لاdo not تَبكِweep over رَسماًa campsite's traces بِجانِبِbeside السَنَدِthe hillside
لا تَبكِ رَسماً بِجانِبِ السَنَدِ
وَلاand do not تَجُدbe lavish بِالدُموعِwith tears لِلجَرَدِfor the barren ground
وَلا تَجُد بِالدُموعِ لِلجَرَدِ
Do not weep over ruins beside the hillside,
Do not weep for a ruin by the riverbank,
Nor lavish tears on barren ground.
Nor pour out your tears for the barren waste,
وَلاand do not تُعَرِّجturn aside عَلىtoward مُعَطَّلَةٍan abandoned place
وَلا تُعَرِّج عَلى مُعَطَّلَةٍ
وَلاnor أَثافٍhearthstones خَلَتleft deserted وَلاnor وَتَدِa tent peg
وَلا أَثافٍ خَلَت وَلا وَتَدِ
Do not turn aside to an abandoned place,
Do not turn aside for a desolate abode,
Nor to deserted hearthstones, nor a tent peg.
Nor for abandoned hearth-stones, nor a tent-peg,
وَمِلand turn إِلىto مَجلِسٍa gathering place عَلىon شَرَفٍa rise
وَمِل إِلى مَجلِسٍ عَلى شَرَفٍ
بِالكَرخِin al-Karkh بَينَamong الحَديقِthe gardens مُعتَمَدِsought out
بِالكَرخِ بَينَ الحَديقِ مُعتَمَدِ
Turn instead to a gathering place on a rise,
But turn instead to a gathering in a noble place,
In al-Karkh, amid the gardens, a chosen spot,
In Al-Karkh, a sanctuary amidst the gardens,
مُمَهَّدٍmade comfortable صُفِّفَتwere set in rows نَمارِقُهُits cushions
مُمَهَّدٍ صُفِّفَت نَمارِقُهُ
فيin ظِلِّthe shade كَرمٍa grapevine مُعَرَّشٍtrellised خَضِدِwith drooping boughs
في ظِلِّ كَرمٍ مُعَرَّشٍ خَضِدِ
Made comfortable, its cushions set in rows,
A prepared setting where cushions are lined in rows,
In the shade of a trellised vine with drooping boughs.
In the shade of a trellised, heavy-laden vine,
قَدalready لَحَفَتكَhave draped you الغُصونُthe branches أَردِيَةًmantles
قَد لَحَفَتكَ الغُصونُ أَردِيَةً
فَيَومُكَso your day الغَضُّfresh بِالنَعيمِwith delight نَديdewy
فَيَومُكَ الغَضُّ بِالنَعيمِ نَدي
The branches have already draped you in mantles,
Where branches have draped you in their leafy cloaks,
So your fresh day is dewy with delight.
So your fresh day is moist with bliss.
ثُمَّthen اِصطَبِحtake a morning draught مِنfrom أَميرَةٍa princess حُجِبَتwas veiled
ثُمَّ اِصطَبِح مِن أَميرَةٍ حُجِبَت
عَنfrom كُلِّevery عَينٍeye بِالصَونِby safekeeping وَالرَصَدِand watchfulness
عَن كُلِّ عَينٍ بِالصَونِ وَالرَصَدِ
Then take your morning draught from a princess kept veiled
Then take a morning draught of a princess, veiled
From every eye by safekeeping and watch.
From every eye by strict custody and watch;
لَمdid not يَرَهاsee her خاطِبٌa suitor فَيُمنَعَهاand then be denied her
لَم يَرَها خاطِبٌ فَيُمنَعَها
وَلاnor دَعاهُinvited him لَهاto her أَخوa man of فَنَدِfolly
وَلا دَعاهُ لَها أَخو فَنَدِ
No suitor has seen her and been denied her,
No suitor has seen her to be refused,
Nor has a man of folly invited him to her.
Nor has any fool summoned one to her.
مَحجوبَةٌhidden فيin مَقيلِthe resting place حَوبَتِهاher mother
مَحجوبَةٌ في مَقيلِ حَوبَتِها
تِسعينَninety عاماًyears مَحسوبَةَcounted العَدَدِthe number
تِسعينَ عاماً مَحسوبَةَ العَدَدِ
Hidden in her mother's resting place
She is sequestered in the resting place of her cask,
For ninety years, their number duly counted.
For ninety years, strictly counted;
لَمdid not تَعرِفِknow الشَمسُthe sun أَنَّهاthat she خُلِقَتwas created
لَم تَعرِفِ الشَمسُ أَنَّها خُلِقَت
وَلاnor اِختِلافُthe alternation الحَرورِscorching heat وَالصَرَدِand cold
وَلا اِختِلافُ الحَرورِ وَالصَرَدِ
The sun never knew that she had been created,
The sun never knew she was created,
Nor did the alternation of scorching heat and cold.
Nor the shifting of scorching heat and biting cold;
بَينَbetween فَسيلٍyoung date palms يَحُفُّهاsurrounding her خَضِلٍlush
بَينَ فَسيلٍ يَحُفُّها خَضِلٍ
وَبَينَand between آسٍmyrtle بِالرَيِّin watering مُنفَرِدِunmatched
وَبَينَ آسٍ بِالرَيِّ مُنفَرِدِ
Between lush young date palms surrounding her
Hidden amidst moist palm shoots that surround her,
And myrtle, exceptionally well watered.
And fresh myrtle, solitary in its watering.
فيon كُلِّevery يَومٍday يَظَلُّremains all day قَيِّمُهاher keeper
في كُلِّ يَومٍ يَظَلُّ قَيِّمُها
مُكَبَّلاًfettered كَالأَسيرِlike a captive فيin صَفَدِchains
مُكَبَّلاً كَالأَسيرِ في صَفَدِ
Each day her keeper remains
Every day, her keeper remains
Fettered like a captive in chains,
Bound like a captive in shackles,
مُزَمزِماًmurmuring حَولَهاaround her وَمُرتَنِماًand chanting
مُزَمزِماً حَولَها وَمُرتَنِماً
يَرجوhoping for بِصَونٍthrough safekeeping لَهاfor her غِنىwealth الأَبَدِeternity
يَرجو بِصَونٍ لَها غِنى الأَبَدِ
Murmuring around her and chanting,
Muttering prayers around her and chanting,
Hoping, by keeping her safe, for everlasting wealth,
Hoping, by guarding her, for eternal wealth,
حَتّىuntil بَذَلناwe paid بِعَقرِهاfor her maidenhead مِئَةًa hundred
حَتّى بَذَلنا بِعَقرِها مِئَةً
صَفراءَyellow تَبدوappear بِكَفِّin the palm of مُنتَقِدِa coin-tester
صَفراءَ تَبدو بِكَفِّ مُنتَقِدِ
Until we paid a hundred for her maidenhead:
Until we offered a hundred [gold coins] for her slaughter,
Yellow coins, visible in a coin-tester's palm.
Yellow gold gleaming in the hand of the assayer.
Gemini 3.5 Flash is a user-supplied attribution. The original record does not identify its model.