سِراجُa lamp الدُجىthe darkness صِفرُempty الحَشاthe belly مُنتَهىthe utmost المُنىdesires
سِراجُ الدُجى صِفرُ الحَشا مُنتَهى المُنى
كَشَمسِlike the sun الضُحىmidmorning نَوّامَةٌحينَa late sleeper when تُصبِحُshe enters the morning
كَشَمسِ الضُحى نَوّامَةٌحينَ تُصبِحُ
A lamp in the darkness, slender-waisted, the height of desire,
Like the midmorning sun, she sleeps late into the morning.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle مَشَتshe walked بينَamong البُيوتِthe houses تَخَزَّلَتshe moved languidly
إِذا ما مَشَت بينَ البُيوتِ تَخَزَّلَت
وَمالَتand she swayed كَماas مالَswayed النَزيفُthe drunken man المُرَنَّحُreeling
وَمالَت كَما مالَ النَزيفُ المُرَنَّحُ
Whenever she walked among the houses, she moved languidly,
And swayed like a drunken man reeling.
تَعَلَّقتُI became attached to عَزًّاAzza وَهيَand she رُؤدٌtender شَبابُهاher youth
تَعَلَّقتُ عَزًّا وَهيَ رُؤدٌ شَبابُها
عَلاقَةَa bond حُبٍّlove كادَalmost بالقَلبِon the heart يَرجَحُweighs down
عَلاقَةَ حُبٍّ كادَ بالقَلبِ يَرجَحُ
I fell in love with Azza while she was tender in her youth,
With a bond of love that almost weighed my heart down.
أَقولُI say وَنِضويand my gaunt mount وَاقِفٌstanding عِندَbeside رَمسِهاher grave
أَقولُ وَنِضوي وَاقِفٌ عِندَ رَمسِها
عَلَيكِupon you سَلامُpeace اللهGod وَالعَينُand the eye تُسفَحُis poured out in tears
عَلَيكِ سَلامُ الله وَالعَينُ تُسفَحُ
I say, as my gaunt mount stands beside her grave:
God's peace be upon you, while tears pour from the eye.
فَهذاso this فِراقُparting الحَقِّtruth لاnot أَنthat تُزيرَنيshe takes me to visit
فَهذا فِراقُ الحَقِّ لا أَن تُزيرَني
بِلادَكِyour lands فَتلاءُstrong-muscled الذِراعينِthe two forelegs صَيدَحُloud-voiced
بِلادَكِ فَتلاءُ الذِراعينِ صَيدَحُ
So this is true parting—not one where I can visit
Your land on a strong-forelegged, loud-voiced she-camel.
وَقَدand indeed كُنتُI used to أَبكيweep مِنbecause of فِراقِكِparting from you حَيَّةًalive
وَقَد كُنتُ أَبكي مِن فِراقِكِ حَيَّةً
وَأَنتِand you لَعمريby my life اليومَtoday أَنأىfarther away وَأَنزَحُand more distant
وَأَنتِ لَعمري اليومَ أَنأى وَأَنزَحُ
And I used to weep at parting from you while you were alive,
And you, by my life, are farther away and more distant today.
فَياso, O عَزَّAzza أَنتِyou البَدرُthe full moon قَدalready حالَhas intervened دونَهُbefore it
فَيا عَزَّ أَنتِ البَدرُ قَد حالَ دونَهُ
رَجيعُreturned تُرابٍearth وَالصَفيحُand flat stone slabs المضرَّحُlaid over the grave
رَجيعُ تُرابٍ وَالصَفيحُ المضرَّحُ
So, O Azza, you are the full moon, now veiled by
Earth heaped back and flat stones laid over the grave.
فَهَلاthen why not فَداكِransomed you الموتdeath مَنwhoever أَنتِyou زينُهُhis adornment
فَهَلا فَداكِ الموت مَن أَنتِ زينُهُ
وَمَنand whoever هُوَhe أَسواworse مِنكِthan you دَلّاًcharm وَأَقبَحُand uglier
وَمَن هُوَ أَسوا مِنكِ دَلّاً وَأَقبَحُ
Then why did the one you graced not ransom you from death,
And whoever is less charming than you, and uglier?
عَلىupon أُمِّmother of بَكرٍBakr رَحمَةٌmercy وَتَحِيَّةٌand a greeting
عَلى أُمِّ بَكرٍ رَحمَةٌ وَتَحِيَّةٌ
لَهاfor her مِنكَfrom you والنائيand the distant one يَوَدُّloves وَيَنصَحُand wishes well
لَها مِنكَ والنائي يَوَدُّ وَيَنصَحُ
Upon Umm Bakr be mercy and a greeting,
For her from you; the distant one loves and wishes her well.
مُنعَّمةٌdelicately nurtured لوif يَدرُجُcrawls الذَرُّtiny ants بَينَهاbetween her
مُنعَّمةٌ لو يَدرُجُ الذَرُّ بَينَها
وَبَينَand between حَواشِيthe edges بُردِهاher mantle كَادَalmost يَجرَحُwounds
وَبَينَ حَواشِي بُردِها كَادَ يَجرَحُ
Delicately nurtured—if tiny ants crept between her
And the edges of her mantle, they would almost wound her.
وَماand never نَظَرَتlooked عينيmy eye إِلىat ذيone possessing بَشاشَةٍcheerfulness
وَما نَظَرَت عيني إِلى ذي بَشاشَةٍ
مِنamong الناسِpeople إِلّاbut أَنتِyou فيin العَينِthe eye أَملَحُlovelier
مِن الناسِ إِلّا أَنتِ في العَينِ أَملَحُ
And never has my eye looked upon someone smiling
Among people without finding you lovelier in my eyes.
أَلاah لاnot أَرىI see بَعدَafter اِبنةِthe daughter of النَضرِal-Nadr لَذَّةًpleasure
أَلا لا أَرى بَعدَ اِبنةِ النَضرِ لَذَّةً
لِشيءٍin anything ولاnor مِلحًاcharm لِمَنin whoever يَتَمَلَّحُtries to be charming
لِشيءٍ ولا مِلحًا لِمَن يَتَمَلَّحُ
Ah, after the daughter of al-Nadr I find no pleasure
In anything, nor charm in anyone who tries to be charming.
فَلاso may it never زَالَcease رَمسٌa grave ضَمَّembraced عَزَّةَAzza سائِلاًflowing
فَلا زَالَ رَمسٌ ضَمَّ عَزَّةَ سائِلاً
بِهِwithin it نِعمَةٌa blessing مِنfrom رَحمَةِmercy اللهGod تَسفَحُpours forth
بِهِ نِعمَةٌ مِن رَحمَةِ الله تَسفَحُ
So may the grave that embraced Azza never cease to flow,
With a blessing from God's mercy pouring forth within it.
فَإِنَfor indeed الَّتيshe whom أَحبَبتُI loved قَدalready حالَhas intervened دونَهاbefore her
فَإِنَ الَّتي أَحبَبتُ قَد حالَ دونَها
طِوَالُlong اللياليthe nights وَالضَريحُand the tomb المُصفَّحُcovered with stone slabs
طِوَالُ الليالي وَالضَريحُ المُصفَّحُ
For between me and the woman I loved now stand
The long nights and the tomb covered with stone slabs.
أَرَبَّhas clung بِعينِيَّto my eyes البُكاweeping كُلَّevery لَيلَةٍnight
أَرَبَّ بِعينِيَّ البُكا كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ
فَقَدfor indeed كادَalmost مَجرىthe flow الدَمعِtears عينَيَّmy eyes يَقرَحُwounds
فَقَد كادَ مَجرى الدَمعِ عينَيَّ يَقرَحُ
Weeping clings to my eyes every night;
For the flow of tears has almost wounded my eyes,
إِذاif لَمnot يَكُنbe ماwhat تَسفَحُsheds العينُthe eye ليfor me دَمًاblood
إِذا لَم يَكُن ما تَسفَحُ العينُ لي دَمًا
وَشرُّand the worst البُكاءِweeping المُستَعارُborrowed المُسَيَّحُmade to flow
وَشرُّ البُكاءِ المُستَعارُ المُسَيَّحُ
If what the eye sheds for me is not blood.
And the worst weeping is borrowed, forced to flow.