لِمَنِto whom الدارُthe dwelling أَقفَرَتbecame deserted بِالجَنابِat al-Janab
لِمَنِ الدارُ أَقفَرَت بِالجَنابِ
غَيرَexcept نُؤيٍa drainage trench وَدِمنَةٍand a dung-darkened campsite trace كَالكِتابِlike writing
غَيرَ نُؤيٍ وَدِمنَةٍ كَالكِتابِ
Whose is the dwelling, deserted at al-Janab,
For whom is the house desolate with emptiness
save for a trench and a dung-darkened trace like writing?
Other than traces and ink stains like a book
غَيَّرَتهاchanged it الصَباthe east wind وَنَفحُand the gust جَنوبٍof a south wind
غَيَّرَتها الصَبا وَنَفحُ جَنوبٍ
وَشَمالٍand a north wind تَذروscatters دُقاقَfine particles التُرابِof dust
وَشَمالٍ تَذرو دُقاقَ التُرابِ
The east wind and a south wind's gust have changed it,
The breeze and southern wind changed it
and a north wind scattering fine dust.
And a north that sows the fragments of dust
فَتَراوَحنَهاso they visited it in turn وَكُلُّand every مُلِثٍّlingering rainstorm
فَتَراوَحنَها وَكُلُّ مُلِثٍّ
دائِمِunceasing الرَعدِthunder مُرجَحِنِّheavy and low-hanging السَحابِclouds
دائِمِ الرَعدِ مُرجَحِنِّ السَحابِ
So they swept over it in turn, along with every lingering rainstorm,
They took turns ventilating it while every filthy thing
ceaselessly thundering, its clouds heavy and low-hanging.
With continuous thunder and clouds tossing
أَوحَشَتgrew desolate بَعدَafter ضُمَّرٍlean steeds كَالسَعاليlike she-ghouls
أَوحَشَت بَعدَ ضُمَّرٍ كَالسَعالي
مِنfrom بَناتِdaughters الوَجيهِal-Wajih أَوor حَلّابِHallab
مِن بَناتِ الوَجيهِ أَو حَلّابِ
It grew desolate, bereft of lean steeds like she-ghouls,
It was deserted after the gathering like beasts of prey
daughters of al-Wajih or Hallab,
From the daughters of the dignitary or perfumer
وَمُراحٍand a livestock fold وَمُسرَحٍand a grazing ground وَحُلولٍand encamped folk
وَمُراحٍ وَمُسرَحٍ وَحُلولٍ
وَرَعابيبَand soft, graceful maidens كَالدُمىlike figurines وَقِبابِand domed tents
وَرَعابيبَ كَالدُمى وَقِبابِ
and a livestock fold, a grazing ground, and encamped folk,
And women departing and theaters and lodgings
and soft, graceful maidens like figurines, and domed tents,
And young maidens like ostriches and tents
وَكُهولٍand mature men ذَويpossessing نَدىًgenerosity وَحُلومٍand sound judgment
وَكُهولٍ ذَوي نَدىً وَحُلومٍ
وَشَبابٍand young men أَنجادِvaliant غُلبِthick الرِقابِnecks
وَشَبابٍ أَنجادِ غُلبِ الرِقابِ
and mature men of generosity and sound judgment,
And mature ones with dew and dimples
and valiant young men, thick of neck.
And youth with necks subdued by the yoke
هَيَّجَstirred الشَوقَlonging ليin me مَعارِفُfamiliar traces مِنهاof it
هَيَّجَ الشَوقَ لي مَعارِفُ مِنها
حينَwhen حَلَّsettled in المَشيبُgray hair دارَthe abode الشَبابِof youth
حينَ حَلَّ المَشيبُ دارَ الشَبابِ
Familiar traces of it stirred longing in me
The acquaintances from it provoked my longing
when gray hair settled in youth's abode.
When old age settled the house of youth
أَوطَنَتهاmade it their home عُفرُsand-colored الظِباءِgazelles وَكانَتand it was
أَوطَنَتها عُفرُ الظِباءِ وَكانَت
قَبلُformerly أَوطانَhomes بُدَّنٍfull-figured women أَترابِof like age
قَبلُ أَوطانَ بُدَّنٍ أَترابِ
Sand-colored gazelles have made it home, though it was
Wild donkeys made it their homeland though it was
formerly the home of full-figured women of like age,
Previously homelands of she-camels, flatlands
خُرَّدٍshy virgins بَينَهُنَّamong them خَودٌa lovely young woman سَبَتنيtook me captive
خُرَّدٍ بَينَهُنَّ خَودٌ سَبَتني
بِدَلالٍwith coquettish charm وَهَيَّجَتand she stirred أَطرابيmy raptures
بِدَلالٍ وَهَيَّجَت أَطرابي
shy virgins; among them a lovely young woman took me captive
Amongst them a cheek that captivated me
with coquettish charm, and stirred my raptures.
With coquetry and stirred my infatuation
صَعدَةٌa straight spear-shaft ماwhat عَلاrises above الحَقيبَةَthe haunches مِنهاof her
صَعدَةٌ ما عَلا الحَقيبَةَ مِنها
وَكَثيبٌand a sand dune ماwhat كانَwas تَحتَbeneath الحِقابِthe girdle
وَكَثيبٌ ما كانَ تَحتَ الحِقابِ
Above her haunches she is a straight spear-shaft,
A high dune beyond which there was no rise
and below her girdle, a dune of sand.
And a mound below which there was no descent
إِنَّناindeed we إِنَّماonly خُلِقناwe were created رُؤوساًheads
إِنَّنا إِنَّما خُلِقنا رُؤوساً
مَنwho يُسَوّيequates الرُؤوسَthe heads بِالأَذنابِwith the tails
مَن يُسَوّي الرُؤوسَ بِالأَذنابِ
Indeed, we were created only as heads;
We were only created as heads
who puts heads on a level with tails?
Who makes heads equal to tails
لاnot نَقيwe protect بِالأَحسابِwith ancestral honor مالاًwealth وَلَكِنbut
لا نَقي بِالأَحسابِ مالاً وَلَكِن
نَجعَلُwe make المالَwealth جُنَّةَa shield for الأَحسابِancestral honor
نَجعَلُ المالَ جُنَّةَ الأَحسابِ
We do not shield wealth with our ancestral honor; rather,
We do not hoard wealth by calculations but
we make wealth a shield for our ancestral honor.
Make wealth the wing that enables calculations
وَنَصُدُّand we repel الأَعداءَthe enemies عَنّاaway from us بِضَربٍwith blows
وَنَصُدُّ الأَعداءَ عَنّا بِضَربٍ
ذيpossessing خِذامٍsevering force وَطَعنِناand our thrusting بِالحِرابِwith spears
ذي خِذامٍ وَطَعنِنا بِالحِرابِ
And we drive enemies away from us with blows
And we fend off enemies with a strike
that sever, and with our spear-thrusts.
Of sharp swords and stabbing with spears
وَإِذاand when الخَيلُthe horses شَمَّرَتgalloped فيin سَناthe blaze of الحَرwar (continued next line)
وَإِذا الخَيلُ شَمَّرَت في سَنا الحَر
بِcompletion of 'war' وَصارَand became الغُبارُthe dust فَوقَabove الذُؤابِthe forelocks
بِ وَصارَ الغُبارُ فَوقَ الذُؤابِ
And when the horses galloped in the blaze of war,
And when the horses paw the ground in war
and the dust rose above the forelocks,
And the dust rises above the armor
وَاِستَجارَتand sought refuge بِناwith us الخُيولُthe horses عِجالاًin haste
وَاِستَجارَت بِنا الخُيولُ عِجالاً
مُثقَلاتِheavily laden المُتونِthe backs وَالأَصلابِand the loins
مُثقَلاتِ المُتونِ وَالأَصلابِ
and the horses sought refuge with us in haste,
The nimble horses seek refuge in us
their backs and loins heavily laden,
Heavy bellied and strong boned
مُصغِياتِinclining الخُدودِthe cheeks شُعثَdisheveled النَواصيthe forelocks
مُصغِياتِ الخُدودِ شُعثَ النَواصي
فيin شَماطيطِscattered bands غارَةٍa raid أَسرابِtroops
في شَماطيطِ غارَةٍ أَسرابِ
with cheeks inclined and forelocks disheveled,
With disheveled forelocks in the ribbons and straps
in scattered squadrons of a raid,
Of a raiding party of Arabs
مُسرِعاتٍracing كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were ضِراءٌtrained hunting hounds
مُسرِعاتٍ كَأَنَّهُنَّ ضِراءٌ
سَمِعَتheard صَوتَthe voice هاتِفٍa caller كَلّابِa hound-master
سَمِعَت صَوتَ هاتِفٍ كَلّابِ
racing as though they were hunting hounds
Galloping as if they were zebras
that heard a hound-master's shouted call,
That heard the cry of a pursuing hound
لاحِقاتِtucked up البُطونِthe bellies يَصهِلنَthey neigh فَخراًproudly
لاحِقاتِ البُطونِ يَصهِلنَ فَخراً
قَدalready حَوَينَthey have gathered النِهابَplunder بَعدَafter النِهابِplunder
قَد حَوَينَ النِهابَ بَعدَ النِهابِ
their bellies tucked up, neighing proudly,
Chasing the winds glorious in their flight
having gathered plunder after plunder.
After war cry follows war cry
Sol 6.1