أَتَتshe came جامِعٌa mature woman يَومَon the day of العُروبَةِFriday جامِعاًa congregational mosque
أَتَت جامِعٌ يَومَ العُروبَةِ جامِعاً
تَقُصُّshe recounts عَلىto الشُهّادِthose present بِالمِصرِin the city أَمرَهاher plight
تَقُصُّ عَلى الشُهّادِ بِالمِصرِ أَمرَها
A mature woman came to a congregational mosque on Friday,
Recounting her plight to those assembled in the city.
فَلَوso if لَمnot يَقومواthey rose ناصِرينَsupporting لِصَوتِهاher cry
فَلَو لَم يَقوموا ناصِرينَ لِصَوتِها
لَخِلتُI would surely have thought سَماءَthe sky of اللَهِGod تُمطِرُrains down جَمرَهاits embers
لَخِلتُ سَماءَ اللَهِ تُمطِرُ جَمرَها
Had they not risen to support her cry,
I would have thought God's sky would rain down its embers.
فَهَدّواso they demolished بِناءًa building كانَused to يَأويtake refuge in فِناءَهُits courtyard
فَهَدّوا بِناءً كانَ يَأوي فِناءَهُ
فَواجِرُwanton women أَلقَتthey cast off لِلفَواحِشِfor lewd acts خُمرَهاtheir veils
فَواجِرُ أَلقَت لِلفَواحِشِ خُمرَها
So they razed a building whose courtyard sheltered
Wanton women who cast off their veils for lewd acts.
وَزامِرَةٍand many a female piper لَيسَتshe was not مِنَamong الرُبدِthe gray ostriches خَضَّبَتshe dyed
وَزامِرَةٍ لَيسَت مِنَ الرُبدِ خَضَّبَت
يَدَيهاher hands وَرِجلَيهاand her feet تُنَفِّقُshe markets زَمرَهاher piping
يَدَيها وَرِجلَيها تُنَفِّقُ زَمرَها
And many a female piper—not a gray ostrich—had dyed
Her hands and feet to make her piping sell.
أَلِفناwe became attached to بِلادَthe lands of الشامِal-Sham إِلَفَthe attachment of وِلادَةٍbirth
أَلِفنا بِلادَ الشامِ إِلَفَ وِلادَةٍ
نُلاقيwe encounter بِهاin them سودَthe black ones of الخُطوبِcalamities وَحُمرَهاand their red ones
نُلاقي بِها سودَ الخُطوبِ وَحُمرَها
We are attached to the lands of al-Sham with a native's attachment,
Encountering there calamities both black and red.
فَطَوراًso at times نُداريwe placate مِنfrom among سُبَيعَةَSubay‘a لَيثَهاits lion
فَطَوراً نُداري مِن سُبَيعَةَ لَيثَها
وَحيناًand at times نُصاديwe coax مِنfrom among رَبيعَةَRabi‘a نِمرَهاits leopard
وَحيناً نُصادي مِن رَبيعَةَ نِمرَها
At times we placate Subay‘a's lion,
At others, we coax Rabi‘a's leopard.
أَلَيسَis it not that تَميمٌTamim غَيَّرَchanged الدَهرُTime سَعدَهاits Sa‘d
أَلَيسَ تَميمٌ غَيَّرَ الدَهرُ سَعدَها
أَلَيسَis it not that زَبيدٌZabid أَهلَكَdestroyed الدَهرُTime عَمرَهاits ‘Amr
أَلَيسَ زَبيدٌ أَهلَكَ الدَهرُ عَمرَها
Has Time not changed Tamim's Sa‘d?
Has Time not destroyed Zabid's ‘Amr?
وَدِدتُI wished بِأَنّيthat I فيin عِمايَةَ‘Imaya فارِدٌalone
وَدِدتُ بِأَنّي في عِمايَةَ فارِدٌ
تُعاشِرُنيkeep me company الأَروىthe wild goats فَأَكرَهُand I dislike قُمرَهاtheir pale ones
تُعاشِرُني الأَروى فَأَكرَهُ قُمرَها
I wish I were alone in ‘Imaya,
With wild goats for company, though I would dislike their pale ones.
أَفِرُّI flee مِنَfrom الطَغوىtyranny إِلىto كُلِّevery قَفرَةٍwilderness
أَفِرُّ مِنَ الطَغوى إِلى كُلِّ قَفرَةٍ
أُؤانِسُI keep company with طَغياهاits wild cattle وَآلَفُand I befriend قُمرَهاits turtledoves
أُؤانِسُ طَغياها وَآلَفُ قُمرَها
I flee tyranny into every wilderness,
Keeping company with its wild cattle and befriending its turtledoves.
فَإِنّيfor I أَرىsee الآفاقَthe horizons دانَتhave submitted لِظالِمٍto a tyrant
فَإِنّي أَرى الآفاقَ دانَت لِظالِمٍ
يَغُرُّhe deceives بَغاياهاtheir prostitutes وَيَشرَبُand drinks خَمرَهاtheir wine
يَغُرُّ بَغاياها وَيَشرَبُ خَمرَها
For I see the horizons submitting to a tyrant
Who deceives their prostitutes and drinks their wine.
وَلَوand if كانَتِwere الدُنياthe world مِنَamong الإِنسِhumankind لَمnot تَكُنbe
وَلَو كانَتِ الدُنيا مِنَ الإِنسِ لَم تَكُن
سِوىother than مومِسٍa harlot أَفنَتshe squandered بِماon what ساءَwas evil عُمرَهاher life
سِوى مومِسٍ أَفنَت بِما ساءَ عُمرَها
And were the world a human being, it would be nothing
But a harlot who squandered her life in wickedness.
تَدينُshe submits لِمَجدودٍto a fortunate man وَإِنeven though باتَspends the night غَيرُهُsomeone other than him
تَدينُ لِمَجدودٍ وَإِن باتَ غَيرُهُ
يَهُزُّhe brandishes لَهاfor her بيضَthe white swords of الحُروبِwars وَسُمرَهاand their brown spears
يَهُزُّ لَها بيضَ الحُروبِ وَسُمرَها
She submits to the fortunate man, though another spends the night
Brandishing for her war's white swords and brown spears.
وَماand not العَيشُlife إِلّاexcept لُجَّةٌa deep sea باطِلِيَّةٌof vanity
وَما العَيشُ إِلّا لُجَّةٌ باطِلِيَّةٌ
وَمَنand whoever بَلَغَreaches الخَمسينَfifty جاوَزَhas passed beyond غَمرَهاits depths
وَمَن بَلَغَ الخَمسينَ جاوَزَ غَمرَها
And life is nothing but a deep sea of vanity;
Whoever reaches fifty has passed beyond its depths.
وَماand not زالَتِhave ceased الأَقدارُthe fates تَترُكُto leave ذاone possessing النُهىreason
وَما زالَتِ الأَقدارُ تَترُكُ ذا النُهى
عَديماًdestitute وَتُعطيand give مُنيَةَthe desire النَفسِof the soul غَمرَهاtheir fool
عَديماً وَتُعطي مُنيَةَ النَفسِ غَمرَها
And the fates have always left the man of reason
Destitute, while granting their fool his heart's desire.
إِذاwhen يَسَّرَmakes easy اللَهُGod الخُطوبَhardships فَكَمthen how many a يَدٍhand
إِذا يَسَّرَ اللَهُ الخُطوبَ فَكَم يَدٍ
وَإِنeven though قَصُرَتit is short تَجنيgathers مِنَfrom الصابِbitter spurge تَمرَهاits dates
وَإِن قَصُرَت تَجني مِنَ الصابِ تَمرَها
When God makes hardships easy, how many a hand,
Though short, gathers its dates from bitter spurge!
وَلَولاand were it not for أُصولٌancestral roots فيin الجِيادِfine steeds كَوامِنٌlying hidden
وَلَولا أُصولٌ في الجِيادِ كَوامِنٌ
لَماwould not have آبَتِreturned الفُرسانُthe horsemen تَحمَدُpraising ضَمرَهاtheir lean mounts
لَما آبَتِ الفُرسانُ تَحمَدُ ضَمرَها
But for ancestral roots lying hidden in fine steeds,
Horsemen would not return praising their lean mounts.
Sol 6.1