وابنةِand a daughter بَرٍّland لمdid not تَبِنْdepart عَنْout of زُهْدِindifference
وابنةِ بَرٍّ لم تَبِنْ عَنْ زُهْدِ
أضحىhas become بهاwith her البحرُthe sea قريبَrecent العَهْدِacquaintance
أضحى بها البحرُ قريبَ العَهْدِ
And a daughter of land, who did not leave it out of indifference,
The daughter of righteousness did not abstain from asceticism
The sea has only lately become acquainted with her.
The sea made her almost forgetful
تَعافُهshe shuns it وهوthough it is زُلالُlimpid الوِردِthe draught
تَعافُه وهو زُلالُ الوِردِ
فليسَso she does not تَحبُوهُgrant it بِصَفْوِwith the purity of الوُدِّaffection
فليسَ تَحبُوهُ بِصَفْوِ الوُدِّ
She shuns it, though its draught is limpid,
She withstands it while it is the drink of roses
So she grants it no pure affection,
So they do not love her with the sincerity of affection
إلاّexcept بِرَبْطٍby binding عندَهbeside it وشَدِّand fastening
إلاّ بِرَبْطٍ عندَه وشَدِّ
لمَّاwhen نَضَتْshe shed مَلاحِفَmantles الإِفْرنْدِbrocade
لمَّا نَضَتْ مَلاحِفَ الإِفْرنْدِ
Except when bound and fastened beside it.
Except with a tie that binds her and strains her
When she shed her mantles of brocade
When the linen of the French spread
واتَّشَحَتْand she draped herself منَfrom الدُّجىnight's darkness بِبُرْدِin a cloak
واتَّشَحَتْ منَ الدُّجى بِبُرْدِ
توسَّطَتْshe stood at the center of سِكْرَa weir of صَفيحٍflat stone slabs صَلَدِhard
توسَّطَتْ سِكْرَ صَفيحٍ صَلَدِ
And draped herself in a cloak of night's darkness,
And she was dressed in pitch darkness
She stood at the center of a weir of hard stone slabs,
She compromised on the intoxication of hard iron
وأشبَهَتْand she resembled واسطةًa central jewel فيin عِقْدِa necklace
وأشبَهَتْ واسطةً في عِقْدِ
مُطِلَّةًoverlooking علىover رِكابِthe riding camels of الوَفْدِthe delegation
مُطِلَّةً على رِكابِ الوَفْدِ
And resembled the central jewel in a necklace,
And resembled a link in a necklace
Overlooking the delegation's riding camels,
Gazing at the feet of the delegation
كأنَّهاas though she were أمُّthe mother of النَّعامِthe ostriches الرُّبْدِdusky-gray
كأنَّها أمُّ النَّعامِ الرُّبْدِ
عَجاجُهاher clamor شَيَّبَgrayed فَوْدَthe temple-hair of المُرْدِbeardless youths
عَجاجُها شَيَّبَ فَوْدَ المُرْدِ
As though she were the mother of the dusky-gray ostriches.
As if she were the mother ostrich of the unkempt hair
Her clamor grayed the temple-hair of beardless youths.
Its continuous crying made the affection hoarse
واجدةٌyearning بالبَرِّfor the land أيَّwhat intense وَجْدِlonging
واجدةٌ بالبَرِّ أيَّ وَجْدِ
تذكَّرَتْshe remembered طيبَthe sweetness of ثَراهits soil الجَعْدِmoist and clumped
تذكَّرَتْ طيبَ ثَراه الجَعْدِ
She yearns for the land—what longing!
Finding goodness in righteousness however the finding may be
She remembered the sweetness of its moist, clumped soil,
She remembered the scent of its soft curly hair
أيامَthe days when تُغذَىshe was nourished بجَنىًon gathered fruit كالشَّهْدِlike honey in the comb
أيامَ تُغذَى بجَنىً كالشَّهْدِ
ولَمْعِand the flash of بَرْقٍlightning وحَنينِand the moaning of رَعْدِthunder
ولَمْعِ بَرْقٍ وحَنينِ رَعْدِ
The days when she was nourished on fruit like honey,
The days it was fed with honey-like nectar
And lightning's flash and thunder's plaintive rumble.
And the lightening and thunder's yearning
فَهْيَso she تُعيدُrepeats أَنَّةًa moan وتُبْديand gives it voice
فَهْيَ تُعيدُ أَنَّةً وتُبْدي
كماjust as يَئِنُّmoans مُوثَقٌone bound fast فيin القَيْدِthe fetters
كما يَئِنُّ مُوثَقٌ في القَيْدِ
So she repeats a moan and gives it voice,
So she repeats the cooing and shows
As one bound in fetters moans.
Like a tied up, moaning prisoner
لولاwere it not for امتدادُthe stretching of الطُّنُبِthe guy-rope المُمْتَدِّoutstretched
لولا امتدادُ الطُّنُبِ المُمْتَدِّ
لَشَمَّرَتْshe would have girded herself تَشميرَthe girding of ذاتِa woman of الجِدِّearnest resolve
لَشَمَّرَتْ تَشميرَ ذاتِ الجِدِّ
Were it not for the tension of the outstretched rope,
Were it not for the extension of the outstretched palm frond
She would have girded herself like a woman in earnest,
She would have rolled up her sleeves for serious work
فصافَحَتْthen she clasped in greeting خَدَّthe cheek of الثَّرىthe moist earth بخدِّwith a cheek
فصافَحَتْ خَدَّ الثَّرى بخدِّ
Then clasped the earth's cheek with her own.
And touched the cheek of the ground with her cheek
Sol 6.1