أَقولُI say لِسُعْدىto Suʿdā وَهْيwhile she تُذْريsheds دُموعَهاher tears
أَقولُ لِسُعْدى وَهْي تُذْري دُموعَها
وَقَدْand already شَافَهَcame face to face with الغَرْبَthe west النُّجومُthe stars الشَّوابِكُinterwoven
وَقَدْ شَافَهَ الغَرْبَ النُّجومُ الشَّوابِكُ
I say to Suʿdā as she sheds her tears,
I say to Sa'adiya as she sheds her tears,
while the interwoven stars have met the western horizon:
While the stars light up the dusk with their lamps:
ذَرِينيlet me أُراعِI watch النَّجْمَthe star فيin مُدْلَهِمَّةٍa pitch-dark night
ذَرِيني أُراعِ النَّجْمَ في مُدْلَهِمَّةٍ
تَخوضُwade through دَياجيهاits darkness المَطِيُّthe riding camels الأَوارِكُarāk-browsing
تَخوضُ دَياجيها المَطِيُّ الأَوارِكُ
Let me watch the star in a pitch-dark night,
"Let me watch the star in the gloomy darkness
through whose darkness the arāk-browsing riding camels wade.
That its faint light pierces as it wanders about.
فَمِثْليfor one like me إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle هَمَّhe resolved لَمْdid not يَثْنِsway عَزْمَهُhis resolve
فَمِثْلي إِذا ما هَمَّ لَمْ يَثْنِ عَزْمَهُ
بُكاءُthe weeping of الغَوانِيbeautiful women وَالدُّموعُand the tears السَّوافِكُstreaming
بُكاءُ الغَوانِي وَالدُّموعُ السَّوافِكُ
For when one like me resolves, his resolve is not swayed by
One like me, once resolved, does not waver
the weeping of beautiful women or streaming tears.
With the crying of girls and the pouring of tears.
أَلَمْdid ... not? تَعْلَميyou know أَنّيthat I إِذاwhen أَخَذَtakes الكَرىdrowsiness
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمي أَنّي إِذا أَخَذَ الكَرى
مَآخِذَهُits footholds فيin العَيْنِthe eye لِلنَّوْمِof sleep تارِكُa forsaker
مَآخِذَهُ في العَيْنِ لِلنَّوْمِ تارِكُ
Do you not know that I, when drowsiness takes
Don't you know that when cares take hold
its hold in the eye, forsake sleep?
Of my eyes, they leave no room for sleep?
وَمَوْطِيءُand the footing of عِيسيmy pale camels صَفْحَةُthe face of اللَّيْلِthe night وَالسُّرىand night-travel
وَمَوْطِيءُ عِيسي صَفْحَةُ اللَّيْلِ وَالسُّرى
كَرِيهٌharsh إِذاwhen ضاقَتْgrew cramped عَلَيْهاfor them المَبارِكُthe kneeling places
كَرِيهٌ إِذا ضاقَتْ عَلَيْها المَبارِكُ
And my pale camels' footing is the face of night, and night-travel
The horse's night-gallop over the plain of sand
is harsh when the kneeling places grow cramped for them.
Grows tiresome when the distances stretch long.
فَإِنّيfor indeed I ابْنُa son of بَيْتٍa house خَيَّمَتْpitched its tent عِنْدَهُbeside it العُلاhigh glory
فَإِنّي ابْنُ بَيْتٍ خَيَّمَتْ عِنْدَهُ العُلا
وَناشَتْand grasped ذُيولَthe hems of الرُّسْلِthe messengers فِيهِin it المَلائِكُthe angels
وَناشَتْ ذُيولَ الرُّسْلِ فِيهِ المَلائِكُ
For I am the son of a house beside which high glory pitched its tent,
I am the son of a house over which glory pitched its tents
and in which the angels grasped the messengers' hems.
And at whose doors the mantles of apostles spread.
لَهُto it belong الرَّبَواتُthe hills الشمlofty مِنْfrom فَرْعِthe branch of خِنْدِفٍKhindif
لَهُ الرَّبَواتُ الشم مِنْ فَرْعِ خِنْدِفٍ
وَمِنْand from يَعْرُبٍYaʿrub فيهِin it سِنامٌa hump وَحارِكُand withers
وَمِنْ يَعْرُبٍ فيهِ سِنامٌ وَحارِكُ
To it belong the lofty hills of Khindif's branch,
For it the lofty stars of Ursa Major descend
and from Yaʿrub it has a hump and withers.
From the trees of Khindif, and meteors shoot from Ya'rub.
إِذاif الأُمَوِيُّthe Umayyad انْحَطَّdescends عَنْfrom خُيَلائِهِhis pride
إِذا الأُمَوِيُّ انْحَطَّ عَنْ خُيَلائِهِ
شَكاهُcomplain of him إِلىto العَلْياءِlofty glory فِهْرٌFihr وَمالِكُand Mālik
شَكاهُ إِلى العَلْياءِ فِهْرٌ وَمالِكُ
If the Umayyad descends from his pride,
When the Umayyad loses his pride,
Fihr and Mālik complain of him to lofty glory.
He complains of it to the Highest Heaven and the Guardian Angel."
Sol 6.1