لَمdid not أَرَI see عيراًa camel caravan جَمَّةَabundant in الدُؤوبِunceasing toil
لَم أَرَ عيراً جَمَّةَ الدُؤوبِ
تُواصِلُjoins التَهجيرَmidday travel بِالتَأويبِwith travel until dusk
تُواصِلُ التَهجيرَ بِالتَأويبِ
I have never seen a caravan, unceasing in its toil,
I have not seen a caravan as persistent as fate
continuing its midday march until dusk,
Continuing migration with hardship
أَبعَدَfarther مِنfrom أَينٍweariness وَمِنand from لَغوبِexhaustion
أَبعَدَ مِن أَينٍ وَمِن لَغوبِ
مِنهاthan it غَداةَon the morning of الشارِقِthe east-rising cloud المَهضوبِheavy with rain
مِنها غَداةَ الشارِقِ المَهضوبِ
farther from weariness and exhaustion
Farther than any distant and unwelcoming place
than this one, that morning of the rain-laden eastern cloud:
Leaving one morning at dawn
نَجائِباًnoble camels وَلَيسَyet there is no مِنany نَجيبِnoble camel
نَجائِباً وَلَيسَ مِن نَجيبِ
شَبّابَةَrearing high الأَعناقِthe necks بِالعُجوبِon the tailbones
شَبّابَةَ الأَعناقِ بِالعُجوبِ
noble camels, yet not a true camel among them,
Secretly and not from a noble one
their necks rearing above their tailbones,
With young, prideful necks
كَاللَيلِlike night أَوor كَاللوبِlike black lava stones أَوor كَالنوبِlike black bees
كَاللَيلِ أَو كَاللوبِ أَو كَالنوبِ
مُنقادَةًfollowing obediently لِعارِضٍa cloud bank غِربيبِjet-black
مُنقادَةً لِعارِضٍ غِربيبِ
like night, or black lava stones, or black bees,
Like the night, or fox, or she-camel
following a jet-black cloud bank,
Led by a western guide
كَالشيعَةِlike the followers اِلتَفَّتgathered عَلىaround النَقيبِthe leader
كَالشيعَةِ اِلتَفَّت عَلى النَقيبِ
آخِذَةًsubmitting بِطاعَةِin obedience to الجَنوبِthe south wind
آخِذَةً بِطاعَةِ الجَنوبِ
like followers gathered around their leader,
Like partisans glance at their leader
obeying the south wind,
Holding to the command of the south wind
ناقِضَةًunravelling لِمَرَرِof the tightly twisted cords الخُطوبِof calamities
ناقِضَةً لِمَرَرِ الخُطوبِ
تَكُفُّrestrains غَربَthe sharp edge of الزَمَنِtime العَصيبِharsh
تَكُفُّ غَربَ الزَمَنِ العَصيبِ
unravelling the tightly twisted cords of calamity,
Violating the course of events
blunting the edge of harsh times,
To curb the difficult era
مَحّاءَةًeffacing لِلأَزمَةِof the drought اللَزوبِpersistent
مَحّاءَةً لِلأَزمَةِ اللَزوبِ
مَحوَthe erasure اِستِلامِtouching الرُكنِthe sacred Corner لِلذُنوبِof sins
مَحوَ اِستِلامِ الرُكنِ لِلذُنوبِ
effacing the persistent drought,
Erasing receiving the cornerstone of sins
as touching the sacred Corner effaces sins.
When they appeared to the earth from nearby
لَمّاwhen بَدَتit appeared لِلأَرضِto the earth مِنfrom قَريبِnearby
لَمّا بَدَت لِلأَرضِ مِن قَريبِ
تَشَوَّفَتit looked eagerly لِوَبلِهاfor its downpour السَكوبِcopiously flowing
تَشَوَّفَت لِوَبلِها السَكوبِ
When it appeared close to the earth,
They longed for its downpour
the earth yearned for its streaming downpour,
Like the longing of a sick man for the doctor
تَشَوُّفَthe yearning of المَريضِthe sick person لِلطَبيبِfor the physician
تَشَوُّفَ المَريضِ لِلطَبيبِ
وَطَرَبَand the rapture of المُحِبِّthe lover لِلحَبيبِfor the beloved
وَطَرَبَ المُحِبِّ لِلحَبيبِ
with a sick man's longing for the physician,
And the lover's passion for the beloved
and a lover's rapture for the beloved,
And the writer’s joy in a colleague
وَفَرحَةَand the joy of الأَديبِthe man of letters بِالأَديبِin the man of letters
وَفَرحَةَ الأَديبِ بِالأَديبِ
وَخَيَّمَتand it pitched camp صادِقَةَunfailing in الشُؤبوبِthe downpour
وَخَيَّمَت صادِقَةَ الشُؤبوبِ
and a man of letters' joy in another.
And truthful clouds gathered
And it pitched camp, its downpour unfailing;
So thunder rose up like an orator
فَقامَthen rose فيهاwithin it الرَعدُthe thunder كَالخَطيبِlike an orator
فَقامَ فيها الرَعدُ كَالخَطيبِ
وَحَنَّتِand moaned الريحُthe wind حَنينَthe yearning cry of النيبِaged she-camels
وَحَنَّتِ الريحُ حَنينَ النيبِ
then thunder rose within it like an orator,
And the wind moaned the moan of the prophet
and the wind moaned like aged she-camels.
And the veiled sun in eyebrows knitted
وَالشَمسُand the sun ذاتُpossessing حاجِبٍa brow مَحجوبِveiled
وَالشَمسُ ذاتُ حاجِبٍ مَحجوبِ
قَدalready غَرَّبَتhad set مِنfrom غَيرِwithout ماemphatic particle غُروبِsetting
قَد غَرَّبَت مِن غَيرِ ما غُروبِ
And the sun, its brow veiled,
It had darkened without setting
had set without truly setting.
And the earth in its gray dress
وَالأَرضُand the earth فيin رِدائِهاits robe القَشيبِfresh
وَالأَرضُ في رِدائِها القَشيبِ
فيin زاهِرٍbright growth مِنof نَبتِهاits vegetation رَطيبِtender
في زاهِرٍ مِن نَبتِها رَطيبِ
And the earth, in its fresh robe,
In flowering plants lush and fragrant
amid its own bright, tender growth,
After the flames and tribute were spent
بَعدَafter اِشتِهابِthe whitening الثَلجِthe snow وَالضَريبِand frost
بَعدَ اِشتِهابِ الثَلجِ وَالضَريبِ
كَالكَهلِlike an aging man بَعدَafter السِنّage وَالتَحنيبِand stooping
كَالكَهلِ بَعدَ السِنّ وَالتَحنيبِ
after snow and frost had whitened it,
Like an old man after years and cares
was like an aging man, after years and stooping,
Youth was replaced by aging
تَبَدَّلَhe acquired in exchange الشَبابَyouth بِالمَشيبِfor grey hair
تَبَدَّلَ الشَبابَ بِالمَشيبِ
كَمhow many آنَسَتit gladdened مِنof جانِبٍa region غَريبِlonely
كَم آنَسَت مِن جانِبٍ غَريبِ
who had traded grey hair for youth.
How much strangeness has it eased!
How many a lonely region it gladdened,
How many comet tails it opened!
وَفَتَّقَتand opened up مِنof مِذنَبٍa watercourse يَعبوبِrushing
وَفَتَّقَت مِن مِذنَبٍ يَعبوبِ
وَغَلَبَتand overwhelmed مِنof الثَرىthe soil المَغلوبِvanquished
وَغَلَبَت مِن الثَرى المَغلوبِ
and how many a rushing watercourse it opened,
And it conquered the conquered land
and how much vanquished soil it overwhelmed,
And relieved a suffering people
وَنَفَّسَتand brought relief عَنfrom بارِضٍa new shoot مَكروبِdistressed
وَنَفَّسَت عَن بارِضٍ مَكروبِ
وَسَكَّنَتand stilled مِنof نافِرِrestless الجَنوبِthe south wind
وَسَكَّنَت مِن نافِرِ الجَنوبِ
and how many a distressed new shoot it relieved,
And calmed the southern dissidents
and how much of the restless south wind it stilled,
And satisfied a generous people
وَأَقنَعَتand satisfied مِنof بَلَدٍa land رَغيبِvast
وَأَقنَعَت مِن بَلَدٍ رَغيبِ
يَحفَظُit keeps عَهدَthe covenant of الغَيثِthe rain بِالمَغيبِin its absence
يَحفَظُ عَهدَ الغَيثِ بِالمَغيبِ
and satisfied many a vast stretch of land
Who keep the rain clouds' promise
that keeps faith with the rain in its absence.
Sweet saliva with brief showers
لَذيذَةَsweet الريقِthe saliva مَعَtogether with الصَبيبِthe pouring rain
لَذيذَةَ الريقِ مَعَ الصَبيبِ
كَأَنَّماas though تَهميit pours down عَلىupon القُلوبِthe hearts
كَأَنَّما تَهمي عَلى القُلوبِ
Sweet in its saliva and its pouring rain,
As if they arouse ardor in hearts
as though it pours down upon hearts.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1