إِذاwhen رَشَقَتshe gazed intently دُنياكَyour world هَذيthis إِلىtoward الفَتىthe young man
إِذا رَشَقَت دُنياكَ هَذي إِلى الفَتى
رَمَتهُshe shot at him بِنَبلٍwith arrows مِنfrom غِوايَتِهاher beguilement رَشقاa pelting
رَمَتهُ بِنَبلٍ مِن غِوايَتِها رَشقا
When this world of yours fixes her sights upon a young man,
When this world of yours fixes her gaze on a young man,
she shoots him with arrows of her beguilement—a volley.
she pelts him with a volley of arrows from her beguilement.
فَتُحرِجُهُso she hems him in غَمّاًwith grief وَتُوَسِّعُهُand she lavishes upon him أَذىًharm
فَتُحرِجُهُ غَمّاً وَتُوَسِّعُهُ أَذىً
وَإِنand though ذَمَّهاhe condemned her جَهراًopenly أَسَرَّhe concealed لَهاfor her عِشقاpassionate love
وَإِن ذَمَّها جَهراً أَسَرَّ لَها عِشقا
She hems him in with grief and overwhelms him with harm;
So she hems him in with grief and showers him with harm;
though he condemns her openly, he secretly harbors love for her.
and though he condemns her openly, he secretly harbors passionate love for her.
وَقَدand indeed زَعَمواthey have claimed أَنَّthat الشَقِيَّthe wretched man هُوَhe الَّذيthe one who
وَقَد زَعَموا أَنَّ الشَقِيَّ هُوَ الَّذي
حَوىgained السَعدَgood fortune فيهاin her وَالسَعادَةَand happiness لِلأَشقىfor the most wretched
حَوى السَعدَ فيها وَالسَعادَةَ لِلأَشقى
They have claimed that the wretched one is he
And they have claimed that the wretched man is the one who
who has amassed good fortune in her, and the power to make the most wretched happy.
has gained good fortune in her, and happiness belongs to the most wretched.
فَإِنso if كانَis حَقّاًtrue ماwhat يُقالُis said فَإِنَّهاthen she is
فَإِن كانَ حَقّاً ما يُقالُ فَإِنَّها
مَنامٌa dream يُعيدُturns النِقسَthe ink فيin حُكمِهِits reckoning مِشقاred ochre
مَنامٌ يُعيدُ النِقسَ في حُكمِهِ مِشقا
So if what is said is true, then she is
So if what is said is true, then she is
a dream that, by its decree, reduces engraving to a mere penmanship exercise.
a dream that, in its own reckoning, turns ink into red ochre.
رَأىregarded أُمَّMother دَفرٍStench أَهلُهاher people أُمَّMother عَنبَرٍAmbergris
رَأى أُمَّ دَفرٍ أَهلُها أُمَّ عَنبَرٍ
فَماso they did not صَرَفواturn away عَنهاfrom her مَعاطِسَهُمtheir noses نَشقاsniffing
فَما صَرَفوا عَنها مَعاطِسَهُم نَشقا
Her people took “Mother of Stench” for “Mother of Ambergris,”
Her people regarded Umm Dafr (Mother Stench) as Umm Anbar (Mother Ambergris),
and so they never turned their nostrils from her, but breathed her in.
so they did not turn their noses away from her as they sniffed.
