كَأَنَّas though النُقدَthe nuqd plant وَالعَلَسيَّand the ʿalasī plant أَجنىbrought to ripeness
كَأَنَّ النُقدَ وَالعَلَسيَّ أَجنى
وَنعّمَand made lush نَبتَهits growth وادٍa valley مَطيرُrain-soaked
وَنعّمَ نَبتَه وادٍ مَطيرُ
As though nuqd and ʿalasī, brought to ripeness
and made lush by a rain-soaked valley,
وَمَرضىand sickly ones مِنamong دَجاجِfowl الرومِthe Romans حُمرٍred
وَمَرضى مِن دَجاجِ الرومِ حُمرٍ
زَواهِفَcrawling لاnot تَموتُdying وَلاnor تَطيرُflying
زَواهِفَ لا تَموتُ وَلا تَطيرُ
and sickly red Roman fowl,
crawling, neither dying nor flying,
وَثامِرُand fruit-bearing كَربَلٍkarbal plant وَعَميمُand luxuriant دِفلىoleander
وَثامِرُ كَربَلٍ وَعَميمُ دِفلى
عَلَيهاupon her وَالنَدىand the dew سَبِطٌfree-flowing يَمورُsurges
عَلَيها وَالنَدى سَبِطٌ يَمورُ
and fruiting karbal and luxuriant oleander,
were upon her, with dew streaming freely.
فَإِنّيfor I indeed لاno وَأُمِّكَby your mother لاnot أُساريI accompany by night
فَإِنّي لا وَأُمِّكَ لا أُساري
لِقاحَmilch she-camels الجارِthe neighbor ماas long as سَمَرconversed by night السَميرُthe night companion
لِقاحَ الجارِ ما سَمَر السَميرُ
For I—no, by your mother—will not journey by night
with the neighbor’s milch-camels, as long as night companions converse.
لَقَدindeed ماحَتhave poured forth عَلَيكَupon you مؤبَّداتٌeverlasting verses
لَقَد ماحَت عَلَيكَ مؤبَّداتٌ
يَلوحُstands out لهُنَّbelonging to them أَندابٌscars سُفورُunconcealed
يَلوحُ لهُنَّ أَندابٌ سُفورُ
Indeed, undying verses have poured down upon you,
whose scars stand out, laid bare.