إيهاًEnough! فكمْfor how many تُهْصَرُare bent down أغْصانُbranches of الضّالْthe wild lote-tree
إيهاً فكمْ تُهْصَرُ أغْصانُ الضّالْ
والعِيسُand the pale camels يمْرَحْنَgambol بمُسْتَنِّin the coursing ground of الآلْthe mirage
والعِيسُ يمْرَحْنَ بمُسْتَنِّ الآلْ
Enough! How many branches of wild lote are bent down,
Oh how the branches of the lost do wither
While the pale camels gambol where the mirage courses,
And the doe frolics in the meadow
منْof كُلِّevery فَتْلاءِstrong and outward-bowed الذِّراعِforeleg مِرْقالْswift-striding
منْ كُلِّ فَتْلاءِ الذِّراعِ مِرْقالْ
يَفحَصْنَthey scrape أُدْحِيَّthe nesting hollow of الظّليمِthe male ostrich المِجْفالْquick-fleeing
يَفحَصْنَ أُدْحِيَّ الظّليمِ المِجْفالْ
Each stout in her bowed forelegs and swift of stride,
From every joint of the forearm a handful
They scrape at the nest of the skittish male ostrich,
They search the darkness of the gloomy night
مِيلِinclined الهَواديthe necks ناحِلاتِslender الأوْصالْthe limbs
مِيلِ الهَوادي ناحِلاتِ الأوْصالْ
كأنّهاas though they were مَزمومَةٌnose-reined بالأصْلالْwith vipers
كأنّها مَزمومَةٌ بالأصْلالْ
Their necks inclined, their limbs lean,
On the slope, the valleys have slender waists
As though they were bridled with vipers.
As if bound together with shackles
فهُنَّso they أمْثالُthe likenesses of الحَناياthe bows الأعْطالْunstrung
فهُنَّ أمْثالُ الحَنايا الأعْطالْ
بِهاin them اهْتِزازاتُquiverings الوَشيجِthe spear-shafts العسّالْswaying
بِها اهْتِزازاتُ الوَشيجِ العسّالْ
So they are like unstrung bows,
They are like the disabled gazelles
Their tremors those of swaying spear-shafts,
With them the shivers of the rugged horse
للحَدْوِin response to camel-song بالأهْزاجِin hazaj song-measures قبلَbefore الأرْمالْthe ramal song-measures
للحَدْوِ بالأهْزاجِ قبلَ الأرْمالْ
قدْindeed وشّجَتْthey linked بالغَدَواتِwith the mornings الآصالْthe late afternoons
قدْ وشّجَتْ بالغَدَواتِ الآصالْ
At camel-songs in hazaj measures, before the ramal measures.
For the valley before the sands
They have linked late afternoons with mornings,
They were wounded by the dawns
بمَسْرَحِin the roaming-ground of العُفْرِthe pale gazelles ومَرْعىand the pasture of الأوْعالْthe ibex
بمَسْرَحِ العُفْرِ ومَرْعى الأوْعالْ
ارْمِsend forth بِهاwith them والليلُwhile the night ضافيample in الأذْيالْthe trailing hems
ارْمِ بِها والليلُ ضافي الأذْيالْ
In the roaming-ground of pale gazelles and the pasture of ibex.
In the meadows and pastures of the deer
Drive them on while night wears ample trailing skirts,
Run with them while night trails its gown
منْamong لَهواتِthe deep recesses of الوادِthe valley مَغْنىًa dwelling-place مِحْلالْmuch-frequented
منْ لَهواتِ الوادِ مَغْنىً مِحْلالْ
تَرْشُفُthey sip دَرّاتِthe gushes of الغَمامِthe rain-cloud الهَطّالْpouring down
تَرْشُفُ دَرّاتِ الغَمامِ الهَطّالْ
To a much-frequented abode among the valley's deep recesses,
From the pleasures of the valley a lawful delight
They sip the gushes of the pouring rain-cloud,
Sipping drops of pouring clouds
حيثُwhere تَرودُroam السّرَواتُthe nobles الأزْوالْthe nimble, capable ones
حيثُ تَرودُ السّرَواتُ الأزْوالْ
ويَملأُand fills السّمْعَthe hearing زَئيرُthe roar of الرِّئبالْthe lion
ويَملأُ السّمْعَ زَئيرُ الرِّئبالْ
Where noble, nimble men roam,
Where the pines, tall as spears, stand
And a lion's roar fills the ear,
And the roar of beasts fills the hearing
ويَسْحبُand drags الفارِسُthe horseman ذَيْلَthe trailing skirt of القَسْطالْthe thick dust
ويَسْحبُ الفارِسُ ذَيْلَ القَسْطالْ
صامَتْstood motionless حَوالَيهِaround him بَناتُthe daughters of العَقّالْal-ʿAqqāl
صامَتْ حَوالَيهِ بَناتُ العَقّالْ
And the horseman trails a skirt of thick dust.
As the knight drags the train of his coat
The daughters of al-ʿAqqāl stood still around him,
Silent maidens surround him
منْof كُلِّevery وَضّاحِbright المُحَيّاthe face صَهّالْloudly neighing
منْ كُلِّ وَضّاحِ المُحَيّا صَهّالْ
بَضيعُهُhis flesh خاظٍthick and firm وهادِيهِand his neck عالْhigh
بَضيعُهُ خاظٍ وهادِيهِ عالْ
Each bright of face and loud of neigh,
From every valley resounding with melody
His flesh thick and firm, his neck high,
His land is desolate, his waters high
صافيunblemished الأديمِthe hide مُسْتَنيرِshining السِّرْبالْthe coat
صافي الأديمِ مُسْتَنيرِ السِّرْبالْ
كأنّماas though رُشّwas sprinkled عليهِover him الجرْيالْcrimson dye
كأنّما رُشّ عليهِ الجرْيالْ
With unblemished hide and a shining coat,
Pure white expanse, bright cloak
As though crimson dye had been sprinkled over him.
As if sprayed with potent musk
يُديرُhe turns إمَّاwhenever هَزَّhe shakes عِطْفَيْthe two flanks of مُخْتالْa proud strutter
يُديرُ إمَّا هَزَّ عِطْفَيْ مُخْتالْ
مَكْحولَتَيْthe two kohl-dark eyes of ظَبْيٍa gazelle يُراعيwatching over أطْفالْyoung ones
مَكْحولَتَيْ ظَبْيٍ يُراعي أطْفالْ
Whenever he shakes his flanks in pride, he turns
Turning his frisky shoulder
The two kohl-dark eyes of a gazelle watching its young.
The poet compares the branches of trees without leaves due to loss and hardship to withered hands of disabled people. The poem uses vivid imagery of nature and animals to depict the desolation of the land. But there is hope in lawful pleasures, such as a knight with maidens, and memories of times when the valleys were alive. The final lines suggest the current times may pass, like darkness giving way to dawn.
أغْدوI set out at dawn علَيهِupon him فيamong فُتُوٍّyoung men أقْيالْchieftains
أغْدو علَيهِ في فُتُوٍّ أقْيالْ
كالإبِلِlike the camels الجُرْبِthe mangy ones هَناهُنّhe smeared them with tar الطّالْthe dauber
كالإبِلِ الجُرْبِ هَناهُنّ الطّالْ
At dawn I ride him among young chieftains,
Like mangy camels smeared with tar by the dauber.
والبِيضُand the fair-skinned women تَمشيwalk راجِحاتِheavy الأكْفالْthe haunches
والبِيضُ تَمشي راجِحاتِ الأكْفالْ
منْof كُلِّevery بَلْهاءِartless التّثَنّيin her swaying مِكْسالْlanguid
منْ كُلِّ بَلْهاءِ التّثَنّي مِكْسالْ
And fair women walk, heavy of haunch,
Each artless in her swaying and languid,
تُبْديshe bares لأطْرافِto the tips of القَناthe spears عنْfrom over خَلْخالْan anklet
تُبْدي لأطْرافِ القَنا عنْ خَلْخالْ
والسَّمْهَريّاتُand the Samharī spears بأيْديin the hands of أبْطالْheroes
والسَّمْهَريّاتُ بأيْدي أبْطالْ
She bares an anklet to the spear-points,
And Samharī spears are in heroes' hands,
تَميسُsway gracefully فيat أطْرافِهِنَّtheir tips الآجالْthe appointed deaths
تَميسُ في أطْرافِهِنَّ الآجالْ
ياAh! حَبذاhow lovely رَعْيُpasturing المَطيِّthe riding-camels الأهْمالْthe free-roaming ones
يا حَبذا رَعْيُ المَطيِّ الأهْمالْ
Fated deaths sway at their tips.
Ah, how sweet to pasture free-roaming riding-camels,
إذاwhen تَجاذَبْنَthey tug against one another فروعَthe branches of الأهْدالْthe drooping trees
إذا تَجاذَبْنَ فروعَ الأهْدالْ
تَكْرَعُthey drink with muzzles dipped منْfrom رَشْحِthe seepage of الحَياthe rain فيin أوْشالْsmall trickling pools
تَكْرَعُ منْ رَشْحِ الحَيا في أوْشالْ
When they vie in tugging at the branches of drooping trees,
They drink the rain's seepage from little pools,
عُوجاًturning إِلىtoward رَجْعِthe echo of الحُداءِthe camel-driver's song الجَلْجالْresounding
عُوجاً إِلى رَجْعِ الحُداءِ الجَلْجالْ
لاno عِزَّhonor إلاexcept لرُوَيْعِيfor a little herdsman of أشْوالْdry she-camels
لا عِزَّ إلا لرُوَيْعِي أشْوالْ
Turning toward the echo of the ringing camel-song.
There is no honor save for a humble herdsman of dry she-camels,
لمdid not يتطَرَّقْenter عَرَصاتِthe courtyards of البُخّالْthe misers
لم يتطَرَّقْ عَرَصاتِ البُخّالْ
يَخْطِرُhe struts فيwithin أثناءِthe folds of بُرْدٍa cloak أسْمالْin tatters
يَخْطِرُ في أثناءِ بُرْدٍ أسْمالْ
Who has never entered the courtyards of misers,
He struts within the folds of a tattered cloak,
ولاand does not يُناجيcommune with خَطَراتِthe passing fancies of الآمالْhopes
ولا يُناجي خَطَراتِ الآمالْ
فإنّfor indeed أطْواقَthe collars of الأياديfavors أغْلالْshackles
فإنّ أطْواقَ الأيادي أغْلالْ
Nor communes with hope's passing fancies,
For the collars of favors are shackles.
Partial English translation: 24 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1