لاno لنوازِيby the throbbings of كبدٍa liver (heart) هاجهاstirred it
لا لنوازِي كبدٍ هاجها
بالبانamong the ban trees منof خنساءَKhansa تَذكارُa memory
بالبان من خنساءَ تَذكارُ
No rest for the throbbings of a heart stirred
No, by the throbbings of a heart stirred
at al-Bān by remembrance of Khansāʾ.
among the ban trees by a memory of Khansa,
عادreturned لهاto it منfrom بعدafter إقلاعهاits renunciation
عاد لها من بعد إقلاعها
دينٌa creed منof الحبِّlove وإصرارُand persistence
دينٌ من الحبِّ وإصرارُ
After it had once desisted, there returned to it
there returned to it, after its renunciation,
a way of love and stubborn resolve.
a creed of love and stubborn persistence.
ياO قومpeople ليI have منfrom among أسرتيmy kin قاتلٌa slayer
يا قوم لي من أسرتي قاتلٌ
مَنْwho لقتيلٍfor a slain man ماnot لهfor him ثارُblood vengeance
مَنْ لقتيلٍ ما له ثارُ
My people, within my own family I have a killer;
O people, among my own kin is my slayer.
who will avenge one slain who has no avenger?
Who will champion a slain man left unavenged?
أرىI see دَمِيmy blood يقطُرُdrips منfrom أنملٍfingertips
أرى دَمِي يقطُرُ من أنملٍ
شفارُهاtheir blades مُؤْقٌan eye's inner corner وأشفارُand eyelashes
شفارُها مُؤْقٌ وأشفارُ
I see my blood dripping from fingertips
I see my blood dripping from fingertips
whose blades are eye-corners and eyelashes.
whose blades are an eye's inner corner and lashes.
ظبيٌa gazelle رخيمٌsoft-voiced لفظهُhis speech ناسكٌan ascetic
ظبيٌ رخيمٌ لفظهُ ناسكٌ
وطرفُهand his gaze الفاتكmurderous عَيَّارُa rogue
وطرفُه الفاتك عَيَّارُ
A gazelle, soft of speech, a devout ascetic;
A soft-spoken gazelle, an ascetic in speech,
yet her murderous glance is a brigand.
yet his murderous gaze is a rogue.
ضعُفتُI weakened تحتunder الغمزthe pressure منfrom عاجمٍone who tests
ضعُفتُ تحت الغمز من عاجمٍ
يصرَعُfells لبِّيmy reason وهوand he is خَوَّارُfrail
يصرَعُ لبِّي وهو خَوَّارُ
I weakened beneath the wink of a speechless one
I weakened under the pressure of one who tests me,
that fells my reason, though itself feeble.
who fells my reason, though he himself is frail.
أصبحتُI became عبداًa slave باختياريby my own choice لهto him
أصبحتُ عبداً باختياري له
وفارسٌand the Persians قوميَmy people أحرارُfree
وفارسٌ قوميَ أحرارُ
By my own choice I have become her slave,
I became his slave by my own choice,
though I am Persian, and my people are freeborn.
while the Persians, my people, are free.
ياO موتُDeath نفسيmy soul لكyours إنif أعرضتْshe turns away
يا موتُ نفسي لك إن أعرضتْ
خنساءُKhansa أوor شطّتgrew distant بهاwith her الدارُthe home
خنساءُ أو شطّت بها الدارُ
O Death, my soul is yours if she turns away—
O Death, my soul is yours if she turns away—
Khansāʾ—or if her dwelling lies far off.
Khansa—or her home carries her far away.
خوَّفنيfrightened me بالنارِwith fire فيin وصلهاunion with her
خوَّفني بالنارِ في وصلها
قومٌsome people وفيand in هجرانهاseparation from her النارُfire
قومٌ وفي هجرانها النارُ
They frighten me with the Fire for union with her—
I was threatened with fire for union with her
my people—yet in separation from her is the Fire.
by some people; yet in parting from her lies fire.
