فؤادٌa heart بِبَينِby the separation of الظاعِنينَthe departing travelers مُرَوَّعُterrified
فؤادٌ بِبَينِ الظاعِنينَ مُرَوَّعُ
وَعَينٌand an eye عَلىin إِثرthe wake of الأَحِبَّةِthe loved ones تَدمَعُweeps
وَعَينٌ عَلى إِثر الأَحِبَّةِ تَدمَعُ
A heart is terrified by the travelers' departure,
A heart confused amidst the censures,
and an eye weeps in the wake of loved ones.
An eye shedding tears for loved ones lost,
وَكَيفَand how أُواريI hide عَبرَةًa tear سَمَحَتْit freely yielded بِهاwith it
وَكَيفَ أُواري عَبرَةً سَمَحَتْ بِها
وَإِنand even if حَضَرَwas present الواشيthe talebearer وَسَلمىwhile Salma تُوَدِّعُbids farewell
وَإِن حَضَرَ الواشي وَسَلمى تُوَدِّعُ
And how can I hide a tear my eye has shed,
How can I hide the tears that fall unbidden
even if the talebearer is present, as Salma bids farewell?
When spies draw near or friends bid their farewells?
فَياso, O دَهرُTime رِفقاًbe gentle إِنَّindeed بَينَbetween جوانِحيmy ribs
فَيا دَهرُ رِفقاً إِنَّ بَينَ جوانِحي
حُشاشَةَa remnant نَفسٍof life مِنfrom أَسىًgrief تَتَقَطَّعُis torn apart
حُشاشَةَ نَفسٍ مِن أَسىً تَتَقَطَّعُ
So, O Time, be gentle: between my ribs lies
O Fate, have mercy! My very soul
a remnant of life, torn apart by grief.
Is torn by grief and sorrow untold.
فَماfor not كُلَّevery يَومٍday ليfor me فؤادٌa heart تَروعُهُyou terrify it
فَما كُلَّ يَومٍ لي فؤادٌ تَروعُهُ
وَلاnor كَبِدٌa liver مِمّاfrom what بِهِwithin it تَتَصَدَّعُsplits apart
وَلا كَبِدٌ مِمّا بِهِ تَتَصَدَّعُ
For I do not have a heart each day for you to terrify,
Not every day my heart is shaken so,
nor a liver to split apart from what is within it.
Nor does my liver break from every woe.
أَيُجمَعُis reunited? شَملٌa company أَوor تُراحُis given rest مَطيَّةٌa mount
أَيُجمَعُ شَملٌ أَو تُراحُ مَطيَّةٌ
وَأَنتَwhile you بِتَفريقِwith separating الأَحِبَّةِthe loved ones مُولَعُobsessed
وَأَنتَ بِتَفريقِ الأَحِبَّةِ مُولَعُ
Can a company be reunited, or a mount be given rest,
Will kin reunite or travelers find rest,
while you delight in parting loved ones?
While you take joy in parting those close-pressed?
وَلَمّاand when تَجَلَّتْappeared لِلوَداعِfor farewell وَأَشرَقَتْand shone
وَلَمّا تَجَلَّتْ لِلوَداعِ وَأَشرَقَتْ
وجوهٌfaces كَأَنَّas though الشَّمسَthe sun مِنهُنَّfrom them تَطلُعُrises
وجوهٌ كَأَنَّ الشَّمسَ مِنهُنَّ تَطلُعُ
And when, revealed for farewell, there shone
When radiant faces shone for last goodbyes
faces from which the sun seemed to rise,
Like suns arising, tears welled in my eyes.
وَقَفناwe stood بِواديin the valley of ذيpossessor of الأَراكَةِthe arak tree وَالحَشىand the vitals
وَقَفنا بِوادي ذي الأَراكَةِ وَالحَشى
يَذوبُmelts وَماand no لِلصَبرِfor patience فيin القَلبِthe heart مَوضِعُplace
يَذوبُ وَما لِلصَبرِ في القَلبِ مَوضِعُ
we stood in the valley of Dhu al-Arakah, while my vitals
We stood in a valley of bushes and brambles,
melted, and patience had no place in the heart.
Melting with grief, for patience has no place.
وَلَيسَand there is not بِهِin it إِلّاexcept حَبيبٌa beloved مُوَدِّعٌbidding farewell
وَلَيسَ بِهِ إِلّا حَبيبٌ مُوَدِّعٌ
عَلىin وَجَلٍdread يَتلوهُfollows him دَمعٌtears مُشَيِّعُescorting
عَلى وَجَلٍ يَتلوهُ دَمعٌ مُشَيِّعُ
And within it was only a beloved bidding farewell,
None remains but a lover bidding adieu,
in dread, followed by tears that escort him.
Disconsolate, with tears of farewell trailing.
وَقَدand indeed كادَalmost أَجفانٌeyelids شَرِقنَthey were choked بِأَدمُعٍwith tears
وَقَد كادَ أَجفانٌ شَرِقنَ بِأَدمُعٍ
يُنَشِّرنَthey reveal أَسراراًsecrets طَوَتهُنَّfolded them away أَضلُعُribs
يُنَشِّرنَ أَسراراً طَوَتهُنَّ أَضلُعُ
And eyelids, choked with tears, almost
Eyes once bright with tears now dimmed
revealed secrets the ribs had folded away.
Secrets unlocked as dams within are breached.
فَلَيتَso, if only جِمالَcamels المالكيَّةِof al-Malikiyyah إِذwhen نأتshe went far away
فَلَيتَ جِمالَ المالكيَّةِ إِذ نأت
أَقامَتthey stayed بِنَجدٍin Najd وَهيَwhile they were حَسرىexhausted وَظُلَّعُand lame
أَقامَت بِنَجدٍ وَهيَ حَسرى وَظُلَّعُ
If only al-Malikiyyah's camels, when she went far away,
Would that the beauties of Malik's line remained
had stayed in Najd, exhausted and lame!
Established in Nejd, though sorrowed and aggrieved,
فَلِمْso why حَمَلَتهاthey carried her وَهيَwhile she كارِهَةُaverse to النَوىseparation
فَلِمْ حَمَلَتها وَهيَ كارِهَةُ النَوى
إِلىto حَيثُwhere لاnot يَستَوقِفُhalts العيسَthe pale camels مَرتَعُa pasture
إِلى حَيثُ لا يَستَوقِفُ العيسَ مَرتَعُ
Why did they carry her, though she hates separation,
Why were they, though loathing departure, compelled
to where no pasture halts the pale camels?
To where the night-fires have no place to graze?
وَهَذاand this مَصِيفٌa summering ground بِالحِمىin the protected pasture لاnot تَمَلُّهُshe tires of it
وَهَذا مَصِيفٌ بِالحِمى لا تَمَلُّهُ
وَفيهِand in it لِمَنfor whoever يَهوىloves البَداوَةَBedouin life مَربَعُa spring encampment
وَفيهِ لِمَن يَهوى البَداوَةَ مَربَعُ
And here in the protected pasture is a summering ground she never tires of,
This is a summering place with no shortages,
and in it a spring encampment for whoever loves Bedouin life.
A refuge for those desiring the desert’s breadth,
وَعارِضَةٍand many a woman offering وَصلاًunion تَصامَمتُI feigned deafness إِذwhen دَعَتْshe called
وَعارِضَةٍ وَصلاً تَصامَمتُ إِذ دَعَتْ
وَأُختُand the sister بَنِيthe sons of وَرقاءَWarqa تَدعوcalls فَأَسمَعُso I listen
وَأُختُ بَنِي وَرقاءَ تَدعو فَأَسمَعُ
And to many a woman offering union I feigned deafness when she called,
But the rival drew near, so I turned away
but the sister of Banu Warqa calls, and I listen.
When the sister of Bani Wirqa came calling.
وَذوand one possessed of الغَدرِtreachery لاnot يَرعىcherishes تَليدَlongstanding مَوَدَّةٍaffection
وَذو الغَدرِ لا يَرعى تَليدَ مَوَدَّةٍ
وَيَقتادُهُand leads him الوُدُّaffection الطَّريفُnewfound فَيَتبَعُso he follows
وَيَقتادُهُ الوُدُّ الطَّريفُ فَيَتبَعُ
And the faithless man does not cherish longstanding affection,
The betrayer respects no enduring affection,
and newfound love leads him, so he follows.
Sweet fidelity leads him on though he feigns rejection.
وَلَوand if سأَلَتْنِيshe asked me غَيرَهُanything other than it لَرَجَعتُهاI would have sent her back
وَلَو سأَلَتْنِي غَيرَهُ لَرَجَعتُها
بِهِwith it فالهَوىfor love لِلمالِكيَّةِfor al-Malikiyyah أَجمَعُall of it
بِهِ فالهَوى لِلمالِكيَّةِ أَجمَعُ
And had she asked me for anything else, I would have sent her back
Had another asked, I'd have turned her back,
with it; for all my love belongs to al-Malikiyyah.
For my love is only for the Maliki tribe entire.
Sol 6.1