زَارhe visited وَهناًlate at night والنَّجمُand the star دونَbeneath مكانِهhis station
زَار وَهناً والنَّجمُ دونَ مكانِه
وبَقاياand remnants النُّعاسِof drowsiness فيin أَجفانِهhis eyelids
وبَقايا النُّعاسِ في أَجفانِه
He visited late at night, the star beneath his station,
and remnants of drowsiness in his eyelids.
وتَخطَّىand he crossed الأخطارَthe dangers والَّذابلَand the slender spear الخَطّthe swaying… (word continues)
وتَخطَّى الأخطارَ والَّذابلَ الخَطّ
ارَ…(completes “swaying”) فيهِin it السِّنانُthe spearpoint منfrom وَسنانِهhis drowsiness
ارَ فيهِ السِّنانُ من وَسنانِه
He braved dangers, while the slender spear’s
point swayed with his drowsiness.
ياO لَهَاwhat a … it is زاورةًa visitor أَراحتbrought relief فَراحَتthen departed
يا لَهَا زاورةً أَراحت فَراحَت
بِهجيرِwith the noonday heat الغَرامِof passion منfrom هِجرانِهhis desertion
بِهجيرِ الغَرامِ من هِجرانِه
What a visitor—bringing relief, then carrying away
the noonday heat of passion born of his desertion!
فافتَضحناso we were exposed ليلاًat night بِبرقٍby lightning ثَناياthe front teeth
فافتَضحنا ليلاً بِبرقٍ ثَنايا
هُhis فَهَلاَّso why not ثَناهُhe restrained it عنfrom لمَعانِهits flashing
هُ فَهَلاَّ ثَناهُ عن لمَعانِه
So we were exposed at night by the lightning of his teeth;
why did he not restrain its flashing?
خثوطُa bough (text corrupt) بانسof moringa (text corrupt) قدindeed أثمرَbore as fruit الحُسنَbeauty فلَلَباso frankincense… (reading uncertain)
خثوطُ بانس قد أثمرَ الحُسنَ فلَلَبا
نُ…(completes “frankincense”) غَداhas become يُعتزَىis ascribed إلىto خُوطِthe bough بَانِهof his moringa
نُ غَدا يُعتزَى إلى خُوطِ بَانِه
A moringa bough has borne beauty as fruit; so frankincense
is now traced back to the bough of his moringa.
واعذابيalas, my torment منfrom ريقِهِhis saliva العَذبِthe sweet رقَّتgrew delicate
واعذابي من ريقِهِ العَذبِ رقَّت
صَدَفٌshells للعقيقِof carnelian فوقَabove جُمانِهhis pearls
صَدَفٌ للعقيقِ فوقَ جُمانِه
Ah, my torment from his sweet saliva! How delicate
the carnelian shells above his pearls have grown!
غازَلتناflirted with us لِحاظُهhis glances فغنيناso we had no need
غازَلتنا لِحاظُه فغنينا
عنَof مَهاthe oryx المُنحنَىof the bend وَعَنand of غِزلانهِits gazelles
عنَ مَها المُنحنَى وَعَن غِزلانهِ
His glances flirted with us, leaving us no need
for the oryx of the bend, or its gazelles.
وَجَزعنَاand we suffered anguish بالجِزعِat the valley-bend مِنهُbecause of him وَلكنbut
وَجَزعنَا بالجِزعِ مِنهُ وَلكن
قَدindeed نَعمنَاwe enjoyed bliss بالوصلِin union فيin نَعمانِهhis Naʿman
قَد نَعمنَا بالوصلِ في نَعمانِه
We suffered anguish from him at the valley-bend, yet
we delighted in union in his Naʿman.
منwho عَذيريmy defender منagainst ذاthis الغِزالِgazelle وقَدand already نَمَّbetrayed
من عَذيري من ذا الغِزالِ وقَد نَمَّ
عليهِagainst him النَّمَّامُthe telltale aromatic herb منamong رَيحانِهhis basil
عليهِ النَّمَّامُ من رَيحانِه
Who will defend me against this gazelle, now that
the telltale herb among his basil has betrayed him?
وَمُعينٌand a helper صباًto a lovesick man بِدَمعٍwith tears مَعينٍever-flowing
وَمُعينٌ صباً بِدَمعٍ مَعينٍ
رَاحَhas become وَقَفاًwholly consecrated فيهِover him علىto أَحزانِهhis sorrows
رَاحَ وَقَفاً فيهِ على أَحزانِه
And who will aid a lovesick man with streaming tears,
now wholly consecrated to his sorrows over him?
جُلُّmost of ناريmy fire منfrom جُلنارِthe pomegranate blossom of خُدودٍcheeks
جُلُّ ناري من جُلنارِ خُدودٍ
نَفضتهُshook it off النُّهودُthe breasts منfrom رُمَّانِهhis pomegranates
نَفضتهُ النُّهودُ من رُمَّانِه
Most of my fire comes from the pomegranate blossom of cheeks,
which the breasts shook from his pomegranates.
هوhe إنسانُthe pupil مُقلَتيof my eye ماnot خَلتhas been empty مِنof
هو إنسانُ مُقلَتي ما خَلت مِن
هُhim وَقَلبيand my heart لمhas not يَخلُbeen empty منof إِنسانِهhis person
هُ وَقَلبي لم يَخلُ من إِنسانِه
He is the pupil of my eye, which has never been without
him; my heart has never been empty of his presence.