ويْليwoe to me علىfor مملوكةٍa slave girl مَلَكَتْshe took possession of
ويْلي على مملوكةٍ مَلَكَتْ
رقّيmy servitude بحُسْنِthrough the beauty of مَقالهاher speech وَيْليwoe to me
رقّي بحُسْنِ مَقالها وَيْلي
Woe is me for a slave girl who has claimed
Woe to me for a slave girl who has enslaved me
me as her slave through the beauty of her speech—woe is me!
With the charm of her speech, woe to me!
غَيداءُa supple beauty تَسحَبُshe trails كُلَّماwhenever انعَطَفَتْshe turns
غَيداءُ تَسحَبُ كُلَّما انعَطَفَتْ
مِنْfrom فرْعهاher hair ذيلاًa train علىupon الذيلِthe trailing hem
مِنْ فرْعها ذيلاً على الذيلِ
A supple beauty who, whenever she turns, trails
A slender and supple one who sways
a train of her hair upon her trailing hem.
With every turn, her train upon her train
وكأنّهاand as though she were شمسٌa sun علىupon غُصُنٍa bough
وكأنّها شمسٌ على غُصُنٍ
مترنّحَswaying التقويمِuprightness والميلِand inclination
مترنّحَ التقويمِ والميلِ
And she is like a sun upon a bough,
As though she were a sun upon a bough
swaying, now upright, now inclined.
That sways gently to and fro
قالَتْshe said وَقَدand already عانَقتُهاI had embraced her سَحَراًbefore dawn
قالَتْ وَقَد عانَقتُها سَحَراً
لِمْwhy زُرْتَناyou visited us فيin آخِرِthe end of الليلِthe night
لِمْ زُرْتَنا في آخِرِ الليلِ
She said, as I embraced her before dawn,
She said, as I embraced her at dawn:
"Why did you visit us at the end of the night?"
“Why have you come to us so late at night?”
فأجبتُهاso I answered her وغمرتُهاand I covered her قُبَلاًkisses
فأجبتُها وغمرتُها قُبَلاً
هذاthis أوانُthe time for إغارةِa raid by الخيلِthe cavalry
هذا أوانُ إغارةِ الخيلِ
So I answered her and showered her with kisses:
I answered and showered her with kisses:
"This is the hour for a cavalry raid."
“This is the hour for raiding on horseback!”
حتَّىuntil إذاwhen بَزَغَتْrose شبِيهَتُهاher likeness
حتَّى إذا بَزَغَتْ شبِيهَتُها
كالتاجِlike the crown فوْقَabove مفارقِthe hair-partings of القيلِthe king
كالتاجِ فوْقَ مفارقِ القيلِ
Until, when her likeness rose,
Until her likeness dawned,
like a crown above the king's parted hair,
Like a crown above the parting of the hair,
نزَعتْshe removed كنزْعlike drawing out الروحthe soul منfrom جسديmy body
نزَعتْ كنزْع الروح من جسدي
عنّىfrom me قلادةَa necklace ساعدٍa forearm غَيْلِplump
عنّى قلادةَ ساعدٍ غَيْلِ
she withdrew—as though drawing the soul from my body—
She removed me, as the soul is removed from the body,
from me the necklace of her rounded forearm.
The bracelet from my wrist.
فنهضتُso I rose أشرَقُI choke بالدموعِon tears كماjust as
فنهضتُ أشرَقُ بالدموعِ كما
شَرِقَchoked الفضاءthe open expanse بكثرةِwith the abundance of السيلِthe flood
شَرِقَ الفضاء بكثرةِ السيلِ
So I rose, choking on tears, just as
So I rose, my tears flowing
the open expanse is choked by abundant floodwaters.
As copiously as torrents in the valley flow.