أَلاlo حَيِّياgreet, you two الدارَthe dwelling المُحيلَweathered رُسومُهاits traces
أَلا حَيِّيا الدارَ المُحيلَ رُسومُها
تَهيجُit stirs عَلَيناin us ماwhat يَهيجُstirs قَديمُهاits old remains
تَهيجُ عَلَينا ما يَهيجُ قَديمُها
Come, you two—salute the dwelling whose traces are effaced.
Come, you two, greet the dwelling whose traces have faded.
It stirs us—its ancient memory stirs us.
It stirs in us what its ancient traces stir.
سَقىmay rain water تِلكَthat مِنof دارٍa dwelling وَمَنand whoever حَلَّsettled رَبعَهاits precincts
سَقى تِلكَ مِن دارٍ وَمَن حَلَّ رَبعَها
ذِهابُlight showers الغَواديthe morning clouds وَبلُهاtheir downpours وَمُديمُهاand their steady rain
ذِهابُ الغَوادي وَبلُها وَمُديمُها
May that dwelling, and whoever inhabits its precinct, be watered
May that dwelling, and whoever settled in its precincts, be watered
by the passing morning clouds—their downpour and their steady rain.
By the morning clouds' light showers, their downpours and steady rain.
ظَلَلتُI kept أَوُدُّI restrain العَينَthe eye عَنfrom عَبَراتِهاits tears
ظَلَلتُ أَوُدُّ العَينَ عَن عَبَراتِها
إِذاwhenever نَزَفَتit ran dry كانَتwas سَريعاًswift جُمومُهاits replenishment
إِذا نَزَفَت كانَت سَريعاً جُمومُها
All day I struggled to turn my eyes away from their tears;
All day I kept restraining my eye from its tears;
whenever they ran dry, their welling swiftly returned.
Whenever it ran dry, it swiftly brimmed again.
كَأَنّيas though I أُقاسيI struggle مِنfrom سَوابِقِrushing outpourings عَبرَةٍa tear
كَأَنّي أُقاسي مِن سَوابِقِ عَبرَةٍ
وَمِنand from لَيلَةٍa night قَدalready ضافَvisited صَدريmy breast هُمومُهاits cares
وَمِن لَيلَةٍ قَد ضافَ صَدري هُمومُها
It was as though I suffered the first onrush of a tear,
As though I wrestled with tears rushing forth,
and a night whose cares pressed tightly upon my breast.
And with a night whose cares had lodged within my breast.
تُرَدُّis brought back بِأَثناءٍin folds كَأَنَّas though نُجومَهاits stars
تُرَدُّ بِأَثناءٍ كَأَنَّ نُجومَها
حَيارىbewildered إِذاwhenever ماemphasis قُلتُI said غابَhad set نُجومُهاits stars
حَيارى إِذا ما قُلتُ غابَ نُجومُها
They returned at intervals, while the night's stars seemed
It returns, fold upon fold, as though its stars
bewildered whenever I said, “Its stars have vanished.”
Were bewildered whenever I said, 'Its stars have set.'
فَبِتُّso I spent the night أَضُمُّI draw together الرُكبَتَينِboth knees إِلىto الحَشاthe belly
فَبِتُّ أَضُمُّ الرُكبَتَينِ إِلى الحَشا
كَأَنّيas though I راقيa charmer حَيَّةٍa snake أَوor سَليمُهاone bitten by it
كَأَنّي راقي حَيَّةٍ أَو سَليمُها
So I spent the night clasping my knees against my breast,
So I spent the night drawing both knees to my belly,
as though charming a snake—or lying stricken by its bite.
As though I were a snake-charmer or one bitten by it.
سَيَكفيكَwill spare you أَمرَthe burden الهَمِّof sorrow عَزمُكَyour resolve صَرمَهُto sever it
سَيَكفيكَ أَمرَ الهَمِّ عَزمُكَ صَرمَهُ
وَيَكفيكَand will spare you مَخلوجَthe uncertainties الأُمورِof affairs صَريمُهاtheir decisive resolution
وَيَكفيكَ مَخلوجَ الأُمورِ صَريمُها
Your resolve to cut anxiety off will suffice against its power;
Your resolve to cut sorrow off will spare you its burden,
for affairs pulled awry, a decisive will shall suffice.
And decisive resolution will spare you the uncertainties of affairs.
وَيَعمَلَةٍand a tireless she-camel أَرميI drive بِهاwith her البيدَthe desert wastes فيduring السُرىnight travel
وَيَعمَلَةٍ أَرمي بِها البيدَ في السُرى
يُقَطَّعُcuts through أَجوازَthe inner stretches الفَلاةِthe wilderness رَسيمُهاher swift trot
يُقَطَّعُ أَجوازَ الفَلاةِ رَسيمُها
And with a hardy she-camel I cast myself across the wastes by night;
And many a tireless she-camel I drive across the wastes by night,
her swift pace cuts through the desert's broad expanses.
Her swift trot cleaving the wilderness's inner stretches.
رَجومٍground-pounding بِأَثقالٍunder loads شِدادٍheavy رَجيلَةٍstrong-footed
رَجومٍ بِأَثقالٍ شِدادٍ رَجيلَةٍ
إِذاwhen الآلُthe mirage فيin التِّيهِthe trackless waste اِستَقَلَّتrose aloft حُزومُهاits stony ridges
إِذا الآلُ في التِّيهِ اِستَقَلَّت حُزومُها
A tireless walker, assailed by heavy, crushing loads,
Pounding the ground under heavy loads, strong of foot,
when the mirage over the wilderness lifts its ridges into view.
When the waste's stony ridges loom in the mirage.
كَأَنّيas though I وَأَقتاديand my saddle gear عَلىon حَمشَةِslender الشَوىin the extremities
كَأَنّي وَأَقتادي عَلى حَمشَةِ الشَوى
يَجورُturns aside صَراريٌّa sailor بِهاwith her وَيُقيمُهاand sets her straight
يَجورُ صَراريٌّ بِها وَيُقيمُها
As though I, guiding her upon her lean-shanked legs,
As though my saddle gear and I were aboard a slender-framed vessel,
were a shipmaster who lets his craft veer, then rights it.
A sailor veering her aside, then steering her straight.
أُمَضّيI press through بِهاwith her الأَهوالَthe terrors فيin كُلِّevery قَفرَةٍbarren waste
أُمَضّي بِها الأَهوالَ في كُلِّ قَفرَةٍ
يُناديcalls to صَداهاits male owls آخِرَat the end of اللَيلِthe night بومُهاits owls
يُنادي صَداها آخِرَ اللَيلِ بومُها
With her I traverse terrors in every barren waste;
On her I press through terrors in every barren waste,
at night's end, its owls call back her echo.
Where its owls call to their males at night's end.
أَنُصُّI press onward السُرىthe night journey فِيهاthrough it بِكُلِّin every هَجيرَةٍmidday heat
أَنُصُّ السُرى فِيها بِكُلِّ هَجيرَةٍ
تُغَيِّرُchanges أَلوانَthe complexions الرِجالِof men سَمومُهاits scorching wind
تُغَيِّرُ أَلوانَ الرِجالِ سَمومُها
I press the night journey on through every blazing noontide
I press my night's journey onward through it in every midday blaze,
whose simoom alters the very colors of men.
Whose scorching wind changes men's complexions.
أَرىI see بِدَعاًnovelties مُستَحدَثاتٍnewly arisen تُريبُنيthat unsettle me
أَرى بِدَعاً مُستَحدَثاتٍ تُريبُني
يَجوزُpasses بِهاthrough them مُستَضعَفٌone deemed weak وَحَليمُهاand their wise man
يَجوزُ بِها مُستَضعَفٌ وَحَليمُها
I see strange new practices that make me wary;
I see strange new happenings that unsettle me,
through them pass both the weak and the forbearing.
Through which the powerless and the wise alike pass.
فَإِنso if تَكُthere be أَموالٌpossessions أُصيبَتhave been seized وَحُوِّلَتand were moved
فَإِن تَكُ أَموالٌ أُصيبَت وَحُوِّلَت
دِيارٌdwellings فَقَدthen indeed كُنّاwe were بِدارٍin a dwelling نُقيمُهاwe maintained it
دِيارٌ فَقَد كُنّا بِدارٍ نُقيمُها
If riches have been seized and carried away,
So if wealth has been seized, and there has been a shifting
and dwellings displaced—we once had a home where we lived.
Of dwellings—we once lived in a dwelling we maintained.
وَنَحميand we defend عَنِfrom الثَغرِthe frontier المَخوفِthe feared وَيُتَّقىand is warded off
وَنَحمي عَنِ الثَغرِ المَخوفِ وَيُتَّقى
بِغارَتِناby our raid كَيدُthe plotting العِدىof the foes وَضُيومُهاand their oppression
بِغارَتِنا كَيدُ العِدى وَضُيومُها
We defend the dreaded frontier, and protection is won
And we guarded the dreaded frontier, warding off
through our raids from the enemy's plots and oppressions.
By our raids the foes' plotting and their oppression.
صَبَرناwe stood firm لَهاagainst it حَتّىuntil تَفَرَّجَwas relieved بَأسُناour hardship
صَبَرنا لَها حَتّى تَفَرَّجَ بَأسُنا
وَفِئناand we returned لَناours أَسلابُهاits spoils وَعَظيمُهاand their bulk
وَفِئنا لَنا أَسلابُها وَعَظيمُها
We held firm until our force broke through,
We stood firm against it until our hardship lifted,
and returned with its plunder and greatest prizes as our own.
And we returned, its spoils and the bulk of them ours.
نَعُدُّwe count لِأَيّامِfor the days of الحِفاظِdefending honor مَكارِماًnoble achievements
نَعُدُّ لِأَيّامِ الحِفاظِ مَكارِماً
فِعالاًdeeds وَأَعراضاًand reputations صَحيحاًunblemished أَديمُهاtheir skin
فِعالاً وَأَعراضاً صَحيحاً أَديمُها
For days when honor must be defended, we count as noble
We count noble achievements for the days of defending honor:
great deeds and reputations whose skin remains unscarred.
Deeds, and reputations whose skin is unblemished.
أَبيmy father أَصلَحَreconciled الحَيَّينِthe two tribes بَكراًBakr وَتَغلِباًand Taghlib
أَبي أَصلَحَ الحَيَّينِ بَكراً وَتَغلِباً
وَقَدand already أُرعِشَتwas made to tremble بَكرٌBakr وَخَفَّand grew rash حُلومُهاits sober judgments
وَقَد أُرعِشَت بَكرٌ وَخَفَّ حُلومُها
My father reconciled the two peoples, Bakr and Taghlib,
My father reconciled the two tribes, Bakr and Taghlib,
when Bakr had been made to tremble and its judgment had grown rash.
When Bakr had been shaken and its judgment had grown rash.
وَقامَand he undertook بِصُلحٍa peace settlement بَينَbetween عَوفٍAwf وَعامِرٍand Amir
وَقامَ بِصُلحٍ بَينَ عَوفٍ وَعامِرٍ
وَخُطَّةِand a course فَصلٍof arbitration ماnot يُعابُis faulted زَعيمُهاits guarantor
وَخُطَّةِ فَصلٍ ما يُعابُ زَعيمُها
He also established peace between Awf and Amir—
And he brought about peace between Awf and Amir,
a decisive settlement whose guarantor stands beyond reproach.
And a course of arbitration whose guarantor is beyond reproach.
Sol 6.1