قَدindeed نَباtroubled بِالقَلبِin the heart مِنهاfrom her
قَد نَبا بِالقَلبِ مِنها
إِذwhen تَواعَدناwe arranged to meet الكَثيباthe sand dune
إِذ تَواعَدنا الكَثيبا
Indeed, what troubled my heart, coming from her,
My heart foretold of her
when we arranged to meet at the dune,
When we met at the sand dune
قَولُهاher speech أَحسَنُthe loveliest شَيءٍthing
قَولُها أَحسَنُ شَيءٍ
بِكِwith you قَدalready لَفَّentwined حَبيباa beloved
بِكِ قَد لَفَّ حَبيبا
was her speech—the loveliest thing—
Her words are the best thing
which had entwined a lover with you:
With you, it has wrapped a lover
قَولُهاher words ليto me وَهيَand she تُذريsheds
قَولُها لي وَهيَ تُذري
دَمعَtears عَينَيهاof her two eyes غُروباin torrents
دَمعَ عَينَيها غُروبا
her words to me, as she shed
Her words to me as she sheds
tears from her eyes in torrents:
Tears from her eyes at sunset
إِنَّناindeed we كُنّاwe were لِهَذاtoward this one
إِنَّنا كُنّا لِهَذا
أَنصَحَthe most sincere الناسِof people جُيوباbosoms (hearts)
أَنصَحَ الناسِ جُيوبا
“Indeed, toward this man we were
We were indeed for this
the most sincere-hearted of people.
The most sincere people in chests
وَحَبَوناهُand we favored him بِوُدٍّwith affection
وَحَبَوناهُ بِوُدٍّ
لَمnot يَكُنbe مِنّاfrom us مَشوباtainted
لَم يَكُن مِنّا مَشوبا
And we favored him with affection
And we loved him with affection
that was never tainted on our part.
That was never tainted
فَجَزاناso he repaid us إِذwhen حَمَدناwe praised
فَجَزانا إِذ حَمَدنا
وُدَّهُhis affection ليfor me أَنthat يَغيباhe should go away
وُدَّهُ لي أَن يَغيبا
Yet he repaid us, when we praised
So we were rewarded when we praised
his affection for me, by going away.
His love for me to disappear
وَكَساناand he clothed us اليَومَtoday عاراًshame
وَكَسانا اليَومَ عاراً
حينَwhen بِتناwe spent the night وَعُيوباand faults
حينَ بِتنا وَعُيوبا
And today he clothed us in shame
And he clothed us today with shame
and disgrace, when we spent the night.”
When we spent the night with flaws
نَأيُهاher distance سُقمٌsickness وَأَشتاand I yearn (continued)
نَأيُها سُقمٌ وَأَشتا
قُcompletes ‘I yearn’ إِذاwhen تَمشىshe walks قَريباnearby
قُ إِذا تَمشى قَريبا
Her distance is sickness, and I yearn
O you who are ill and worry
when she walks nearby.
Stay when you walk near
لَيتَwould that هَذاthis اللَيلُthe night شَهرٌa month
لَيتَ هَذا اللَيلُ شَهرٌ
لاnot نَرىwe see فيهِin it غَريباa stranger
لا نَرى فيهِ غَريبا
Would that this night were a month,
I wish this night were a month
in which we see no stranger:
Where we see no stranger in it
مُقمِرٌmoonlit غَيَّبَkept away عَنّاfrom us
مُقمِرٌ غَيَّبَ عَنّا
مَنwhomever أَرَدناwe wished أَنthat يَغيباhe should go away
مَن أَرَدنا أَن يَغيبا
moonlit, keeping away from us
The full-mooned has hidden from us
those we wished to be absent.
Who we wanted to disappear
لَيسَis not إِلّايَexcept me وَإِيّاand her (continued)
لَيسَ إِلّايَ وَإِيّا
هاcompletes ‘her’ وَلاand not نَخشىwe fear رَقيباa watcher
ها وَلا نَخشى رَقيبا
No one but me and
It's just me and her
her, and we fear no watcher.
She sat in a session of truth
جَلَسَتshe sat مَجلِسَa sitting-place صِدقٍexcellence
جَلَسَت مَجلِسَ صِدقٍ
جَمَعَتshe combined حُسناًbeauty وَطيباand fragrance
جَمَعَت حُسناً وَطيبا
She sat in a worthy place,
Bringing together beauty and goodness
combining beauty and fragrance,
Drenching the seat and the place of rest
دَمِثَsoft المَقعَدِthe seating-place وَالمَوand the footing (continued)
دَمِثَ المَقعَدِ وَالمَو
طِئِcompletes ‘footing’ ثَرياناmoist خَصيباfertile
طِئِ ثَريانا خَصيبا
soft in its seating and
Our threshing floor grew fertile
footing, moist and fertile.
She poured into it freshness
أَفرَغَتpoured out فيهِinto it الثُرَيَّthe Pleiades
أَفرَغَت فيهِ الثُرَيَّ
مِنfrom ذَرىthe heights الدَلوِthe Bucket (Aquarius) سَكوباa downpour
مِن ذَرى الدَلوِ سَكوبا
The Pleiades poured into it
From a bucket of water pouring
a downpour from the Bucket’s heights,
Satisfying it grew crops
مُقنِعاًample أَنبَتَbrought forth زَرعاًcrops
مُقنِعاً أَنبَتَ زَرعاً
وَمَعَand with الزَرعِthe crops خُصوباabundance
وَمَعَ الزَرعِ خُصوبا
ample, bringing forth crops,
And with the crops, fertility
and, with the crops, abundance.
Partial English translation: 29 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1