وَجَوفاءَand a hollow one حامِلَةٍladen تَهتَديshe finds her way
وَجَوفاءَ حامِلَةٍ تَهتَدي
إِلىto كُلِّevery قَلبٍheart بِمَقروحِهِthrough its wounded part
إِلى كُلِّ قَلبٍ بِمَقروحِهِ
And a hollow, laden one that finds her way
A hollow harbinger guiding
to every heart through its wounded part;
Toward each wounded heart
مُقَوَّمَةِstraightened القَدِّthe stature مَمشوقَةٍtall and slender
مُقَوَّمَةِ القَدِّ مَمشوقَةٍ
مُهَفهَفَةِslender and delicate الجِسمِthe body مَمسوحِهِits body smoothed
مُهَفهَفَةِ الجِسمِ مَمسوحِهِ
straight in stature, tall and slender,
Her legs straightened, her body caressed
delicate of body, smoothly finished;
Her mouth cultured, her eyes
مُثقَّفَةٍwell-straightened فَمُهاher mouth عَينُهاher eye
مُثقَّفَةٍ فَمُها عَينُها
تُبَشِّرُgives glad tidings to قَلبيmy heart بَتَصحيحِهِof its healing
تُبَشِّرُ قَلبي بَتَصحيحِهِ
well-fashioned, her mouth is her eye,
Bring glad tidings to my heart of healing
giving my heart glad tidings of its healing.
If she and the limbs were roused
فَإِنso if هِيَshe وَالجارِحُand the hunting animal اِستُنهِضاboth are roused
فَإِن هِيَ وَالجارِحُ اِستُنهِضا
إِلىto الصَيدِthe hunt عاقَتهُshe hindered it عَنfrom ريحِهِits scent
إِلى الصَيدِ عاقَتهُ عَن ريحِهِ
So if she and the hunting animal are roused
To hunt, her scent distracted them
to the hunt, she bars it from the quarry's scent.
When a man entrusted her with his secret
إِذاwhen المَرءُthe man أَودَعَهاentrusted her with سِرَّهُhis secret
إِذا المَرءُ أَودَعَها سِرَّهُ
لِتُخفيهِfor her to hide it باحَتshe divulged بِتَصريحِهِby openly declaring it
لِتُخفيهِ باحَت بِتَصريحِهِ
When a man entrusts his secret to her
To conceal, she proclaimed it openly
for her to hide it, she declares it openly.
Lifeless until the breath
مَواتٌlifeless matter تَعيشُshe lives إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَعادَrestored
مَواتٌ تَعيشُ إِذا ما أَعادَ
لَهاto her النافِخُthe blower الروحَthe spirit مِنfrom روحِهِhis spirit
لَها النافِخُ الروحَ مِن روحِهِ
Lifeless, she lives whenever there is restored
Of his spirit brought her soul back
to her by the blower a spirit from his own.
She is the she-devil in her form
هِيَshe السَبَطانَةُthe blowpipe فيin شَكلِهاher shape
هِيَ السَبَطانَةُ في شَكلِها
فَفيso in القَلبِthe heart جِدُّthe intensity of تَباريحِهِits agonies
فَفي القَلبِ جِدُّ تَباريحِهِ
She is a blowpipe in outward form;
In the heart, her mischief stirs
so in the heart is the full force of its anguish.
She descends on the nest of the young bird
تَحُطُّshe brings down أَباthe father of الفَرخِthe chick عَنfrom وَكرِهِhis nest
تَحُطُّ أَبا الفَرخِ عَن وَكرِهِ
وَتَستَنزِلُand she brings down الطَيرَthe birds مِنfrom لوحِهِtheir sky
وَتَستَنزِلُ الطَيرَ مِن لوحِهِ
She brings the chick's father down from his nest,
And brings the birds down from their boards
and brings the birds down from their sky.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.