هلْdo ...? تعْرِفُyou recognize الدَّارَthe dwelling عَفاhas faded رَسْمُهاits trace
هلْ تعْرِفُ الدَّارَ عَفا رَسْمُها
إلاَّexcept الأَثافِيَّthe pot-support stones ومَبْنىand the pitching-site الخِيَمْof the tents
إلاَّ الأَثافِيَّ ومَبْنى الخِيَمْ
Do you recognize the dwelling whose traces have faded,
Do you know the abode whose ruins have faded?
save the hearthstones and the site of the tents?
Except for tent pegs and camel litter.
أَعْرِفُهاI recognize it داراًas a dwelling لأَسْماءَbelonging to Asma فالدso the— (beginning of ‘tears’)
أَعْرِفُها داراً لأَسْماءَ فالد
دَمْعُtears عَلىon الخَدَّيْنِboth cheeks سَحٌّstreaming سَجَمْpouring
دَمْعُ عَلى الخَدَّيْنِ سَحٌّ سَجَمْ
I recognize it as Asma’s dwelling; so the
I know it as the abode of Asma, so tears
tears stream and pour down both cheeks.
Flow down the cheeks in torrents.
أَمْسَتْit has become خَلاءًempty بعدَafter سُكَّانِهاits inhabitants
أَمْسَتْ خَلاءً بعدَ سُكَّانِها
مُقْفِرَةًdesolate ماnot إِنْat all (emphatic) بهاin it مِنْany إِرَمْperson
مُقْفِرَةً ما إِنْ بها مِنْ إِرَمْ
It has become empty since its inhabitants departed,
It became empty after its dwellers left,
desolate, with not a soul there,
Desolate, with no sign of a tent peg left
إلاَّexcept مِنَsome of العِينِthe large-eyed wild cattle تَرْعَّىgrazing بهاthere
إلاَّ مِنَ العِينِ تَرْعَّى بها
كالفارسيِّينَlike the Persians مَشَوْاthey walked فيin الكُمَمْthe caps
كالفارسيِّينَ مَشَوْا في الكُمَمْ
except the large-eyed wild cattle grazing there,
Except what the eye can graze there
like Persians walking in their caps.
Like Persian horses walking in the sand dunes.
بَعْدَafter جَمِيعٍa gathered company قدonce أَراهُمْI would see them بهاthere
بَعْدَ جَمِيعٍ قد أَراهُمْ بها
لهُمْthey had قِبابٌdomed tents وعليهمْand about them نَعَمْlivestock
لهُمْ قِبابٌ وعليهمْ نَعَمْ
After a gathered company I once saw there:
After I saw them all in it,
they had domed tents, and herds about them.
With tents above them and bounty.
فَهَلْso can ...? تُسَلِّيmake one forget حُبَّهاlove for her بازِلٌa mature she-camel
فَهَلْ تُسَلِّي حُبَّها بازِلٌ
ماnot إنْat all (emphatic) تُسَلَّىis forgotten حُبَّهاlove for her مِنْwith أَمَمْease
ما إنْ تُسَلَّى حُبَّها مِنْ أَمَمْ
Can a mature she-camel make me forget my love for her?
Can its love be consoled after it declined?
Love for her is not easily forgotten.
Its love cannot be consoled from sorrows.
عَرْفاءُlong-maned كالفَحْلِlike a camel-stallion جُمالِيَّةٌpowerfully built
عَرْفاءُ كالفَحْلِ جُمالِيَّةٌ
ذاتُpossessing هِبابٍvigor لاnot تَشكَّىshe complains of السَّأمْweariness
ذاتُ هِبابٍ لا تَشكَّى السَّأمْ
Long-maned, like a camel-stallion, powerfully built,
Its good-natured people are beautiful,
full of vigor, never complaining of weariness.
With a love that feels no boredom.
لمdid not تَقْرإcarry in her womb القَيْظَthe summer heat جَنِيناًa fetus وَلاnor
لم تَقْرإ القَيْظَ جَنِيناً وَلا
أَصُرُّهاher load-straps تَحْمِلcarry بَهْمَthe lambs الغَنَمْof the sheep
أَصُرُّها تَحْمِل بَهْمَ الغَنَمْ
She carried no fetus through the summer heat, nor
It did not spend the summer pregnant, nor
did her load-straps bear lambs.
Do I hobble it to carry lambs.
بَلْrather عَزَبَتْshe pastured far away فيamong الشَّوْلِthe dry she-camels حَتَّىuntil نَوَتْshe grew fat
بَلْ عَزَبَتْ في الشَّوْلِ حَتَّى نَوَتْ
وسُوِّغَتْand she was granted ذاone possessing حُبُكٍridges كالإِرَمْlike a stone cairn
وسُوِّغَتْ ذا حُبُكٍ كالإِرَمْ
Rather, she grazed far afield among dry she-camels until she grew fat,
Rather, it galloped freely in the plain until
and was granted a ridged hump like a stone cairn.
It became accustomed to the bridle and halter.
تَعْدُوshe runs إذاwhen حُرِّكَis moved مِجْدافُهاher oar-like whip
تَعْدُو إذا حُرِّكَ مِجْدافُها
عَدْوَthe running of رَباعٍa mature wild bull مُفْرَدٍsolitary كالزُّلَمْlike a divining shaft
عَدْوَ رَباعٍ مُفْرَدٍ كالزُّلَمْ
She runs when her oar-like whip is moved,
It runs when its oar is stirred
with the run of a lone mature wild bull, straight as a divining shaft.
Like the running of a single young horse.
كأَنَّهُas though he were نِصْعُwhite cloth يَمانٍYemeni وبِالْand on the—
كأَنَّهُ نِصْعُ يَمانٍ وبِالْ
أَكْرُعِlower legs تَخْنِيفٌdark markings كَلَوْنِlike the color of الحُمَمْcharcoal
أَكْرُعِ تَخْنِيفٌ كَلَوْنِ الحُمَمْ
As though he were white Yemeni cloth, and on the
As if it is the she-camel of Yemen in pace
lower legs were dark markings the color of charcoal.
And the trotting of a dappled crane.
باتَhe spent the night بغَيْبٍin a hidden hollow مُعْشِبٍlush with vegetation نَبتُهُits plant growth
باتَ بغَيْبٍ مُعْشِبٍ نَبتُهُ
مُخْتَلِطٍmingled حُرْبُثُهُits hurbuth plants باليَنَمْwith yanam plants
مُخْتَلِطٍ حُرْبُثُهُ باليَنَمْ
He spent the night in a hidden hollow lush with vegetation,
It spent the night in verdant vegetation, its plants
its hurbuth plants mingled with yanam.
Intertwined, mixed with grass.
Sol 6.1