أَصَحَوتَhave you sobered up? عَنfrom أُمِّmother of; Umm البَنيal-Banin, 'the sons' (first part)
أَصَحَوتَ عَن أُمِّ البَني
نَcompletion of al-Banin وَذِكرِهاand remembering her وَعَنائِهاand the anguish she brings
نَ وَذِكرِها وَعَنائِها
Have you sobered from your love of Umm al-Banin,
You have awoken from the Mother of Boys,
and from remembering her and the anguish she brings?
Her mention, her care, and her troubles,
وَهَجَرتَهاand you forsook her هَجرَwith the abandonment of اِمرِئٍa man
وَهَجَرتَها هَجرَ اِمرِئٍ
لَمdid not يَقلُdespise صَفوَthe purity of صَفائِهاher affection
لَم يَقلُ صَفوَ صَفائِها
And have you forsaken her like a man
And you have abandoned her with the abandonment of a man
who did not despise her pure affection?
Who did not say the choicest of her purity,
قُرَشِيَّةٌa woman of Quraysh كَالشَمسِlike the sun أَشbeginning of 'shone'
قُرَشِيَّةٌ كَالشَمسِ أَش
رَقَcompletion of 'shone' نورُهاher light بِبَهائِهاwith her splendor
رَقَ نورُها بِبَهائِها
A woman of Quraysh, like the sun—
A Qurashi woman, like the sun the light
her light shone with her splendor.
Of which shone with its splendor,
زادَتshe surpassed عَلىover البيضِthe fair-skinned women الحِساbeginning of 'beautiful'
زادَت عَلى البيضِ الحِسا
نِcompletion of 'beautiful' بِحُسنِهاin her beauty وَنَقائِهاand her purity
نِ بِحُسنِها وَنَقائِها
She surpassed the fair-skinned beauties
She surpassed white silk in her beauty and purity
in her beauty and purity.
When she donned herself for the youth and was content with her gown,
لَمّاwhen اِسبَكَرَّتshe grew tall and straight لِلشَباinto youth (first part)
لَمّا اِسبَكَرَّت لِلشَبا
بِcompletion of 'youth' وَقُنِعَتand she was veiled بِرِدائِهاin her cloak
بِ وَقُنِعَت بِرِدائِها
When she grew tall and straight in youth
She did not look back at her possessions,
and was veiled in her cloak,
And went on in her infatuation,
لَمdid not تَلتَفِتturn toward لِلِداتِهاto her female peers
لَم تَلتَفِت لِلِداتِها
وَمَضَتand she went on عَلىin غُلَوائِهاher youthful pride
وَمَضَت عَلى غُلَوائِها
she paid no heed to her peers
If it were not for love of the Mother of Boys,
and went on in her youthful pride.
And my need to meet her,
لَولاwere it not for هَوىlove of أُمِّmother of; Umm البَنيal-Banin, 'the sons' (first part)
لَولا هَوى أُمِّ البَني
نَcompletion of al-Banin وَحاجَتيand my need لِلِقائِهاto meet her
نَ وَحاجَتي لِلِقائِها
Were it not for my love of Umm al-Banin
A racing camel would have been brought near for me
and my need to meet her,
Imprisoned for its quickness.
قَدalready قُرِّبَتwas brought near ليto me بَغلَةٌa she-mule
قَد قُرِّبَت لي بَغلَةٌ
مَحبوسَةٌkept in reserve لِنَجائِهاfor her speed
مَحبوسَةٌ لِنَجائِها
a she-mule would already have been brought to me,
kept in reserve for her speed.
Partial English translation: 14 of 16 Arabic lines translated.