لِمَنwhose طَلَلٌa ruined campsite وَخَيمٌand tents قَدalready عَريناthey became bare
لِمَن طَلَلٌ وَخَيمٌ قَد عَرينا
وَسُفعٌand soot-dark hearthstones حَولَaround أَورَقَgray ash قَدalready صَلِيناthey endured the heat
وَسُفعٌ حَولَ أَورَقَ قَد صَلِينا
Whose are these ruins and tents, now laid bare,
For whom are ruins and tents that we have stripped bare,
And soot-dark hearthstones around gray ash, which have endured
And branches surrounding which we have prayed?
أُوارَthe fierce heat of النارِthe fire حَتّىuntil هُنَّthey جُونٌblack
أُوارَ النارِ حَتّى هُنَّ جُونٌ
وَلَمand not يُخلَقنَthey were created يَومَon the day خُلِقنَthey were created جُوناblack
وَلَم يُخلَقنَ يَومَ خُلِقنَ جُونا
the fire's fierce heat until they are black,
Fires were lit until the cooking-pots boiled,
though they were not created black on the day they were made?
And they were not created as empty pots on the day they were made.
عَفاهاeffaced it القَطرُthe rain أَزماناًfor ages وَرِيحٌand a wind
عَفاها القَطرُ أَزماناً وَرِيحٌ
كَساهاclothed it بَعدَafter ساكِنِهاits dweller دَريناwithered grass
كَساها بَعدَ ساكِنِها دَرينا
Rain effaced them through the ages, and a wind
The rain left them for years, and a wind
clothed them in withered grass after their dweller left.
Covered them after their dwellers had forsaken them.
تَعاقَبَهاpassed successively over it فَقَدso indeed بَلِيَتit wore away كُرُورٌrecurring cycles
تَعاقَبَها فَقَد بَلِيَت كُرُورٌ
مِنَof العَصرَينِnight and day مُوحِشَةًdesolate سِنِيناfor years
مِنَ العَصرَينِ مُوحِشَةً سِنِينا
Cycles passed over them, and they have worn away,
Ages have succeeded each other; they have experienced many moons
with night and day returning, desolate for years,
Desolate for years from both eras.
بِشَرجِin the ravine of الهَضبَتَينِthe two hills وَحَيثُand where لاقىmet
بِشَرجِ الهَضبَتَينِ وَحَيثُ لاقى
رُقاقُthe smooth flats of السَهلِthe plain مِنat خُوعىKhūʿā الحُزُوناthe rugged ground
رُقاقُ السَهلِ مِن خُوعى الحُزُونا
in the ravine of the two hills, and where there meet
By the slopes of the two plateaus, and where
the smooth flats of Khūʿā's plain and the rugged ground.
The softness of the valley meets the sadness of the bending sand dunes,
عَرَفتُI recognized بِهاin it مَنازِلَdwellings ذَكَّرَتنيreminded me
عَرَفتُ بِها مَنازِلَ ذَكَّرَتني
مَعالِمُthe landmarks of آيهاits traces شَجَناًa grief دَفِيناburied
مَعالِمُ آيها شَجَناً دَفِينا
There I recognized dwellings; I was reminded
I recognized the dwellings that reminded me
of a buried grief by the landmarks of their traces.
Of their features - deep yearning.
وَآياتُand the signs of الرُسُومِthe ruins مُذَكَّرَاتٌcalling to mind
وَآياتُ الرُسُومِ مُذَكَّرَاتٌ
أُمُوراًthings قَدalready مَضَينَthey passed وَقَدand already نُسِيناthey were forgotten
أُمُوراً قَد مَضَينَ وَقَد نُسِينا
And the signs of the ruins call to mind
And the markings of the diagrams are memories
things that have passed and been forgotten.
Of events now passed and forgotten.
وَمَجلِسِand a gathering of أَربَعٍfour women يَشكِينَthey complained لَيلاًby night
وَمَجلِسِ أَربَعٍ يَشكِينَ لَيلاً
إِلَيَّto me مِنَfrom الصَبابَةِpassionate longing ماwhat لَقِيناthey suffered
إِلَيَّ مِنَ الصَبابَةِ ما لَقِينا
And a gathering of four women, complaining by night
And a gathering of four complaining at night
to me of what they had suffered from passionate longing.
To me of adventures we encountered in our youth.
فَأَبدَيتُso I revealed الحَديثَthe tale حَديثَthe tale of نَفسيmy own soul
فَأَبدَيتُ الحَديثَ حَديثَ نَفسي
وَماand what قَدalready كُنتُI had been قَدalready أَضمَرتُI concealed حيناًfor a time
وَما قَد كُنتُ قَد أَضمَرتُ حيناً
So I revealed my tale, the tale of my own soul,
So I spoke the speech of my own soul
and what I had kept hidden for a time
And what I had harbored silently long ago
مِنَof الشَوقِthe longing المُبَرِّحِtormenting إِنindeed, my longing شَوقيmy longing
مِنَ الشَوقِ المُبَرِّحِ إِن شَوقي
لَهُنَّfor them يَكُونُis أُهوَنُهُits mildest form رَصِيناfirmly rooted
لَهُنَّ يَكُونُ أُهوَنُهُ رَصِينا
of tormenting longing; indeed, my longing
Of joyful longing - though my longing for them
for them is, even at its mildest, deeply rooted.
Would be slighted as feeble.
خَرائِدُbashful maidens ماnot خَرَجنَthey came out إِلَيَّto me حَتّىuntil
خَرائِدُ ما خَرَجنَ إِلَيَّ حَتّى
جَعَلنَthey stationed لِمَنfor those whom يَخَفنَthey feared بِناconcerning us عُيُوناwatchers
جَعَلنَ لِمَن يَخَفنَ بِنا عُيُونا
Bashful maidens—they did not come out to me until
Whisperings of those who went out to me until
they had posted watchers over those they feared on our account.
They made eyes for whoever feared us.
فَأَخفَينَso they concealed الَّذيwhat أَجمَعنَthey resolved upon لَمّاwhen
فَأَخفَينَ الَّذي أَجمَعنَ لَمّا
أَرَدنَthey wished لُقَيَّناto meet us حَتّىuntil خَفِيناthey became hidden
أَرَدنَ لُقَيَّنا حَتّى خَفِينا
So they concealed what they had resolved upon when
So they hid what they had gathered when
they wished to meet us, until they were out of sight.
They wanted to meet me until we were hidden.
كَأَنَّas though دَلِيلَهُنَّtheir guide بِهنَّwith them يَهدىwas guiding
كَأَنَّ دَلِيلَهُنَّ بِهنَّ يَهدى
جَوازئَgrazers needing no water مِنamong نِعاجِfemale antelopes الرَملِthe sands عِيناwide-eyed
جَوازئَ مِن نِعاجِ الرَملِ عِينا
As though their guide, leading them, were guiding
As if their guide led them
wide-eyed female antelopes of the sands, grazing without need of water.
Through the thickets of gazelles in the sand.
فِجِئنَso they came وَماand not يَكَدنَthey could almost إِذاwhen اِرجَحَنَّتsagged heavily
فِجِئنَ وَما يَكَدنَ إِذا اِرجَحَنَّت
بِهاupon her الأَعجازُthe haunches مِنfrom ثِقَلٍheaviness يَنُوناthey rise with effort
بِها الأَعجازُ مِن ثِقَلٍ يَنُونا
They came, scarcely able, when weighed down
They came suddenly when their rear parts bent
by the heaviness of their haunches, to rise.
With the heavy weight they carried.
Sol 6.1