هاجَstirred الفُؤادَthe heart ظَعائِنٌwomen traveling in litters
هاجَ الفُؤادَ ظَعائِنٌ
بِالجَزعِat the valley bend مِنfrom أَعلىthe upper part of الحَجونِal-Hajun
بِالجَزعِ مِن أَعلى الحَجونِ
Women in traveling litters stirred my heart,
The heart was stirred by yearning
at the valley bend of upper al-Hajun.
With intense grief from on high
يُحدىcamel-driving song is sung بِهِنَّfor them وَفيand among الظَعاthe traveling women (word begins)
يُحدى بِهِنَّ وَفي الظَعا
ئنِcompletion of 'traveling women' رَبرَبٌa herd of gazelles حورُwide and dark-pupilled العُيونِeyes
ئنِ رَبرَبٌ حورُ العُيونِ
They are urged onward with song; among the traveling
It is challenged by yearnings, and in yearnings murmurs the maid of languid eyes
women is a herd of gazelles with wide, dark eyes.
In them is the fascination of smooth cheeks and clear brow
فيهِنَّamong them طاوِيَةُslender الحَشاthe belly
فيهِنَّ طاوِيَةُ الحَشا
جَيداءُlong-necked واضِحَةُradiant الجَبينِthe brow
جَيداءُ واضِحَةُ الجَبينِ
Among them is one slender of waist,
White, bright whiteness
long-necked, with a radiant brow,
Like the lustrous pearl shell
بَيضاءُfair-skinned ناصِعَةُpure البَياضِwhiteness
بَيضاءُ ناصِعَةُ البَياضِ
كَدُرَّةِlike a pearl of الصَدَفِthe shell الكَنينِsheltered
كَدُرَّةِ الصَدَفِ الكَنينِ
fair-skinned, of purest whiteness,
Of high rank and house of glory, in lineage and faith
like a pearl in a sheltered shell.
Indeed, to kill is to be killed
فيin المَنصِبِrank العاليlofty وَبَيand a house (word begins)
في المَنصِبِ العالي وَبَي
تِcompletion of 'house' المَجدِglory فيin حَسَبٍlineage وَدينِand faith
تِ المَجدِ في حَسَبٍ وَدينِ
Of lofty rank, and of a house
By love, for the captive heart
of glory, in lineage and faith.
Love of the slain has settled her
إِنَّindeed القَتولَal-Qatul ('the slayer') تَقَتَّلَتplayed the coquette
إِنَّ القَتولَ تَقَتَّلَت
بِالدَلِّwith coy allure لِلقَلبِfor the heart الرَهينِcaptive
بِالدَلِّ لِلقَلبِ الرَهينِ
Indeed, al-Qatul has played the coquette,
In the heart, in the place of one who abides
with coy allure, for the captive heart.
So if the doves' leaves once
حُبُّlove for القَتولِal-Qatul أَحَلَّهاlodged her
حُبُّ القَتولِ أَحَلَّها
فيin القَلبِthe heart مَنزِلَةَthe station of المَكينِone firmly established
في القَلبِ مَنزِلَةَ المَكينِ
Love for al-Qatul has lodged her
Rustled on the branches
in the heart, in a place secure.
It reminded me of what I’d forgotten
فَإِذاso when تَجاوَبَanswered one another مَرَّةًonce
فَإِذا تَجاوَبَ مَرَّةً
وُرقُgray الحَمامِthe doves عَلىupon الغُصونِthe branches
وُرقُ الحَمامِ عَلى الغُصونِ
So when once they answer one another—
Of youthfulness after a while
the gray doves upon the branches—
Indeed, the sorrowful is roused
ذَكَّرنَنيthey reminded me ماwhat قَدhad نَسيforgot (verb stem)
ذَكَّرنَني ما قَد نَسي
تُI (verb ending) مِنَof الصَبابَةِpassionate longing بَعدَafter حينِa time
تُ مِنَ الصَبابَةِ بَعدَ حينِ
they remind me of what I had forgotten
After numbness, by the weeping of the sorrowful
of passionate longing, after a time.
The length of time hasn't made me forget
إِنَّindeed الحَزينَthe sorrowful one يَهيجُهُstirs him
إِنَّ الحَزينَ يَهيجُهُ
بَعدَafter الذُهولِforgetfulness بُكاweeping الحَزينِthe sorrowful one
بَعدَ الذُهولِ بُكا الحَزينِ
Indeed, the sorrowful one is stirred,
And what years may pass
after forgetfulness, by a sorrowful one's weeping.
Love of the slain, and she remains still
لَمnot (past negation) يُنسِنيmake me forget طولُthe length of الزَماtime (word begins)
لَم يُنسِني طولُ الزَما
نِcompletion of 'time' وَماand what يَمُرُّpasses مِنَof السِنينِthe years
نِ وَما يَمُرُّ مِنَ السِنينِ
Time's long span has not made me forget,
A passion for us, after death
nor the years that pass,
حُبَّlove for القَتولِal-Qatul وَلاand not تَزالُshe ceases
حُبَّ القَتولِ وَلا تَزالُ
هَوىًa beloved لَناfor us أُخرىto the very end of المَنونِtime; fate
هَوىً لَنا أُخرى المَنونِ
my love for al-Qatul; she will remain
our beloved to the very end of time.
Partial English translation: 21 of 24 Arabic lines translated.