قالَتshe said لِتَعذُلَنيto reproach me مِنَduring اللَيلِthe night اِسمَعِlisten
قالَت لِتَعذُلَني مِنَ اللَيلِ اِسمَعِ
سَفَهاًfoolishly تَبيتُكَbesets you at night المَلامَةَreproach فَاِهجَعيso go to sleep
سَفَهاً تَبيتُكَ المَلامَةَ فَاِهجَعي
She said, reproaching me in the night, “Listen!”
Foolishly, reproach besets you by night; go to sleep.
لاdo not تَعجَليhurry لِغَدٍtoward tomorrow وَأَمرِand the affairs غَدٍof tomorrow لَهُbelong to it
لا تَعجَلي لِغَدٍ وَأَمرِ غَدٍ لَهُ
أَتَعجلينَdo you hasten الشَرَّevil ماwhile لَمnot تَمنَعيyou ward it off
أَتَعجلينَ الشَرَّ ما لَم تَمنَعي
Do not rush toward tomorrow; tomorrow’s affairs belong to it.
Would you hasten evil when you cannot ward it off?
قامَتshe rose تُبَكّيweeping أَنbecause سَبَأتُI bought wine لَفِتيَةٍfor young men
قامَت تُبَكّي أَن سَبَأتُ لَفِتيَةٍ
زقاًa wineskin وَخابِيَةًand a wine jar بِعَودٍfor an old camel مُقطَعِworn-out
زقاً وَخابِيَةً بِعَودٍ مُقطَعِ
She began weeping because I had bought for some young men
a wineskin and a wine jar in exchange for a worn-out old camel.
لاdo not تَجزَعيgrieve أَنbecause مُنفساًsomething precious أَهلَكتُهُI used it up
لا تَجزَعي أَن مُنفساً أَهلَكتُهُ
وَإِذاand when هَلَكَتI die فَعِندَthen at ذَلِكَthat فَاِجزَعيthen grieve
وَإِذا هَلَكَت فَعِندَ ذَلِكَ فَاِجزَعي
Do not grieve because I have used up something precious;
but when I die, then grieve.
وَقُريتُand I offered hospitality فيat مَقريmy feasting-place قَلائِصَyoung she-camels أَربَعاfour
وَقُريتُ في مَقري قَلائِصَ أَربَعا
وَقُريتُand I offered hospitality بَعدَafter قُرىa feast of قَلائِصُyoung she-camels أَربَعِfour
وَقُريتُ بَعدَ قُرى قَلائِصُ أَربَعِ
I served four young she-camels at my feast,
and offered hospitality again after a feast of four young she-camels.
أَتبكِياweeping? مِنover كُلِّevery شَيءٍthing هَيِّنٍtrifling
أَتبكِيا مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ هَيِّنٍ
سَفَهًfolly بكاءُweeping العَينِof the eye ماwhile لَمnot تَدمَعِit sheds tears
سَفَهً بكاءُ العَينِ ما لَم تَدمَعِ
Weeping over every trifling thing?
An eye’s crying is folly when it sheds no tears.
فَإِذاso when أَتانيcome to me إِخوَتيmy brothers فَدَعيهِمthen let them be
فَإِذا أَتاني إِخوَتي فَدَعيهِم
يَتَعلَّلواfind enjoyment فيin العَيشِlife أَوor يَلهواmake merry مَعيwith me
يَتَعلَّلوا في العَيشِ أَو يَلهوا مَعي
When my brothers come to me, let them
find enjoyment in life or make merry with me.
لاdo not تَطرُديهِمdrive them away عَنfrom فِراشيmy bed إِنَّهُfor indeed it
لا تَطرُديهِم عَن فِراشي إِنَّهُ
لاthere is no بُدَّescape يَوماًone day أَنthat سَيَخلواwill become empty مَضجَعيmy sleeping-place
لا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن سَيَخلوا مَضجَعي
Do not drive them away from my bed, for surely
one day my sleeping-place must lie empty.
هَلّاwhy did you not سَأَلتِask بِعادِياءَabout Adiya وَبَيتِهِand his house
هَلّا سَأَلتِ بِعادِياءَ وَبَيتِهِ
وَالخِلِّand the friend وَالخَمرِand the wine الَّتيwhich لَمnot تُمنَعِwas withheld
وَالخِلِّ وَالخَمرِ الَّتي لَم تُمنَعِ
Why did you not ask about Adiya and his house,
and the friend, and the wine that was never withheld?
وَفَتاتُهُمand their maiden عَنزٌAnz عَشِيَّةَone evening آنَستshe perceived
وَفَتاتُهُم عَنزٌ عَشِيَّةَ آنَست
مِنfrom بَعدِafar مَرأىa sight فيin الفَضاءِthe open country وَمَسمَعِand a sound
مِن بَعدِ مَرأى في الفَضاءِ وَمَسمَعِ
And their maiden Anz, one evening, perceived
from afar a sight and a sound in the open country.
قالَتshe said أَرىI see رَجُلاًa man يُقَلِّبُturning over نَعلهhis sandal
قالَت أَرى رَجُلاً يُقَلِّبُ نَعله
أُصلاًat evening وَجَوٌand Jaww آمِنsecure لضمunclear; apparently “not” يفزَعِwas alarmed
أُصلاً وَجَوٌ آمِن لضم يفزَعِ
She said, “I see a man turning his sandal over,”
at evening, while Jaww was secure and unalarmed.
فَكَأَنَّso it was as though صالِحَthe good أَهلَpeople of جَوَّJaww غُدوَّةًat dawn
فَكَأَنَّ صالِحَ أَهلَ جَوَّ غُدوَّةً
صُبِحواwere served a morning draught بِذيفانَwith deadly poison السِمامِof venoms المُنقَعِsteeped
صُبِحوا بِذيفانَ السِمامِ المُنقَعِ
It was as though the good folk of Jaww, at dawn,
were served a morning draught of steeped, deadly venom.
كانواthey were كَأَنعُمِlike the most prosperous مَنthose whom رَأَيتُI had seen فَأَصبَحواthen they became
كانوا كَأَنعُمِ مَن رَأَيتُ فَأَصبَحوا
يَلوونَgrasp at زادَthe provisions of الراكِبِthe rider المُتَمَتِّعِtaking his ease
يَلوونَ زادَ الراكِبِ المُتَمَتِّعِ
They were as prosperous as anyone I had seen; now
they grasped at the provisions of a rider taking his ease.
وَرَأَتand she saw مُقَدِّمَةthe vanguard of الخَميسthe army وَقَبلَهُand before it
وَرَأَت مُقَدِّمَة الخَميس وَقَبلَهُ
رَقَصَthe trotting الرِكابof the riding camels إِلىuntil الصَباحِdawn بِتبّعِwith Tubba
رَقَصَ الرِكاب إِلى الصَباحِ بِتبّعِ
And she saw the army’s vanguard, and before it,
the riding camels trotting with Tubba until dawn.
قالَتshe said يَمامَةُYamama اِحمِلونيput me aboard قائِماًstanding
قالَت يَمامَةُ اِحمِلوني قائِماً
إِنif تَبعَثوهُyou make it rise بارِكاًkneeling بيwith me aboard أُضرَعِI shall be cowed
إِن تَبعَثوهُ بارِكاً بي أُضرَعِ
Yamama said, “Put me on it while it is standing;
if you make it rise from kneeling with me aboard, I shall be cowed.”