أَلاAh! مَنwho لِجسمٍfor a body بِالثَّويَّةِin al-Thawiyya قاطِنِdwelling
أَلا مَن لِجسمٍ بِالثَّويَّةِ قاطِنِ
وَقَلبٍand a heart مَعَwith الرَّكبِthe caravan الحِجازيِّof the Hijaz ظاعِنِdeparting
وَقَلبٍ مَعَ الرَّكبِ الحِجازيِّ ظاعِنِ
Ah, who will succor a body dwelling at al-Thawiyya,
Ah, who will aid a body dwelling in al-Thawiyya,
and a heart departing with the Hijazi caravan?
And a heart departing with the Hijazi caravan?
أَحِنُّI yearn إِلىfor سُعدىSu‘da وَدونَand barring access to مَزارِهاvisiting her
أَحِنُّ إِلى سُعدى وَدونَ مَزارِها
ضَروبٌa fierce striker بِسَيفٍwith a sword يَقتَفيfollows رُمحَthe lance of طاعِنِa spearman
ضَروبٌ بِسَيفٍ يَقتَفي رُمحَ طاعِنِ
I yearn for Su‘da, though between me and her abode stands
I yearn for Su‘da, but barring the way to visiting her
a swordsman striking with his sword, followed by a piercing spear.
Is a fierce sword-wielder following a spearman’s lance.
وَماand whatever أَنسَI forget لاnot أَنسَI forget الوَداعَthe farewell وَقَدand indeed رَنَتْshe gazed
وَما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ الوَداعَ وَقَد رَنَتْ
إِلَيناat us بِطَرْفٍwith an eye فاتِرِlanguid اللَّحظِthe glance فاتِنِcaptivating
إِلَينا بِطَرْفٍ فاتِرِ اللَّحظِ فاتِنِ
Whatever else I forget, never shall I forget the farewell, when she gazed
And whatever I forget, I will not forget the farewell, when she gazed
toward us with an eye whose languid glance bewitched.
At us with a captivating eye, languid in its glance.
لَهاshe has نَظرَةٌa glance عَجلىhurried عَلىamid دَهَشِbewilderment النَّوىparting
لَها نَظرَةٌ عَجلى عَلى دَهَشِ النَّوى
كَماjust as نَظَرَتْshe looked مَذعورَةًfrightened أُمُّthe mother of شادِنِa fawn
كَما نَظَرَتْ مَذعورَةً أُمُّ شادِنِ
Hers was a hurried glance amid the bewilderment of parting,
Her glance was hurried amid the bewilderment of parting,
like the gaze of a terrified gazelle-mother upon her fawn.
As a fawn’s mother looks in alarm.
وَموقِفُناand our gathering-place ماwhat is بَينَbetween باكٍone weeping وَضاحِكٍand one laughing
وَموقِفُنا ما بَينَ باكٍ وَضاحِكٍ
وَسالٍand one free of longing وَمَحزونٍand one grieving ووافٍand one faithful وَخائِنِand one treacherous
وَسالٍ وَمَحزونٍ ووافٍ وَخائِنِ
At our parting-place were those who wept and those who laughed,
And where we stood were weepers and laughers,
those who had forgotten and those who grieved, the faithful and the false.
Those free of longing and those grieving, the faithful and the treacherous.
فَلَمso did not يَخْفَremain hidden عَنfrom لاحٍa reproacher وواشٍand a talebearer وَكاشِحٍand a secret foe
فَلَم يَخْفَ عَن لاحٍ وواشٍ وَكاشِحٍ
رَسيسُa lingering trace جَوىًlove’s anguish فيin ساحَةِthe precinct of الصَّدرِthe breast كامِنِconcealed
رَسيسُ جَوىً في ساحَةِ الصَّدرِ كامِنِ
Thus it was hidden from no watcher, talebearer, or secret foe:
So no reproacher, talebearer, or secret foe failed to see
a deep-set trace of consuming passion, lurking within the breast.
The lingering ache of love concealed in the precincts of my breast.
وَقَدand indeed نَمَّbetrayed دَمعٌtears بَينَbetween جَفنَيَّmy two eyelids ظاهِرٌvisible
وَقَد نَمَّ دَمعٌ بَينَ جَفنَيَّ ظاهِرٌ
إِلَيهِمto them بِوَجدٍof passionate longing بَينَbetween جَنَبيَّmy two sides باطِنِhidden
إِلَيهِم بِوَجدٍ بَينَ جَنَبيَّ باطِنِ
My tears, plainly visible between my eyelids, betrayed to them
And tears showing between my eyelids betrayed
a longing hidden deep within my breast.
To them the yearning hidden between my ribs.
وَإِنّيand indeed I وَإِنand although كانَwas الهَوىlove يَستَفِزُّنيunsettles me
وَإِنّي وَإِن كانَ الهَوى يَستَفِزُّني
لَذوsurely possessed of مِرَّةٍstrength قَطّاعَةٍforcefully severing لِلقَرائِنِof bonds
لَذو مِرَّةٍ قَطّاعَةٍ لِلقَرائِنِ
Yet though passion stirs me,
And I, though love unsettles me,
I am a man of mettle, a severer of bonds.
Indeed possess a strength that severs bonds.
أَرومُI seek العُلاhigh glory وَالسَّيفُand the sword يخضبهdyes it دَمٌblood
أَرومُ العُلا وَالسَّيفُ يخضبه دَمٌ
بِأَبيَضَwith a white blade بَتّارٍkeen-cutting وَأَسمَرَand a brown spear مارِنِsupple
بِأَبيَضَ بَتّارٍ وَأَسمَرَ مارِنِ
I seek the heights while my blood stains the sword,
I seek the heights of glory—blood dyes the sword—
with a bright, cleaving blade and a supple brown spear.
With a white, keen-cutting blade and a supple brown spear.
وَإنْand if خاشَنَتْنِيthey treated me roughly النَّائباتُcalamities تُشَبَّثَتْthey clung fast
وَإنْ خاشَنَتْنِي النَّائباتُ تُشَبَّثَتْ
بِأَروعَto a gallant man عَبلِstout of السَّاعِدَينِboth forearms مُخاشِنِrough in return
بِأَروعَ عَبلِ السَّاعِدَينِ مُخاشِنِ
When adversities dealt harshly with me, I clung
And if calamities treat me roughly, they fasten upon
to an awe-inspiring man, stout of forearm, who meets harshness with harshness.
A gallant man, stout of forearm, who meets roughness with roughness.
إِذاwhen سُمنَهُthey imposed on him خَسفاًhumiliation تَلَظّىblazed جِماحُهُhis defiance
إِذا سُمنَهُ خَسفاً تَلَظّى جِماحُهُ
فأَجلَينَso they retreated عَنfrom قِرنٍan adversary أَلَدَّimplacable مُشاحِنِhostile
فأَجلَينَ عَن قِرنٍ أَلَدَّ مُشاحِنِ
When they imposed humiliation upon him, his defiance blazed,
When they impose humiliation upon him, his defiance blazes,
and they retreated before a fiercely stubborn, implacable adversary.
So they retreat from an implacable, hostile adversary.
لَئِنif indeed سَلَبَتْنيthey robbed me of نَخوَةًpride أُمَويَّةًUmayyad
لَئِن سَلَبَتْني نَخوَةً أُمَويَّةً
خُطوبٌcalamities أُعانيهاI endure them فَلَستُthen I am not لِحاصِنِborn to a chaste woman
خُطوبٌ أُعانيها فَلَستُ لِحاصِنِ
If I am robbed of my Umayyad pride
If ever I am stripped of Umayyad pride
by ordeals I endure, then I am no son of a chaste woman.
By the trials I endure, then no chaste woman bore me.
Sol 6.1