وَزائِرٍand a visitor حَبَّبَهُendeared him إِغبابُهُhis infrequent visits
وَزائِرٍ حَبَّبَهُ إِغبابُهُ
طالَgrew long عَلىin رَغمِspite of السُرىnight travel اِجتِنابُهُhis keeping away
طالَ عَلى رَغمِ السُرى اِجتِنابُهُ
And a visitor whom his infrequent visits made dear:
A visitor whom seclusion endeared
long was his absence, despite his night journeys.
Long in defiance of fate he persevered
وافاهُcame upon him دَهرٌan age عُصُلٌcrooked أَنيابُهُits fangs
وافاهُ دَهرٌ عُصُلٌ أَنيابُهُ
وَاِجتابَand traversed بُطنانَthe depths of العَجاجِthe dust جابُهُhis rover
وَاِجتابَ بُطنانَ العَجاجِ جابُهُ
An age with crooked fangs came upon him,
An era of barrenness baring its fangs assailed him
and his rover traversed the depths of the dust.
And the bowels of desolation enveloped him
يَدأَبُlabors on مارَدَّas long as … repeats الزَمانُtime دابُهُits customary course
يَدأَبُ مارَدَّ الزَمانُ دابُهُ
وَأَرفَدَتand brought aid خَيراتُهُhis bounties وَرابُهُand his rāb (unclear term)
وَأَرفَدَت خَيراتُهُ وَرابُهُ
He labors on as time repeats its customary course,
The march of time wore him down steadily
and his bounties and his rāb [unclear term] brought aid.
And his bounty and virtue started to drain
وافىarrived أَمامَahead of هَطلِهِhis downpour رَبابُهُhis low clouds
وافى أَمامَ هَطلِهِ رَبابُهُ
باكٍa weeper حَزينٌsorrowful رَعدُهُhis thunder اِنتِحابُهُhis sobbing
باكٍ حَزينٌ رَعدُهُ اِنتِحابُهُ
His low clouds arrived ahead of his downpour:
He met the onslaught head-on staunchly
a sorrowful weeper, his thunder his sobbing.
A woeful thunderer in desolate refrain
جادَتpoured generously بِهِwith it مُسبِلَةًtrailing down أَهدابُهُhis eyelashes
جادَت بِهِ مُسبِلَةً أَهدابُهُ
رائِحَةٌan evening wind هُبوبُهاits blowing هِبابُهُhis stirring
رائِحَةٌ هُبوبُها هِبابُهُ
His drooping lashes poured it forth.
With him they flowed bounteously his rains
An evening wind, whose blowing was his stirring,
A scent whose wafting was but profuse pains
ذَيّالَةًtrailing her skirts ذَلَّتyielded لَهاto her صِعابُهُhis unruly steeds
ذَيّالَةً ذَلَّت لَها صِعابُهُ
رَكبُa cavalcade هَياهُhe readied it (uncertain reading) وَالصِباand the east wind رِكابُهُhis mounts
رَكبُ هَياهُ وَالصِبا رِكابُهُ
trailed her skirts; his unruly steeds yielded to her.
Submissively to it mountains bowed in chains
A cavalcade he readied [uncertain reading]; the east wind was his mounts.
Astride its spate youth and morn rides
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle اِتَّصَلَتjoined together أَسبابُهُhis cords
حَتّى إِذا ما اِتَّصَلَت أَسبابُهُ
وَضُرِبَتand was planted عَلىupon الثَرىthe earth عُقابُهُhis banner
وَضُرِبَت عَلى الثَرى عُقابُهُ
Until, when his cords were joined,
Until integrated fully its accessories
and his banner was planted upon the earth,
And on earth its dominance steadies
وَضُرِبَتand were pitched عَلىupon الرُبىthe hills قِبابُهُhis domed tents
وَضُرِبَت عَلى الرُبى قِبابُهُ
وَاِمتَدَّand stretched فيthroughout أَرجائِهِits reaches أَطنابُهُhis tent ropes
وَاِمتَدَّ في أَرجائِهِ أَطنابُهُ
and his domed tents were pitched upon the hills,
And upon the dunes its edifices studies
and his tent ropes stretched throughout its reaches,
And through its expanse its annex spreads
وَتَبِعَand followed اِنسِجامُهُhis steady flow اِنسِكابُهُhis pouring forth
وَتَبِعَ اِنسِجامُهُ اِنسِكابُهُ
وَرَدَفَand followed اِصطِقافُهُhis crashing اِضطِرابُهُhis turmoil
وَرَدَفَ اِصطِقافُهُ اِضطِرابُهُ
and his downpour followed his steady flow,
And its flow and form in concord treads
and his turmoil followed his crashing,
And its disarray confounds whilst harmony it sheds
كَأَنَّماas though قَدalready حُمِّلَتwere made to carry سَحابُهُhis clouds
كَأَنَّما قَد حُمِّلَت سَحابُهُ
رُكنَthe flank of شَرورىSharawrā وَاِصطَفَتand stood in ranks هِضابُهُits hills
رُكنَ شَرورى وَاِصطَفَت هِضابُهُ
as though his clouds had been made to carry
As though on clouds its pillars were bedded
the flank of Sharawrā, with its hills arrayed in ranks,
Evil’s pillar, crags cleaved and shredded
جَلّىshone clearly عَلىupon وَجهِthe face of الثَرىthe earth كِتابُهُhis script
جَلّى عَلى وَجهِ الثَرى كِتابُهُ
وَشَرِقَتand choked بِمائِهاwith its water شِعابُهُits ravines
وَشَرِقَت بِمائِها شِعابُهُ
his script shone upon the face of the earth.
Elucidated its writ on earth ́s face unfaded
Its ravines choked with the clouds’ water,
And with its waters its valleys glittered
وَحَلِيَتand were adorned بِنورِهاwith its blossoms رِحابُهُits broad spaces
وَحَلِيَت بِنورِها رِحابُهُ
كَأَنَّهُas though it لَمّاwhen اِنجَلىcleared away مُنجابُهُits receding cloud-cover
كَأَنَّهُ لَمّا اِنجَلى مُنجابُهُ
and its broad spaces were adorned with their blossoms.
And with its light its plains were fitted
As though, when its receding cloud-cover had cleared,
As though when unveiled its amazing vista
وَلَمand did not يُؤَمِّنsafeguard against فَقدَهُits loss إِيابُهُits return
وَلَم يُؤَمِّن فَقدَهُ إِيابُهُ
شَيخٌan old man كَبيرٌvery old عادَهُreturned to him شَبابُهُhis youth
شَيخٌ كَبيرٌ عادَهُ شَبابُهُ
with its return no safeguard against its loss,
Absent it we no longer can persist
it were a very old man whose youth had returned to him.
An old man whom youth revisited
Sol 6.1