ذَكَرَremembered القَلبُthe heart ذُكرَةًa remembrance أُمَّUmm (mother of) زَيدٍZayd
ذَكَرَ القَلبُ ذُكرَةً أُمَّ زَيدٍ
وَالمَطاياand the riding camels بِالسَهبِon the plain سَهبِthe plain of الرِكابِal-Rikab
وَالمَطايا بِالسَهبِ سَهبِ الرِكابِ
The heart recalled a memory of Umm Zayd,
while the riding camels were on the plain—the plain of al-Rikab.
فَاِستُجِنَّso was driven mad الفُؤادُthe heart شَوقاًwith longing وَهاجَand roused الthe
فَاِستُجِنَّ الفُؤادُ شَوقاً وَهاجَ ال
شَوقُlonging حُزناًgrief لِقَلبِكَin your heart المِطرابِeasily moved to passion
شَوقُ حُزناً لِقَلبِكَ المِطرابِ
So the heart was maddened by longing, and
longing roused grief in your impassioned heart.
وَبِذيand at Dhu الأَثلِal-Athl (tamarisks) مِنfrom دُوَينِjust this side of تَبوكٍTabuk
وَبِذي الأَثلِ مِن دُوَينِ تَبوكٍ
أَرَّقَتناshe kept us awake وَلَيلَةَand on the night of الأَخرابِal-Akhrab
أَرَّقَتنا وَلَيلَةَ الأَخرابِ
And at Dhu al-Athl, just this side of Tabuk,
she kept us awake, and also on the night at al-Akhrab.
وَبِعَمّانَand at Amman طافَcame visiting مِنهاof her خَيالٌa phantom
وَبِعَمّانَ طافَ مِنها خَيالٌ
قُلتُI said أَهلاًwelcome بِطَيفِهاto her phantom المُنتابِreturning repeatedly
قُلتُ أَهلاً بِطَيفِها المُنتابِ
And at Amman a phantom of her came visiting;
I said, “Welcome to her returning phantom!”
هَجَرَتهُshe forsook him وَقَرَّبَتهُand drew him close بِوَعدٍwith a promise
هَجَرَتهُ وَقَرَّبَتهُ بِوَعدٍ
وَتَجَنّىand feigned offence لِهِجرَتيto shun me وَاِجتِنابيand avoid me
وَتَجَنّى لِهِجرَتي وَاِجتِنابي
She forsook him and drew him close with a promise,
and feigned offence to shun and avoid me.
فَلَقَدfor indeed أُخرِجُI bring out الأَوانِسَthe maidens كَالحُوlike dusky gazelles (continued)
فَلَقَد أُخرِجُ الأَوانِسَ كَالحُو
وِcompletion of “gazelles” بُعَيدَshortly after الكَرىsleep أَمامَin front of القِبابِthe domed tents
وِ بُعَيدَ الكَرى أَمامَ القِبابِ
Indeed, I bring out the maidens, like dusky gazelles,
shortly after sleep, before the pavilions.
ثُمَّthen أَلهوI dally بِنِسوَةٍwith women خَفِراتٍbashful
ثُمَّ أَلهو بِنِسوَةٍ خَفِراتٍ
بُدَّنِfull-bodied الخَلقِin build رُدَّحٍbroad-hipped أَترابِof equal age
بُدَّنِ الخَلقِ رُدَّحٍ أَترابِ
Then I dally with bashful women,
full-bodied, broad-hipped, alike in age.
بِتُّI spent the night فيin نِعمَةٍbliss وَباتَتand was all night وِساديmy pillow
بِتُّ في نِعمَةٍ وَباتَت وِسادي
ثِنيُthe fold of كَفٍّa hand حَديثَةٍfreshly adorned بِخِضابِwith henna
ثِنيُ كَفٍّ حَديثَةٍ بِخِضابِ
I spent the night in bliss, and my pillow was
a folded hand, freshly stained with henna.
ثُمَّthen قُمناwe rose لَمّاwhen تَجَلّىshone forth لَناto us الصُبthe dawn (continued)
ثُمَّ قُمنا لَمّا تَجَلّى لَنا الصُب
حُcompletion of “dawn” نُعَفّيwe erase أَثارَناour tracks بِالتُرابِwith dust
حُ نُعَفّي أَثارَنا بِالتُرابِ
Then we rose when dawn broke before us,
erasing our tracks with dust.