أَساءَلتَHave you questioned رَسمَthe traces of الدارِthe dwelling أَمor لَمnot تُسائِلِyou ask
أَساءَلتَ رَسمَ الدارِ أَم لَم تُسائِلِ
عَنِabout السَكنِthe inhabitants أَمor عَنabout عَهدِهِits former days بِالأَوائِلِwith the people of old
عَنِ السَكنِ أَم عَن عَهدِهِ بِالأَوائِلِ
Have you questioned the dwelling's traces, or have you not asked
about its dwellers, or the days it knew the people of old?
لِمَنwhose طَلَلٌa ruined campsite بِالمُنتَضىat al-Muntaḍā غَيرُnot حائِلِaltered
لِمَن طَلَلٌ بِالمُنتَضى غَيرُ حائِلِ
عَفاit faded بَعدَafter عَهدٍa long interval مِنfrom قِطارٍsuccessive showers وَوابِلِand heavy rain
عَفا بَعدَ عَهدٍ مِن قِطارٍ وَوابِلِ
Whose is the unaltered ruin at al-Muntaḍā?
It has faded after long exposure to showers and downpours.
عَفاit faded بَعدَafter عَهدِthe sojourn of الحَيِّthe clan مِنهُمof them وَقَدthough once يُرىcould be seen
عَفا بَعدَ عَهدِ الحَيِّ مِنهُم وَقَد يُرى
بِهِthere دَعسُthe deep imprint of آثارٍtracks وَمَبرَكُand the kneeling-place of جامِلِa camel herd
بِهِ دَعسُ آثارٍ وَمَبرَكُ جامِلِ
It faded since their clan dwelt there, though once were seen
the deep imprint of tracks there, and a camel herd's kneeling-ground.
عَفاit faded غَيرَexcept نُؤيِthe encircling trench of الدارِthe dwelling ماnot إِنat all أُبينُهُI discern it
عَفا غَيرَ نُؤيِ الدارِ ما إِن أُبينُهُ
وَأَقطاعِand scraps of طُفيٍpalm fronds قَدalready عَفَتhave decayed فيin المَعاقِلِthe tethering-places
وَأَقطاعِ طُفيٍ قَد عَفَت في المَعاقِلِ
It faded, save the dwelling's trench, which I scarcely discern,
and scraps of palm fronds, decayed in the tethering-places.
وَإِنَّand indeed حَديثاًa word مِنكِfrom you لَوif تَبذُلينَهُyou would grant it
وَإِنَّ حَديثاً مِنكِ لَو تَبذُلينَهُ
جَنىthe harvest of النَحلِthe bees فيin أَلبانِthe milk of عوذٍnewly calved she-camels مَطافِلِwith young calves
جَنى النَحلِ في أَلبانِ عوذٍ مَطافِلِ
Indeed, a word from you, if you would grant it,
is bees' harvest in the milk of newly calved camels with young—
مُطافيلَmothers with young calves أَبكارٍfirst-calving she-camels حَديثٍrecent نِتاجُهاtheir calving
مُطافيلَ أَبكارٍ حَديثٍ نِتاجُها
تُشابُis mixed بِماءٍwith water مِثلَlike ماءِthe water of المَفاصِلِrock-clefts
تُشابُ بِماءٍ مِثلَ ماءِ المَفاصِلِ
first-calving mothers, their offspring newly born—
mixed with water like the water of rock-clefts.
رَآهاit saw her الفُؤادُthe heart فَاِستُضِلَّand was deemed astray ضَلالُهُits infatuation
رَآها الفُؤادُ فَاِستُضِلَّ ضَلالُهُ
نِيافاًtall and stately مِنَamong البيضِthe fair women الحِسانِthe beautiful العَطابِلِthe gracefully long-necked
نِيافاً مِنَ البيضِ الحِسانِ العَطابِلِ
The heart saw her, and its infatuation was judged folly:
a tall woman among the fair, lovely, gracefully long-necked.
فَإِنso if وَصَلَتshe maintains حَبلَthe bond of الصَفاءِaffection فَدُمthen remain constant لَهاto her
فَإِن وَصَلَت حَبلَ الصَفاءِ فَدُم لَها
وَإِنand if صَرَمَتهُshe severs it فَاِنصَرِمthen break away عَنin a spirit of تَجامُلِdignified restraint
وَإِن صَرَمَتهُ فَاِنصَرِم عَن تَجامُلِ
If she maintains the bond of affection, remain faithful to her;
and if she severs it, part from her with dignity.
لَعَمريby my life لِأَنتَindeed you are البيتُthe house أُكرِمُI honor أَهلَهُits people
لَعَمري لِأَنتَ البيتُ أُكرِمُ أَهلَهُ
وَأَجلِسُand I sit فيin أَفيائِهِits shades بِالأَصائِلِin the late afternoons
وَأَجلِسُ في أَفيائِهِ بِالأَصائِلِ
By my life, you are the house whose people I honor,
and in whose shade I sit in the late afternoons.
وَماand no ضَرَبٌthick honey بَيضاءُwhite يَأويtakes shelter مَليكُهاits king
وَما ضَرَبٌ بَيضاءُ يَأوي مَليكُها
إَلىon طُنُفٍa projecting ledge أَعياproved too difficult بِراقٍfor a climber وَنازِلِand one descending
إَلى طُنُفٍ أَعيا بِراقٍ وَنازِلِ
No thick white honey—its king takes refuge
on a ledge that defeats climber and descender;
تُهالُis terrified العُقابُthe eagle أَنto تَمُرَّpass بَريدِهِalong its jutting ridge
تُهالُ العُقابُ أَن تَمُرَّ بَريدِهِ
وَتَرميand hurl دُروءٌjutting crags دونَهُbelow it بِالأَجادِلِthe falcons away
وَتَرمي دُروءٌ دونَهُ بِالأَجادِلِ
the eagle fears to pass its jutting ridge,
and crags below it hurl back the falcons;
تَنَمّىclimbed upward بِهاwith it اليَعسوبُthe bee-king حَتّىuntil أَقَرَّهاhe settled it
تَنَمّى بِها اليَعسوبُ حَتّى أَقَرَّها
إِلىin مَألَفٍa familiar haunt رَحبِspacious in المَباءَةِdwelling-space عاسِلِfull of honey
إِلى مَألَفٍ رَحبِ المَباءَةِ عاسِلِ
the bee-king bore it upward until he settled it
in a familiar haunt, spacious and full of honey;
فَلَوso if كانَthere were حَبلٌa rope مِنof ثَمانينَeighty قامَةًa man's height
فَلَو كانَ حَبلٌ مِن ثَمانينَ قامَةً
وَسَبعينَand seventy باعاًarm-spans نالَهاhe would reach it بِالأَنامِلِwith his fingertips
وَسَبعينَ باعاً نالَها بِالأَنامِلِ
were there a rope eighty man-heights long
and seventy arm-spans, he could touch it with his fingertips;
تَدَلّىhe lowered himself عَلَيهاtoward it بِالحِبالِon ropes مُوَثِّقاًmaking them fast
تَدَلّى عَلَيها بِالحِبالِ مُوَثِّقاً
شَديدَstern in الوَصاةِhis instructions نابِلٌa skilled man وَاِبنُand son of نابِلِa skilled man
شَديدَ الوَصاةِ نابِلٌ وَاِبنُ نابِلِ
he lowered himself toward it on ropes, making them fast,
stern in his instructions, a skilled man, son of a skilled man;
إِذاwhen لَسَعَتهُthey stung him الدَبرُthe bees لَمdid not يَرجُhe fear لَسعَهاtheir sting
إِذا لَسَعَتهُ الدَبرُ لَم يَرجُ لَسعَها
وَخالَفَهاand slipped past them فيinto بَيتِthe hive of نوبٍdark bees عَواسِلِhoney-making
وَخالَفَها في بَيتِ نوبٍ عَواسِلِ
when the bees stung him, he did not fear their sting,
and slipped past them into the hive of dark, honey-making bees;
فَحَطَّthen he descended عَلَيهاupon it وَالضُلوعُwhile his ribs كَأَنَّهاseemed as though they were
فَحَطَّ عَلَيها وَالضُلوعُ كَأَنَّها
مِنَfrom الخَوفِfear أَمثالُlike السِهامِarrows النَواصِلِwith loosened heads
مِنَ الخَوفِ أَمثالُ السِهامِ النَواصِلِ
he descended upon it, his ribs seeming,
from fear, like arrows with loosened heads;
فَشَّرجَهاthen he mixed it مِنwith some نُطفَةٍclear water رَجَبِيَّةٍfrom Rajab's rains
فَشَّرجَها مِن نُطفَةٍ رَجَبِيَّةٍ
سُلاسِلَةٍsweet and smooth مِنfrom ماءِthe water of لِصبٍa narrow ravine سُلاسِلِsweet and smooth
سُلاسِلَةٍ مِن ماءِ لِصبٍ سُلاسِلِ
then he mixed it with clear water from Rajab's rains,
sweet and smooth, from the sweet water of a narrow ravine,
بِماءٍwith water شُنانٍcool زَعزَعَتruffled مَتنَهُits surface الصَباthe east wind
بِماءٍ شُنانٍ زَعزَعَت مَتنَهُ الصَبا
وَجادَتand poured abundantly عَلَيهِupon it ديمَةٌa steady rain بَعدَafter وابِلِa downpour
وَجادَت عَلَيهِ ديمَةٌ بَعدَ وابِلِ
with cool water whose surface the east wind had ruffled,
and on which a steady rain had poured after a downpour—
بِأَطيَبَsweeter مِنthan فيهاher mouth إِذاwhen جِئتَyou come طارِقاًby night
بِأَطيَبَ مِن فيها إِذا جِئتَ طارِقاً
وَأَشهىand more delectable إِذاwhen نامَتhave fallen asleep كِلابُthe dogs of الأَسافِلِthe lowlands
وَأَشهى إِذا نامَت كِلابُ الأَسافِلِ
is sweeter than her mouth when you come by night,
or more delectable, when the dogs of the lowlands sleep.
وَيَأشِبُنيand reproach me فيهاover her الأولاءِthose people يَلونَهاwho are close to her
وَيَأشِبُني فيها الأولاءِ يَلونَها
وَلَوand if عَلِمواthey knew لَمwould not يَأشِبونيreproach me بِطائِلِto any purpose
وَلَو عَلِموا لَم يَأشِبوني بِطائِلِ
And those close to her reproach me on her account;
if they knew, they would not waste their blame on me.
وَلَوand if كانَwere ماwhat عِندَin the possession of اِبنِson of بُجرَةَBujrah عِندَهاin her possession
وَلَو كانَ ما عِندَ اِبنِ بُجرَةَ عِندَها
مِنَof الخَمرِwine لَمwould not تَبلُلmoisten لَهاتيmy palate بَناطِلِwith a cupful
مِنَ الخَمرِ لَم تَبلُل لَهاتي بَناطِلِ
Had she all that Ibn Bujrah possesses
of wine, not a cupful would moisten my palate.
فَتِلكَso she is الِّتيthe one who لاnever يَبرَحُleaves القَلبَthe heart حُبُّهاlove for her
فَتِلكَ الِّتي لا يَبرَحُ القَلبَ حُبُّها
وَلاnor ذِكرُهاremembrance of her ماas long as أَرزَمَتlows أُمُّthe mother of حائِلِa she-calf
وَلا ذِكرُها ما أَرزَمَت أُمُّ حائِلِ
She is the one whose love will never leave my heart,
nor will her memory, as long as a she-calf's mother lows,
وَحَتّىand until يَؤوبَreturn القارِظانِthe two acacia-gatherers كِلاهُماboth of them
وَحَتّى يَؤوبَ القارِظانِ كِلاهُما
وَيُنشَرَand is raised to life فيamong القَتلىthe slain كُلَيبٌKulayb لِوائِلِfor Wā'il
وَيُنشَرَ في القَتلى كُلَيبٌ لِوائِلِ
and until the two acacia-gatherers both return,
and Kulayb is raised from the slain for Wā'il.
Sol 6.1