لِمَنِwhose الدِيارُthe dwellings بِصاحَةٍat Ṣāḥa فَحَروسِand Ḥarūs
لِمَنِ الدِيارُ بِصاحَةٍ فَحَروسِ
دَرَسَتwere effaced مِنَby الإِقفارِdesolation أَيَّutter دُروسِeffacement
دَرَسَت مِنَ الإِقفارِ أَيَّ دُروسِ
Whose are the dwellings at Ṣāḥa and Ḥarūs?
For whom are the abodes in Sahah desolate, what lessons have they learned from the wilderness?
Desolation has worn them away—utterly worn away,
Save for ruins, as if their features were depicted by the pen of creation in an erased parchment.
إِلّاexcept أَوارِيّاًtethering places كَأَنَّas though رُسومَهاtheir traces
إِلّا أَوارِيّاً كَأَنَّ رُسومَها
فيon مُهرَقٍa writing sheet خَلَقِworn الدَواةِthe inkwell لَبيسِmuch-used
في مُهرَقٍ خَلَقِ الدَواةِ لَبيسِ
save tethering places, whose traces seem to lie
An abode for Fatimah in the fullness of spring, it halted on the lofty plateau of many peaks.
on an old, ink-worn writing sheet.
Her days of neglect, even if you do not find them bent with the worst of illnesses, the illness of decay.
دارٌa dwelling لِفاطِمَةَbelonging to Fāṭima الرَبيعَin spring بِغَمرَةٍat Ghamra
دارٌ لِفاطِمَةَ الرَبيعَ بِغَمرَةٍ
فَقَفاand behind شَرافِSharāf فَهَضبِand the heights of ذاتِDhāt رُؤوسِRuʾūs
فَقَفا شَرافِ فَهَضبِ ذاتِ رُؤوسِ
A home of Fāṭima's in spring, at Ghamra,
And your morning raid, O gentle, pure raider, with white, gazelle-like steeds like the white-tailed bucks.
and behind Sharāf, and on the heights of Dhāt Ruʾūs,
Her cheek is soft-skinned as if it were a cloak that grew amidst tender sprouts.
أَزمانَin the days of غَفلَتِهاher heedlessness وَإِنand even if لَمnot تَجدُهاyou find her
أَزمانَ غَفلَتِها وَإِن لَم تَجدُها
نَكساًa relapse وَشَرُّand the worst الداءِdisease داءُa disease of نُكوسِrelapse
نَكساً وَشَرُّ الداءِ داءُ نُكوسِ
in her carefree days, though you did not find her
Will you not forget her love with mighty endurance, and the shelter of wet clay and palms?
a recurring affliction—and the worst disease is one that relapses.
Spring has raised its banners, so it thrived, and followed its sprouts with branches.
وَسَبَتكَand captivated you ناعِمَةٌa delicate woman صَفِيُّthe choicest of نَواعِمٍdelicate women
وَسَبَتكَ ناعِمَةٌ صَفِيُّ نَواعِمٍ
بيضٍfair-skinned غَرائِرَguileless كَالظِباءِlike gazelles العيسِpale
بيضٍ غَرائِرَ كَالظِباءِ العيسِ
A delicate woman captivated you, the choicest of delicate women,
So it seems to waver when loosed, and peck its rods, striking them with its lips.
fair and guileless, like pale gazelles.
I have wasted its vitality and bent its banners by traveling after an evil separation.
خَودٌa lovely young woman مُبَتَّلَةُfinely formed العِظامِin bone كَأَنَّهاas though she were
خَودٌ مُبَتَّلَةُ العِظامِ كَأَنَّها
بَردِيَّةٌa papyrus stalk نَبَتَتgrew خِلالَamong غُروسِplanted trees
بَردِيَّةٌ نَبَتَت خِلالَ غُروسِ
A lovely young woman, finely formed in limb, as though she were
And the commander of the cavalry whom I disobeyed with a bare, galloping, smooth mare.
a papyrus stalk growing among planted trees.
She was created on meadows, and her intelligence was perfected, and ingenuity worked wonders in her.
أَفَلاwill you then not تُناسيmake yourself forget حُبَّهاlove for her بِجُلالَةٍwith a massive she-camel
أَفَلا تُناسي حُبَّها بِجُلالَةٍ
وَجناءَstout-cheeked كَالأُجُمِlike a fortress المَطينِclay-plastered وَلوسِswift-striding
وَجناءَ كَالأُجُمِ المَطينِ وَلوسِ
Will you not forget your love for her with a massive she-camel,
And when she is exhausted and her drinking from the water trough decreases, and she becomes slippery in persistence,
stout-cheeked, swift-striding, like a clay-plastered fortress?
She removes sins from the middle of her path - the association of competitors while she is no sun.
رَفَعَraised المَرادُgrazing مِنَfrom الرَبيعِspring سَنامَهاher hump
رَفَعَ المَرادُ مِنَ الرَبيعِ سَنامَها
فَنَوَتso she grew fat وَأَردَفَand followed نابَهاher canine tooth لِسَديسِafter the sixth tooth
فَنَوَت وَأَردَفَ نابَها لِسَديسِ
Spring grazing raised her hump,
When you face her, it is as if she has withered but is not shrivelled.
so she grew fat, and her canine followed the sixth tooth.
And when you turn away from her, she is like a yellow flask with a neck.
فَكَأَنَّماso it is as though تَحنوshe bends down إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis أُرسِلَتshe is let loose
فَكَأَنَّما تَحنو إِذا ما أُرسِلَت
عودَthe wood of العِضاهِthorn trees وَدِقَّهُand its fine twigs بِفُؤوسِwith axes
عودَ العِضاهِ وَدِقَّهُ بِفُؤوسِ
As though, whenever she is let loose, she bends down
And if we dye her, her dye does not dry out, as if her blessing is an abundant wedding.
the thick wood and fine twigs of thorn trees with axes.
And if we unleash her to the enemy, the closest columns will plunder her.
أَفنَيتُI exhausted بَهجَتَهاher beauty وَنِيَّand the fat of سَنامِهاher hump
أَفنَيتُ بَهجَتَها وَنِيَّ سَنامِها
بِالرَحلِwith the saddle بَعدَafter مَخيلَةٍswagger وَشَريسِand obstinacy
بِالرَحلِ بَعدَ مَخيلَةٍ وَشَريسِ
I exhausted her beauty and the fat of her hump
This one carries me, white with sword drawn, engaged in known, frequented battles,
with the saddle, after her swagger and obstinacy.
On a day of protective peace, like a lion that is not fed with prey,
وَأَميرِand a commander of خَيلٍhorsemen قَدindeed عَصَيتُI defied بِنَهدَةٍon a robust mare
وَأَميرِ خَيلٍ قَد عَصَيتُ بِنَهدَةٍ
جَرداءَsleek-coated خاظِيَةِmuscular السَراةِalong the back جَلوسِtall
جَرداءَ خاظِيَةِ السَراةِ جَلوسِ
Many a commander of horsemen I have defied on a robust mare,
And the clan of Khuzaymah know that we are among their best in fortune and misery.
sleek-coated, muscular along the back, standing tall.
We mourn their enemy, and our ram butts for them, and the butting is not weak.
خُلِقَتshe was fashioned عَلىupon عُسُبٍpalm ribs وَتَمَّand reached completion ذَكائُهاher maturity
خُلِقَت عَلى عُسُبٍ وَتَمَّ ذَكائُها
وَاِحتالَand worked artfully فيهاupon her الصَنعُthe skilled maker غَيرَnot نَحيسِill-omened
وَاِحتالَ فيها الصَنعُ غَيرَ نَحيسِ
She was built upon palm-rib limbs and attained full maturity,
and the skilled maker worked artfully upon her, with no ill omen.
وَإِذاand when جُهِدنَthey are exhausted وَقَلَّand grows scant مَصُّsipping نِطافِهاtheir scant water
وَإِذا جُهِدنَ وَقَلَّ مَصُّ نِطافِها
وَصَلَقنَand they neigh فيin دَيمومَةٍa wilderness إِمليسِsmooth and barren
وَصَلَقنَ في دَيمومَةٍ إِمليسِ
When the mares are exhausted and their sips of water grow scant,
and they neigh in a smooth, barren wilderness,
تَنفيshe scatters الأَواثِمَstumbling stones عَنfrom سَواءِthe midst of سَبيلِهاher path
تَنفي الأَواثِمَ عَن سَواءِ سَبيلِها
شَرَكَthe snares of الأَحِزَّةِrugged ground وَهيَand she غَيرُis not شَموسِrestive
شَرَكَ الأَحِزَّةِ وَهيَ غَيرُ شَموسِ
she sweeps stumbling stones from the midst of her path,
the snares of rugged ground, yet she is not restive.
أَمّاas for إِذاwhen اِستَقبَلتَهاyou face her فَكَأَنَّهاthen she is as though
أَمّا إِذا اِستَقبَلتَها فَكَأَنَّها
ذَبُلَتgrown slender مِنَof الهِندِيِّIndian cane غَيرَwithout يَبوسِdry stiffness
ذَبُلَت مِنَ الهِندِيِّ غَيرَ يَبوسِ
When you face her head-on, she seems
slender as Indian cane, yet not dried stiff.
أَمّاas for إِذاwhen اِستَدبَرتَهاyou view her from behind فَكَأَنَّهاthen she is as though
أَمّا إِذا اِستَدبَرتَها فَكَأَنَّها
قارورَةٌa flask صَفراءُyellow ذاتُwith كَبيسِa packed filling
قارورَةٌ صَفراءُ ذاتُ كَبيسِ
But when you look at her from behind, she seems
a yellow flask, packed full.
وَإِذاand when اِقتَنَصناwe hunt لاnot يَجِفُّdries خِضابُهاher dye
وَإِذا اِقتَنَصنا لا يَجِفُّ خِضابُها
وَكَأَنَّand as though بِركَتَهاher breast مَداكُa perfume-grinding stone عَروسِa bride's
وَكَأَنَّ بِركَتَها مَداكُ عَروسِ
When we hunt, her dye never dries,
and her breast is like a bride's perfume-grinding stone.
وَإِذاand when دَفَعناwe press forward لِلحِراجِtoward the thickets فَنَهبُهاthen her booty
وَإِذا دَفَعنا لِلحِراجِ فَنَهبُها
أَدنىthe nearest of سَوامِgrazing beasts الجامِلِthe camel herd المَحلوسِsaddle-blanketed
أَدنى سَوامِ الجامِلِ المَحلوسِ
When we press toward the thickets, her booty is
the nearest grazing camels of the saddle-blanketed herd.
هاتيكَthat mare تَحمِلُنيcarries me وَأَبيَضَand a bright sword صارِماًkeen-cutting
هاتيكَ تَحمِلُني وَأَبيَضَ صارِماً
وَمُحَرَّباًand a battle-tested spearhead فيin مارِنٍa supple shaft مَخموسِfive cubits long
وَمُحَرَّباً في مارِنٍ مَخموسِ
That mare carries me and a bright, keen-cutting sword,
and a battle-tested spearhead in a supple, five-cubit shaft,
فيamong أُسرَةٍclansmen يَومَon the day of الحِفاظِdefending honor مَصالِتٍwarriors with drawn swords
في أُسرَةٍ يَومَ الحِفاظِ مَصالِتٍ
كَالأُسدِlike lions لاnot يُنمىis reported لَهاto them بِفَريسِof slain quarry
كَالأُسدِ لا يُنمى لَها بِفَريسِ
among clansmen with swords drawn on the day of honor's defense,
like lions, to whom no slain quarry is reported.
وَبَنوand the sons of خُزَيمَةَKhuzayma يَعلَمونَknow بِأَنَّناthat we
وَبَنو خُزَيمَةَ يَعلَمونَ بِأَنَّنا
مِنamong خَيرِهِمtheir best فيin غِبطَةٍprosperity وَبَئيسِand hardship
مِن خَيرِهِم في غِبطَةٍ وَبَئيسِ
The sons of Khuzayma know that we
are among their best in prosperity and hardship.
نُبكيwe make weep عَدُوَّهُمُtheir enemy وَيَنطَحُand butts كَبشُناour ram
نُبكي عَدُوَّهُمُ وَيَنطَحُ كَبشُنا
لَهُمُon their behalf وَلَيسَand is not النَطحُthe butting بِالمَوموسِat all feeble
لَهُمُ وَلَيسَ النَطحُ بِالمَوموسِ
We make their enemy weep, and our ram butts
on their behalf—and the butting is not feeble.
Partial English translation: 22 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1