أَلاlo! بانَdeparted جِيرانِيmy neighbors ولَسْتُand I am not بِعائِفِan augur
أَلا بانَ جِيرانِي ولَسْتُ بِعائِفِ
أَدانٍbringing near? بِهِمْwith them صَرْفُthe changing course النَّوىof separation أَمْor مُخالِفيopposing me
أَدانٍ بِهِمْ صَرْفُ النَّوى أَمْ مُخالِفي
Ah, my neighbors have departed, and I am no augur.
Will separation's turn bring them near, or work against me?
وفيand in الحَيِّthe tribe أَبْكارٌmaidens سَبَيْنَthey captured فُؤادَهُhis heart
وفي الحَيِّ أَبْكارٌ سَبَيْنَ فُؤادَهُ
عُلالةَa little solace ماwhat زَوَّدْنَthey supplied والحُبُّand love شاغِفيpiercing my heart
عُلالةَ ما زَوَّدْنَ والحُبُّ شاغِفي
And in the tribe are maidens who have captured his heart—
a little solace from what they gave, while love pierces my heart.
دِقاقُslender الحُضُورِthe waists (reading uncertain) لمnot تُعَفَّرْbe dust-smeared قُرُونُهاtheir braids
دِقاقُ الحُضُورِ لم تُعَفَّرْ قُرُونُها
لِشَجْوٍfor grief ولمand did not يَحْضُرْنَthey experience حُمَّىfever المَزالِفِthe border settlements
لِشَجْوٍ ولم يَحْضُرْنَ حُمَّى المَزالِفِ
Slender-waisted, their braids have never been dust-smeared
in grief, nor have they known the fevers of the border settlements.
نَواعِمُdelicate أبْكارٌmaidens سَرائِرُnoble-born women بُدَّنُfull-bodied
نَواعِمُ أبْكارٌ سَرائِرُ بُدَّنُ
حِسانُbeautiful الوُجُوهِthe faces لَيِّناتُsoft السّوالِفِthe sides of the neck
حِسانُ الوُجُوهِ لَيِّناتُ السّوالِفِ
Delicate maidens, noble-born and full-bodied,
beautiful of face, soft along the sides of their necks.
يُهَدِّلْنَthey let dangle فيin الآذانِthe ears منof كُلِّevery مذهَبٍgilded ornament
يُهَدِّلْنَ في الآذانِ من كُلِّ مذهَبٍ
لهُit has رَبَذٌpendants يَعْياis at a loss بهِover it كُلُّevery واصِفِdescriber
لهُ رَبَذٌ يَعْيا بهِ كُلُّ واصِفِ
They dangle in their ears all manner of gilded ornaments,
each with pendants that baffle every describer.
إذاwhen ظَعَنَdeparted الحَيُّthe tribe الجميعُall together اجْتَنَبْتُهُمI kept to one side of them
إذا ظَعَنَ الحَيُّ الجميعُ اجْتَنَبْتُهُم
مكانَin the place of النَّدِيمِthe boon companion لِلنَّجيِّbeside the confidant المُساعِفِthe obliging one
مكانَ النَّدِيمِ لِلنَّجيِّ المُساعِفِ
When the whole tribe departed, I kept to one side of them,
in a boon companion's place beside an obliging confidant.
بصُرْنَthey saw شَقِيّاًa wretched man لاnot يُبالِينَthey care about غَيَّهُhis waywardness
بصُرْنَ شَقِيّاً لا يُبالِينَ غَيَّهُ
يُعَوِّجْنَthey turn مِنْof أَعْناقِهاtheir necks بالمَواقِفِat the halting places
يُعَوِّجْنَ مِنْ أَعْناقِها بالمَواقِفِ
They saw a wretched man, caring nothing for his waywardness,
turning their necks at the halting places.
نَشَرْنthey opened up حَديثاًa conversation آنِساًpleasant فَوَضَعْنَهُthen they lowered it
نَشَرْن حَديثاً آنِساً فَوَضَعْنَهُ
خَفِيضاًlow فَلاso not يَلْغَىtake an interest بهِin it كلُّevery طائِفِpasserby
خَفِيضاً فَلا يَلْغَى بهِ كلُّ طائِفِ
They opened a pleasant conversation, then kept it
low, so that not every passerby might take an interest in it.
فلماthen when تَبَنَّىpitched tents الحَيّthe tribe جِئْنَthey came إِلَيْهِمُto them
فلما تَبَنَّى الحَيّ جِئْنَ إِلَيْهِمُ
فكانَand it was النُّزُولُthe encampment فيin حُجُورthe hollows of النَّواصِفِthe broad valleys
فكانَ النُّزُولُ في حُجُور النَّواصِفِ
Then, when the tribe pitched its tents, they came to them,
and the encampment was in the hollows of the broad valleys.
تَنَزَّلْنَthey alighted عنfrom دَوْمٍpalm-like litters تَهِفُّflutter مُتُونُهُtheir tops
تَنَزَّلْنَ عن دَوْمٍ تَهِفُّ مُتُونُهُ
مُزَيَّنَةٍadorned أَكْنافُهاtheir sides بالزَّخارِفِwith ornaments
مُزَيَّنَةٍ أَكْنافُها بالزَّخارِفِ
They alighted from palm-like litters whose tops fluttered,
their sides adorned with ornaments.
بِوِدِّكِby your love ماan emphatic particle قَوْمِيmy people عَلىdespite أَنْthat هَجَرْتُهُمْI left them
بِوِدِّكِ ما قَوْمِي عَلى أَنْ هَجَرْتُهُمْ
إذاwhen أَشْجَذَdrives to shelter الأَقْوامَthe tribes رِيحُthe wind of أُظائِفِUẓāʾif
إذا أَشْجَذَ الأَقْوامَ رِيحُ أُظائِفِ
By your love, my people, though I have left them,
when the wind of Uẓāʾif drives the tribes to shelter,
وكانَand was الرِّفادُrelief كلَّevery قِدْحٍlot-arrow مُقَرَّمٍnotched
وكانَ الرِّفادُ كلَّ قِدْحٍ مُقَرَّمٍ
وعادَand became الجميعُthe whole tribe نُجْعةًa sought-out pasture لِلزَّعانِفِfor the hangers-on
وعادَ الجميعُ نُجْعةً لِلزَّعانِفِ
and every notched lot-arrow serves as a source of relief,
and the whole tribe becomes a pasture for the hangers-on,
جَدِيروُنَworthy أَنْthat لاnot يَحْبِسواthey detain مُجْتَدِيهمُtheir suppliant
جَدِيروُنَ أَنْ لا يَحْبِسوا مُجْتَدِيهمُ
لِلَحْمٍfor meat وأَنْand that لاnot يَبدرواthey forestall قِدْحَthe lot-arrow of رادِفِa latecomer
لِلَحْمٍ وأَنْ لا يَبدروا قِدْحَ رادِفِ
are worthy men who do not keep their suppliant waiting
for meat, nor forestall a latecomer's lot-arrow.
عِظامُlarge الجِفانِthe serving bowls بالعَشِيَّاتِin the evenings والضُّحىand at midmorning
عِظامُ الجِفانِ بالعَشِيَّاتِ والضُّحى
مَشاييطُprolific slaughterers للأَبْدانِof great-bodied camels غَيْرُnot التَّوارِفِinferior camels (sense uncertain)
مَشاييطُ للأَبْدانِ غَيْرُ التَّوارِفِ
Their serving bowls are vast at evening and midmorning;
they slaughter great-bodied camels, not inferior beasts.
إذاwhen يَسرُواthey gamble لمdid not يُورِثِgive rise to اليسرgambling بَيْنَهُمْamong them
إذا يَسرُوا لم يُورِثِ اليسر بَيْنَهُمْ
فَواحِشَoutrages يُنعىis denounced ذِكْرُهاtheir mention بالمَصايِفِat the summer camps
فَواحِشَ يُنعى ذِكْرُها بالمَصايِفِ
When they gamble, the gambling does not breed among them
outrages whose memory is denounced in the summer camps.
فهلso will? تُبْلِغَنِّيbring me دارَthe home of قَوْمِيَmy people جَسْرَةٌa sturdy she-camel
فهل تُبْلِغَنِّي دارَ قَوْمِيَ جَسْرَةٌ
خَنُوفٌswaying-gaited عَلَنْدىًmassive جَلْعَدٌhardy غَيْرُnot شارفِan aged she-camel
خَنُوفٌ عَلَنْدىً جَلْعَدٌ غَيْرُ شارفِ
So will a sturdy she-camel bring me to my people's home—
swaying-gaited, massive and hardy, not an aged beast,
سَدِيسٌat the six-incisor stage علَتْهاhas come upon her كَبْرَةٌadvancing age أوor بُوَيْزِلٌa newly full-toothed camel
سَدِيسٌ علَتْها كَبْرَةٌ أو بُوَيْزِلٌ
جُمالِيَّةٌbuilt like a male camel فيin مَشْيِهاher gait كالتَّقاذُفِlike being tossed to and fro
جُمالِيَّةٌ في مَشْيِها كالتَّقاذُفِ
six-incisored, with age upon her, or newly full-toothed,
built like a male camel, her gait like a tossing to and fro?
Sol 6.1