غَداًtomorrow أحلُّI loosen عنfrom الأوتادِthe stakes أَطنابيmy tent ropes
غَداً أحلُّ عن الأوتادِ أَطنابي
لكيso that أشُدَّI fasten علىonto الأجمالthe camels أقتْابيmy pack-saddles
لكي أشُدَّ على الأجمال أقتْابي
Tomorrow I shall loosen my tent ropes from the stakes,
Tomorrow I will loosen the strings of my oud
To fasten my pack-saddles onto the camels.
To strengthen the ropes on the camels of departure
فيin كلevery يومٍday عناقٌan embrace للوَداعِfor farewell جوٍgrief-laden
في كل يومٍ عناقٌ للوَداعِ جوٍ
يَلفّenfolds قاماتthe figures of أحبابٍloved ones بأحبابِwith loved ones
يَلفّ قامات أحبابٍ بأحبابِ
Each day, a grief-laden farewell embrace
Each day a farewell embrace in the air
Entwines loved ones’ bodies with those of other loved ones.
Enfolding the figures of loved ones in shawls
ورحلةُand a journey فيamid غمِthe gloom of النقعِthe dust تمطرrains down أسwhip- (split word)
ورحلةُ في غمِ النقعِ تمطر أس
واطاًlashes (split-word ending) تُلمُّstrike بأعجازٍon hindquarters وأقرابand flanks
واطاً تُلمُّ بأعجازٍ وأقراب
And a journey through dust’s gloom rains down whip-
A journey in the gloom of desolation rains grief
lashes that strike hindquarters and flanks.
On the backs trudging with their burdens
كمhow often أنشبَsank البَينُparting فيinto أسروعهits caterpillar-like finger بَرَداًhailstones (teeth)
كم أنشبَ البَينُ في أسروعه بَرَداً
وكمand how often أغارَraided علىupon وَردٍroses (cheeks) بعُنّابِwith jujubes (fingertips)
وكم أغارَ على وَردٍ بعُنّابِ
How often has parting sunk hailstone-teeth into its caterpillar-finger,
How separation has frozen its essence into ice
And how often raided rose-cheeks with jujube-fingertips!
And jealousy flared over the rose's thorns
والدهرand time شَوكٌa thornbush جنىthe fruit of أغصانِهits branches إبرٌneedles
والدهر شَوكٌ جنى أغصانِه إبرٌ
فكيفَso how أملكcan I manage منهfrom it قطفَpicking أعنابgrapes
فكيفَ أملك منه قطفَ أعناب
Time is a thornbush whose branches bear needles;
Fate is a thornbush whose branches are spears
How, then, can I gather grapes from it?
How can I pluck from it a cluster of grapes?
غوثايَhelp me, help me! منهُagainst it فماfor it does not ينفكَcease يُقلقنيunsettle me
غوثايَ منهُ فما ينفكَ يُقلقني
بسفرةٍwith a journey تَقتْضيrequires تقويضَtaking down أطنابيmy tent ropes
بسفرةٍ تَقتْضي تقويضَ أطنابي
Help, help against it! It never ceases to unsettle me
Save me from it, ceaselessly it disquiets me
With a journey demanding that I take down my tent ropes.
With a departure that necessitates unstringing my oud
كأننيas though I were كرةٌa ball يَنْزوbounces بِهاwith it أبداًforever
كأنني كرةٌ يَنْزو بِها أبداً
وقعُthe impact of الصّوالجِpolo mallets فيin ميدانِa field of أَلعابgames
وقعُ الصّوالجِ في ميدانِ أَلعاب
As though I were a ball, forever set bouncing
I'm like a ball eternally struck
By the strokes of polo mallets on a playing field.
By the blows of fate in a playing field
ماhow أعوزَscarce الصبرَpatience فيamid الأوصابِsufferings منfrom دَنِفِa wasting lover
ما أعوزَ الصبرَ في الأوصابِ من دَنِفِ
يذيقهُmakes him taste البَينُparting صَبراًbitter aloes ديفَblended بالصّابwith bitter sap
يذيقهُ البَينُ صَبراً ديفَ بالصّاب
How scarce is patience, amid suffering, for a wasting lover,
Patience in difficulties is not lacking in gentleness
Whom parting makes taste aloes blended with bitter sap!
That reveals to separation a calm, constant soul
إذاwhen لوىtwists يدَthe hand of حادِيهhis camel-driver الزمامthe rein شَكاhe laments
إذا لوى يدَ حادِيه الزمام شَكا
قلباَa heart لذيفانِbecause of the venom of صِلٍّan asp منهfrom it مُنسابِslithering
قلباَ لذيفانِ صِلٍّ منه مُنسابِ
When the rein twists his camel-driver’s hand, he laments
If the hand of the driver turns the reins aside
A heart hurt by the venom of an asp slithering from that rein.
A heart flows smoothly toward the beloved land
ياO! حيّذاhow splendid! زُوزَنُZuzan الغَرّاءthe radiant منas بلدٍa town
يا حيّذا زُوزَنُ الغَرّاء من بلدٍ
نابُthe fang of الحوادثِcalamities عنaway from أكنافهاits borders نابِdistant
نابُ الحوادثِ عن أكنافها نابِ
Hail, radiant Zuzan—what a town!
Hasten, caravan of the precious place
The fang of calamities stays far from its borders.
Calamity has passed from its borders
حسدتُI envied أذيالَthe hems of أثوابيmy robes وقدand already ظفِرَتْthey had won
حسدتُ أذيالَ أثوابي وقد ظفِرَتْ
بشمِّby smelling تُربتِهاits soil أذيالُthe hems of أثوابيmy robes
بشمِّ تُربتِها أذيالُ أثوابي
I envied the hems of my robes, for they had won
I envy the train of my robe which has succeeded
A whiff of its soil—those hems of my robes.
In kissing the dust of its hem
تَودُّwishes عَينيmy eye إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أرضُهاits ground كنستْis swept
تَودُّ عَيني إذا ما أرضُها كنستْ
لوif only صيغَwere fashioned مكنسُهاits broom منfrom شعرِthe hairs of أهدابيmy eyelashes
لو صيغَ مكنسُها من شعرِ أهدابي
My eye wishes, whenever its ground is swept,
My eye wishes, whenever the ground is swept clean,
That its broom were fashioned from the hairs of my lashes.
The broom were crafted from the hair of my eyelashes
أَحنوI feel tenderness عليهاtoward it وأَستسقيand I ask for rain لخطّتهاfor its precincts
أَحنو عليها وأَستسقي لخطّتها
يديthe two hands of سحابٍa cloud جرورِtrailing الذيلِthe skirt سَحّابِsweeping along
يدي سحابٍ جرورِ الذيلِ سَحّابِ
I cherish it, and ask rain for its precincts
I grieve for it and beg the clouds
From a cloud’s two hands, its skirts trailing as it sweeps along.
To water its path with pouring trails
كأنّهاas though it were الخلدُParadise ماnot تنفكُّceases طائفةًcircling
كأنّها الخلدُ ما تنفكُّ طائفةً
ولدانُهاits youths بأباريقٍwith ewers وأَكوابِand cups
ولدانُها بأباريقٍ وأَكوابِ
It is like Paradise: forever circling
As if it were eternity, that group never ceases
Are its youths, with ewers and cups.
Its lads with ewers and cups
إنif جئتُهاI come to it فجواديthen my steed سابحٌswimming (galloping smoothly) مرحٌjoyful
إن جئتُها فجوادي سابحٌ مرحٌ
وإنand if رَجَعتُI return فمِعثارُthen frequently stumbling الخُطاthe steps كابِstumbling headlong
وإن رَجَعتُ فمِعثارُ الخُطا كابِ
If I come to it, my steed swims along, full of joy;
If I go there, my steed swims playfully
And if I return, it trips in its steps and stumbles headlong.
If I return, the stirrups scrape dust
Sol 6.1