غَشيتُI visited بِأَذنابِat the outskirts of المُغَمَّسِal-Mughammis مَنزِلاًa dwelling
غَشيتُ بِأَذنابِ المُغَمَّسِ مَنزِلاً
بِهِin it لِلَّتيfor her whom نَهوىwe love مَصيفٌa summer dwelling وَمَربَعُand a spring dwelling
بِهِ لِلَّتي نَهوى مَصيفٌ وَمَربَعُ
I visited a dwelling on the outskirts of al-Mughammis,
where she whom we love had summer and spring quarters.
مَغانِيَdwelling sites أَطلالٍruins وَنُؤياًand a drainage trench وَدِمنَةًand a blackened campsite
مَغانِيَ أَطلالٍ وَنُؤياً وَدِمنَةً
أَضَرَّwrought harm بِهاupon them وَبلٌheavy rain وَنَكباءُand a crosswind زَعزَعُfiercely blowing
أَضَرَّ بِها وَبلٌ وَنَكباءُ زَعزَعُ
Ruined dwelling-sites, a drainage trench, and a blackened campsite,
ravaged by heavy rain and a fierce crosswind.
بِخَبتِin the lowland of حُلَيّاتٍHulayyat كَأَنَّas though رُسومَهاits traces
بِخَبتِ حُلَيّاتٍ كَأَنَّ رُسومَها
كِتابُthe writing of زَبورٍa book فيon عَسيبٍa palm-frond stalk مُرَجَّعُretraced
كِتابُ زَبورٍ في عَسيبٍ مُرَجَّعُ
In the lowland of Hulayyat, its traces seemed
a book's writing, retraced upon a palm stalk.
فَهاجَso stirred عَليكَin you الشَوقَlonging رَسمٌa trace مُعَطَّلٌabandoned
فَهاجَ عَليكَ الشَوقَ رَسمٌ مُعَطَّلٌ
أَحالَhad weathered زَماناfor a long time فَهوَso it is بَيداءُa wilderness بَلقَعُbarren
أَحالَ زَمانا فَهوَ بَيداءُ بَلقَعُ
An abandoned trace stirred longing in you;
it had weathered long, and is now a bare, barren waste.
فَإِنand if يُقوِstands deserted مَغناهُits dwelling place فَقَدyet indeed كانَit was حِقبَةًfor a time
فَإِن يُقوِ مَغناهُ فَقَد كانَ حِقبَةً
أَنيساًinhabited بِهِin it حورُdark-and-white-eyed women المَدامِعِeyes رُوَّعُravishingly beautiful
أَنيساً بِهِ حورُ المَدامِعِ رُوَّعُ
Though its dwelling lies empty, for a time it was
alive with ravishing, bright-eyed women.
لَيالِيَduring nights إِذwhen أَسماءُAsma رُؤدٌyoung and tender كَأَنَّهاas though she were
لَيالِيَ إِذ أَسماءُ رُؤدٌ كَأَنَّها
خَلِيٌّa solitary gazelle بِذيat Dhu المَسروحِal-Masruh أَدماءُpale-coated مُتبِعُwith a following fawn
خَلِيٌّ بِذي المَسروحِ أَدماءُ مُتبِعُ
In those nights, when Asma was young and tender, like
a solitary, pale gazelle at Dhu al-Masruh, her fawn following.
لَهاshe has رَشَأٌa fawn تَحنوshe bends tenderly عَلَيهِover him بِجيدِهاwith her neck
لَها رَشَأٌ تَحنو عَلَيهِ بِجيدِها
أَغَنُّnasal-voiced أَحَمُّjet-black المُقلَتَينِin both eyes مُوَلَّعُdappled
أَغَنُّ أَحَمُّ المُقلَتَينِ مُوَلَّعُ
She has a fawn over which she tenderly bends her neck,
nasal-voiced, both eyes jet-black, its coat dappled.
إِذاwhen فَقَدَتهُshe loses him ساعَةًfor a while عِندَat مَرتَعٍa pasture
إِذا فَقَدَتهُ ساعَةً عِندَ مَرتَعٍ
تَراهاyou see her عَلَيهِfor him بِالبُغامِwith plaintive bleats تَفَجَّعُlamenting
تَراها عَلَيهِ بِالبُغامِ تَفَجَّعُ
When she loses him for a while at a pasture,
you see her grieving for him with plaintive bleats.
تَكادُalmost عَلَيهِfor him النَفسُthe soul مِنهاof hers مَذافَةًin fear (uncertain reading)
تَكادُ عَلَيهِ النَفسُ مِنها مَذافَةً
عَلَيهِfor him الذِئابَthe wolves العادِياتِmarauding تَقَطَّعُtears itself apart
عَلَيهِ الذِئابَ العادِياتِ تَقَطَّعُ
Her soul almost, in dread for him,
tears itself apart, fearing the marauding wolves.
يُذكِرُنيهاreminds me of her كُلُّevery تَغريدِwarbling of قَينَةٍa songstress
يُذكِرُنيها كُلُّ تَغريدِ قَينَةٍ
وَقُمرِيَّةٍand a turtledove ظَلَّتkept عَلىon الأَيكِthe trees تَسجَعُcooing
وَقُمرِيَّةٍ ظَلَّت عَلى الأَيكِ تَسجَعُ
Every trill of a songstress reminds me of her,
and of a turtledove cooing all day in the trees.
يُجاوِبُهاanswers her ساقٌa male dove هَتوفٌloud-calling لَدىat الضُحىmidmorning
يُجاوِبُها ساقٌ هَتوفٌ لَدى الضُحى
عَلىon غُصنِa bough of أَيكٍa thicket بِالبُكاءِwith weeping يُرَوِّعُstartles
عَلى غُصنِ أَيكٍ بِالبُكاءِ يُرَوِّعُ
A loud-calling male dove answers her at midmorning,
on a woodland bough, his weeping a startling sound.
لَقَدindeed خَلَعَتshe cast off restraint فيin أَخذِهاher taking hold بِرِدائِهِof his cloak
لَقَد خَلَعَت في أَخذِها بِرِدائِهِ
جِهاراًopenly وَماand not كانَتshe used to بِعَهدِيَas I knew her تَخلَعُcast off restraint
جِهاراً وَما كانَت بِعَهدِيَ تَخلَعُ
She cast off restraint when she seized his cloak
openly—never, as I knew her, had she behaved so.
وَمَدَتand she tugged لَدىbeside البيتِthe House العَتيقِthe Ancient بِثَوبِهِat his robe
وَمَدَت لَدى البيتِ العَتيقِ بِثَوبِهِ
نَهاراًin daylight فَماso not يَدريhe knows بِهاwith her كَيفَhow يَصنَعُto act
نَهاراً فَما يَدري بِها كَيفَ يَصنَعُ
And she tugged at his robe beside the Ancient House,
in daylight; he knew not what to do with her.
يَظَلُّkeeps إِذاwhenever أَجمَعتُI resolve upon صَرماًseverance مُبايِناًdecisive
يَظَلُّ إِذا أَجمَعتُ صَرماً مُبايِناً
دَخيلٌan intimate ally لَهاof hers فيin أَسوَدِthe dark core of القَلبِthe heart يَشفَعُintercedes
دَخيلٌ لَها في أَسوَدِ القَلبِ يَشفَعُ
Whenever I resolve upon a clear, decisive parting,
a secret ally of hers keeps pleading in my heart's dark core.
تَذَكَّرتُI remembered إِذwhen قالَتshe said غَداةَone morning at سُوَيقَةٍSuwayqa
تَذَكَّرتُ إِذ قالَت غَداةَ سُوَيقَةٍ
وَمُقلَتُهاand her eye مِنfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of الوَجدِpassionate longing تَدمَعُshed tears
وَمُقلَتُها مِن شِدَّةِ الوَجدِ تَدمَعُ
I remembered when she said, one morning at Suwayqa,
her eye shedding tears from the intensity of longing,
لِأَترابِهاto her age-mates لَيتَif only المُغيرِيَّal-Mughiri إِذsince دَنَتdrew near
لِأَترابِها لَيتَ المُغيرِيَّ إِذ دَنَت
بِهِwith him دارُهُhis dwelling مِنّاto us أَتىhe would come فَيُوَدِّعُand then bid farewell
بِهِ دارُهُ مِنّا أَتى فَيُوَدِّعُ
to her companions: 'If only al-Mughiri, now that
his home has brought him near us, would come and bid farewell!'
فَماso not رِمتُهاI left it حَتّىuntil دَخَلتُI entered فُجاءَةًsuddenly
فَما رِمتُها حَتّى دَخَلتُ فُجاءَةً
عَلَيهاin upon her وَقَلبيand my heart عِندَat ذاكَthat moment يُرَوَّعُwas terrified
عَلَيها وَقَلبي عِندَ ذاكَ يُرَوَّعُ
So I stayed there until I suddenly went in
to her, my heart then trembling with fear.
فَقُلنَso they said حَذارِbeware العَينَthe prying eye لَمّاwhen رَأَينَنيthey saw me
فَقُلنَ حَذارِ العَينَ لَمّا رَأَينَني
لَهاto her إِنَّindeed هَذاthis الأَمرُaffair أَمرٌa matter سَيُشنَعُwill become notorious
لَها إِنَّ هَذا الأَمرُ أَمرٌ سَيُشنَعُ
'Beware prying eyes!' they said when they saw me,
to her: 'This affair will surely become a scandal.'
فَلَمّاand when تَجَلّىlifted الرَوعُfright عَنهُنَّfrom them قُلناwe said (context suggests 'they said') ليto me
فَلَمّا تَجَلّى الرَوعُ عَنهُنَّ قُلنا لي
هَلُمَّcome فَماfor there is no عَنهاfrom her لَكَfor you اليَومَtoday مَدفَعُway of escape
هَلُمَّ فَما عَنها لَكَ اليَومَ مَدفَعُ
When their fright had lifted, [they] said to me,
'Come! There is no keeping away from her for you today.'
فَظَلَّتso she remained بِمَرأَىin view شائِقٍstirring longing وَبِمَسمَعٍand within hearing
فَظَلَّت بِمَرأَى شائِقٍ وَبِمَسمَعٍ
أَلاah حَبَّذاhow lovely مَرأَىa sight هُناكَthere وَمَسمَعُand a sound
أَلا حَبَّذا مَرأَى هُناكَ وَمَسمَعُ
So she remained a captivating sight and sound—
ah, how lovely the sight and sound were there!
Sol 6.1