أَماطَتshe removed لِثاماًa face-veil وَأَبدَتand she revealed هِلالاًa crescent moon
أَماطَت لِثاماً وَأَبدَت هِلالاً
وَراشَتand she feathered نِبالاًarrows وَسَلَّتand she unsheathed نِصالاblades
وَراشَت نِبالاً وَسَلَّت نِصالا
She removed a face-veil and revealed a crescent moon,
She unveiled and revealed a crescent moon
and feathered arrows and unsheathed blades.
She adorned herself with arrows and donned swords
وَمَنَّتand she promised مُحالاًthe impossible وَغَنَّتand she sang مِطالاdelay
وَمَنَّت مُحالاً وَغَنَّت مِطالا
وَصَدَّتand she turned away مَلالاًboredom وَمَلَّتand she grew weary دِلالاcoquetry
وَصَدَّت مَلالاً وَمَلَّت دِلالا
And promised the impossible and sang of delay,
She granted wishes and sang praise
and turned away in boredom and grew weary out of coyness.
She warded off boredom and aroused passion
وَضَنَّتand she withheld her favor عَلىfrom مُدنِفٍa lovesick man لَمdid not تَدَعleave
وَضَنَّت عَلى مُدنِفٍ لَم تَدَع
فُنونُthe many forms الأَسىof grief مِنهُof him إِلّاexcept خَيالاa phantom
فُنونُ الأَسى مِنهُ إِلّا خَيالا
And withheld her favor from a lovesick man—nothing was left
She grieved for one who left nothing of the arts of sorrow but a mirage
of him by grief's many forms but a phantom.
His heart was too weak to endure ardor
أَباrefused قَلبُهُhis heart أَنto يُطيقَbear السُلُوَّforgetting love
أَبا قَلبُهُ أَن يُطيقَ السُلُوَّ
وَعَثرَتُهُand his stumble فيin الهَوىlove أَنto تُقالاbe pardoned
وَعَثرَتُهُ في الهَوى أَن تُقالا
His heart refused to bear forgetting,
And stumbling into love would be ruinous
and his stumble in love refused to be pardoned.
Alone in beauty, he desired and yearned like a gazelle
وَبِالجِزعِand at the valley bend مُنفَرِدٌone peerless بِالجَمالِin beauty
وَبِالجِزعِ مُنفَرِدٌ بِالجَمالِ
يَميسُhe sways gracefully قَضيباًa slender bough وَيَرنوand he gazes غَزالاa gazelle
يَميسُ قَضيباً وَيَرنو غَزالا
And at the valley bend is one peerless in beauty:
Their glances stirred hearts
he sways like a bough and gazes like a gazelle.
And they returned heavily burdened with captives
تُغيرُraid لَواحِظُهُhis glances فيinto القُلوبِthe hearts
تُغيرُ لَواحِظُهُ في القُلوبِ
فَتَرجِعُthen they return بِالسَبيِwith captives مِنهُfrom it ثِقالاladen
فَتَرجِعُ بِالسَبيِ مِنهُ ثِقالا
His glances raid hearts,
Proclaiming never to tire of passion
then return from there, laden with captives.
Yet not for the sands of carnelian was his fervor
كَثيرُmuch given to المَلالِweariness فَماso what بالُهُhis state
كَثيرُ المَلالِ فَما بالُهُ
عَلىaccording to زَعمِهِhis claim لاnot يَمَلُّhe tires of المَلالاweariness
عَلى زَعمِهِ لا يَمَلُّ المَلالا
He tires so often—why, then,
But for she who walked upon those sands
by his own account, does he never tire of tiring?
Nor that the dwellers of that region
وَماand not شَغَفيmy passion بِرِمالِfor the sands of العَقيقِal-ʿAqīq
وَما شَغَفي بِرِمالِ العَقيقِ
وَلَكِنbut بِمَنfor whoever حَلَّsettled تِلكَthose الرِمالاsands
وَلَكِن بِمَن حَلَّ تِلكَ الرِمالا
And my passion is not for the sands of al-ʿAqīq,
Should settle an unrelenting disease into my heart
but for those who settled on those sands.
They brought love to every cheek
وَلاnor أَنَّthat سُكّانَthe dwellers of ذاكَthat الجَنابquarter
وَلا أَنَّ سُكّانَ ذاكَ الجَناب
أَسكَنَّthey lodged قَلبيmy heart داءًan illness عُضالاincurable
أَسكَنَّ قَلبي داءً عُضالا
Nor is it that the dwellers of that quarter
And bequeathed sorrow to every heart
have lodged an incurable illness in my heart.
They adorned those cheeks with pearls
جَلَبنَthey brought لِكُلِّto every خَلِيٍّcarefree man هَوىًlove
جَلَبنَ لِكُلِّ خَلِيٍّ هَوىً
وَأَورَثنَand they bequeathed كُلَّevery فُؤادٍheart خَبالاmadness
وَأَورَثنَ كُلَّ فُؤادٍ خَبالا
They brought love to every carefree man,
And bestowed crescents on every blossoming youth
and bequeathed madness to every heart.
They veiled their beauty lest our eyes behold them
وَقَلَّدنَand they adorned بِالدُرِّwith pearls تِلكَthose اّلثُغورَmouths
وَقَلَّدنَ بِالدُرِّ تِلكَ اّلثُغورَ
وَحَمَّلنَand they made bear كُلَّevery قَضيبٍslender bough هِلالاa crescent moon
وَحَمَّلنَ كُلَّ قَضيبٍ هِلالا
And adorned those mouths with pearls,
And donned ornaments to conceal themselves
and made every bough bear a crescent moon.
They drew near and when they possessed our hearts
وَخِفنَand they feared عَلىfor الحُسنbeauty أَنlest يَستَتيهَlead astray
وَخِفنَ عَلى الحُسن أَن يَستَتيهَ
الحاظَناour glances فَاِتَّخَذنَso they chose الهِجالاcurtained chambers
الحاظَنا فَاِتَّخَذنَ الهِجالا
And feared for beauty, lest it lead astray
They ascended above the Pleiades like stars
our glances, so they took to curtained chambers.
Yet I did not doff the cloak of chastity in love
دَنونَthey drew near فَلَمّاthen when مَلَكنَthey possessed القُلوبَthe hearts
دَنونَ فَلَمّا مَلَكنَ القُلوبَ
أَصبَحنَthey became فَوقَabove الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades مَنالاin reach
أَصبَحنَ فَوقَ الثُرَيّا مَنالا
They drew near; then, when they possessed the hearts,
Until they donned their beauty
they became more unattainable than the Pleiades.
عَلىthough أَنَّنيthat I ماnot خَلَعتُI cast off العِذارَthe bridle
عَلى أَنَّني ما خَلَعتُ العِذارَ
فيin الحُبِّlove حَتّىuntil لَبِسنَthey donned الجَمالاbeauty
في الحُبِّ حَتّى لَبِسنَ الجَمالا
Yet I did not cast off the bridle
in love until they donned beauty.
Partial English translation: 25 of 28 Arabic lines translated.