إِذاwhen نَشَرَunfurled الحَياrain حُلَلَrobes الرَبيعِspring
إِذا نَشَرَ الحَيا حُلَلَ الرَبيعِ
فَوَشَّعَand so embroidered نَورُهُits blossoms كَنَفَيْboth flanks of وَشيعِWashi‘
فَوَشَّعَ نَورُهُ كَنَفَيْ وَشيعِ
When rain unfurled the robes of spring,
When the serpent spreads its scales, heralding spring
and its blossoms embroidered both flanks of Washi‘,
Its light radiates through my being
وَقَفتُI stood بِهِat it فَذَكَّرَنيso it reminded me سُلَيمَىSulayma
وَقَفتُ بِهِ فَذَكَّرَني سُلَيمَى
وَعادَand returned بِنَشرِهاwith her scent أَرَجُthe fragrance of الرَّبيعِspring
وَعادَ بِنَشرِها أَرَجُ الرَّبيعِ
I stood there, and it reminded me of Sulayma,
It reminded me of Sulaima
and spring's fragrance returned, bearing her scent.
Whose blossoming returned the spirit of spring
بِهاat her dwelling سُفْعٌblackened hearthstones تَبُزُّrob شؤونَthe tear ducts of عَينيmy eye
بِها سُفْعٌ تَبُزُّ شؤونَ عَيني
خَبيئَةَthe hidden store ماذَخَرْنَwhat they had saved مِنَof الدُّموعِtears
خَبيئَةَ ماذَخَرْنَ مِنَ الدُّموعِ
There, blackened hearthstones robbed my eye's tear ducts
In her is loftiness that outshines my eyes
of the hidden store of tears they had saved.
Hidden are the tears I once shed
فَناحَthen lamented حَمامُهاher doves وَحكَتهُand it echoed them حَتَّىuntil
فَناحَ حَمامُها وَحكَتهُ حَتَّى
وَجَدتُI found الطَّرفَthe eye يَسبَحُswimming فيin النَّجيعِblood
وَجَدتُ الطَّرفَ يَسبَحُ في النَّجيعِ
Her doves lamented, and my eye echoed them, until
Her cooing dove sang until
I found my eye swimming in blood.
My eyes flowed like streams
أَيابْنَةَO daughter of عامِرٍ‘Amir ماذاwhat لَقِيناwe encountered
أَيابْنَةَ عامِرٍ ماذا لَقِينا
بِرَبعِكِat your encampment مِنfrom حَماماتٍdoves وُقوعِperching
بِرَبعِكِ مِن حَماماتٍ وُقوعِ
O daughter of ‘Amir, what we have suffered
O daughter of Amer what did we find
at your encampment from perching doves!
In your abode of doves and rest
لَبِستُI donned بِهِin it الشَّبابَyouth فَقَدَّthen rent شَيبِيmy gray hair
لَبِستُ بِهِ الشَّبابَ فَقَدَّ شَيبِي
مَجاسِدَdyed robes لَيلِهِof its night بيَدِwith the hand of الصَّديعِdawn
مَجاسِدَ لَيلِهِ بيَدِ الصَّديعِ
I donned youth there; then my gray hair rent
With you I wore the cloak of youth, shedding my greyness
the dyed robes of its night with dawn's hand.
Rejuvenating the withered nights
وَكانَتand was أَيكَةُthe grove of الدُّنياthe world لَدَيناwith us
وَكانَت أَيكَةُ الدُّنيا لَدَينا
عَلىover النُّعمىbliss مُهَدَّلَةَdrooping الفُروعِthe branches
عَلى النُّعمى مُهَدَّلَةَ الفُروعِ
And the world's grove stood in our midst,
To us the world was a meadow
its branches drooping over our bliss.
With branches swaying blissfully
تُرىare seen أَطنابُناour tent ropes مُتشابِكاتٍintertwined
تُرى أَطنابُنا مُتشابِكاتٍ
كَأَنَّas though بُيوتَناour tents حَلَقُrings الدُّروعِcoats of mail
كَأَنَّ بُيوتَنا حَلَقُ الدُّروعِ
Our tent ropes were seen intertwined,
Our tents seemed intertwined
as though our tents were rings of chain mail.
As if our homes were castles forged
فَقَدfor indeed نَضَبَتْhas run dry بَشاشَةُgladness كُلِّevery عَيشٍlife
فَقَد نَضَبَتْ بَشاشَةُ كُلِّ عَيشٍ
غَزيرٍplentiful دَرُّهُits milk flow شَرِقِbrimming الضُروعِthe udders
غَزيرٍ دَرُّهُ شَرِقِ الضُروعِ
For the gladness has drained from every life
The flowing joy of life is now depleted
whose milk was plentiful, whose udders brimmed.
Once pouring from vines in the east
وَكادَand almost الدَّهرُtime يَقطُرُdrips مُجتَلاهُits visible aspect
وَكادَ الدَّهرُ يَقطُرُ مُجتَلاهُ
عَلىonto الأَثلاتِthe tamarisks بِالسُمِّwith poison النَّقيعِpotent
عَلى الأَثلاتِ بِالسُمِّ النَّقيعِ
And time's face almost dripped
Time almost rains its collections
potent poison onto the tamarisks.
Of sorrows on barren sands
Sol 6.1