أَقولُI say لِصاحِبَيَّto my two companions وَمِثلُand the like of ماwhat بيis within me
أَقولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي
شَكاهُhe lamented it المَرءُthe man ذوpossessing الوَجدِlonging الأَليمِpainful
شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذو الوَجدِ الأَليمِ
I say to my two companions—and a plight like mine
I say to my friend, and one who shares my woe,
Has been lamented by a man in agonizing longing
Like a man in pain complaining of his pain:
إِلىto الأَخَوَينِthe two brothers مِثلِهِماlike the two of them إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
إِلى الأَخَوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما
تَأَوَّبَهُrevisited him at night مُؤَرِّقَةُsleep-banishing الهُمومِcares
تَأَوَّبَهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمومِ
To two brothers like them, whenever
To two brothers like them, when cares besiege him
Sleep-banishing cares revisit him at night—
And sleepless worries his repose restrain:
لِحَينيto my undoing وَالبَلاءِand affliction لَقيتُI met ظُهراًat noon
لِحَيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقيتُ ظُهراً
بِأَعلىin the upper part of النَقعِal-Naqʿ أُختَa sister of بَنيthe sons of تَميمِTamim
بِأَعلى النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ
To my undoing and affliction, I met at noon
"A while ago, at fortune's height superb,
In upper al-Naqʿ a sister of Banu Tamim.
I rode a camel that excelled the steeds of Thamim's strain
فَلَمّاso when أَنthat (linking particle) بَداappeared لِلعَينِto the eye مِنهاof her
فَلَمّا أَن بَدا لِلعَينِ مِنها
أَسيلُsmooth and slender الخَدِّthe cheek فيin خَلقٍa bodily form عَميمِtall and full-grown
أَسيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ
Then, when I saw in her
But when her charms unveiled before my eyes,
A smooth cheek upon a tall, well-formed body,
A rill of tears flowed down in copious rain,
وَعَيناand the two eyes of جُؤذَرٍan oryx calf خَرِقٍstartled and bewildered وَثَغرٌand a mouth
وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ
كَمِثلِjust like الأُقحُوانِchamomile وَجيدُand the neck of ريمِa white gazelle
كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجيدُ ريمِ
And the eyes of a startled oryx calf, and a mouth
With languid lids, and cheeks gashed deep, a mouth
Like chamomile, and a white gazelle's neck,
Pouting like paired Sirius when the Dogstar's bane,
حَناbent over أَترابُهاher companions of the same age دونيbarring me عَلَيهاover her
حَنا أَترابُها دوني عَلَيها
حُنوَّthe bending of العائِداتِwomen visiting the sick عَلىover سَقيمِa sick person
حُنوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى سَقيمِ
Her companions bent over her, keeping me away,
Her friends, not I, stood near her, stooping o'er her,
As women visiting the sick bend over an ailing man:
As stoops a nurse to whom an infant clings in vain,
عَقائِلُnoblewomen لَمdid not يَعِشنَthey live بِعَيشِin a life of بُؤسٍhardship
عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ
وَلَكِنand yet بِاِلغَضارَةِin prosperity وَالنَعيمِand ease
وَلَكِن بِاِلغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ
Noblewomen who had never lived in hardship,
With necks unadorned: they lived a life of want,
But in prosperity and ease.
Not luxury and delight and joy's bright reign."
Sol 6.1