لِمَنwhose الهَوادِجُthe howdahs وَالقببand the domed canopies
لِمَن الهَوادِجُ وَالقبب
فيin الآلthe mirage تَطفوfloat كَالحَبَبlike bubbles
في الآل تَطفو كَالحَبَب
Whose are the howdahs and domed canopies,
For whom are the tents and domes
floating in the mirage like bubbles?
In the family, floating like seeds
بَكرتshe set out at dawn وليand I had وقتthe time of الوداfarewell (first part)
بَكرت ولي وقت الودا
عِfarewell (completion) بِبابِهاat her door قلبُa heart يُحبthat loves
عِ بِبابِها قلبُ يُحب
She set out at dawn; at farewell I had
I woke up while my love was still asleep
a loving heart at her door,
At her door, a heart that loves
وَمَدامعٌand tearful eyes تَهميrain down دموtears (first part)
وَمَدامعٌ تَهمي دمو
عاًtears (completion) لِلفراقِfor parting وَتَنسكِبand stream down
عاً لِلفراقِ وَتَنسكِب
and eyes raining tears
And tears that shed blood
for parting, streaming down.
For parting and spill over
شيّعتهاI saw her off وَقضيتُand I paid مِنof
شيّعتها وَقضيتُ مِن
دينthe debt الصبابةِof ardent longing ماwhat وَجبwas due
دين الصبابةِ ما وَجب
I saw her off and paid
I bid her farewell and fulfilled
what was due of longing's debt.
What was required of youth
وَأبحتand I disclosed ماwhat بيis within me مِنof جوىًburning love-grief
وَأبحت ما بي مِن جوىً
وَأَذَعتُand I revealed سرّاًa secret مُحتَجبconcealed
وَأَذَعتُ سرّاً مُحتَجب
And I laid bare the burning grief within me,
And I revealed what was inside me
and revealed a secret kept concealed.
Of passion, and disclosed a hidden secret
ياO أيّهاyou السربُthe flock الّذيwhich
يا أيّها السربُ الّذي
سَفرتunveiled their faces بهِin it اللعسthe dark-lipped women العُربthe amorous women
سَفرت بهِ اللعس العُرب
O flock in which
O flock, which I traveled with
dark-lipped, amorous women unveiled their faces,
The night journey of the Arabs
وَتَبرّجَتand displayed their beauty فيهِin it الشموthe suns (first part)
وَتَبرّجَت فيهِ الشمو
سthe suns (completion) مِنَfrom البَراقعِthe face-veils وَالحُجبand the coverings
س مِنَ البَراقعِ وَالحُجب
and in which suns revealed their beauty
And in which the lights emerged
from behind face-veils and coverings:
From veils and coverings
كَمhow many إِربةٍa desire ليfor me فيin نِعاewes (first part)
كَم إِربةٍ لي في نِعا
جِكyour ewes (completion) فاِقضنيso grant me تلكَthose الإِرَبdesires
جِك فاِقضني تلكَ الإِرَب
how many desires I have for your ewes—
How much do I owe you
grant me those desires.
For taking me in, repay me those debts
أَكلَhas eaten الهَوىlove لَحميmy flesh ومنand from
أَكلَ الهَوى لَحمي ومن
جاريflowing دَميmy blood كَمhow much قدindeed شَرِبit has drunk
جاري دَمي كَم قد شَرِب
Love has eaten my flesh, and from
Love has eaten my flesh and
my flowing blood, how much it has drunk!
Drunk my blood, how much it has sipped!
مَنwho لِيfor me بِسُعدىwith Su‘da بَعدَماafter
مَن لِي بِسُعدى بَعدَما
جدّتhastened بهاwith her اللومُthe blameworthy ones (uncertain reading) النُجبthe fleet camels
جدّت بها اللومُ النُجب
Who can bring me Su‘da, now that
Who can bring me my happiness after
the blameworthy, fleet camels have sped her away?
The noble ones blamed her
بانَتshe departed وَحولَand around خِبائِهاher tent الthe (prefix of 'spears')
بانَت وَحولَ خِبائِها ال
أَرماحُspears تَخفِقُflutter بِالعذبwith pennons
أَرماحُ تَخفِقُ بِالعذب
She departed; around her tent
She appeared and around her tent
spears fluttered with pennons.
Spears flutter gracefully
عَطشاًthirst عَلىupon عَطشٍthirst إلىfor
عَطشاً عَلى عَطشٍ إلى
تَقبيلِkissing مَبسِمهاher smiling mouth الشنبcool and white-toothed
تَقبيلِ مَبسِمها الشنب
Thirst upon thirst for
Thirsty upon thirst, to
kissing her cool, white-toothed mouth.
Kiss her thick lipped smile
نَظَرتshe looked وَكانتand was تَلكthat نظlook (first part)
نَظَرت وَكانت تَلك نظ
رتهاher look (completion) لِتَعذيبيfor tormenting me سَبَبa cause
رتها لِتَعذيبي سَبَب
She looked, and that look
I looked and that look of hers
of hers caused my torment.
Was the cause of my torture
تَنأىshe withdraws وَتَبتعدُand grows distant الصدوdisdain (first part)
تَنأى وَتَبتعدُ الصدو
دdisdain (completion) وفيand in التذلّلmeekness تَقتَرِبshe draws near
د وفي التذلّل تَقتَرِب
She withdraws and grows distant in disdain,
She draws away and distances herself
yet draws near in meekness.
While affectionately drawing near
تَحكيresemble أُسيريعthe little sandworm النقاthe dune
تَحكي أُسيريع النقا
مِنهاof hers البنانthe fingertips المُختَضبdye-stained
مِنها البنان المُختَضب
Like the dune's little sandworm
She recounts the swiftness of my covenant
are her dye-stained fingertips.
From her, the one with dyed fingers
حَسناءa beauty تَحسبُهاyou would think her قَضيa slender bough (first part)
حَسناء تَحسبُها قَضي
باًa slender bough (completion) مِنof لُجينٍsilver أَوor ذَهَبgold
باً مِن لُجينٍ أَو ذَهَب
A beauty—you would think her a slender bough
A beauty you'd think her
of silver or gold.
A twig of silver or gold
أَضحَتhave become حياضthe pools اللهوِof pleasure يبdry (first part)
أَضحَت حياض اللهوِ يب
ساًdry (completion) ماnot بِهنّin them سِوىexcept القِرَبwaterskins
ساً ما بِهنّ سِوى القِرَب
The pools of pleasure have run dry;
She has become a pond of pleasure
nothing is in them but waterskins.
In her is nothing but nearness
وَأرىand I see الزمانtime وَذيلهand its train
وَأرى الزمان وَذيله
جمعتwere gathered لهاfor it صورforms العَجبof wonder
جمعت لها صور العَجب
And I see time and its train,
And I see time and its train
with forms of wonder gathered for it.
Has gathered for her wonders
كَمhow often قَدindeed دناdrew low قسراًby force لديbefore
كَم قَد دنا قسراً لدي
هِit (completes 'before it') الرأسُthe head واِرتفَعand rose الذنَبthe tail
هِ الرأسُ واِرتفَع الذنَب
How often, by force, before it,
How my head has bowed before her by force
the head bowed low while the tail rose high!
And my tail has risen high!
وَغَداand became علىunder أحكامهِits decrees الthe (prefix of 'falcon')
وَغَدا على أحكامهِ ال
بازيfalcon فَريساًprey للحربto war
بازي فَريساً للحرب
And under its decrees,
And over its laws the
the falcon became prey to war.
Gazelle has become prey to war
تَتصرّمpasses away الدّنياthe world وتُذand carries off (first part)
تَتصرّم الدّنيا وتُذ
هبُcarries off (completion) مَنwhoever مَشىwalked فيهاwithin it وَدَبand crawled
هبُ مَن مَشى فيها وَدَب
This world passes away and carries off
The world grows old and decays
whoever has walked and crawled within it.
Whoever walked in it and crept
وَلَسوفَand will surely يَلقىmeet المرءa person ماwhat
وَلَسوفَ يَلقى المرء ما
قَدرhas decreed الإلهُGod وَماand what كَتبHe has written
قَدر الإلهُ وَما كَتب
And a person shall surely meet what
And man will face what
God has decreed and written.
God has destined and prescribed
ياO مَعشَراًa company فيin العيشlife خاempty (first part)
يا مَعشَراً في العيش خا
ليempty (completion) الراحتينِboth palms منَof النشَبpossessions
لي الراحتينِ منَ النشَب
O people, living with empty
O company empty of comfort
palms, bereft of possessions:
From any shoots or branches
إِنif لَمnot تُصِبyou attain بِالحربِthrough warfare يسprosperity (first part)
إِن لَم تُصِب بِالحربِ يس
راًprosperity (completion) فَاِلتَمسهُthen seek it مِنfrom الأَدَبliterature
راً فَاِلتَمسهُ مِن الأَدَب
if warfare has not won you prosperity,
If war brings you no ease
then seek it through literature.
Then seek it through knowledge
وَاِطلبand seek تَنلyou will attain إِنif قدّرdecrees الرthe Most Merciful (first part)
وَاِطلب تَنل إِن قدّر الر
رَحمنthe Most Merciful (completion) سؤلكَyour wish بِالطلبthrough seeking
رَحمن سؤلكَ بِالطلب
And seek: you will attain, if the Most Merciful
And if the Merciful destines
has decreed your wish through seeking.
Your request, ask for it by petition
وَاِنظمand compose قَريظَكَyour verse فيabout المتوthe crowned one (first part)
وَاِنظم قَريظَكَ في المتو
وجِthe crowned one (completion) مالكِMalik بنِson of أَبيAbi (father of) العربal-Arab (the Arabs)
وجِ مالكِ بنِ أَبي العرب
And compose your verse for the crowned
And string your ode in the beloved
Malik ibn Abi al-Arab:
Of the people of Arabia
صَمدٌa lord sought for favors يدومُlasts لمعتفيfor a petitioner (first part)
صَمدٌ يدومُ لمعتفي
هِhis (completes 'his petitioner') عنِbeyond المواظرِthe rival (uncertain reading) ماwhat وَهَبhe bestowed
هِ عنِ المواظرِ ما وَهَب
a lord whose gifts to his petitioner endure,
Lasting for whoever turns to Him
beyond those of a rival.
From rivalry, what He has granted
بَحرُthe sea الفراتِthe Euphrates إِذاwhen عطاhe gives
بَحرُ الفراتِ إِذا عطا
لَيثُthe lion العرينِof the lair إِذاwhen وَثَبhe springs
لَيثُ العرينِ إِذا وَثَب
The Euphrates' sea when he gives,
The Euphrates sea, when the
the lion of the lair when he springs.
Lion of the lair attacks, when it leaps
يَعنوbows لِهَيبتهِto his awesome presence الزماtime (first part)
يَعنو لِهَيبتهِ الزما
نُtime (completion) إِذاwhen توعّدhe threatens أَوor غَضبgrows angry
نُ إِذا توعّد أَو غَضب
Time bows before his awesome presence
It subdues with its awesomeness
when he threatens or grows angry.
Time, when it threatens or rages
ماnever غالَبَhe contended with الأيّامthe days فيin
ما غالَبَ الأيّام في
أَحداثِهاtheir vicissitudes إلّاexcept غَلَبhe prevailed
أَحداثِها إلّا غَلَب
Never has he contended with the days
None has conquered the days
in their vicissitudes without prevailing.
In their events but it conquered
فَخرتtook pride بهِin him رُتَبُthe ranks العلاof glory
فَخرت بهِ رُتَبُ العلا
لمّاwhen عَلاhe ascended تلكَthose الرتَبranks
لمّا عَلا تلكَ الرتَب
The ranks of glory took pride in him
Bringing down the ranks of glory
when he ascended those ranks.
When it rose above those ranks
وَنَماand traced its origin إِليهِto him المجدُglory منfrom
وَنَما إِليهِ المجدُ من
بينِamong البريّةِhumankind وَاِنتَسبand claimed kinship
بينِ البريّةِ وَاِنتَسب
And glory traced its origin to him
And glory grew to it
from among humankind, and claimed kinship.
Among the wilderness, and claimed descent
مُتَسربلٌclad ثوبَin the robe المفاglorious deeds (first part)
مُتَسربلٌ ثوبَ المفا
خرِglorious deeds (completion) وَالمَحامدِand praiseworthy virtues وَالحَسَبand ancestral honor
خرِ وَالمَحامدِ وَالحَسَب
Clad in the robe of glorious deeds,
Wearing the garment of pride
praiseworthy virtues, and ancestral honor.
And praise, and nobility
ياO مَنone who مراتِبُهhis ranks سَمَتrose high
يا مَن مراتِبُه سَمَت
حتّىuntil سَمَتthey rose high فوقَabove الشهُبthe shooting stars
حتّى سَمَت فوقَ الشهُب
O you whose ranks have risen
O you whose ranks ascended
until they soared above the shooting stars,
Ascending above the clouds!
اِسمَعhear مَقالةَthe words of شاعرٍa poet
اِسمَع مَقالةَ شاعرٍ
بَينَamong الأقاربِrelatives مُغتربa stranger
بَينَ الأقاربِ مُغترب
hear the words of a poet,
Hear the words of a poet
a stranger among his kin.
Estranged among kin
قَدindeed جاءَhe has come منfrom دلفاءDalfā’ بدwith pearls (first part)
قَد جاءَ من دلفاء بد
رpearls (completion) النظمِof verse لاnot بِالمختلبwith deceptive glitter
ر النظمِ لا بِالمختلب
He has come from Dalfā’ with pearls
Who has come from the suburbs of verse
of verse, not with deceptive glitter.
Not with the disordered
وَرَآكَand he saw you قبلَةَthe direction of prayer قَصدهِof his quest
وَرَآكَ قبلَةَ قَصدهِ
دونَto the exclusion of الأَعاجمِthe non-Arabs وَالعَربand the Arabs
دونَ الأَعاجمِ وَالعَرب
And he saw you as the qibla of his quest,
And saw you as the destination
to the exclusion of non-Arabs and Arabs.
Of his quest, beyond non-Arabs and Arabs
Sol 6.1