ويليwoe is me علىfor منhim who لمnot (past negation) يُطِقْbe able to bear
ويلي على من لم يُطِقْ
خَصْرَاهhis two flanks حَمْلَbearing روادِفِهْhis buttocks
خَصْرَاه حَمْلَ روادِفِهْ
Woe is me for him: too weak
Woe to him who cannot bear
are his two flanks to bear the weight of his buttocks.
The burden of his companions upon him,
وشكَتْand complained شقائقُanemones وَجْنَتَيْtwo cheeks
وشكَتْ شقائقُ وَجْنَتَيْ
هِhis إليهto him حَمْلَbearing سوالفهhis sidelocks
هِ إليه حَمْلَ سوالفه
And the anemones of his cheeks complained
And my cheeks complained
to him of the burden of his sidelocks.
Of the burden of his words upon me.
رَشَأٌa young gazelle إذاwhen لبِسdonned المطاthe fine cloaks (first word fragment)
رَشَأٌ إذا لبِس المطا
رِفِcompletion of ‘fine cloaks’ ذابَmelted بينamid مطارِفِهْhis fine cloaks
رِفِ ذابَ بين مطارِفِهْ
A young gazelle: when he dons fine cloaks,
A young man in fine clothes
he melts away amid his cloaks.
Melts among the other finely dressed.
وإذاand when تضاعفredoubled لحظهhis glance
وإذا تضاعف لحظه
فالموتthen death حشوthe filling of تضاعُفِهits redoubling
فالموت حشو تضاعُفِه
And when his glance redoubles,
And when his gaze is doubled,
death fills its redoubling.
Death fills his doubling.