ماذاwhat ألمَّbefell بلمَّتيupon my locks فأشابهاand turned them gray
ماذا ألمَّ بلمَّتي فأشابها
وخَضْبتُهاand I dyed them فنضاthen stripped away البياضُwhiteness خضابَهاtheir dye
وخَضْبتُها فنضا البياضُ خضابَها
What befell my locks and turned them gray?
What ails my heart that it has grayed,
I dyed them, but whiteness stripped away their dye.
And I dyed it but the whiteness washed away its dye,
سَرَتِcrept by night الهُمُومُthe cares الطَّارقاتُcoming by night فغادرتthen left
سَرَتِ الهُمُومُ الطَّارقاتُ فغادرت
بينَbetween الجوانحthe ribs والحَشىand the inward parts أَوصاaches (word fragment) بَهاtheir (word ending)
بينَ الجوانح والحَشى أَوصا بَها
The cares that came by night crept in and left
Sorrows crept in at night and left
Their aches between my ribs and in my inward parts.
Between my chest and guts their bequests,
ماnot زالتِceased العَبَراتُthe tears جامدةًfrozen إلىuntil
ما زالتِ العَبَراتُ جامدةً إلى
أنْthat مسّهاtouched them ألمُpain الأسىof sorrow فإذاand suddenly بَهاwith them
أنْ مسّها ألمُ الأسى فإذا بَها
The tears remained frozen until
My tears did not flow till the pain of grief
Sorrow's pain touched them—and suddenly, there they were.
Touched them, and lo! they burst forth and swayed,
قدindeed ذُقُتُI tasted فقدانَloss of الاحبّةُloved ones بُرّهَةًfor a time
قد ذُقُتُ فقدانَ الاحبّةُ بُرّهَةً
وصَرَمْتُand I severed فيin أيديthe hands of الهَوىpassion أَسْبابَهاtheir bonds
وصَرَمْتُ في أيدي الهَوى أَسْبابَها
I have tasted the loss of loved ones for a time,
I tasted for a while loss of loved ones
And severed their bonds in passion's grasp.
And struggled in the hands of passion - and snapped its ties,
عَتْبٌreproach علىagainst الأَيامthe days أُظْهرُهُI voice it ومَاand not
عَتْبٌ على الأَيام أُظْهرُهُ ومَا
إعْتابُهاtheir making amends ليto me أَنthat أَطَلْتُI prolonged عِتابَهاreproaching them
إعْتابُها لي أَن أَطَلْتُ عِتابَها
I voice my reproach against the days, but
I reproach the days openly but do not blame them
Prolonging my reproach brings me no amends from them.
That I prolonged reproaching them,
أَمَّاas for اْلخَطُوبُthe calamities الحادثاتُarising فلنْso never ترىyou will see
أَمَّا اْلخَطُوبُ الحادثاتُ فلنْ ترى
ليin me غفْلَةًheedlessness عنregarding أُهبّةٍpreparedness فأهابَهاand so I fear them
لي غفْلَةً عن أُهبّةٍ فأهابَها
As for calamities that arise, you will never find
As for shocking events, you’ll never see
Me heedless of preparedness, and thus afraid of them.
Me heedless of precautions, so I avoid their traps,
ترَكَتْنيleft me الحالاتُcircumstances فيin تصْريفهاtheir changing turns
ترَكَتْني الحالاتُ في تصْريفها
سورa bulwark النوائبِthe calamities ثالماًblunting أَنيابَهاtheir fangs
سور النوائبِ ثالماً أَنيابَها
The changing turns of circumstance have left me
Circumstances left me, in their ups and downs,
A bulwark against calamities, blunting their fangs.
Biting the fingers of adversity with its canine teeth,
وأَناand I الجليدُthe steadfast one فماso not فرِقْتُI quailed لفُرْقةٍat parting
وأَنا الجليدُ فما فرِقْتُ لفُرْقةٍ
قبلbefore اغْترابيmy being far from home قدalready زَجرْتI drove off غُرابَهاits raven
قبل اغْترابي قد زَجرْت غُرابَها
I am steadfast; I have never quailed at parting.
And I am forbearing, so before my estrangement
Before leaving home, I had already driven off its raven.
I never parted due to disunion - and deterred its crow,
أسفيmy regret علىover أَنيthat I تملَّيْتُenjoyed fully الصِّباyouth
أسفي على أَني تملَّيْتُ الصِّبا
وإخالُand I think نفْسيmy soul ماnot قضَتfulfilled آرابَهاits desires
وإخالُ نفْسي ما قضَت آرابَها
My regret is that I enjoyed youth to the full,
I regret that I enjoyed my youth
Yet I think my soul has not fulfilled its desires.
And let my soul have what it desired in its prime,
ولَطالماand how often أَجْرَرتُهاI let it drag رُسُنreins الهوىof passion
ولَطالما أَجْرَرتُها رُسُن الهوى
فيin اللَّهْوrevelry تمنَعْit withholds فيin الحسابِthe reckoning شبابَهاits youth
في اللَّهْو تمنَعْ في الحسابِ شبابَها
How often I let it trail the reins of passion
And for long I dragged it into the pits of passion
In revelry, it keeps its youth out of the reckoning.
To frolic - and avoid its reckoning in its youth,
ولقدْand indeed شَهِدْتُI joined الشَّرْبَthe drinking companions بينَamong دَسَاكرٍcountry estates
ولقدْ شَهِدْتُ الشَّرْبَ بينَ دَسَاكرٍ
يُسْقُونَthey are served منfrom صافىpure الرَّحيقwine شَرابَهاtheir drink
يُسْقُونَ من صافى الرَّحيق شَرابَها
I have joined drinking companions among country estates,
And I witnessed drinking in the taverns
Who were served their drink of pure wine.
Where they serve the pure wine’s draught,
وطَرَقْتُand I visited by night صاحِبَةَthe lady of الْخِباءthe tent ودُونهاand before her
وطَرَقْتُ صاحِبَةَ الْخِباء ودُونها
سُمْرُdusky القناlances باتتْspent the night تَحُفُّsurrounding قبابَهاher pavilions
سُمْرُ القنا باتتْ تَحُفُّ قبابَها
And visited the lady of the tent by night, though before her
And I visited the mistress of the tents, and around her
Dusky lances spent the night surrounding her pavilions.
The bright stars of Canopus spent the night enveloping her pavilions,
وَلَقَدand indeed أَبيتُI spend the night اللَّيْلَthe night أَعْتَسفُI cross without a path الفَلاthe wilderness
وَلَقَد أَبيتُ اللَّيْلَ أَعْتَسفُ الفَلا
وأَجوبُand I cleave منof ظْلْمdarkness الدُّجىdeep night جِلْبابَهاits cloak
وأَجوبُ من ظْلْم الدُّجى جِلْبابَها
And indeed I spend the night crossing the trackless wilderness,
And many a night I wandered under the darkness of night's gloom,
And cleave its cloak of the night's deep darkness.
Feeling the night breeze blow through its dress,
وأَخُوضُand I wade بالبيداءِin the desert رَقراقَthe shimmer of الضُّحىforenoon
وأَخُوضُ بالبيداءِ رَقراقَ الضُّحى
والشَّمْسُand the sun حائِرَةٌbewildered تمجُّspits out لُعَابَهاits saliva
والشَّمْسُ حائِرَةٌ تمجُّ لُعَابَها
And wade through the forenoon's shimmer in the desert,
And I wade at dawn through the warbling of the first light
While the bewildered sun spits out its saliva.
As the sun wanders distraught, licking its lips,
وأُقرِّضand I compose verses الغُرَّthe brilliant ones الأوابدَthe enduring ones مادحاًpraising
وأُقرِّض الغُرَّ الأوابدَ مادحاً
صيدَproud-bearing المُلوكِthe kings وذاكراًand recounting أَحسابَهاtheir noble lineages
صيدَ المُلوكِ وذاكراً أَحسابَها
And compose bright, enduring verses, praising
And I praise the sublime kings to the noble dynasties,
The proud kings and recounting their noble lineages.
And remember their great feats,
أفديI would ransom بنيthe sons of عُمَرَUmar بنson of نبْهانNabhan الأُلىthose who
أفدي بني عُمَرَ بن نبْهان الأُلى
أُوتواwere granted العُلىeminence وتسربلواand clothed themselves in أثوابَهاits robes
أُوتوا العُلى وتسربلوا أثوابَها
I would give my life for the sons of Umar ibn Nabhan, who
I ransom the family of Umar ibn Nabhan -
Were granted eminence and clothed themselves in its robes.
They attained the heights and put on its robes,
آلُthe house of العَتيكِal-Atik الوارثينthe inheritors of أَرُومَةthe stock of الthe (prefix)
آلُ العَتيكِ الوارثين أَرُومَة ال
أزْدِAzd الكِرامthe noble صَميمَهاits true core ولبابَهاand its finest essence
أزْدِ الكِرام صَميمَها ولبابَها
The house of al-Atik, heirs to the stock of the
The progeny of Atik who inherited the glory of generosity,
Noble Azd—its true core and finest essence.
Its core and essence,
الحاملونthose who bear عنon behalf of العَشيرةthe clan جُرمَهاits guilt
الحاملون عن العَشيرة جُرمَها
والنَّاصِرونand those who support لهاfor it علىagainst ماwhatever نابَهاbefell it
والنَّاصِرون لها على ما نابَها
Who bear the clan's guilt on its behalf,
Who shoulder the burdens of their tribe,
And support it against whatever befalls it.
And support it in its trials,
والوالجونand those who enter لدىamid الوغىbattle غَمراتهاits depths
والوالجون لدى الوغى غَمراتها
والفارجونand those who open إلىtoward العُلىeminence أَبوابَهاits gates
والفارجون إلى العُلى أَبوابَها
Who plunge into its depths amid the fray,
Who plunge into its deep waters during chaos,
And open the gates that lead to eminence.
And pave its way to the heights,
وهُمand they اللُّيوثُthe lions لدىamid الكَريهَةbattle أَوطنَتhave made their home
وهُم اللُّيوثُ لدى الكَريهَة أَوطنَت
بينَbetween الأعنَّةthe reins والأسنّةand the spearheads غابَهاtheir thickets
بينَ الأعنَّة والأسنّة غابَها
They are the lions in battle, having made their home
They are the lions in the face of calamities,
In their thickets between reins and spearheads.
Who made their den between spearheads and sword blades,
وإذاand when العَشيرةُthe clan عُرِّضتwas exposed لمُلمّةٍto a calamity
وإذا العَشيرةُ عُرِّضت لمُلمّةٍ
يوماًone day كَفوهاthey relieved it of خَطْبَهاits crisis وخطابَهاand its pleading
يوماً كَفوها خَطْبَها وخطابَها
And if the clan is beset by a calamity
And if their tribe is exposed to adversity someday,
One day, they handle its ordeal and plead its case.
They prevent its misfortunes and blame,
وإذاand when تنُوبbefalls مصيبةٌa misfortune عجمتهمُtested them
وإذا تنُوب مصيبةٌ عجمتهمُ
كانواthey were أشداءَstrong القَناةِthe spear-shaft صِلابهاfirm in it
كانوا أشداءَ القَناةِ صِلابها
And whenever a misfortune comes and tests them,
And when disaster strikes them they become
They prove strong of shaft, firm and unyielding.
The strongest to endure and the most resolute,
كَرمُواthey acted nobly وقدand indeed فُجعواthey were bereaved بفَقدِby the loss of كريمةٍa noble woman
كَرمُوا وقد فُجعوا بفَقدِ كريمةٍ
لمdid not يُبْلغُواthey let reach جَزَعَanguish النُّفوسِof souls مُصابَهاher loss
لم يُبْلغُوا جَزَعَ النُّفوسِ مُصابَها
They bore themselves nobly, though bereaved of a noble woman;
They were generous even when grieved
They did not let her loss drive their souls to anguish.
By the loss of a precious pearl,
مَلكواthey mastered العزاءَfortitude in grief وقلَّماand seldom فجِعواthey were bereaved بماby what
مَلكوا العزاءَ وقلَّما فجِعوا بما
يُنْسيmakes forget الرّجالmen بِحيرَةٍin bewilderment البابَهاtheir wits
يُنْسي الرّجال بِحيرَةٍ البابَها
They held fast to fortitude, and seldom had they suffered what
They controlled their anguish and rarely agonized
Makes men forget their wits in bewilderment.
Over what makes men forgetful in bewilderment,
نزَلdescended الحمامُdeath علىupon عقيلَّةthe cherished lady of قومهاher people
نزَل الحمامُ على عقيلَّة قومها
واغتالهاand slew her by stealth متَسَوِّراًscaling the wall of مِحْرابَهاher sanctuary
واغتالها متَسَوِّراً مِحْرابَها
Death descended upon the cherished lady of her people,
An assassin descended upon the princess of her people
And slew her by stealth, scaling the wall of her sanctuary.
And killed her while she stood praying in her sanctuary,
والجْدand fortune يشْهَدُattests انَّهاthat she شمْسُthe sun of العُلىeminence
والجْد يشْهَدُ انَّها شمْسُ العُلى
أَفلتshe set وحلتand she undid بالعَراءِin the open waste حجابَهاher veil
أَفلت وحلت بالعَراءِ حجابَها
And fortune attests that she is the sun of eminence:
And truly she was the sun of the sublime
She set, and undid her veil in the open waste.
Which disappeared and donned the dress of the ruin,
سَكنَتْshe dwelt بأَخلاقwith the virtues of المكارِمnobility والحجىand wisdom
سَكنَتْ بأَخلاق المكارِم والحجى
بطنَthe belly of التُّرابِthe earth ولمand have not تُزلbeen taken away أَتْرابَهاher age-mates
بطنَ التُّرابِ ولم تُزل أَتْرابَها
With noble virtues and wisdom, she dwelt in
She settled with the traits of glory and decency
The belly of the earth, while her age-mates remain.
In the belly of dust but her kin still surround her tomb,
لاno حوْلَpower عمّاfrom what عاينتهُI witnessed it وإنّماand only
لا حوْلَ عمّا عاينتهُ وإنّما
يُرثيpity is felt لهاfor her أَنbecause فارقتshe parted from أحبابَهاher loved ones
يُرثي لها أَن فارقت أحبابَها
There is no escaping what I witnessed; only
I have no power over what I witnessed but
Her parting from her loved ones calls for pity.
I mourn for her that she left her loved ones,
كُفِيَتshe was spared تصاريفَthe vicissitudes of الزّمانِtime وباشرتُand I experienced
كُفِيَت تصاريفَ الزّمانِ وباشرتُ
عندin the presence of إلالهِGod نعيمهاher bliss وثوابَهاand her reward
عند إلالهِ نعيمها وثوابَها
She was spared time's vicissitudes, and I experienced
The turns of fate sufficed me, and she attained
Her bliss and her reward in God's presence.
In the hands of God her bliss and reward.
Sol 6.1