أَحَقاًis it true? أَنَّthat جيرَتَناour neighbors استَحَبّواthey preferred
أَحَقاً أَنَّ جيرَتَنا استَحَبّوا
حُزونَrugged tracts الأَرضِthe ground بِالبَلَدِin the land السَخاخِsoft-soiled
حُزونَ الأَرضِ بِالبَلَدِ السَخاخِ
Is it true that our neighbors have preferred
Is it true that our neighbors have chosen
the rugged ground in the soft-soiled land,
The sorrowful plains in this desolate land
إِلىto عُقرِthe heart of الأَباطِحَthe gravelly valleys مِنfrom ثَبيرٍThabir
إِلى عُقرِ الأَباطِحَ مِن ثَبيرٍ
إِلىto ثَورٍThawr فمَدفَعٍthen the torrent outlet ذيDhu (possessor of) مُراخِMurakh
إِلى ثَورٍ فمَدفَعٍ ذي مُراخِ
to the heart of the gravelly valleys, from Thabir
To the furthest horizon, over the dunes
to Thawr, then the torrent outlet of Dhu Murakh?
To uprising, with weapons brandished at hand
فَتِلكَthose, then ديارُهُمtheir dwellings لَمdid not يَبقَremain مِنهاof them
فَتِلكَ ديارُهُم لَم يَبقَ مِنها
سِوىexcept طَلَلِthe ruins of المُعَرَّسِthe night-resting place والمُناخِand the camel camp
سِوى طَلَلِ المُعَرَّسِ والمُناخِ
Those, then, are their dwellings; nothing remains of them
For such were their homes, nothing remains
except the ruins of the night-resting place and camel camp.
Save ruins and traces in vacant sand
وَقَدand once تَغنىdwelt بِهاin them فيin الدارِthe dwelling حُورٌdark-eyed maidens
وَقَد تَغنى بِها في الدارِ حُورٌ
نَواعِمُdelicate فيin المَجاسِدِthe saffron-dyed robes كالإِراخِlike young wild cattle
نَواعِمُ في المَجاسِدِ كالإِراخِ
And there, in the dwelling, once lived dark-eyed maidens,
And in their halls sang maidens so fair
delicate in saffron-dyed robes, like young wild cattle.
Soft limbs upon carpets, delight in demand
وَوَجديand my yearning بِالأَحِبَّةِfor the loved ones يَومَon the day بانواthey departed
وَوَجدي بِالأَحِبَّةِ يَومَ بانوا
كَوَجدِlike the yearning of الصادِthe thirsty one بِالماءِfor water النُقاخِpure
كَوَجدِ الصادِ بِالماءِ النُقاخِ
And my yearning for my loved ones on the day they departed
My longing for loved ones when they went away
was like a thirsty one's yearning for pure water.
Was like that of rain for the thirsty sand
وَوَجديand my yearning دائِمٌlasting لَهُمfor them وَعَهديand my pledge
وَوَجدي دائِمٌ لَهُم وَعَهدي
مَتينٌfirm ماnot يَعودُturns إِلىto انفِساخِdissolution
مَتينٌ ما يَعودُ إِلى انفِساخِ
And my yearning for them endures, and my pledge
My pact and my promise to them will remain
is firm, never to come undone.
Strong, not to soften or come undone
Sol 6.1