عَقائلُnoblewomen الحيِّof the clan أمor سربُa herd المَهاof oryx سَنَحَاcame into view
عَقائلُ الحيِّ أم سربُ المَها سَنَحَا
أفْسَدْنَthey ruined ماwhat كانَhad been بالسّلوانthrough solace قدalready صَلَحَاmended
أفْسَدْنَ ما كانَ بالسّلوان قد صَلَحَا
The noble ladies of the tribe—or was it a herd of oryx that appeared?
Are these the clan's noblewomen, or a herd of oryx that has come into view?
They ruined what consolation had already set right.
They ruined what solace had already mended.
برَزْنthey emerged كالبانlike bān trees فيamong الكُثبانthe dunes حَاملةًbearing
برَزْن كالبان في الكُثبان حَاملةً
شَمساًa sun أضاءتْshone وليلاًand a night راكِداًmotionless جَنَحَاfell
شَمساً أضاءتْ وليلاً راكِداً جَنَحَا
They emerged like bān trees among the dunes, bearing
They emerged like bān trees among the dunes, bearing
a sun that shone and a motionless night that fell.
a sun that shone, and a motionless night that fell.
فاقتَدْنso they led بالحبِّwith love مَنwhoever أعطىyielded مقادَتَهhis reins
فاقتَدْن بالحبِّ مَن أعطى مقادَتَه
طوعاًwillingly ورُضْنَand they tamed بحسنِwith the beauty of الدّلِّcoquetry منwhoever جَمَحَاran wild
طوعاً ورُضْنَ بحسنِ الدّلِّ من جَمَحَا
Through love they led whoever willingly gave them his reins,
So with love they led whoever yielded his reins
and with graceful coquetry tamed whoever ran wild.
willingly, and with graceful coquetry tamed whoever ran wild.
منamong كلِّevery غيدَاءَa supple woman مِكسالٍlanguorous إذاwhen انتبهَتshe awoke
من كلِّ غيدَاءَ مِكسالٍ إذا انتبهَت
تنَفَّستْshe breathed عنforth نسيمthe breeze الرَّوضِof the garden إذْwhen نَفَحَاit wafted
تنَفَّستْ عن نسيم الرَّوضِ إذْ نَفَحَا
Each one a languid, graceful beauty who, upon waking,
Each a supple, languorous woman who, when she awoke,
breathed forth the garden’s breeze as it wafted.
breathed forth the garden's breeze as it wafted.
كانتshe was مُنَىdesires النّفسِof the soul لولاwere it not for واعظٌan admonisher لَسِنٌeloquent
كانت مُنَى النّفسِ لولا واعظٌ لَسِنٌ
للشّيبof gray hair أسمعَنيmade me hear ناهيهِits forbidding voice إذwhen نَصَحَاit counseled
للشّيب أسمعَني ناهيهِ إذ نَصَحَا
She would have been the soul’s desire, but for an eloquent admonisher
She would have been all my soul desired, but for an eloquent admonisher—
speaking for gray hair; when it counseled, I heard its warning.
gray hair's forbidding voice, which made me listen as it counseled.
