قُلsay لِلمَنازِلِto the dwellings بِالكَديدِat al-Kadid تَكَلَّميspeak
قُل لِلمَنازِلِ بِالكَديدِ تَكَلَّمي
دَرَسَتthey were effaced وَعَهدُthough the time جَديدِهاof their freshness لَمhas not يَقدُمِgrown old
دَرَسَت وَعَهدُ جَديدِها لَم يَقدُمِ
Say to the dwellings at al-Kadid: “Speak!”
They are effaced, though their days of freshness are not long past.
لَعِبَتplayed بِجَدَّتِهاwith their freshness الرِياحُthe winds وَتارَةًand at times
لَعِبَت بِجَدَّتِها الرِياحُ وَتارَةً
تَعتادُهاrevisit them دِيَمٌsteady rains بِأَسحَمَfrom a dark cloud مُرهِمِyielding gentle rain
تَعتادُها دِيَمٌ بِأَسحَمَ مُرهِمِ
The winds have played with their freshness, and at times
Steady rains revisit them from a dark, drizzling cloud.
دارَthe home of الَّتيher who صادَتcaptured فُؤادَكَyour heart إِذwhen بَدَتshe appeared
دارَ الَّتي صادَت فُؤادَكَ إِذ بَدَت
بِالخَيفِat al-Khayf لَمّاwhen اِلتَفَّgathered together أَهلُthe people of المَوسِمِthe pilgrimage
بِالخَيفِ لَمّا اِلتَفَّ أَهلُ المَوسِمِ
The home of her who captured your heart when she appeared
At al-Khayf, when the pilgrims thronged together.
قالَتshe said لآنِسَةٍto a young woman رَداحٍfull-hipped عِندَهاbeside her
قالَت لآنِسَةٍ رَداحٍ عِندَها
كَالرِئمِlike a white gazelle فيin عَقدِthe piled folds of الكَثيبِthe sand dune الأَيهَمِtrackless
كَالرِئمِ في عَقدِ الكَثيبِ الأَيهَمِ
She said to a full-hipped young woman beside her,
Like a white gazelle in the folds of a trackless dune:
هَذاthis الَّذيthe one who مَنَحَgave الحِسانَthe beautiful women فُؤادَهُhis heart
هَذا الَّذي مَنَحَ الحِسانَ فُؤادَهُ
وَشَرِكنَهُand they shared with him فيin مُخِّهِhis marrow وَالأَعظُمِand bones
وَشَرِكنَهُ في مُخِّهِ وَالأَعظُمِ
“Is this the man who gave his heart to beautiful women,
Who share his very marrow and bones?”
قالَتshe said نَعَمyes فَتَنَكَّبيso turn aside بيwith me إِنَّهُfor he
قالَت نَعَم فَتَنَكَّبي بي إِنَّهُ
ذَرِبُsharp اللِسانِof tongue إِخالُهُI suppose him لَمnot يُسلِمِto have embraced Islam
ذَرِبُ اللِسانِ إِخالُهُ لَم يُسلِمِ
She said, “Yes; lead me aside, for he is
Sharp-tongued; I think he has not embraced Islam.”
فَبَعَثتُso I sent جارِيَتيmy maid فَقُلتُthen I said لَهاto her اِذهَبيgo
فَبَعَثتُ جارِيَتي فَقُلتُ لَها اِذهَبي
فَاِشكيthen complain إِلَيهاto her ماwhat عَلِمتِyou know وَسَلِّميand offer greetings
فَاِشكي إِلَيها ما عَلِمتِ وَسَلِّمي
So I sent my maid and told her, “Go,
And complain to her of what you know, and offer greetings.
قوليsay يَقولُhe says تَحَوَّبيhave pity فيon عاشِقٍa lover
قولي يَقولُ تَحَوَّبي في عاشِقٍ
كَلِفٍpassionately attached بِكُمto you all حَتّىuntil المَماتِdeath مُتَيَّمِenslaved by love
كَلِفٍ بِكُم حَتّى المَماتِ مُتَيَّمِ
Say: He says, ‘Take pity on a lover,
Devoted to you until death, enslaved by love.
فُكّيrelease رَهينَتَهُhis captive self فَإِنand if لَمnot تَفعَليyou do
فُكّي رَهينَتَهُ فَإِن لَم تَفعَلي
فَاِبكيthen weep عَلىover قَتلِthe slaying of اِبنِthe son of عَمِّكِyour paternal uncle وَاِسلَميand fare well
فَاِبكي عَلى قَتلِ اِبنِ عَمِّكِ وَاِسلَمي
Release him from bondage; and if you will not,
Then weep over your cousin’s slaying, and fare well.’
وَيَقولُand he says إِنَّكِindeed you قَدalready عَلِمتِknow بِأَنَّكُمthat you all
وَيَقولُ إِنَّكِ قَد عَلِمتِ بِأَنَّكُم
أَصبَحتُمُyou all have become ياO بِشرُBishr أَوجَهَthe fairest-faced ذيof those bearing دَمِbloodguilt
أَصبَحتُمُ يا بِشرُ أَوجَهَ ذي دَمِ
And he says, ‘You already know that you
Have become, O Bishr, the fairest of those guilty of bloodshed.’”
فَتَبَسَّمَتthen she smiled عَجَباًin wonder وَقالَتand said حَقُّهُhe ought
فَتَبَسَّمَت عَجَباً وَقالَت حَقُّهُ
أَنto لاnot يُعَلِّمُناteach us بِماabout what لَمdid not نَعلَمِwe know
أَن لا يُعَلِّمُنا بِما لَم نَعلَمِ
She smiled in wonder and said, “He ought
Not to teach us what we did not know.
عِلميmy knowledge بِهِof him وَاللَهُand God يَغفِرُmay forgive ذَنبَهُhis sin
عِلمي بِهِ وَاللَهُ يَغفِرُ ذَنبَهُ
فيماfrom what بَداhas appeared ليto me ذوpossessed of هَوىًpassion مُتَقَسِّمِdivided
فيما بَدا لي ذو هَوىً مُتَقَسِّمِ
As I know him—may God forgive his sin—
From what I have seen, he is a man of divided passions:
طَرفٌa glance يُنازِعُهُtugs at him إِلىtoward أَدنىthe nearest الهَوىlove
طَرفٌ يُنازِعُهُ إِلى أَدنى الهَوى
وَيَبُتُّand severs خُلَّةَthe intimate bond of ذيthe one with الوِصالِa love-union الأَقدَمِof longer standing
وَيَبُتُّ خُلَّةَ ذي الوِصالِ الأَقدَمِ
A glance draws him toward the nearest love
And severs his bond with the earlier beloved.”
وَتَغاطَسَتand she feigned ignorance عَمّاof what بِناails us وَلَقَدthough indeed تَرىshe sees
وَتَغاطَسَت عَمّا بِنا وَلَقَد تَرى
أَنthat قَدalready تَخَلَّلَتِshe had pierced الفُؤادَthe heart بِأَسهُمِwith arrows
أَن قَد تَخَلَّلَتِ الفُؤادَ بِأَسهُمِ
She feigned ignorance of what ailed us, though she could see
That she had already pierced the heart with arrows.
قالَتshe said لَهاto her ماذاwhat أَرُدُّshall I reply عَلىto فَتىًa young man
قالَت لَها ماذا أَرُدُّ عَلى فَتىً
أَقصَدتِهِyou struck him down بِعَفافَةٍwith chastity وَتَكَرُّمِand nobility
أَقصَدتِهِ بِعَفافَةٍ وَتَكَرُّمِ
She said to her, “What shall I reply to a young man
You have struck down with chastity and nobility?”
قالَتshe said أَقولُI say لَهُto him بِأَنَّكَthat you are مازِحٌjesting
قالَت أَقولُ لَهُ بِأَنَّكَ مازِحٌ
كَلِفٌenamored بِكُلِّof every مُغَوِّرٍone bound for Ghawr وَمُتَهِّمِand one bound for Tihamah
كَلِفٌ بِكُلِّ مُغَوِّرٍ وَمُتَهِّمِ
She said, “I say to him: ‘You are jesting,
Enamored of everyone bound for Ghawr or Tihamah.’”
قالَتshe said لَهاto her بَلrather قَدindeed أَرَدتِyou wanted بِعادَهُhis estrangement
قالَت لَها بَل قَد أَرَدتِ بِعادَهُ
لَمّاwhen عَرَفتِyou knew بِأَنthat مَلَكتِyou had mastered him فَتَمِّميso finish it
لَمّا عَرَفتِ بِأَن مَلَكتِ فَتَمِّمي
She said to her, “No, you have sought to keep him away,
Now that you know you have mastered him—so finish it.”
Sol 6.1