وذاتِand a woman of دلالٍcoquetry لاnever يزالُceases مُسَلَّطاًholding sway
وذاتِ دلالٍ لا يزالُ مُسَلَّطاً
لهاshe has خُلُقٌa temperament وَعرٌharsh علىtoward خُلُقْيmy temperament السّهْلِgentle
لها خُلُقٌ وَعرٌ على خُلُقْي السّهْلِ
And a woman whose coquetry never ceases to hold sway—
With an allure ever so potent and bright
Her temperament is harsh toward my gentle one.
Yet of nature and instinct contrary to mine
لَهاshe has بِقَضيبِwith a bough of البانِthe bān-tree نَهْضٌa rising يَزِينُهاadorns her
لَها بِقَضيبِ البانِ نَهْضٌ يَزِينُها
مُعينٌhelpful ونهضٌand a rising خاذلٌhindering بِنَقاwith a mound of الرَّملِsand
مُعينٌ ونهضٌ خاذلٌ بِنَقا الرَّملِ
Her bān-tree bough lends her a graceful rise—
With her staff of bamboo, she stands tall and erect
A helpful rise; her sand mound hinders her rising.
Sturdy and upright, not bent by the sand dunes
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَمادَتْshe persisted فيin الصُّدودِturning away وَلَمand did not تملْincline
إِذا ما تَمادَتْ في الصُّدودِ وَلَم تملْ
إِلىtoward الوَصلِunion إِشفاقاًout of compassion تَماديتُI persisted فيin الوصلِunion
إِلى الوَصلِ إِشفاقاً تَماديتُ في الوصلِ
When she persisted in turning away and did not incline
When she lingers and halts, not inclined to unite
Toward union out of compassion, I persisted in seeking union.
I persist in my love, seeking to reunite
وَقُلتُand I said لَعَلَّperhaps الهجرَestrangement يُعْقِبُbrings in its wake عَطْفَةًa turn of tenderness
وَقُلتُ لَعَلَّ الهجرَ يُعْقِبُ عَطْفَةً
فياfor oh رُبّmany a خصبٍtime of plenty جاءcame فيin عَقِبِthe wake of المحلِdrought
فيا رُبّ خصبٍ جاء في عَقِبِ المحلِ
And I said: perhaps estrangement will bring a turn of tenderness,
Perhaps, I hoped, her disdain would give way
For oh, how often plenty has come in the wake of drought!
To affection, as joy may follow ordeals
أَمَنO you who حَرَّمتْshe forbade نَوميmy sleep وَمَنand who سَفَكَتْshe shed دَميmy blood
أَمَن حَرَّمتْ نَومي وَمَن سَفَكَتْ دَمي
وَمَنand who صَرَمَتْshe severed حبليmy cord ومنand who حَلَّلَتshe made lawful قتليkilling me
وَمَن صَرَمَتْ حبلي ومن حَلَّلَت قتلي
O you who forbade me sleep and shed my blood,
Who was it that robbed me of peaceful sleep?
And who severed my cord and made killing me lawful,
That spilled my blood and severed my bond?
بِمُقلَتِكِwith your eye النَّجلاءِwide عَمداًdeliberately قَتَلتِنيyou killed me
بِمُقلَتِكِ النَّجلاءِ عَمداً قَتَلتِني
ولاand no قَوَدٌretaliatory execution فيfor القتلkilling بالأعيُنِwith the eyes النجلِwide
ولا قَوَدٌ في القتل بالأعيُنِ النجلِ
With your wide eye you deliberately killed me,
With your alluring eyes you murdered me
Yet there is no blood-retribution for killing with wide eyes.
No justice or method in killing with eyes