لِمَنfor whom طَلَلٌa ruined dwelling عاريbare المَحَلَّthe dwelling-site دَفينُburied
لِمَن طَلَلٌ عاري المَحَلَّ دَفينُ
عَفاfaded آيُهُits traces إِلّاexcept خَوالِدُenduring stones جونُdark
عَفا آيُهُ إِلّا خَوالِدُ جونُ
Whose is this buried ruin, its site laid bare?
For whom is an abandoned, dilapidated abode
Whose are these ruins, their grounds laid bare and buried deep?
Its traces have faded, save enduring dark stones,
Its traces obliterated, save those of Khawlid's tribe
Its signs are wiped away, save for the dark, enduring traces.
كَماjust as اِقتَرَنَتclustered together عِندَat المَبيتِroosting time حَمائِمٌdoves
كَما اِقتَرَنَت عِندَ المَبيتِ حَمائِمٌ
غَريباتُstrangers مُمسىًat dusk ماnot لَهُنَّthey have وُكونُnests
غَريباتُ مُمسىً ما لَهُنَّ وُكونُ
Like doves that clustered at roosting time,
As doves gathered together for the night
Huddled like doves paired close when roosting time draws near,
Strangers at dusk, with no nests of their own.
Strangers at dusk, having no permanent nest
Strangers at evenfall, for whom no nesting place remains.
دِيارُdwellings الَّتيher who أَمّاas for جَنىfruit رَشَفاتِهاher kisses
دِيارُ الَّتي أَمّا جَنى رَشَفاتِها
فَيَحلوso it is sweet وَأَمّاand as for مَسُّهاher touch فَيَلينُso it is soft
فَيَحلو وَأَمّا مَسُّها فَيَلينُ
The dwellings of her whose kisses' fruit
The abode whose surroundings once yielded pleasure
The dwelling of her whose harvest of kisses is sweet to taste,
Is sweet, and whose touch is soft.
Now touching it is soft, tasting it sweet
Growing ever sweeter, and whose touch is soft and tender.
وَماand not أَنصَفَتshe dealt fairly أَمّاas for الشُحوبُthe pallor فَبَيِّنٌso it is plain
وَما أَنصَفَت أَمّا الشُحوبُ فَبَيِّنٌ
بِوَجهيon my face وَأَمّاand as for وَجهُهاher face فَمَصونُso it is protected
بِوَجهي وَأَمّا وَجهُها فَمَصونُ
She has not been fair: the pallor is plain
While pallor has not favored my complexion
She was not just; for while the pallor is plain upon my face,
On my face, while her face remains untouched.
Hers remains flawless and unblemished
Her lovely face remains preserved, untouched by misery.
وَدَوِّيَّةٍand a wilderness لِلريحِfor the wind بَينَbetween فُروجِهاits clefts
وَدَوِّيَّةٍ لِلريحِ بَينَ فُروجِها
فُنونُvarieties لُغاتٍof tongues مُشكِلٌobscure وَمُبينُand clear
فُنونُ لُغاتٍ مُشكِلٌ وَمُبينُ
And a wilderness, where the wind, between its clefts,
With a resonance for the wind among its rooms
And many a barren waste, where the wind through every crevice
Has many tongues, obscure and clear.
Its languages have ambiguous and explicit subtleties
Speaks in a myriad of tongues, some cryptic, some distinct.
رَمَيتُI drove بِهاthrough it العيدِيِّthe ‘Īdī camels حَتّىuntil تَحَجَّلَتgrew white-rimmed
رَمَيتُ بِها العيدِيِّ حَتّى تَحَجَّلَت
نَواظِرُeyes مِنهاof them وَانطَوَينَand they contracted بُطونُbellies
نَواظِرُ مِنها وَانطَوَينَ بُطونُ
I drove the ‘Īdī camels through it, till white-rimmed grew
I pelted her with pebbles until she unveiled
I cast my noble camels into its depths until their legs grew hollow,
Their eyes, and their bellies drew tight.
Her gazing eyes and hidden forms withdrew
Their eyes sunk deep, and their bellies folded in from hunger.
وَذيand one with حِلِفٍan oath بِالراحِconcerning wine قُلتُI said لَهُto him اصطَبِحtake a morning drink
وَذي حِلِفٍ بِالراحِ قُلتُ لَهُ اصطَبِح
فَلَيسَfor there is no عَلىagainst أَمثالِthe likes of تِلكَthat يَمينُoath
فَلَيسَ عَلى أَمثالِ تِلكَ يَمينُ
And to one sworn off wine I said, ‘Take a morning draught—
And one who swore by the winds, I bid good morning
And to one bound by solemn oath against the wine, I said, "Drink at dawn!
For no oath holds against the likes of that—
For oaths like those are without substance
For against a vintage such as this, no oath can validly stand."
شُمولاًwine تَخَطَّتهاpassed it by المَنونُDeath فَقَدfor indeed أَتَتhave passed
شُمولاً تَخَطَّتها المَنونُ فَقَد أَتَت
سِنونٌyears لَهاfor it فيin دَنِّهاits wine-jar وَسِنونُand years
سِنونٌ لَها في دَنِّها وَسِنونُ
Wine that Death passed over, for it has spent
It encompassed decrepitude, so time has brought
A chilled vintage bypassed by the hand of Fate; indeed,
Years in its jar, and years again.
Years of lowliness and years of loftiness
Long years upon long years have passed it by within its jar.
تُراثُan inheritance أُناسٍof people عَنfrom أُناسٍpeople تُخَرَّمواwere carried off by death
تُراثُ أُناسٍ عَن أُناسٍ تُخَرَّموا
تَوارَثَهاinherited it successively بَعدَafter البَنينِthe sons بَنونُsons
تَوارَثَها بَعدَ البَنينِ بَنونُ
A people's legacy from others swept away;
Inherited from people by people who decayed
The heritage of folk passed down from those now cut away,
Sons inherited it after sons.
Then inherited by their children's children
Inherited by sons who followed sons in long succession.
فَأَدرَكَso obtained مِنهاof it الغابِرونَthose remaining حُشاشَةًa last remnant
فَأَدرَكَ مِنها الغابِرونَ حُشاشَةً
لَهاit has هَيَجانٌa stirring مَرَّةًat one time وَسُكونُand stillness
لَها هَيَجانٌ مَرَّةً وَسُكونُ
So the survivors obtained a last remnant of it,
Those who passed attained from it excitement
So those who remain have seized from it a lingering spark of life,
At times stirring, at times at rest.
Agitation at times, and tranquility at others
Possessing a spirit that stirs to frenzy, then settles into calm.
كَأَنَّas though سُطوراًlines of writing فَوقَهاupon it فارِسِيَّةًPersian
كَأَنَّ سُطوراً فَوقَها فارِسِيَّةً
تَكادُalmost وَإِنand although طالَgrew long الزَمانُtime تَبينُbecome clear
تَكادُ وَإِن طالَ الزَمانُ تَبينُ
As though Persian lines of script upon it
As if lines above in Persian
As if inscriptions of Persian script were traced upon its surface,
Were almost legible, though a long time had passed.
Nearly legible, though ages have elapsed
Which well-nigh become legible, though the span of time be long.
لَدىbeside نَرجِسٍnarcissus غَضِّfresh القِطافِthe plucking كَأَنَّهُas though it
لَدى نَرجِسٍ غَضِّ القِطافِ كَأَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle مَنَحناهُwe give it العُيونَthe eyes عُيونُeyes
إِذا ما مَنَحناهُ العُيونَ عُيونُ
Beside freshly plucked narcissus, as though it,
Near a narcissus blossom plucked early
Beside fresh-gathered narcissus flowers, which appear—
When we lend it our gaze, were eyes,
As if, when eyes look upon it, it has eyes
When we bestow our gaze upon them—to be living eyes themselves,
مُخالِفَةٍdiffering فيin شَكلِهِنَّtheir form فَصَفرَةٌso a yellow hue
مُخالِفَةٍ في شَكلِهِنَّ فَصَفرَةٌ
مَكانُin place of سَوادٍblackness وَالبَياضُand the white جُفونُeyelids
مَكانُ سَوادٍ وَالبَياضُ جُفونُ
Different in their form: a yellow hue
Differing in their hues – yellowness
Divergent in their forms: for there is yellow in the center
Takes the place of black, and white forms the eyelids.’
In place of black, while the whites are petals
Where black should be, while white petals serve as eyelids.
فَلَمّاso when رَأىhe perceived نَعتيmy description ارعَوىhe relented وَاستَعادَنيand asked me to repeat it
فَلَمّا رَأى نَعتي ارعَوى وَاستَعادَني
فَقُلتُso I said خَليلٌa close friend عَزَّwas hard to win over ثُمَّthen يَهونُbecomes easy to win over
فَقُلتُ خَليلٌ عَزَّ ثُمَّ يَهونُ
When he took in my description, he relented and asked me to repeat it,
When she saw my portrayal, she shuddered and recalled me
And when he heard my description, he relented and sought me out,
So I said, ‘A friend who held firm, then gives way.’
I said, “An intimate friend is rare, then common”
And I said: "A friend who acted harsh, but now grows soft and mild."
فَصَدَّقَso he confirmed ظَنّيmy expectation صَدَّقَmay fulfill اللَهُGod ظَنُّهُhis expectation
فَصَدَّقَ ظَنّي صَدَّقَ اللَهُ ظَنُّهُ
إِذاwhen ظَنَّhe expects خَيراًgood وَالظُنونُand expectations فُنونُvarieties
إِذا ظَنَّ خَيراً وَالظُنونُ فُنونُ
He proved my expectation true—may God prove his true,
She confirmed my opinion – may Allah confirm hers
He proved my conjecture true—may God prove his conjecture true,
When he expects good; expectations are of many kinds.
When she expects good, for expectations are diverse skills
If he thinks well of us; for thoughts, indeed, are of many kinds.
Sol 6.1