أَلاah! عُلِّقَbecame attached to القَلبُthe heart المُتَيَّمُlove-enslaved كَلثَماKaltham
أَلا عُلِّقَ القَلبُ المُتَيَّمُ كَلثَما
لَجاجاًobstinately وَلَمand did not يَلزَمhold fast to مِنَof الحُبِّlove مَلزَماa firm hold
لَجاجاً وَلَم يَلزَم مِنَ الحُبِّ مَلزَما
Ah, the lovesick heart has become bound to Kaltham,
Alas! My lonely heart clung closely, obstinately,
Obstinately, though it has found no firm hold in love.
Yet did not commit itself to lasting love.
خَرَجتُI set out بَهاon her مِنfrom بَطنِthe valley of مَكَّةَMecca بَعدَماafter
خَرَجتُ بَها مِن بَطنِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما
أَصاتَcalled out المُناديthe caller بِالصَلاةِfor prayer فَأَعتَماthen entered nightfall
أَصاتَ المُنادي بِالصَلاةِ فَأَعتَما
I set out on her from Mecca's valley, after
With her I left Mecca's valley after dusk prayers
The caller cried out for prayer as night grew dark.
When darkness filled the mosque and it grew dim.
فَماso no نامَslept مِنany داعٍcaller وَلاnor اِرتَدَّreturned سامِرٌevening talker مِfrom (first part)
فَما نامَ مِن داعٍ وَلا اِرتَدَّ سامِرٌ مِ
نَfrom (completion) اللَيلِthe night حَتّىuntil جاوَزَتshe passed beyond بيwith me يَلَملَماYalamlam
نَ اللَيلِ حَتّى جاوَزَت بي يَلَملَما
No caller had slept, nor had any evening talker gone home
No late worshipper remained, no straggler lingered there
That night, until she carried me beyond Yalamlam.
Through the long night until the darkness thinned.
وَمَرَّتand she passed بِبَطنِthrough the valley of اللَيثِal-Layth تَهوىrushing كَأَنَّهاas though she
وَمَرَّت بِبَطنِ اللَيثِ تَهوى كَأَنَّها
تُبادِرshe hastens toward بِالإِصباحِat daybreak نَهباًplunder مُقَسَّماbeing apportioned
تُبادِر بِالإِصباحِ نَهباً مُقَسَّما
And she sped through al-Layth's valley, as though
Past Leith's steep valley the camels sped as though
She raced at dawn toward plunder being shared out.
They rushed to gain a share of morning spoil.
أَجازَتshe crossed عَلىover البَزواءِal-Bazwa وَاللَيلُwhile the night كاسِرٌwas folding
أَجازَت عَلى البَزواءِ وَاللَيلُ كاسِرٌ
جَناحَيهِits two wings بِالبَزواءِover al-Bazwa وَرداrosy وَأَدهَماand black
جَناحَيهِ بِالبَزواءِ وَردا وَأَدهَما
She crossed al-Bazwa while the night was folding
They crossed Bazwa's valley while the night spread wings
Its wings over al-Bazwa—one rosy, one black.
Over Bazwa, halting there to rest awhile.
وَمَرَّتand she passed عَلىby أَشَّطانِthe well-ropes of رَوقَةَRawqa بِالضُحىin the forenoon
وَمَرَّت عَلى أَشَّطانِ رَوقَةَ بِالضُحى
فَماso not جَرَّرَتshe drew لِلماءِtoward the water عَيناًan eye وَلاnor فَماa mouth
فَما جَرَّرَت لِلماءِ عَيناً وَلا فَما
And at forenoon she passed the well-ropes of Rawqa,
They passed by Ashshan of Rauqah at dawn, no lip
Turning neither eye nor mouth toward the water.
Or eye sought water in the morning light.
فَماso not ذَرَّrose قَرنُthe horn of الشَمسِthe sun حَتّىuntil تَبَيَّنَتshe discerned
فَما ذَرَّ قَرنُ الشَمسِ حَتّى تَبَيَّنَت
بِعلبَتat Albat مَخلاًa grassy pasture مُشرِقاًbright وَمُخَيَّماand a camping ground
بِعلبَت مَخلاً مُشرِقاً وَمُخَيَّما
The sun's horn had scarcely risen when she made out
Scarce had the sun's first rays appeared when ahead
At Albat, a bright pasture and a camping ground.
Loomed Aleppo's plain, radiant, decked in white.
وَماand not شَرِبَتshe drank حَتّىuntil ثَنَيتُI turned زِمامَهاher rein
وَما شَرِبَت حَتّى ثَنَيتُ زِمامَها
وَخِفتُand I feared عَلَيهاfor her أَنthat نَجُنَّwe go mad وَتُكلَماand she be wounded
وَخِفتُ عَلَيها أَن نَجُنَّ وَتُكلَما
And she did not drink until I turned her rein,
No drinking-stop before, however thirsty, till
And I feared for her, lest we go mad and she be wounded.
I turned the camels, fearing we might fail,
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her قَدindeed تِعتِyou have sped غَيرَnot ذَميمَةٍblameworthy
فَقُلتُ لَها قَد تِعتِ غَيرَ ذَميمَةٍ
وَأَصبَحَand dawned واديthe valley of البِركِal-Birk غَيثاًrain مُدَيَّماunceasing
وَأَصبَحَ وادي البِركِ غَيثاً مُدَيَّما
So I told her, 'You have sped along, without reproach.'
And said: "You could outstrip a less fine she-camel,
And the valley of al-Birk dawned awash with steady rain.
And Wadi Birk this morning wears a veil."
Sol 6.1