أَعَرَفتَdid you recognize يَومَthat day لِوىthe sand-bend of سُوَيقَةَSuwayqa داراa dwelling
أَعَرَفتَ يَومَ لِوى سُوَيقَةَ دارا
هاجَتstirred عَلَيكَin you رُسومُهاits traces اِستِعباراweeping
هاجَت عَلَيكَ رُسومُها اِستِعبارا
Did you recognize, that day at Suwayqa’s sand-bend, a dwelling
Do you remember the day you twisted the neck of your house
Whose traces stirred you to tears?
And its rules flared against you rebelliously?
وَذَكَرتَand you remembered هِنداًHind فَاِشتَكَيتَso you lamented صَبابَةًardent longing
وَذَكَرتَ هِنداً فَاِشتَكَيتَ صَبابَةً
لَولاhad you not تُكَفكِفُyou hold back دَمعَthe tears of عَينِكَyour eye ماراflowed
لَولا تُكَفكِفُ دَمعَ عَينِكَ مارا
And you remembered Hind and lamented your yearning;
You recalled Hind and complained of lovesickness—
Had you not held back your eye’s tears, they would have streamed.
If your tears didn’t restrain you, you would keep flowing.
وَذَكَرتَهاand you remembered her حَوراءَdark-eyed لَيِّنَةَsupple المَطاthe back
وَذَكَرتَها حَوراءَ لَيِّنَةَ المَطا
مِثلَlike المَهاةِthe oryx خَريدَةًa shy maiden مِعطاراrichly perfumed
مِثلَ المَهاةِ خَريدَةً مِعطارا
And you remembered her, dark-eyed and supple-backed,
You recalled her, tender, gentle, perfumed,
Like an oryx, a shy, richly perfumed maiden.
Like an aroused doe, scented and sweet.
وَإِذاand when تُنازِعُكَshe exchanges with you الحَديثَconversation تَظَرَّفَتshe showed charm
وَإِذا تُنازِعُكَ الحَديثَ تَظَرَّفَت
أَنفَthe beginning of الحَديثِthe conversation وَلَمand did not تُرِدshe wanted إِكثاراmuch talk
أَنفَ الحَديثِ وَلَم تُرِد إِكثارا
And when she exchanges talk with you, she shows charm
When you converse, you act coy,
At the outset of the conversation, not wishing to speak at length.
Turning up your nose without wanting to say much.
وَإِذاand when نَظَرتَyou looked إِلىat مَناكِبِthe aspects of حُسنِهاher beauty
وَإِذا نَظَرتَ إِلى مَناكِبِ حُسنِها
كَمُلَتshe was perfect وَزِدتَand you grew بِحُسنِهاwith her beauty اِستِهتاراin infatuation
كَمُلَت وَزِدتَ بِحُسنِها اِستِهتارا
And when you gaze upon the facets of her beauty,
When you look at the beauty of her shoulders,
She is perfect, and you grow more infatuated with her beauty.
You’re completed and made more beautifully contemptuous.
إِنَّindeed العَواذِلَthe reproaching women قَدalready بَكَرنَthey came early يَلُمنَنيthey blame me
إِنَّ العَواذِلَ قَد بَكَرنَ يَلُمنَني
وَحَسِبتُand I considered أَكثَرَmost of لَومِهِنَّtheir reproaches ضِراراspiteful harm
وَحَسِبتُ أَكثَرَ لَومِهِنَّ ضِرارا
Indeed, the reproaching women came early to blame me,
Truly, the maidens blame me early on,
And I judged most of their reproaches to be spiteful harm.
And I reckon most of their blame brings harm.
وَزَعَمنَand they claimed أَنَّthat وِصالَunion with عَبدَةَAbda عائِدٌwould bring
وَزَعَمنَ أَنَّ وِصالَ عَبدَةَ عائِدٌ
عاراًdisgrace عَلَيَّupon me وَلَيسَand is not ذَلِكَthat عاراa disgrace
عاراً عَلَيَّ وَلَيسَ ذَلِكَ عارا
And they claimed that union with Abda would bring
They claim that receiving ‘Abda is shameful for me—
Disgrace upon me—but that is no disgrace.
It’s no shame, that’s not shame at all!
وَالنَفسُand the soul يَمنَعُهاrestrains it الحَياءُmodesty فَتَرعَويso it desists
وَالنَفسُ يَمنَعُها الحَياءُ فَتَرعَوي
وَتَكادُand it nearly تَغلِبُنيoverpowers me إِلَيكِtoward you مِراراrepeatedly
وَتَكادُ تَغلِبُني إِلَيكِ مِرارا
And modesty restrains the soul, so it draws back,
Modesty prevents the soul, so she guards herself
Yet time and again it nearly overcomes me, impelling me toward you.
And almost overcomes me, tormenting me.
ماnot يُذكَرُis mentioned اِسمُكِyour name فيin حَديثٍa conversation عارِضٍpassing
ما يُذكَرُ اِسمُكِ في حَديثٍ عارِضٍ
إِلّاexcept اِستُخِفَّwas stirred لَهُbecause of it الفُؤادُthe heart فَطاراso it flew
إِلّا اِستُخِفَّ لَهُ الفُؤادُ فَطارا
Your name is never mentioned in passing conversation
Whenever your name arises in conversation,
Without my heart being stirred by it and taking flight.
My heart takes flight, made light.
هَلis there فيin هَوىthe love of رَجُلٍa man جُناحٌany sin زائِرٍwho visits
هَل في هَوى رَجُلٍ جُناحٌ زائِرٍ
جَهراًopenly أَحَبَّhe loved خَريدَةًa shy maiden مِعطاراrichly perfumed
جَهراً أَحَبَّ خَريدَةً مِعطارا
Is there any sin in the love of a man who visits
Is there any wrong in a visiting man’s love
Openly, who loved a shy, richly perfumed maiden,
Who openly loved Kharida, scented and sweet?
أَسِفٍgrieving عَلَيكِfor you يَهيمُhe wanders love-mad حينَwhen قَتَلتِهِyou killed him
أَسِفٍ عَلَيكِ يَهيمُ حينَ قَتَلتِهِ
وَسَلَبتِهِand you robbed him of لِبَّthe core of الفُؤادِthe heart جِهاراopenly
وَسَلَبتِهِ لِبَّ الفُؤادِ جِهارا
Grieving for you, wandering love-mad when you killed him
He perishes, crazed with yearning, when you killed him
And openly robbed him of his heart’s core?
And robbed the heart of its mantle, openly.
Sol 6.1