أَلاAh ياO إِسلَميfare well بِالسَعدِwith good fortune ياO أُختَsister of دارِمِDarim
أَلا يا إِسلَمي بِالسَعدِ يا أُختَ دارِمِ
وَلَوand even though شَتَّscattered صَرفٌa turn of fate مِنthrough نَوىًseparation لَمdid not تُلائِمِprove agreeable
وَلَو شَتَّ صَرفٌ مِن نَوىً لَم تُلائِمِ
Ah, may you fare well in good fortune, O sister of Darim!
Even though a turn of fate has scattered us through an unwelcome separation.
هِلالِيَّةٌa woman of Hilal حَلَّتshe settled بِخَبتٍat Khabt وَأَوطَنتَand made a home
هِلالِيَّةٌ حَلَّت بِخَبتٍ وَأَوطَنتَ
مَصيفاًa summer pasture مِنَof البُهمىbuhma grass وَقَيظَand the summer heat الصَرائِمِthe isolated sand tracts
مَصيفاً مِنَ البُهمى وَقَيظَ الصَرائِمِ
A woman of Hilal, she settled at Khabt and made her home
in a summer pasture of buhma grass, amid the scattered dunes’ summer heat.
فَقَدfor indeed كانَwas يَحلوis sweet ليto me زَماناًfor a time حَديثُهاher talk
فَقَد كانَ يَحلو لي زَماناً حَديثُها
وَلَيسَand is not بِنَزرٍscant كَاِختِلاسِlike the snatching of المُصارِمِone who breaks ties
وَلَيسَ بِنَزرٍ كَاِختِلاسِ المُصارِمِ
For her talk was sweet to me for a time,
and not scant, like the snatched talk of one who breaks ties.
فَحالَتthen intervened قُرومٌchieftains مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of البِشرِal-Bishr دونَهاin the way to her
فَحالَت قُرومٌ مِن بَني البِشرِ دونَها
وَماand not الوَصلُunion إِلّاexcept رَجعُهاher reply لِلمُسالِمِto the peaceable one
وَما الوَصلُ إِلّا رَجعُها لِلمُسالِمِ
Then chieftains from Banu al-Bishr barred the way to her,
and union is no more than her reply to one who keeps the peace.
وَلَوand if حَمَّلَتنيshe entrusted me with السِرَّthe secret دَوسَرُDawsar لَمnot تُضِعhave wasted
وَلَو حَمَّلَتني السِرَّ دَوسَرُ لَم تُضِع
مَقالَةَthe words of ذيone with نُصحٍsincere counsel وَلِلسِرِّand concerning the secret كاتِمِa keeper
مَقالَةَ ذي نُصحٍ وَلِلسِرِّ كاتِمِ
Had Dawsar entrusted me with the secret, she would not have wasted
the words of a sincere adviser and keeper of secrets.
وَأُسنِدَand were entrusted أَمرُthe affairs of الحَيِّthe tribe بَعدَafter اِلتِباسِهِtheir confusion
وَأُسنِدَ أَمرُ الحَيِّ بَعدَ اِلتِباسِهِ
إِلىto كُلِّevery جَلدٍsteadfast man مُبرَمِfirmly settled الأَمرِthe matter حازِمِresolute
إِلى كُلِّ جَلدٍ مُبرَمِ الأَمرِ حازِمِ
And the tribe’s affairs, after falling into confusion, were entrusted
to every steadfast man, firm of purpose and resolute.
وَإِنّيand indeed I وَإِنand even though شَطَّتgrew distant نَواهاher destination بِوِدِّهاin love for her
وَإِنّي وَإِن شَطَّت نَواها بِوِدِّها
لَصُلبُsurely steadfast التَعَزّيself-consolation مُستَمِرُّunyielding الشَكائِمِthe bridle-bits
لَصُلبُ التَعَزّي مُستَمِرُّ الشَكائِمِ
And I, though her departure has taken her far, in my love for her,
am steadfast in consoling myself, unyielding to the bit.
وَكُنتُand I used to إِذاwhenever زَيَّنتُI adorned أَوجُهَthe faces of مَعشَرٍa people
وَكُنتُ إِذا زَيَّنتُ أَوجُهَ مَعشَرٍ
أَنارَتthey shone وَإِنand if أَشتُمI revile تَصِرthey become كَالعَظالِمِlike black male ostriches
أَنارَت وَإِن أَشتُم تَصِر كَالعَظالِمِ
And whenever I adorned the faces of a people,
they shone; but if I revile them, they become like black male ostriches.
Sol 6.1