ركبcaravan الاحبةthe loved ones ضحوةat midmorning
ركب الاحبة ضحوة
ياO! للعشيرةto the clan (calling for help) سائرdeparting
يا للعشيرة سائر
At midmorning the loved ones’ caravan
is departing—O clansmen!
جدhastened المسيرthe journey كأنهas though it were
جد المسير كأنه
والهفalas for قلبيmy heart طائرa bird
والهف قلبي طائر
It sped on its journey, as though—
alas for my heart!—it were a bird.
اخلىemptied الربوعthe dwellings تقولyou would say لمnot (past-tense negation)
اخلى الربوع تقول لم
يسمرconverse by night بوجرةat Wajra سامرa night-time talker
يسمر بوجرة سامر
It emptied the dwellings; you would say no one
had ever talked by night at Wajra.
غنىsang لهto it الحاديthe camel-driver فاضand became (first part)
غنى له الحادي فاض
حىbecame (completion) للقلوبto the hearts يسامرconverses by night
حى للقلوب يسامر
The camel-driver sang to it, and became
a companion to hearts in nightly converse.
رفقاgently! احاديهO its camel-driver فهاfor here is
رفقا احاديه فها
قلبيmy heart بأثركin your wake سائرtravelling
قلبي بأثرك سائر
Gently, O its camel-driver! For here is
my heart, travelling in your wake.
ارحمhave mercy on دموعاtears عندهاbefore them
ارحم دموعا عندها
خجلwas ashamed السحابthe clouds الماطرrain-bearing
خجل السحاب الماطر
Have mercy on tears before which
the rain-bearing clouds stood ashamed.
تجرىflow يرقsoftens لهاfor them الحديiron (first part)
تجرى يرق لها الحدي
دiron (completion) وانتand you حادa camel-driver جائرunjust
د وانت حاد جائر
They flow; even iron softens for them,
yet you are a cruel camel-driver.
انظرlook مررتyou passed وكمand how many; how often لاجfor the sake of (first part)
انظر مررت وكم لاج
لfor the sake of (completion) الركبthe caravan شقwere torn مرائرgallbladders (figuratively, hearts)
ل الركب شق مرائر
Look—you have passed; how often, for
the caravan’s sake, have gallbladders been rent!
للهto God! (in admiration) منwhat a (emphatic) ركبcaravan بهwithin it
لله من ركب به
بدريmy full moon المنيرthe luminous الزاهرthe radiant
بدري المنير الزاهر
By God, what a caravan! Within it is
my luminous, radiant full moon.
بدرa full moon عليهover him منof الجلاmajesty (first part)
بدر عليه من الجلا
لmajesty (completion) سجائفveils وستائرand curtains
ل سجائف وستائر
A full moon draped in majesty’s
veils and curtains.
وبطرزand with embroidered patterns آياتsigns الجماbeauty (first part)
وبطرز آيات الجما
لbeauty (completion) ببرجin a constellation لطفgrace ظاهرmanifest
ل ببرج لطف ظاهر
And, decked in embroidered signs of beauty,
he appears in a constellation of grace.
يزهوglories بامراطin robes الدلاcoquetry (first part)
يزهو بامراط الدلا
لcoquetry (completion) وفيهand in him عقليmy mind حائرbewildered
ل وفيه عقلي حائر
He glories in the robes of coquetry,
and my mind is bewildered by him.
اناI صابرpatient ايداever (likely intended: أبداً) عليwith (continued)
انا صابر ايدا علي
هhim وعنهand apart from him ماnot اناI صابرpatient
ه وعنه ما انا صابر
I am ever patient with
him, but without him I cannot be patient.
ياO يوسفىmy Joseph يعقوبJacob قلheart (first part)
يا يوسفى يعقوب قل
بيmy heart (completion) غائبabsent بكthrough you حاضرpresent
بي غائب بك حاضر
O my Joseph, my heart’s Jacob
is absent, yet through you is present.
ارسلsend قميصكyour shirt انif هجرforsake (verb stem)
ارسل قميصك ان هجر
تyou (verb ending) ففيfor in القميصthe shirt بشائرglad tidings
ت ففي القميص بشائر
Send your shirt if you forsake me,
for in the shirt are glad tidings.
هامهجتيbehold my heart اسودتhas blackened اجلyes
هامهجتي اسودت اجل
وابيضand has whitened منيof me الناظرthe eye
وابيض مني الناظر
Behold, my heart has blackened—yes,
and my eye has turned white.
فعسىso perhaps بريحكthrough your scent ينجليwill clear
فعسى بريحك ينجلي
بصريmy sight ويصفوand grows serene الخاطرthe mind
بصري ويصفو الخاطر
May your scent, then, clear
my sight, and may my mind grow serene.
Sol 6.1