became—
She is the one who captured the heart, and now
the heart a pledge in her keeping, held captive.
The heart is a hostage in her keeping, held captive.
لَوif دَبَّcrawled ذَرُّtiny ants فَوقَover ضاحيthe exposed surface of جِلدِهاher skin
لَو دَبَّ ذَرُّ فَوقَ ضاحي جِلدِها
لَأَبانَwould surely appear مِنfrom آثارِهِنَّtheir tracks حُدورُswellings
لَأَبانَ مِن آثارِهِنَّ حُدورُ
Were an ant to creep across the bare surface of her skin,
If tiny ants crawled over her bare skin,
its tiny tracks would show there as furrows.
Their tracks would surely show as raised welts.
غَراءُradiant واضِحَةُshining الجَبينِthe brow كَأَنَّهاas though she were
غَراءُ واضِحَةُ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّها
قَمَرٌa moon بَداappeared لِلناظِرينَto those who gaze مُنيرُradiant
قَمَرٌ بَدا لِلناظِرينَ مُنيرُ
Radiant, clear-browed, as though she were
Radiant, with a shining brow, as though she were
a moon risen luminous before all who gaze.
A radiant moon appearing before those who gaze.
جَمُّlarge العِظامِthe bones لَطيفَةٌslender أَحشاؤُهاher midriff
جَمُّ العِظامِ لَطيفَةٌ أَحشاؤُها
وَالمِسكُand musk مِنfrom أَردانِهاher sleeves مَنشورُdiffused
وَالمِسكُ مِن أَردانِها مَنشورُ
Full in frame, yet delicate of waist,
Large-boned, with a slender midriff,
and musk is scattered from her sleeves.
And musk wafts from her sleeves.
تَفتَرُّshe smiles عَنrevealing مِثلِthe likeness of الأَقاحيdaisies شافَهاcleansed them
تَفتَرُّ عَن مِثلِ الأَقاحي شافَها
هَزِمٌa rumbling thundercloud أَجَشُّhoarse-voiced مِنَfrom السَماكِal-Simak (a star) مَطيرُrain-bearing
هَزِمٌ أَجَشُّ مِنَ السَماكِ مَطيرُ
She smiles, revealing daisies whose petals have been drenched
She smiles, revealing teeth like daisies, washed clean by
by a rumbling rain-cloud, pouring from al-Simāk.
A rumbling, hoarse cloud from al-Simak, pouring rain.
وَلَهاand she has أَثيثٌluxuriant hair كَالكُرومِlike grapevines مُذَيَّلٌtrailing long
وَلَها أَثيثٌ كَالكُرومِ مُذَيَّلٌ
حَسنُbeautiful الغَدائِرِthe tresses حالِكٌjet-black مَضفورُbraided
حَسنُ الغَدائِرِ حالِكٌ مَضفورُ
She has luxuriant hair, trailing like grapevines,
And she has luxuriant hair like grapevines, trailing long,
lovely in its tresses, jet-black and braided.
With lovely tresses, jet-black and braided.
وَمُخَضَّبٌand a dyed hand رَخصُtender البَنانِthe fingertips كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَمُخَضَّبٌ رَخصُ البَنانِ كَأَنَّهُ
عَنَمٌʿanam (red twigs) وَمُنتَفِخُand the fullness of النِطاقِthe girdle وَثيرُsoft and plump
عَنَمٌ وَمُنتَفِخُ النِطاقِ وَثيرُ
And a henna-dyed hand, soft of finger, as though it were
And a dyed hand with tender fingertips, as though it were
red arak berries; her cinctured waist is softly full.
Red ʿanam twigs; and a soft, rounded fullness at her girdle.
قالَتshe said وَدَمعُand the tears العَينِof the eye يَجريflow واكِفاًstreaming down
قالَت وَدَمعُ العَينِ يَجري واكِفاً
كَالدُرِّlike pearls يُسبِلُpours down تارَةًat times وَيَغورُand recedes
كَالدُرِّ يُسبِلُ تارَةً وَيَغورُ
She said, while tears flowed freely from her eyes,
She said, while tears from her eyes streamed down,
like pearls, now streaming down, now sinking away:
Like pearls, pouring forth at times, then receding:
بِاللَهِby God زُرناvisit us إِنif أَرَدتَyou desire وِصالَناunion with us
بِاللَهِ زُرنا إِن أَرَدتَ وِصالَنا
وَاِحذَرand beware of أُناساًpeople كُلُّهُمall of them مَأمورُunder orders
وَاِحذَر أُناساً كُلُّهُم مَأمورُ
“By God, visit us, if you desire union with us,
By God, visit us if you desire union with us,
but beware of men, every one of them under orders
And beware of people, each one under orders
أَنto يَأخُذوكَthey seize you فَكُنso be فَتىًa young man ذاpossessed of فِطنَةٍdiscernment
أَن يَأخُذوكَ فَكُن فَتىً ذا فِطنَةٍ
إِنَّindeed الكَريمَthe noble man لَدىin times of الحِذارِcaution صَبورُpatient
إِنَّ الكَريمَ لَدى الحِذارِ صَبورُ
to seize you; so let the visitor be a discerning young man.
To seize you; so be a young man of discernment.
For a noble man is patient when caution is called for.”
Indeed, the noble man is patient when caution is needed.
Sol 6.1