ياO شائِمَwatcher of البارِقِthe lightning لاdo not تُشجِكَsadden you الthe
يا شائِمَ البارِقِ لا تُشجِكَ ال
أَظعانُdeparting women فُوِّضنَthey were consigned إِلىto أَرضِthe land of بَبنَBaban
أَظعانُ فُوِّضنَ إِلى أَرضِ بَبنَ
O watcher of lightning, do not be saddened by the
O you who blame the lighting, don't let
departing women, consigned to the land of Baban.
The horrors disturb you, entrust yourself to the land of Babylon
أُبنَthey returned إِلىto الأَوطانِthe homelands فيin عازِبِthe remote part of الthe
أُبنَ إِلى الأَوطانِ في عازِبِ ال
رَوضِmeadow فَماso what وَجدُكyour sorrow لَمّاwhen أَبَبنَthey prepared to depart
رَوضِ فَما وَجدُك لَمّا أَبَبنَ
They returned to their homelands in the remote reaches of the
Return to the homelands in the stranger of
meadow—what of your grief when they prepared to depart?
The garden, so I did not find you when Babylon was built
يَشبُبنَthey kindle fires بِالعودِwith wood وَيُخلِفنَand they fail to fulfill فيin الthe
يَشبُبنَ بِالعودِ وَيُخلِفنَ في ال
مَوعودِpromise لاmay not كانَhave been صِلاءٌa fire شَبَبنَthey kindled
مَوعودِ لا كانَ صِلاءٌ شَبَبنَ
They kindle fires with wood, and fail to keep the
They promised with the lute and broke their
promise—may the fire they kindled never have been!
Promise, it was not a truthful promise they made
صَبَبنَthey descended فيin الواديthe valley إِلىtoward قَريَةٍa village
صَبَبنَ في الوادي إِلى قَريَةٍ
غَنّاءَlush with trees لَكِنbut بِالهَوىwith love ماnot صَبَبنَthey pined
غَنّاءَ لَكِن بِالهَوى ما صَبَبنَ
They descended through the valley toward a village
They promised in the valley to a
lush with trees; yet they did not pine with love.
Melodious village, but with passion they did not fulfill the promise
يُسبَبنَthey are reviled بِالفِعلِfor their conduct فَأَمّاbut as for إِذاwhen
يُسبَبنَ بِالفِعلِ فَأَمّا إِذا
قيلَit is said فَماso not يَعلَمنَthey know يَوماًever سُبِبنَthey were reviled
قيلَ فَما يَعلَمنَ يَوماً سُبِبنَ
They are reviled for their conduct; but when
They promise with their actions, but when
it is spoken, they never know they have been reviled.
It is said, they don't know when the promise was made
يَحمِلُهاcarries her العيسُthe pale camels وَمِنand from حَولِهاaround her الشِرthe drinkers (word continues)
يَحمِلُها العيسُ وَمِن حَولِها الشِر
بُcompletion of 'drinkers' قَرَّبنَthey cantered ضُحىًat midmorning أَوor خَبنَthey trotted
بُ قَرَّبنَ ضُحىً أَو خَبنَ
The pale camels carry her; around her is the drinking
The stallion carries it and around it the young
company; they cantered at midmorning or trotted.
Men approached in the morning or the evening
مَهاoryxes نَقاءٍpurity لاnot مَهاًoryxes فيin نَقاًa sand dune
مَها نَقاءٍ لا مَهاً في نَقاً
رُبِّبنَthey were reared فيin ظِلِّthe shade of قَناًspears أَوor رَبَبنَthey reared others
رُبِّبنَ في ظِلِّ قَناً أَو رَبَبنَ
Oryxes of purity, not oryxes on a sand dune,
It is sincere loyalty not the loyalty in sincerity
they were reared in the shade of spears, or themselves reared others.
They were brought up in the shadow of a goblet or they were nurtured
عَقارِبٌscorpions قاتِلَةٌdeadly مِنfrom مُنىًwishes
عَقارِبٌ قاتِلَةٌ مِن مُنىً
عَلىupon لِسانيmy tongue وَضَميريand my inner thoughts دَبَبنَthey crept
عَلى لِساني وَضَميري دَبَبنَ
Deadly scorpions of wishes
Deadly scorpions on my
crept over my tongue and my inmost thoughts.
Tongue and conscience crept
آهٍAh مِنَfor العَيشِlife وَإِفراطِهِand its excess
آهٍ مِنَ العَيشِ وَإِفراطِهِ
وَرُبَّand many أَيدٍhands فيin بَقاءٍcontinued life تَبَبنَthey came to ruin
وَرُبَّ أَيدٍ في بَقاءٍ تَبَبنَ
Ah, for life and its excess!
Oh! From life and its excess
And many hands have come to ruin while living on.
And many a hand in existence grabbed
تُذَكِّرُنيreminds me راحَةَthe repose of أَهلِthe people of البِلىdecay
تُذَكِّرُني راحَةَ أَهلِ البِلى
أَرواحُwinds لَيلٍnight بِخُزامىwith lavender هَبَبنَthey blew
أَرواحُ لَيلٍ بِخُزامى هَبَبنَ
I am reminded of the repose of the dead
The souls of a night in their slumber remind me of the comfort of the afflicted
by lavender-scented night winds that blew.
Do not trust time and its changes the
لاdo not تَأمَنِtrust الدَهرَTime وَتَحويلَهُand its transfer of المُلthe kingship (word continues)
لا تَأمَنِ الدَهرَ وَتَحويلَهُ المُل
كَcompletion of 'kingship' إِلىto آلِthe descendants of إِماءٍslave women ضَبَبنَthey milked
كَ إِلى آلِ إِماءٍ ضَبَبنَ
Do not trust Time and its transfer of king-
King to the family of maidservants crept
ship to the descendants of slave women who milked.
Indeed, when the girls get bored of
إِنَّindeed اللَبيباتِthe wise women إِذاwhen مِلنَthey inclined لِلدُنtoward worldly life (word continues)
إِنَّ اللَبيباتِ إِذا مِلنَ لِلدُن
ياcompletion of 'worldly life' وَأَلغَينَand they discarded التُقىpiety ماnot لَبَبنَthey were wise
يا وَأَلغَينَ التُقى ما لَبَبنَ
Indeed, wise women, when they turn toward worldly
The world and neglect piety, they do not creep
life and cast aside piety, have not been wise.
And in the mixture of ease or in the shrine of
وَفيand in مَزيجِa blend of الراحِwine أَوor فيin صَريحِunadulterated الthe
وَفي مَزيجِ الراحِ أَو في صَريحِ ال
رِسلِmilk وَالعامُand the year جَديبٌbarren عَبَبنَthey drank deeply
رِسلِ وَالعامُ جَديبٌ عَبَبنَ
And of blended wine, or of pure
The Messengers, and the year is barren they crept
milk, while the year was barren, they drank deeply.
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1