لِمَنbelonging to whom طَلَلٌa dwelling's ruins بِالنَعفِon the slope نَعفِthe slope of وَقِيرِWaqir
لِمَن طَلَلٌ بِالنَعفِ نَعفِ وَقِيرِ
يُشَبَّهُis likened to مَغناهُits dwelling-place كِتابَthe writing of زَبُورِa psalter
يُشَبَّهُ مَغناهُ كِتابَ زَبُورِ
Whose ruined dwelling lies on the slope—the slope of Waqir?
For whom are the ruins with crumbling pillars and debris,
Its dwelling-place resembles the writing of a psalter.
Its singing resembles the book of Psalms,
أَضَرَّdid harm بِهِto it بَعدَafter الأُلىthose who عَمَرُواthey dwelt بِهِin it
أَضَرَّ بِهِ بَعدَ الأُلى عَمَرُوا بِهِ
تَقادُمُlong succession أَرواحٍof winds وَمَرُّand the passing دُهُورِof ages
تَقادُمُ أَرواحٍ وَمَرُّ دُهُورِ
It was ravaged, after those who had dwelt there,
Time has harmed it after its prime,
by the long succession of winds and the passage of ages.
With the passing of souls and ages,
أَقُولُI say لِعَبدِto Abd (servant of) اللَهِAllah (God) وَالقَلبُand the heart واجِبٌpounding
أَقُولُ لِعَبدِ اللَهِ وَالقَلبُ واجِبٌ
وَمِنand from قَبلِهِbefore him ماwhat قُلتُهُI said it لِكَثِيرِto Kathir
وَمِن قَبلِهِ ما قُلتُهُ لِكَثِيرِ
I say to Abd Allah, my heart pounding,
I say to Abdullah while my heart is willing,
what I had said before him to Kathir:
What I have said to many before him,
فَماso whatever أَنسَI forget مِلأَa full measure (unclear here) شَياءِof things (irregular form) لاnot أَنسَI forget مَجلِساًa gathering
فَما أَنسَ مِلأَ شَياءِ لا أَنسَ مَجلِساً
لَناfor us وَلَهاand for her بِالسَفحِon the hillside دُونَbelow ثَبِيرِThabir
لَنا وَلَها بِالسَفحِ دُونَ ثَبِيرِ
So, whatever things I forget, I shall not forget a gathering
It did not forget the place of our gathering,
that she and we shared on the slope below Thabir;
For us and for it below the hill, not far off,
وَلاnor قَولَهاher words وَهناًat night وَقَدand already بَلَّhad wetted نَحرَهاher upper chest
وَلا قَولَها وَهناً وَقَد بَلَّ نَحرَها
سَوابِقُrushing streams دَمعٍof tears ماnot يَجِفُّdries غَزَيرِcopious
سَوابِقُ دَمعٍ ما يَجِفُّ غَزَيرِ
nor her words at night, when her upper chest was wetted
Nor her words of affection, as tears streamed down her neck,
by rushing, copious tears that would not dry:
Abundant tears that do not dry up,
أَأَنتَare you? الَّذيthe one who حُدِّثتُI was told أَنَّكَthat you راحِلٌleaving
أَأَنتَ الَّذي حُدِّثتُ أَنَّكَ راحِلٌ
غَداةَthe morning of غَدٍtomorrow أَوor رائِحٌdeparting in the afternoon بِهَجِيرِin midday heat
غَداةَ غَدٍ أَو رائِحٌ بِهَجِيرِ
Are you the one I was told would be leaving
Are you the one I was told would be leaving
tomorrow morning, or setting out in the midday heat?
Tomorrow or the day after hastily,
فَقُلتُso I said يَسِيرٌslight بَعضُpart of يَومٍa day أَغيبُهُI am absent during it
فَقُلتُ يَسِيرٌ بَعضُ يَومٍ أَغيبُهُ
وَماand not بَعضُpart of يَومٍa day غِبتِهyou were absent during it بِيَسِيرِat all slight
وَما بَعضُ يَومٍ غِبتِه بِيَسِيرِ
I said: A small matter—part of a day I shall be away;
So I said, it is easy to be gone a day,
yet part of a day you are away is no small matter.
For being gone a day is not difficult,
أَحِينَis it when? عَصَيتُI defied العاذِلينَthe reproachers إِلَيكُمُtoward you
أَحِينَ عَصَيتُ العاذِلينَ إِلَيكُمُ
وَنازَعَand tugged against حَبليmy rope فيover هَواكِlove for you أَمِيريmy commander
وَنازَعَ حَبلي في هَواكِ أَمِيري
Is it now, when I defied the reproachers to come to you,
When have I disobeyed those who advised against you,
and my commander tugged against my rope over my love for you,
And my tribe disputed my love for you, my prince,
وَأَنهَمَنيand rebuked me فِيكِover you الأَقارِبُthe relatives كُلُّهُمall of them
وَأَنهَمَني فِيكِ الأَقارِبُ كُلُّهُم
وَباحَand revealed بِماwhat يُخفىconceals الفُؤادُthe heart ضَمِيريmy inmost self
وَباحَ بِما يُخفى الفُؤادُ ضَمِيري
and all my relatives rebuked me over you,
And all my kin blamed me about you,
and my inmost self revealed what the heart conceals?
Revealing what my conscience concealed,
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her قَولَthe words of أمرئٍa man شَفَّهُwore him thin الهَوىlove
فَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ أمرئٍ شَفَّهُ الهَوى
إِلَيهاfor her وَلَوeven if طالَlasted long الزَمانُtime فَقِيرِin need
إِلَيها وَلَو طالَ الزَمانُ فَقِيرِ
So I spoke to her as a man whom love had worn thin,
So I said to her words of a man whose love,
in need of her, however long time might last,
Drew him to her, however long he remained deprived,
وَيُخفىand conceals بِهاfor her وَجداًlonging شَديداًintense وَقَلبُهُand his heart
وَيُخفى بِها وَجداً شَديداً وَقَلبُهُ
إِلَيهاto her كَمَشدُودِlike one bound الوِثاقِthe bonds أَسِيرِcaptive
إِلَيها كَمَشدُودِ الوِثاقِ أَسِيرِ
and concealing intense longing for her, while his heart
And he hides intense passion, while his heart,
is captive to her, like one tightly bound.
Is drawn to her, like a prisoner bound in shackles,
وَماand not أَناI إِنif شَطَّتgrew distant بيwith me الدارُthe dwelling أَودَنَتor drew near
وَما أَنا إِن شَطَّت بي الدارُ أَودَنَت
بيwith me الدارُthe dwelling عَنكُمaway from you فَاعلَميso know بِصَبُورat all patient
بي الدارُ عَنكُم فَاعلَمي بِصَبُور
And I cannot—whether my dwelling takes me far away or brings
I am not, if the house parts me from you,
me near—patiently bear being apart from you; know this.
Or the house brings me closer to you, know that I am patient,
أَشارَتshe gestured لِتِربَيهاto her two peers إِلَيَّtoward me وَأَومَضَتand signaled with her eyes
أَشارَت لِتِربَيها إِلَيَّ وَأَومَضَت
فَأَحبِبso how lovely! بِهاshe is (exclamatory) مِنas مُومِضٍone giving eye-signals وَمُشِيرِand one gesturing
فَأَحبِب بِها مِن مُومِضٍ وَمُشِيرِ
She pointed me out to her two companions and signaled with her eyes;
She gestured with her eyelids at me and winked
how lovely she was, with her eye-signals and gestures!
So love her for winking and gesturing,
فَلَمّاthen when تَجَلّىcleared لَيلُناour night وَبَدَتand appeared لَناto us
فَلَمّا تَجَلّى لَيلُنا وَبَدَت لَنا
كَواكِبُstars فَجرٍof dawn بَعدَafter ذاكَthat مُنِيرِbright
كَواكِبُ فَجرٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ مُنِيرِ
Then, when our night cleared and there appeared to us
When our night was unveiled and the stars of dawn appeared to us,
the stars of a bright dawn after that,
After that illuminator,
وَقُلنَand they said أَنطَلِقgo! لاmay not كانَbe آخرthe last عَهدِناour encounter
وَقُلنَ أَنطَلِق لا كانَ آخر عَهدِنا
بِمَلقاكَof meeting you فيin سِترٍconcealment سُترتَmay you be sheltered سَتِيرِwell-concealing
بِمَلقاكَ في سِترٍ سُترتَ سَتِيرِ
they said: Go—may this not be our last time
We said, let's go, for our last meeting was,
meeting you beneath a concealing veil—may you be sheltered!
In your visit cloaked in secrecy,
فَإِنّاfor we نَخافُwe fear الحَيَّthe clan أَنthat يَفزَعُواthey take alarm بِناat us
فَإِنّا نَخافُ الحَيَّ أَن يَفزَعُوا بِنا
وَعَينَand the eye عَدُوٍّof an enemy أَنthat يَراكَsees you بَصِيرِkeen-sighted
وَعَينَ عَدُوٍّ أَن يَراكَ بَصِيرِ
For we fear the clan may take alarm at us,
We fear the living may be startled by us,
and that the eye of a keen-sighted enemy may see you.
And the eye of an enemy may see you clearly,
نَهَضنَthey rose بِأَعجازwith hips ثِقالٍheavy تُمِيلُهاmake her sway
نَهَضنَ بِأَعجاز ثِقالٍ تُمِيلُها
فَتَسمُوso she rises بِأَعناقٍwith necks لَهاhers وَصُدُورِand breasts
فَتَسمُو بِأَعناقٍ لَها وَصُدُورِ
They rose with heavy hips that made them sway,
They got up with heavy busts that swayed,
then stretched upward with their necks and breasts,
Rising with necks and chests,
كَعِبرِيِّlike a bank-side بانٍbān-tree أَثبتَتهُheld it firm أُصُولُهُits roots
كَعِبرِيِّ بانٍ أَثبتَتهُ أُصُولُهُ
يُحَرِّكُstirs أَعلاهُits top نَسيمُa breeze دَبُورِof the west wind
يُحَرِّكُ أَعلاهُ نَسيمُ دَبُورِ
like a bank-side bān-tree held firm by its roots,
Like a firmly rooted juniper shaken at the top,
its top stirred by a breath of the west wind.
By the blowing of a cold north wind,
فَلَمّاthen when اِستَوَتbecame steady أَقدامُهُنَّtheir feet وَلَمand did not تَكَدalmost manage
فَلَمّا اِستَوَت أَقدامُهُنَّ وَلَم تَكَد
عَلىwith هُضمِslenderness أَكبادٍof bellies (literally livers) وَلُطفِand delicacy خُصُورِof waists
عَلى هُضمِ أَكبادٍ وَلُطفِ خُصُورِ
Then, when they stood firmly on their feet, though they scarcely could,
When their feet steadied and they barely moved,
with slender middles and delicate waists,
With suppressed livers and gentle cores,
تَهادىthe swaying gait نِعاجِof female antelopes الرَملِof the sands مَرَّتshe or it passed سَواكِناًcalmly
تَهادى نِعاجِ الرَملِ مَرَّت سَواكِناً
بِأَجرَعَover a sandy flat مُوليِّwatered by later rains الدِماثِthe soft grounds مَطِيرِrain-soaked
بِأَجرَعَ مُوليِّ الدِماثِ مَطِيرِ
they passed calmly, with the swaying gait of the sands' antelopes,
The docile sheep passed by us calmly,
over a sandy flat, its soft ground watered by successive rains.
With the trotting gait of a wet runner,
تَرَبَّعنَthey spent the spring غَورَthe lowlands of الأَرضِthe land حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen بَدَتappeared
تَرَبَّعنَ غَورَ الأَرضِ حَتّى إِذا بَدَت
مِنَfrom النَجمِthe star أَرواحٌwinds ذَواتُbearing حَرُورِscorching heat
مِنَ النَجمِ أَرواحٌ ذَواتُ حَرُورِ
They spent the spring in the lowlands, until there appeared
They sat down in the land’s hollow, until stars
from the star, winds laden with scorching heat,
With hot spirits appeared,
وَأَورَدَand brought to water أَهلَthe people of الماءِthe water غِيّاًGhiyy (uncertain reading) وَأَفصَحَتand called out clearly
وَأَورَدَ أَهلَ الماءِ غِيّاً وَأَفصَحَت
حَمامَةُa dove أَيكٍof a grove ناضِرٍverdant بِهَديرِwith cooing
حَمامَةُ أَيكٍ ناضِرٍ بِهَديرِ
and it brought the waterfolk to Ghiyy [uncertain reading], while there called out
And the aquatic creatures came confused,
a dove in a verdant grove, with its cooing;
The coo of a bush dove in a creek burst out,
دَعاهُنَّcalled them نَجدٌNajd لِلجِلاسِto sit; to stay فَذُكِّرَتso she was reminded
دَعاهُنَّ نَجدٌ لِلجِلاسِ فَذُكِّرَت
ظِلالَthe shade of بَساتينٍgardens بِهِthere; in it وَقُصُورِand palaces
ظِلالَ بَساتينٍ بِهِ وَقُصُورِ
Najd called them to settle, and she was reminded
Najd called them to sit, so they were reminded,
of the shade of gardens and palaces there.
Of gardens’ shadows and palaces,
وَكُنَّand they were بِهِthere; in it فيduring صيفَةِthe summer of الحَيِّthe clan كُلِّهاall of it
وَكُنَّ بِهِ في صيفَةِ الحَيِّ كُلِّها
إِلىbeside سَرَبٍa flock (reading uncertain) فيin رَوضَةٍa meadow وَغَديرِand a pool
إِلى سَرَبٍ في رَوضَةٍ وَغَديرِ
And there they were throughout the clan's whole summer,
And they were in its summer, all of it,
beside a flock, amid meadow and pool.
To a herd in a meadow and creek,
Sol 6.1