سَقياًmay rain fall لِغَيرِfor other than العَلياءِal-ʿAlyāʾ وَالسَنَدِand al-Sanad
سَقياً لِغَيرِ العَلياءِ وَالسَنَدِ
وَاغَيرِand other than أَطلالِruins مَيَّMayy بِالجَرَدِat al-Jarad
وَاغَيرِ أَطلالِ مَيَّ بِالجَرَدِ
May rain fall on places other than al-ʿAlyāʾ and al-Sanad,
Watering the highlands and rugged terrain,
Let rain fall not on al-'Alyaa nor al-Sanad,
and other than Mayy's ruins at al-Jarad.
And ruins with May rain,
Nor on the crumbling ruins of Mayy at al-Jarad.
وَياand O صَبيبَdownpour السَحابِthe clouds إِنif كُنتَyou have قَدalready
وَيا صَبيبَ السَحابِ إِن كُنتَ قَد
جُدتَyou watered generously اللِوىal-Liwā مَرَّةًonce فَلاthen do not تَعُدِreturn
جُدتَ اللِوى مَرَّةً فَلا تَعُدِ
And O downpour of the clouds, if you have
O clouds' pouring, if once
O pouring clouds, if indeed you have already
lavished rain upon al-Liwā once, do not return.
You found the twisting valleys, do not repeat,
Watered al-Liwa once, then do not return.
لاdo not تَسقِيَنyou water (emphatic) بَلدَةًa land إِذاwhen عُدَّتِare counted الthe
لا تَسقِيَن بَلدَةً إِذا عُدَّتِ ال
بِلدانُlands كانَتit was زِيادَةَan extra lobe الكَبِدِthe liver
بِلدانُ كانَت زِيادَةَ الكَبِدِ
Never water a land that, when one counts the
Do not water a land, if the lands
Do not water a land which, when the lands are tallied,
lands, is the liver's extra lobe.
Were surplus liver.
Is but an ailment and a burden to the heart.
إِنif أَتَحَرَّزI guard myself مِنَagainst الغُرابِthe crow بِهاin it
إِن أَتَحَرَّز مِنَ الغُرابِ بِها
يَكُنwill be مَفَرّيmy escape مِنهُfrom it إِلىto الصُرَدِthe shrike
يَكُن مَفَرّي مِنهُ إِلى الصُرَدِ
If I guard myself there against the crow,
If I take precautions from the crow therein
If I guard myself against the ill-omened crow therein,
my escape from it leads to the shrike,
My escape from it would be to hemmed mountains.
My flight from him leads only to the shrike.
بِحَيثُwhere لاnot تَجلِبُbring الفِجاجُthe mountain passes إِلىto
بِحَيثُ لا تَجلِبُ الفِجاجُ إِلى
أُذنَيكَyour two ears إِلّاexcept تَصايُحَbleating to one another النَقَدِthe small sheep
أُذنَيكَ إِلّا تَصايُحَ النَقَدِ
where the mountain passes bring to
Where the storms do not carry to
A place where the wide ravines bring nothing
your ears only the bleating of small sheep.
Your ears but shouts of the black stones.
To your ears, save the bleating of stunted sheep.
أَحسَنُbetter عِنديin my view مِنَthan اِنكِبابِكَyour bending over بِالwith the
أَحسَنُ عِندي مِنَ اِنكِبابِكَ بِال
فِهرِhand-sized stone مُلِحّاًinsistently بِهِwith it عَلىupon وَتَدِa peg
فِهرِ مُلِحّاً بِهِ عَلى وَتَدِ
Better in my eyes than your bending over with the
Better in my view than your bowing with
Better, to my mind, than your toiling bent low
stone, insistently hammering a peg with it,
Winds salty therewith on a peg.
With a stone, hammering relentlessly at a tent-peg,
وُقوفُresting رَيحانَةٍa basil sprig عَلىon أُذُنٍan ear
وُقوفُ رَيحانَةٍ عَلى أُذُنٍ
وَسَيرُand the passing كَأسٍa cup إِلىto فَمٍa mouth بِيَدِby a hand
وَسَيرُ كَأسٍ إِلى فَمٍ بِيَدِ
are a basil sprig resting on an ear,
A sprig standing on an ear
Is a sprig of sweet basil resting upon the ear,
and a cup carried by hand to a mouth.
And a cup passing to a mouth by a hand
And the passage of a cup, lifted by hand to mouth,
يَسقيكَهاhe gives it to you to drink مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of العِبادِal-ʿIbād رَشاًa gazelle-fawn
يَسقيكَها مِن بَني العِبادِ رَشاً
مُنتَسِبٌaffiliated عيدُهُhis feast day إِلىto الأَحَدِSunday
مُنتَسِبٌ عيدُهُ إِلى الأَحَدِ
A gazelle-fawn of Banū al-ʿIbād gives it to you to drink,
Served by the folk a morning drink
Poured for you by a fawn of the Banu 'Ibad,
whose feast day is linked to Sunday.
Its feast belonging to Sunday.
Whose holy feast day belongs to the Sunday rite.
إِذاwhen بَنىbuilds الماءُthe water فَوقَهاon top of it حَبَباًbubbles
إِذا بَنى الماءُ فَوقَها حَبَباً
صَلَّبَhe makes the sign of the cross فَوقَover الجَبينِthe brow بِالزَبَدِwith the foam
صَلَّبَ فَوقَ الجَبينِ بِالزَبَدِ
When the water builds bubbles upon it,
When the water builds bubbles over it
When the water raises bubbles upon the vintage,
he traces a cross upon his brow with the foam.
It erects over the brow with foam
He signs the cross upon his brow with the foam.
أَشرَبُI drink مِنfrom كَفِّهِhis palm شَمولاًwine وَمَنand from
أَشرَبُ مِن كَفِّهِ شَمولاً وَمَن
فيهِhis mouth رُضاباًsaliva يَجريflows عَلىover بَرَدِhailstones
فيهِ رُضاباً يَجري عَلى بَرَدِ
I drink wine from his palm, and from
I drink from his palm in gulps and from it
I drink chilled wine from his palm, and from
his mouth, saliva flowing over hailstones.
Drafts running on cold.
His mouth, a nectar flowing over teeth like hail.
فَذاكَand that أَشهىmore delightful مِنَthan البُكاءِweeping عَلىover الthe
فَذاكَ أَشهى مِنَ البُكاءِ عَلى ال
رَبعِdwelling وَأَنمىand more nourishing فيin الروحِthe soul وَالجَسَدِand the body
رَبعِ وَأَنمى في الروحِ وَالجَسَدِ
And that is more delightful than weeping over the
That is more luscious than crying over
For that is far sweeter than weeping over the
dwelling, and more nourishing to soul and body,
A quarter and more vitalizing to the soul and body
Ruined camp, and livelier for the spirit and the flesh,
لاnot سِيَّماthe like إِنif شَداكَhe sings to you ذوone with نُطَفٍpearl earrings
لا سِيَّما إِن شَداكَ ذو نُطَفٍ
ياO دارُdwelling أَقوَتbecame deserted بِالتَفِّat al-Taff مِنfrom جُدَدِnewness
يا دارُ أَقوَت بِالتَفِّ مِن جُدَدِ
especially if one wearing pearl earrings sings to you:
Especially if shaken by one with buds
Especially when one adorned with earrings sings to you:
'O dwelling, deserted anew at al-Taff!'
O house! I took strength from the folds anew.
"O dwelling place at al-Taff, now desolate and worn."
Sol 6.1