برقٌlightning علىabove الجِزعِal-Jizʿ, the valley's bend بداappeared يلمعُgleams
برقٌ على الجِزعِ بدا يلمعُ
حَنَّتْyearned اليهِtoward it الاِبِلُthe camels الضُّلَّعُthe lame ones
حَنَّتْ اليهِ الاِبِلُ الضُّلَّعُ
Lightning appeared above al-Jizʿ, gleaming;
Lightning flashed on the slender tree trunk
the lame camels yearned toward it.
The she-camels turned towards it, the starvelings
أومضَflashed والركبُand the riders نشاوىintoxicated هوًىwith love
أومضَ والركبُ نشاوى هوًى
فاندفعتْso burst forth أعينُهمْtheir eyes تَدمَعُshedding tears
فاندفعتْ أعينُهمْ تَدمَعُ
It flashed while the riders were drunk with love,
It flashed and the travelers hastened, crazed
and their eyes burst into tears.
Their eyes overflowed with tears
بَكَواthey wept مِنَfrom الوجدِpassionate longing علىover جيرةٍneighbors
بَكَوا مِنَ الوجدِ على جيرةٍ
سارواthey departed عنِfrom الخَيْفِal-Khayf وماand did not ودَّعواbid farewell
ساروا عنِ الخَيْفِ وما ودَّعوا
They wept in longing for neighbors
They wept from yearning for a neighbor
who departed from al-Khayf without farewell.
They traveled from fear and did not bid farewell
اَسْرَواthey traveled by night مِنَfrom الخَيْفِal-Khayf إلىto لَعْلَعٍLaʿlaʿ
اَسْرَوا مِنَ الخَيْفِ إلى لَعْلَعٍ
ولمand did not تَزَلْcease to be دارَthe abode of الهوىlove لَعْلَعُLaʿlaʿ
ولم تَزَلْ دارَ الهوى لَعْلَعُ
They traveled by night from al-Khayf to Laʿlaʿ,
They hastened from fear to Lu'lu'
and Laʿlaʿ has always been love's abode.
And the abode of passion remained Lu'lu'
ياO برقُlightning كمhow much هجتَyou stirred لهمin them منof جوًىburning grief
يا برقُ كم هجتَ لهم من جوًى
باتتْspent the night عليهaround it تنطويfolding inward الأضلعُthe ribs
باتتْ عليه تنطوي الأضلعُ
O lightning, how much burning grief you stirred in them,
O lightning, how much dew you roused for them
around which their ribs lay folded through the night!
It spent the night folded over their ribs
ماnot لمعتْshone منكَfrom you سناthe gleam of شعلةٍa flame
ما لمعتْ منكَ سنا شعلةٍ
اِلاّexcept وسحَّتْand streamed منهمُfrom them الأدمعُthe tears
اِلاّ وسحَّتْ منهمُ الأدمعُ
No gleam of flame shone from you
No gleam shone from you, no flame
without their tears streaming down.
Except it stroked tears from them
وكانand there was فيin الدمعِtears لهمْfor them راحةٌrelief
وكان في الدمعِ لهمْ راحةٌ
لوif أنَّهthat it بعدَهمُafter their departure ينفعُavails
لو أنَّه بعدَهمُ ينفعُ
There would be solace for them in tears,
And in their tears was comfort for them
if tears could help after their departure.
If only it could benefit them after they left
يبكونَthey weep فيin أربعِthe dwelling places of أحبابِهمtheir loved ones
يبكونَ في أربعِ أحبابِهم
شوقاًin longing وقدand already بكَّتْهُمُrebuked them الأربُعُthe dwelling places
شوقاً وقد بكَّتْهُمُ الأربُعُ
They weep among their loved ones' dwelling places,
They cry for their four loved ones
in longing, while the dwellings reproach them.
Yearning, and the four made them weep
خلتْbecame empty مِنof السكّانthe inhabitants أقطارُهاtheir expanses
خلتْ مِن السكّان أقطارُها
فهيso they are قِفارٌdesert wastes منهمُwithout them بلقعُutterly desolate
فهي قِفارٌ منهمُ بلقعُ
Their expanses lie empty of inhabitants;
Its regions emptied of inhabitants
without them, they are barren, desolate wastes.
So it is wasteland, desolate of them
وحلَّهاand inhabited them مِنfrom بعدِafter غِزلانِهاtheir gazelles
وحلَّها مِن بعدِ غِزلانِها
مِنَfrom الفلاthe wilderness غِزلانُهاits gazelles الرّتَّعُfreely grazing
مِنَ الفلا غِزلانُها الرّتَّعُ
And after their gazelles, there settled in them
And after its lovely ones it was filled
the grazing gazelles of the wilderness.
With mountain goats, their young nannies
أقسمتُI swore ماnot السحبُthe clouds غدتْbecame حُفَّلاًswollen full
أقسمتُ ما السحبُ غدتْ حُفَّلاً
علىupon الرُّبىthe hills مُثجِمةًraining abundantly تَهْمَعُpour down
على الرُّبى مُثجِمةً تَهْمَعُ
I swear, no clouds, grown swollen full,
I swear the clouds have not gathered
pouring abundant rain upon the hills,
Lowering over the meadows, swelling
غصَّchoked يَفاعُthe high ground of الرضِthe earth (apparent typo) مِنwith مائِهاtheir water
غصَّ يَفاعُ الرضِ مِن مائِها
ليستْthey do not تَنيslacken سَحّاًpouring down ولاnor تُقلِعُlet up
ليستْ تَني سَحّاً ولا تُقلِعُ
till the earth's high ground choked with their water,
The valley's torrents swelled from their water
never slackening their downpour or letting up,
Bringing neither benefit nor going away
يكادُalmost أنto يدفعَهاpush them away خيفةًin fear
يكادُ أن يدفعَها خيفةً
يكفَّهِwith her palm (reading uncertain) مِنbecause of قربِهاtheir nearness المُرضِعُthe nursing mother
يكفَّهِ مِن قربِها المُرضِعُ
which could almost be pushed away in fear
Fear almost drives them away
by a nursing mother's palm—so close were they—
Stopped by their nearness, the suckling child
اهمعَmore copious مِنthan دمعيmy tears غداةَon the morning of النوىseparation
اهمعَ مِن دمعي غداةَ النوى
والعيسُand the pale camels فيin بيدِهمُtheir deserts تُوضِعُhasten
والعيسُ في بيدِهمُ تُوضِعُ
poured more freely than my tears on the morning of parting,
My tears bubbled over the morning they left
while their pale camels sped across their deserts.
And the caravan was loaded among them
ناديتُI called بالحاديto the camel-driver واظعانُهمand their traveling litters
ناديتُ بالحادي واظعانُهم
للبينِfor departure لاmay not كانthere be النوىseparation تُرفَعُare lifted
للبينِ لا كان النوى تُرفَعُ
I called to the camel-driver, while their traveling litters
I called to the departing one, while they
were lifted for departure—may separation never be!
Were raised up for separation, no farewell taken
قفْhalt ساعةًa moment يحظُmay be favored بتوديِعهمwith bidding them farewell
قفْ ساعةً يحظُ بتوديِعهم
صبٌّa lovesick man منfrom التفريقِseparation لاnot يهجعُsleeps
صبٌّ من التفريقِ لا يهجعُ
Halt a moment, that a farewell may be granted
Stop a while, to bid them farewell
to a lover whom separation keeps awake.
A downpour of parting that does not let one sleep
لمdid not يُلهِهdistract him بعدَهمُafter their departure ملعبٌa playground
لم يُلهِه بعدَهمُ ملعبٌ
ولاnor اطبَّاهُenticed him لهمُof theirs مربعُa spring encampment
ولا اطبَّاهُ لهمُ مربعُ
No playground distracted him after they left,
After them, no playground distracted him
nor did any spring abode of theirs entice him.
Nor square enclosed for them delighted him
لموقهat his eye's corner سارتْset out مطاياهمُtheir mounts
لموقه سارتْ مطاياهمُ
قلبٌa heart علىover بينهمُtheir parting مُوجَعُaching
قلبٌ على بينهمُ مُوجَعُ
At his eye's corner, as their mounts set out,
Their mounts departed and so did their hearts
was a heart aching at their parting.
How did their caravan proceed without following?
سارواthey departed فسارَand so traveled القلبُthe heart فيin اِثرهمtheir wake
ساروا فسارَ القلبُ في اِثرهم
كيفhowever استقلَّتْrose and set out عيسهمْtheir pale camels يَتبعُit follows
كيف استقلَّتْ عيسهمْ يَتبعُ
They departed, and the heart followed in their wake;
O sighs of the leaves! She has wearied me
however their pale camels set off, it followed.
A dove moaning over the branches
ياO سُجَّعَcooing ones of الورقِthe gray doves لقدindeed شاقَنيstirred my longing
يا سُجَّعَ الورقِ لقد شاقَني
حمامةٌa dove فوقَabove النقاthe sand dune تَسجعُcoos
حمامةٌ فوقَ النقا تَسجعُ
O cooing gray doves, I was stirred to longing
No ear has heard the like, as she returns
by a dove cooing atop the sand dune.
With a voice so melodious, nothing equals it
ماnever سمعتْheard أذنٌan ear وقدwhile indeed رَّجعتْshe trilled
ما سمعتْ أذنٌ وقد رَّجعتْ
كصوتِهاlike her voice طيباًin sweetness ولاnor تَسمعُwill hear
كصوتِها طيباً ولا تَسمعُ
No ear, as she trilled, has ever heard
The valley ravished her, so she moaned
a voice as sweet as hers, nor ever will.
Over its slopes, though forbidden her
أطرَبهاenraptured her الدوحُthe leafy grove فناحتْso she lamented علىon
أطرَبها الدوحُ فناحتْ على
أفنانهِits boughs وهوwhile it is لهاfor her مُونِعُflourishing
أفنانهِ وهو لها مُونِعُ
The leafy grove enraptured her; she lamented on
And I sculpted from the relics of the days of passion
its boughs, while it flourished for her.
After absence, is there a way back?
ونحتُand I lamented مِنfrom تَذكارِremembering عهدِthe days of الهوىlove
ونحتُ مِن تَذكارِ عهدِ الهوى
فهلso is there لهfor it بعدَafter النوىseparation مَرجِعُa return
فهل له بعدَ النوى مَرجِعُ
And I lamented at the memory of love's days;
A wild cow yearned for Mount Ħajar
can that time return after separation?
So she wanders the meadows, restless
وعِرْمِسٍand a hardy she-camel حَنَّتْyearned إلىfor حاجرٍḤājir
وعِرْمِسٍ حَنَّتْ إلى حاجرٍ
فهيso she برحليwith my saddle فيin الفلاthe wilderness تَنْزِعُstrains onward
فهي برحلي في الفلا تَنْزِعُ
And a hardy she-camel yearned for Ḥājir,
She longs for its bright summit
so, bearing my saddle, she strains through the wilderness.
Its full moons absent from life
تشوقُهاstirs her longing أنوارُthe radiance of نُوّارِهits blossoms
تشوقُها أنوارُ نُوّارِه
فروضُهُso its meadow غِبَّafter الحياthe rain مُمرِعُlush with pasture
فروضُهُ غِبَّ الحيا مُمرِعُ
The radiance of its blossoms stirs her longing;
As if she were the hyena, when
for its meadow is lush after the rain.
Nu'man appears, or dawn breaks
كأنَّهاas though she were الهَيْقُthe male ostrich إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) بداappeared
كأنَّها الهَيْقُ إذا ما بدا
نعمانُNuʿmān أوor لاحَcame into view الأجرَعُal-Ajraʿ
نعمانُ أو لاحَ الأجرَعُ
She is like a male ostrich whenever there appears
Campsites delighted her with their vegetation
Nuʿmān, or al-Ajraʿ comes into view—
After the meadows delighted her
منازلٌdwelling places راقَwas pleasing لهاto her نبتُهاtheir vegetation
منازلٌ راقَ لها نبتُها
مِنfrom بعدِماafter راقَwas pleasing لهاto her المشرَعُthe watering place
مِن بعدِما راقَ لها المشرَعُ
dwelling places whose vegetation delights her,
So she thirsts from family and relations
after their watering place has delighted her.
Towards the sanctuary, thirsty, expectant
فهيso she منfrom الآلthe mirage وتهارهand its billows (reading uncertain)
فهي من الآل وتهاره
نحوtoward الحمىthe protected pasture ظامئةthirsty تطلعlooks out
نحو الحمى ظامئة تطلع
So, amid the mirage and its billows,
The soft gurgling of its sea tempts her
she peers thirstily toward the protected pasture.
Bending to drink from its echo
يغرُّهاdeceives her الرقراقُthe shimmer مِنfrom بحرِهits sea
يغرُّها الرقراقُ مِن بحرِه
فمِنso from صداهاher thirst تَنثنيturns aside تكرعُdrinks
فمِن صداها تَنثني تكرعُ
The shimmer of its sea deceives her,
She seeks a reunion whose time has passed
so in her thirst she turns aside to drink.
The days gone by, no returning
تطلبُseeks وصلاًunion فاتَhas passed ميقاتُهits appointed time
تطلبُ وصلاً فاتَ ميقاتُه
وفائتُand what has passed of الأزمانِthe ages لاnever يَرْجِعُreturns
وفائتُ الأزمانِ لا يَرْجِعُ
She seeks a union whose appointed time has passed,
and bygone times never return.
Partial English translation: 58 of 60 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1