شَطَّتwent far away نَواهمtheir departure بِشَمسwith a sun فيin هَوادجهمtheir howdahs
شَطَّت نَواهم بِشَمس في هَوادجهم
لَولاbut for تلألؤهاher glittering فيin لَيلهنَّtheir night عَشُواthey would have been night-blind
لَولا تلألؤها في لَيلهنَّ عَشُوا
Their departure bore a sun far away in their howdahs.
But for her glitter in their night, they would have been night-blind.
شكتcomplained of مَحاسنهاher charms عَينيmy eye وَقَدand indeed غدرتhad betrayed
شكت مَحاسنها عَيني وَقَد غدرت
لأنَّهاbecause they بضميرِwithin the secret depths of القَلبِthe heart تَنجمشُare fondled
لأنَّها بضميرِ القَلبِ تَنجمشُ
Her charms complained of my eye, which had indeed betrayed them,
for they are fondled in the heart’s secret depths.
شَعرٌhair وَوَجهٌand a face تَبارىvied فيin اختلافِهماtheir contrast
شَعرٌ وَوَجهٌ تَبارى في اختلافِهما
بحسنin the beauty of هَذاthis وَذاكَand that الرومُthe Romans وَالحَبَشُand the Abyssinians
بحسن هَذا وَذاكَ الرومُ وَالحَبَشُ
Hair and face—in their contrast there vied
the Romans and Abyssinians, in the beauty of this and that.
شَككتُI was uncertain فيabout سقميmy sickness مِنهاfrom her أَفيwas it in فُرُشيmy bedding
شَككتُ في سقمي مِنها أَفي فُرُشي
مِنهاbecause of her نُكِستُI was made to relapse وَإِلاor else الطَّيفُthe dream-phantom وَالفرشُand the bedding
مِنها نُكِستُ وَإِلا الطَّيفُ وَالفرشُ
I wondered about my sickness from her: was it in my bed
that I relapsed because of her—or was it the dream-phantom and the bedding?
Sol 6.1