ياO نَجدُNajd ماwhat لِأَحِبَّتيis with my loved ones شَطُّواthey have gone far away
يا نَجدُ ما لِأَحِبَّتي شَطُّوا
لَمdid not يَحْمِdefend أَرضَكِyour land مِثلُهُمtheir like قَطُّever
لَم يَحْمِ أَرضَكِ مِثلُهُم قَطُّ
O Najd, why have my loved ones gone so far away?
O Najd, why have my loved ones departed?
Never has their like defended your land.
None like them ever dwelled in your land
ظَعَنواthey departed فَماso what لَكَis with you لاnot تُفارِقُهُمyou part from them
ظَعَنوا فَما لَكَ لا تُفارِقُهُم
ياO قَلبُheart إِنif رَحَلواthey journeyed وَإِنand if حَطُّواthey made camp
يا قَلبُ إِن رَحَلوا وَإِن حَطُّوا
They have departed; why do you not leave them,
They camped, so why don't you accompany them?
O heart, whether they journey or make camp?
O heart, whether they pack up or settle
وَكأَنَّand as though عِيسَهُمُtheir pale camels عَلىupon حَدَقٍeyes
وَكأَنَّ عِيسَهُمُ عَلى حَدَقٍ
تُدمِيmake bleed الجُفونَthe eyelids دُموعُهاtheir tears تَخطوthey step
تُدمِي الجُفونَ دُموعُها تَخطو
And it is as though their pale camels, upon eyes
It's as if their eyes on their lids
Whose tears make the eyelids bleed, step onward.
Shed tears as they walk
أَلِفَتْhas grown accustomed to جِوارَthe company of الرَّكبِthe caravan غانيَةٌa beautiful woman
أَلِفَتْ جِوارَ الرَّكبِ غانيَةٌ
يأبىrefuses جِوارَthe proximity of عُقودِهاher necklaces القُرطُthe earring
يأبى جِوارَ عُقودِها القُرطُ
A beauty has grown used to the caravan's company;
A singing girl grew used to the caravan’s company
Her earring refuses the company of her necklaces.
But her ear-rings refuse the company of necklaces
وَالعَينُand the eye مِمّاof what الهِندُIndia تَطبَعُهُforges it
وَالعَينُ مِمّا الهِندُ تَطبَعُهُ
وَالقَدُّand the figure مِمّاof what يُنبِتُgrows الخَطُّal-Khatt
وَالقَدُّ مِمّا يُنبِتُ الخَطُّ
And her eye is like what India forges,
Her eyes are what India prints
And her figure like what al-Khatt grows.
Her stature is what a calamus gives growth to
رَبَعيَّةُof Rabi'a descent الآباءِthe forefathers إِنif نُسِبَتْher lineage is traced
رَبَعيَّةُ الآباءِ إِن نُسِبَتْ
فَلَهاthen she has أَراقِمُthe Araqim وائِلٍWa'il رَهْطُa clan
فَلَها أَراقِمُ وائِلٍ رَهْطُ
Of Rabi'a ancestry, if her lineage is traced,
My forefathers’ offspring, if attributed
Then the Araqim of Wa'il are her clan.
To them, are numbers of glorious Wail
ياO سَلْمُSalm شَفَّhas worn thin الجِسمَthe body وَعدُكِyour promise لِيto me
يا سَلْمُ شَفَّ الجِسمَ وَعدُكِ لِي
بِرضىًof favor يَشِفُّshows through وَراءَهُbehind it سُخطُdispleasure
بِرضىً يَشِفُّ وَراءَهُ سُخطُ
O Salm, your promise to me has worn my body thin—
O well-being, heal the body and your promise to me
A promise of favor, behind which displeasure shows through.
Of pleasure that heals resentment beyond it
وَمَلاثِand by the place enfolded by مِرطِكِyour mantle إِنَّهُindeed it is قَسَمٌan oath
وَمَلاثِ مِرطِكِ إِنَّهُ قَسَمٌ
بَرٌّtrue يُخَصُّis singled out بِمِثلِهِwith its like المِرطُthe mantle
بَرٌّ يُخَصُّ بِمِثلِهِ المِرطُ
And by the place your mantle enfolds—this is an oath
And your scraps of fur, they are a share
True, of a kind reserved for the mantle.
Of righteousness peculiarly shared by the fur
إِنّيindeed I لأُحييI surely keep vigil through اللَيلَthe night مُكتَئِباًdejected
إِنّي لأُحيي اللَيلَ مُكتَئِباً
حَتىّuntil يُرىit is seen وَفُروعُهُand its tresses شُمطُstreaked with white
حَتىّ يُرى وَفُروعُهُ شُمطُ
Indeed, I keep vigil through the night, dejected,
I pass the night depressed
Until it appears with its tresses streaked with white,
Until its branches appear dishevelled
فيin مَنزِلٍa dwelling أَودَعْتِyou deposited عَرصَتَهُits courtyard
في مَنزِلٍ أَودَعْتِ عَرصَتَهُ
مِسكاًmusk يَمُجُّspits out فَتِيتَهُits crumbs المِشطُthe comb
مِسكاً يَمُجُّ فَتِيتَهُ المِشطُ
In a dwelling in whose courtyard you left
In an abode where you stored its courtyard
Musk whose crumbs the comb spits out.
With musk perfuming its youth with the comb
Sol 6.1