أَلِلمَنزِلِIs it for the dwelling بِالحَنوِat al-Hanw
أَلِلمَنزِلِ بِالحَنوِ
وَمَغنىand the dwelling-place of الطَلَلِthe ruins النَضوِworn-out
وَمَغنى الطَلَلِ النَضوِ
Is it for the dwelling at al-Hanw,
The abode of love and yearning song,
and the site of the worn-out ruins,
Ruins where hearts are wont to throng,
وَأَحجارٍand stones كَأَخلالٍlike gaunt she-camels
وَأَحجارٍ كَأَخلالٍ
مُقيماتٍremaining عَلىover بَوِّa stuffed calf
مُقيماتٍ عَلى بَوِّ
and stones like gaunt she-camels
Stones like bangles, thin, apart,
standing over a stuffed calf,
Dwelling-places of the constant heart.
تَصابَيتَyou played the youth وَقَدand already أَرهَقoverburdened (continued)
تَصابَيتَ وَقَد أَرهَق
تَyou (verb ending) عَزمَthe resolve of الدينِreligion وَالصَحوِand sobriety
تَ عَزمَ الدينِ وَالصَحوِ
that you played the youth, having overtaxed
You promised and kept procrastinating,
the resolve of faith and sobriety,
Till age declined and vigour waning;
عَلىat حينَthe time of اِبيِضاضُturning white الرَأthe head (continued)
عَلى حينَ اِبيِضاضُ الرَأ
سِcompletion of 'head' وَاللَومِand reproach عَلىfor الهَفوِlapses
سِ وَاللَومِ عَلى الهَفوِ
at a time when the head turns white
Hair turned grey where black it lay,
and lapses draw reproach,
But grey hair wins no path to way.
وَرَدُّand warding off الشَيبِgray hair بِالخَضبِwith dye
وَرَدُّ الشَيبِ بِالخَضبِ
وَماand there is no لِلشَيبِfor gray hair مِنany رَفوِmending
وَما لِلشَيبِ مِن رَفوِ
and gray hair is warded off with dye—
though gray hair admits no mending?
To blamers we paid no heed,
صَنَعناwe prepared لِلمُلِمّاتِfor calamities
صَنَعنا لِلمُلِمّاتِ
شَديداًa strong one صادِقِdependable in العَدوِgalloping
شَديداً صادِقِ العَدوِ
We prepared for calamities
Kept faith, were staunch in word and deed,
a sturdy steed, dependable at the gallop.
Quaffing, as ‘twere milk freely given,
يُرَوّىis given ample drink لَبَنَthe milk of الكَرَمِgenerosity
يُرَوّى لَبَنَ الكَرَمِ
وَلاand not يَطوىgoes hungry عَلىabout حَقوِthe flank
وَلا يَطوى عَلى حَقوِ
He is given generosity's milk to drink,
Wine of honour, neath open heaven.
and never goes hungry with a pinched flank.
When the skin-bag at last we burst,
فَلَمّاthen when فُلِقَwas cleft الرِدفُthe rump
فَلَمّا فُلِقَ الرِدفُ
بِنَحضٍwith flesh حَسَنِfine in النَجوِthe trimming
بِنَحضٍ حَسَنِ النَجوِ
Then, when his rump was cleft
In seemly wise, without hate or thirst,
with finely trimmed flesh,
We squeezed it with gentle compression,
عَصَرناهُwe squeezed him بِتَضمينٍthrough confinement
عَصَرناهُ بِتَضمينٍ
كَعَصرِlike wringing الحَبلِa rope بِالصَغوِwith a sideways bend
كَعَصرِ الحَبلِ بِالصَغوِ
we squeezed him through confinement,
As the suckling is pressed in session.
as a rope is wrung by bending it sideways:
Choice wine it gave us, to gladness bent.
طِمِرّاًa swift steed يُؤنِسُreassures الفارِthe rider (continued)
طِمِرّاً يُؤنِسُ الفارِ
سَcompletion of 'rider' مِنagainst أَينٍfatigue وَمِنand against كَبوِstumbling
سَ مِن أَينٍ وَمِن كَبوِ
a swift steed, reassuring the rider
To him that pours in open tent,
against fatigue and stumbling.
It flies on steeds past control,
يَطيرُhe flies بِالحَديداتِwith the iron fittings
يَطيرُ بِالحَديداتِ
سَبوحاًswimming along مَرِحَjoyful in الخَطوِhis stride
سَبوحاً مَرِحَ الخَطوِ
He flies with his iron fittings,
Their tails like pine-trees, necks like pole.
swimming along, joyous in his stride.
But a brimmer oft idly spilled
مِنَamong الخَيلِthe horses العِتاقِthe thoroughbreds القوthe long-necked (continued)
مِنَ الخَيلِ العِتاقِ القو
دِcompletion of 'long-necked' يَتلوهاhe follows them عَلىin حَذوِa matching stride
دِ يَتلوها عَلى حَذوِ
Among the noble, long-necked horses,
Mocks the cup-bearer, taste unfilled.
he follows them stride for stride.
All similes it transcended,
نَواصيهِنَّtheir forelocks كَالسَعَفاlike palm fronds (continued)
نَواصيهِنَّ كَالسَعَفا
تِplural ending of 'palm fronds' وَالأَذنابِand the tails كَالسَروِlike cypresses
تِ وَالأَذنابِ كَالسَروِ
Their forelocks are like palm fronds,
Towards me aspiring, me befriended.
and their tails like cypresses.
Presumption had I to accost,
وَلَكِنand yet رُبَّmany a مَطروحٍone lying down
وَلَكِن رُبَّ مَطروحٍ
مَليحِcharming in الدَلِّcoquetry وَالزَهوِand pride
مَليحِ الدَلِّ وَالزَهوِ
Yet many a reclining beloved,
What the fearful ne’er made their boast,
charming in coquetry and pride,
Leaving sleep and dream behind
خَلاwas free عَنof كُلِّevery تَشبيهٍcomparison
خَلا عَن كُلِّ تَشبيهٍ
تَسامىaspired نَفسُهُhis soul نَحويtoward me
تَسامى نَفسُهُ نَحوي
beyond all comparison,
To embrace a moon that paled light.
aspired in spirit toward me.
Sheltered there ‘neath those fingers ten,
تَجاسَرتُI made bold عَلَيهِwith him رَيas long as (continued)
تَجاسَرتُ عَلَيهِ رَي
ثَماcompletion of 'as long as' يَجسُرُdares ذوone possessed of الشَجوِanguished longing
ثَما يَجسُرُ ذو الشَجوِ
I made bold with him, as long
I reaped fruits of untrammelled ken,
as a lovesick man dares,
While soft cheeks in graceful union
وَخَلَّفتُand I left behind عَروسَthe bride of النَوsleep (continued)
وَخَلَّفتُ عَروسَ النَو
مِcompletion of 'sleep' وَالأَحلامِand dreams لِخَلوِfor one free of longing
مِ وَالأَحلامِ لِخَلوِ
and left the bride of sleep
Soothed me with cups of sweet communion.
and dreams to one free of longing.
A gazelle, nimble, bright of face,
فَأَدَّيتُso I made my way إِلىto بَدرٍa full moon
فَأَدَّيتُ إِلى بَدرٍ
مَلاfilled عَينيmy eye مِنَwith الضَوِّlight
مَلا عَيني مِنَ الضَوِّ
So I made my way to a full moon
Slender waist and curve of grace,
that filled my eye with light.
Whose pomegranates mere hands could pluck
وَبِتناand we spent the night بِأَكُفِّwith the palms of الخَوfear (continued)
وَبِتنا بِأَكُفِّ الخَو
فِcompletion of 'fear' نَجنيgathering ثَمَرَthe fruit of اللَهوِpleasure
فِ نَجني ثَمَرَ اللَهوِ
And we spent the night, with fear's palms,
From the branch-tips at a tender touch.
gathering the fruit of pleasure.
Oh promised one, lest I intrude,
وَسَقَّتنيand gave me to drink ثَناياهُhis front teeth
وَسَقَّتني ثَناياهُ
عُقاراًwine مِنfrom فَمٍa mouth حُلوِsweet
عُقاراً مِن فَمٍ حُلوِ
And his front teeth gave me to drink
Draw gently on my heart, subdued.
wine from a sweet mouth.
Rage do not breathe at grievance borne,
غَزالٌa gazelle مُخطَفُnarrow in الكَشحِthe flank
غَزالٌ مُخطَفُ الكَشحِ
لَطيفُdelicate in الخَصرِthe waist وَالحَقوِand the hip
لَطيفُ الخَصرِ وَالحَقوِ
A gazelle, narrow in the flank,
Power have I none, by oath forsworn.
delicate of waist and hip.
Give willingly what you refuse,
وَقَدand already نَضِجَتhad ripened ثِمارُthe fruits of بَناthe fingers (continued)
وَقَد نَضِجَت ثِمارُ بَنا
نِcompletion of 'fingers' كَفَّيهِhis two hands مِنَfrom القُنوِthe date cluster
نِ كَفَّيهِ مِنَ القُنوِ
And the fruits had ripened on the fingers
Take gently what I do not choose.
of his two hands, from the date cluster.
أَلاTake heed ياO أَيُّهاyou الموعِone who threatens (continued)
أَلا يا أَيُّها الموعِ
دُcompletion of 'one who threatens' قَصِّرshorten خُطوَةَthe stride of النَحوِapproach
دُ قَصِّر خُطوَةَ النَحوِ
Ah, you who threaten,
shorten the stride of your approach,
وَلاand do not تَنفُثblow lightly إِلىtoward الغَيظِrage
وَلا تَنفُث إِلى الغَيظِ
فَماfor not أُملَكُI am mastered بِالسَطوِby force
فَما أُملَكُ بِالسَطوِ
and do not breathe yourself into rage;
for I cannot be mastered by force.
وَأَعطينيand give me عَلىwith كُرهٍreluctance
وَأَعطيني عَلى كُرهٍ
وَخُذand take مِنّيfrom me عَلىwith عَفوِfree giving
وَخُذ مِنّي عَلى عَفوِ
And give me, even reluctantly,
and take from me freely.
Partial English translation: 42 of 50 Arabic lines translated.