سَدَلَتْshe let down غدائرَbraids شعرِهاof her hair أَسماءُAsma
سَدَلَتْ غدائرَ شعرِها أَسماءُ
وَسَرَتْand she traveled by night فماso ... not شَعَرَتْbecame aware بهاof her الرُّقَبَاءُthe watchers
وَسَرَتْ فما شَعَرَتْ بها الرُّقَبَاءُ
Asma let down the braids of her hair.
And she journeyed by night, unnoticed by the watchers.
والليلُand the night تحتbeneath سَنَاthe radiance of الصباحِdawn كأَسودٍlike a black man
والليلُ تحت سَنَا الصباحِ كأَسودٍ
وَضَحَتْshone عليهupon him عِمَامةٌa turban بيضاءwhite
وَضَحَتْ عليه عِمَامةٌ بيضاء
Night beneath the radiance of dawn was like a black man
upon whom a white turban shone.
زارتْcame visiting نُعَاماهاher south wind وزارَand came visiting خيالهاher phantom
زارتْ نُعَاماها وزارَ خيالها
فتيمَّمَتْso it performed dry ablution بكليهماwith both of them تَيْماءُTayma
فتيمَّمَتْ بكليهما تَيْماءُ
Her south wind came visiting, and her phantom came;
so Tayma made its dry ablutions with them both.
ومشتْand she walked تميسswaying gracefully يجرُّdraws along فضلَthe trailing length of ذيولهاher hems
ومشتْ تميس يجرُّ فضلَ ذيولها
دِعْصٌa sand dune يميلُswaying وبانةٌand a moringa tree غَنَّاءthickly leafed
دِعْصٌ يميلُ وبانةٌ غَنَّاء
And she walked swaying, her trailing hems drawn along by
a swaying sand dune and a luxuriant moringa tree.
هُنَّthey المهاthe oryx يحويcontains كناسُthe covert of قلوبناour hearts
هُنَّ المها يحوي كناسُ قلوبنا
منهنof them ماwhat لاnot تحتويcontains السِّيراءُstriped silk
منهن ما لا تحتوي السِّيراءُ
They are oryx; the covert of our hearts holds
of them what striped silk cannot contain.
يُوحِشْنَthey make desolate أفئدةًhearts وهنَّthough they are أَوانِسٌcompanionable maidens
يُوحِشْنَ أفئدةً وهنَّ أَوانِسٌ
ويرُعْنَand they frighten آساداًlions وهنّthough they are ظباءgazelles
ويرُعْنَ آساداً وهنّ ظباء
They leave hearts desolate, though they are companionable maidens,
and frighten lions, though they are gazelles.
وتحولُand bars the way دونbefore قبابهاher pavilions هنديةٌan Indian sword
وتحولُ دون قبابها هنديةٌ
بيضاءُwhite أوor يَزَنِيَّةٌa spear of Yazan سمراءdusky brown
بيضاءُ أو يَزَنِيَّةٌ سمراء
And an Indian sword bars the way to her pavilions,
gleaming white, or a dusky spear of Yazan.
لأُمَزِّقَنَّI shall surely rend حشاthe entrails of الدُّجُنَّةِdense darkness نحوهاtoward her
لأُمَزِّقَنَّ حشا الدُّجُنَّةِ نحوها
والليلُwhile the night قدalready دَهِمَتْhas grown black بهin it الدهْناءُal-Dahna
والليلُ قد دَهِمَتْ به الدهْناءُ
I shall surely rend the entrails of darkness toward her,
while al-Dahna has grown black in the night,
فيupon متنthe back of زنجيِّZanj-black الأَديمِin hide كأنماas though
في متن زنجيِّ الأَديمِ كأنما
صَبَغْتهُhad dyed him مماbecause of خاضَهاhe plunged through it الظلماءthe darkness
صَبَغْتهُ مما خاضَها الظلماء
on a steed's back, its hide black as a Zanj's, as though
darkness had stained him through his plunging into it.
وكأنand as though محمرَّthe redness of البروقِlightning flashes صوارمٌsharp swords
وكأن محمرَّ البروقِ صوارمٌ
سُفِحَتْwas spilled علىupon صفحاتِهِنّtheir broad sides دماءblood
سُفِحَتْ على صفحاتِهِنّ دماء
And as though the red lightning were sharp swords
across whose flats blood had been spilled.
أَوor يَثْنِيَنِّيsurely turn me back لاnot أَزورُI visit خيامَهاher tents
أَو يَثْنِيَنِّي لا أَزورُ خيامَها
ولأَسعدَwhen Asʿad has القاضيthe judge الأشمِّthe lofty مضاءresolve
ولأَسعدَ القاضي الأشمِّ مضاء
Or could I ever be turned back from visiting her tents,
when Asʿad, the lofty judge, has such resolve?
قاضٍa judge لهhe has دِينٌfaith وصدقُand truthfulness of شهادةٍtestimony
قاضٍ له دِينٌ وصدقُ شهادةٍ
ذوthe possessor of الجاهinfluence فيهاin it والضعيفُand the weak سواءُequal
ذو الجاه فيها والضعيفُ سواءُ
A judge endowed with faith and truthful testimony,
in which the influential and the weak are equal;
وعدالةand justice حُفِظَتْsafeguarded بعقلٍby a mind راسخٍsteadfast
وعدالة حُفِظَتْ بعقلٍ راسخٍ
لاnot تستميلُsway جنابَهُhis person الأَهواءpassions
لا تستميلُ جنابَهُ الأَهواء
and justice safeguarded by a steadfast mind—
no passions can sway him.
Translation model: Sol 6.1