لِمَنِwhose الدِيارُthe dwellings رُسومُهاtheir remnants قَفرُdesolate
لِمَنِ الدِيارُ رُسومُها قَفرُ
لَعِبَتhave played بِهاupon them الأَرواحُthe winds وَالقَطرُand rain
لَعِبَت بِها الأَرواحُ وَالقَطرُ
Whose are these dwellings, their remnants desolate?
For whom are the ruins, their contours barren?
The winds and rain have played upon them.
The spirits and the rain have toyed with them,
وَخَلاand have passed لَهاfor them مِنfrom بَعدِafter ساكِنِهاtheir inhabitant
وَخَلا لَها مِن بَعدِ ساكِنِها
حِجَجٌyears خَلَونَgone by ثَمانَeight أَوor عَشرُten
حِجَجٌ خَلَونَ ثَمانَ أَو عَشرُ
And since their dweller left, there have passed
And after their inhabitants they are empty,
Eight years gone by—or ten.
Pilgrims passing through, eight or ten.
لِأَسيلَةِbelonging to a smooth-featured woman الخَدَّينِthe two cheeks واضِحَةٍfair-skinned
لِأَسيلَةِ الخَدَّينِ واضِحَةٍ
يُعشىis dazzled بِسُنَّةِby the beauty of وَجهِهاher face البَدرُthe full moon
يُعشى بِسُنَّةِ وَجهِها البَدرُ
They belonged to a fair, smooth-cheeked woman;
For smooth cheeks their down is clearly visible,
The full moon is dazzled by her face's beauty.
By the full moon of her face they break their fast at night.
دُرمٌrounded with flesh مَرافِقُهاher elbows وَمِئزَرُهاand her waist-wrap
دُرمٌ مَرافِقُها وَمِئزَرُها
لاnot عاجِزٌinsufficient تَفِلٌunscented وَلاand not صِفرُempty
لا عاجِزٌ تَفِلٌ وَلا صِفرُ
Her elbows are rounded with flesh, and her waist-wrap
Her scarf and robe are flawless,
Is neither too scant, scentless, nor empty.
Neither feeble, nor sullied, nor pale.
وَالزَعفَرانُand saffron عَلىupon تَرائِبِهاher upper chest
وَالزَعفَرانُ عَلى تَرائِبِها
شَرِقٌsuffused بِهِwith it اللَبّاتُthe throat's hollows وَالنَحرُand the upper breast
شَرِقٌ بِهِ اللَبّاتُ وَالنَحرُ
And saffron lies upon her upper chest;
Saffron on her pillows,
Her throat's hollows and upper breast are suffused with it.
By it the curves of her chest and throat grow radiant.
وَزَبَرجَدٌand chrysolite وَمِنَand of الجُمانِpearls بِهِupon it
وَزَبَرجَدٌ وَمِنَ الجُمانِ بِهِ
سَلسُsmooth النِظامِthe stringing كَأَنَّهُas though it were جَمرُembers
سَلسُ النِظامِ كَأَنَّهُ جَمرُ
And chrysolite, and pearls upon her breast,
Jade and pearls in ordered strands as if afire -
Smoothly strung, as though they were embers;
Sea shells and coral and topaz.
وَبَدائِدُand separate beads المَرجانِof coral فيon قَرنٍa cord
وَبَدائِدُ المَرجانِ في قَرنٍ
وَالدُرُّand pearls وَالياقوتُand rubies وَالشَذرُand gold beads
وَالدُرُّ وَالياقوتُ وَالشَذرُ
And separate coral beads upon a cord,
And pearls, and rubies, and beads of gold.
Partial English translation: 12 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1