لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَردىbrought to ruin نَوارَNawar وَساقَهاand drove her
لَعَمري لَقَد أَردى نَوارَ وَساقَها
إِلىto الغَورِthe Ghawr أَحلامٌminds قَليلٌscant عُقولُهاtheir understanding
إِلى الغَورِ أَحلامٌ قَليلٌ عُقولُها
By your life, Nawar has indeed been ruined and driven away
By my life, Nawar has indeed been ruined and driven
to al-Ghawr by counsels with little sense.
to the Ghawr by minds with little understanding.
مُعارِضَةَcrossing paths with الرُكبانِthe riders فيin شَهرِthe month of ناجِرٍNajir
مُعارِضَةَ الرُكبانِ في شَهرِ ناجِرٍ
عَلىon قَتَبٍa camel saddle يَعلوtraverses الفَلاةَthe wilderness دَليلُهاher guide
عَلى قَتَبٍ يَعلو الفَلاةَ دَليلُها
Facing caravans in the month of Nājir,
Crossing paths with riders in the month of Najir,
she rides a bare packsaddle while her guide crosses the open waste.
on a camel saddle, her guide traversing the wilderness.
وَماand not خِفتُهاI feared her إِنif أَنكَحَتنيshe married me وَأَشهَدَتand called witnesses
وَما خِفتُها إِن أَنكَحَتني وَأَشهَدَت
عَلىagainst نَفسِهاherself ليfor me أَنthat تَبَجَّسَshould burst forth غولُهاher treachery
عَلى نَفسِها لي أَن تَبَجَّسَ غولُها
I never feared, when she took me as husband and called witnesses
Nor did I fear—if she married me and called witnesses
to bind herself to me, that her treachery would burst forth.
against herself for me—that her treachery would burst forth.
أَبَعدَafter...? نَوارٍNawar آمَنَنَّshall I ever trust ظَعينَةًa woman in a howdah
أَبَعدَ نَوارٍ آمَنَنَّ ظَعينَةً
عَلىagainst الغَدرِbetrayal ماas long as نادىcalls to الحَمامَthe doves هَديلُهاtheir cooing
عَلى الغَدرِ ما نادى الحَمامَ هَديلُها
After Nawar, could I ever trust another woman on the road
After Nawar, shall I ever trust a woman in a howdah
not to betray me, so long as the dove’s cooing calls?
not to betray me, as long as cooing calls the doves?
أَلاah! لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge عَنabout نَوارٍNawar إِذاwhen خَلَتshe is alone
أَلا لَيتَ شِعري عَن نَوارٍ إِذا خَلَت
بِحاجَتِهاwith her need هَلwhether تُبصِرَنَّshe will surely discern سَبيلُهاher way
بِحاجَتِها هَل تُبصِرَنَّ سَبيلُها
Ah, would that I knew—when Nawar is alone
Ah, would that I knew about Nawar, when she is alone
with her purpose, will she truly discern her way?
attending to her need: will she truly discern her way?
أَطاعَتshe obeyed بَنيmy sons أُمُّmother of النَيِيرِal-Nayyir فَأَصبَحَتand came to be
أَطاعَت بَني أُمُّ النَيِيرِ فَأَصبَحَت
عَلىon شارِفٍan old she-camel وَرقاءَgray صَعبٍunruly ذَلولُهاits tamest aspect
عَلى شارِفٍ وَرقاءَ صَعبٍ ذَلولُها
She obeyed the sons of Umm al-Nuyayr and by morning found herself
Umm al-Nayyir obeyed my sons, and found herself
astride an old gray she-camel—unruly for all its tameness.
on an old gray she-camel, unruly even at its tamest.
إِذاwhen اِرتَجَلَتit strides out شَقَّتit causes hardship عَلَيهاfor her وَإِنand if تَنُخit kneels
إِذا اِرتَجَلَت شَقَّت عَلَيها وَإِن تَنُخ
يَكُنwill be مِنpart of غَرامِthe torment of اللَهِGod عَنهاfrom it نُزولُهاher dismounting
يَكُن مِن غَرامِ اللَهِ عَنها نُزولُها
When she rides away, the beast makes travel hard for her; and if she makes it kneel,
When it strides out, it makes her suffer; and if it kneels,
her dismounting from it will come only by God’s inescapable decree.
her dismounting from it will be a torment from God.
وَقَدyet indeed سَخِطَتresented مِنّيin me نَوارُNawar الَّذيwhat اِرتَضَتhad been content
وَقَد سَخِطَت مِنّي نَوارُ الَّذي اِرتَضَت
بِهِwith it قَبلَهاbefore her الأَزواجُthe wives خابَmay ... fail رَحيلُهاher departure
بِهِ قَبلَها الأَزواجُ خابَ رَحيلُها
Nawar has disdained in me the very thing
Yet Nawar resented in me what had satisfied
that wives before her approved—may her journey come to grief.
the wives before her—may her departure fail!
وَمَنسوبَةُand of known lineage الأَجدادِthe forefathers غَيرُnot لَئيمَةٍbaseborn
وَمَنسوبَةُ الأَجدادِ غَيرُ لَئيمَةٍ
شَفَتshe healed ليfor me فُؤاديmy heart وَاِشتَفىand found relief بيthrough me غَليلُهاher burning thirst
شَفَت لي فُؤادي وَاِشتَفى بي غَليلُها
A woman of renowned forebears, no base-born woman,
And one of known ancestry, no baseborn woman,
she healed my heart, then slaked her burning rancor on me.
healed my heart, and through me her burning thirst found relief.
فَلاso may ... not زالَcease يَسقيwater ماthat which مُفَدّاةُMufaddah (the cherished one) نَحوَهُtoward it
فَلا زالَ يَسقي ما مُفَدّاةُ نَحوَهُ
أَهاضيبُdownpours مُستَنُّthe course of الصَباthe east wind وَمَسيلُهاand its flow
أَهاضيبُ مُستَنُّ الصَبا وَمَسيلُها
May the place toward which the cherished woman went never cease to be watered
So may the land where Mufaddah is never cease to be watered
by the downpours of a cloud driven by the east wind, and all its runoff.
by downpours along the east wind's course and flow.
فَماfor ... not فارَقَتناshe left us رَغبَةًout of aversion عَنto جِماعِناintercourse with us
فَما فارَقَتنا رَغبَةً عَن جِماعِنا
وَلَكِنَّماbut rather غالَتbrought to ruin مُفَدّاةَMufaddah (the cherished one) غولُهاher own treachery
وَلَكِنَّما غالَت مُفَدّاةَ غولُها
She did not leave us from aversion to our company;
For she did not leave us out of aversion to our lovemaking,
it was only her demon that carried my cherished one away.
but her own treachery brought Mufaddah to ruin.
تُذَكِّرُنيrecalls to me أَرواحَهاher scents نَفحَةُa breath of الصَباthe east wind
تُذَكِّرُني أَرواحَها نَفحَةُ الصَبا
وَريحُand the scent of الخُزامىlavender طَلُّهاits dew وَبَليلُهاand its cool moisture
وَريحُ الخُزامى طَلُّها وَبَليلُها
A breath of the east wind recalls her fragrances to me,
The east wind's breath recalls to me her scents,
the scent of lavender, its dew and drenching damp.
as do lavender's scent, its dew and its cool moisture.
فَإِنَّfor indeed اِمرَأًa man يَسعىgoes about يُخَبِّبُturns a wife against her husband زَوجَتيmy wife
فَإِنَّ اِمرَأً يَسعى يُخَبِّبُ زَوجَتي
كَساعٍlike one going إِلىto أُسدِthe lions of الشَرىal-Shara يَستَبيلُهاseeking their urine
كَساعٍ إِلى أُسدِ الشَرى يَستَبيلُها
For any man who strives to turn my wife against me
For a man who goes about turning my wife against me
is like one approaching the lions of al-Sharā to collect their urine:
is like one approaching the lions of al-Shara, seeking their urine.
وَمِنand from دونِbefore أَبوالِthe urine of الأُسودِthe lions بَسالَةٌfierceness
وَمِن دونِ أَبوالِ الأُسودِ بَسالَةٌ
وَصَولَةُand the onslaught of أَيدٍhands يَمنَعُwards off الضَيمَhumiliation طولُهاtheir reach
وَصَولَةُ أَيدٍ يَمنَعُ الضَيمَ طولُها
before one reaches lions’ urine stand daunting ferocity
And barring the way to the lions' urine are fierceness
and the charge of a mighty one, its long reach warding off all affront.
and the onslaught of hands whose reach wards off humiliation.
