شَطَّتgrew distant بَجَمرَةَwith Jamra دارٌa dwelling بَعدَafter إلمامِa brief visit
شَطَّت بَجَمرَةَ دارٌ بَعدَ إلمامِ
نَأَيremoteness وَطولand length of بِعادٍseparation بَينَbetween أَقوامِpeoples
نَأَي وَطول بِعادٍ بَينَ أَقوامِ
Jamra's dwelling has grown distant after a brief visit:
A house was ruined after prosperity,
remoteness, and long separation between peoples.
Remote and long separated from kinsfolk.
حَلَّتshe settled بِتَيماءَat Tayma فيamong قَومٍa people إِذاwhen اِجتَمعواthey gathered
حَلَّت بِتَيماءَ في قَومٍ إِذا اِجتَمعوا
فيin الصُبحِthe morning نادىcalled out مُندايهِمtheir caller بِأَشآمِwith “Ash'am” (an obscure cry)
في الصُبحِ نادى مُندايهِم بِأَشآمِ
She settled at Tayma among a people who, when they gather
It lodged in Taima' among a people who,
at dawn, hear their caller cry out “Ash'am!”
When they gather in the morning, their crier calls to ruin.
وَقَدand indeed لَهَوتُI dallied بِهاwith her وَالدارُwhile the dwelling جامِعَةٌbrought us together
وَقَد لَهَوتُ بِها وَالدارُ جامِعَةٌ
بِالخَرجِat al-Kharj فَالنَهيthen al-Nahy فَالعَوراءِthen al-Awra فَالدَامِthen al-Dam
بِالخَرجِ فَالنَهي فَالعَوراءِ فَالدَامِ
And I once dallied with her, when the dwelling held us together,
And I have reveled in it while it was a rallying-place
at al-Kharj, then al-Nahy, then al-Awra, then al-Dam,
For al-Kharj, then an-Nahy, then al-'Awra' and ad-Dam.
حَتّىuntil اشتَفىhe found relief وَشفىand he satisfied مِنهاfrom her لُبانَتهُhis desire
حَتّى اشتَفى وَشفى مِنها لُبانَتهُ
وَماyet not يَزيدُhe gains further شِفاءًhealing غَيرَother than اِسقامِsickening
وَما يَزيدُ شِفاءً غَيرَ اِسقامِ
until he found relief and satisfied his desire for her;
Until my sickness for it was healed,
yet he gains no healing, only greater sickness.
And naught increases healing save sickness.
كَأَنَّas though جَمرَةَJamra أَوor عَزَّتshe proved hard to match لَهاfor her شَبهاًa likeness
كَأَنَّ جَمرَةَ أَو عَزَّت لَها شَبهاً
فيto العَينِthe eye يَومَthe day تَلاقيناwe met one another بَأَرمامِat Armam
في العَينِ يَومَ تَلاقينا بَأَرمامِ
Jamra seemed—though her like is hard to find—
As if Jamra or, mayhap, 'Azza resembled it
to the eye, the day we met at Armam,
To my eye the day we met at Arma.
مَيثاءُa soft-soiled meadow جادَlavished rain عَلَيهاupon it مُسبَلa streaming raincloud هَطلٌpouring abundantly
مَيثاءُ جادَ عَلَيها مُسبَل هَطلٌ
فَامرَعَتand it grew lush لِاِحتِيالِthrough the passing of فَرطَsuccessive أَعوامِyears
فَامرَعَت لِاِحتِيالِ فَرطَ أَعوامِ
a soft-soiled meadow drenched by a streaming, pouring raincloud,
Maytha poured on it a torrential rain,
grown lush through the passing of successive years.
So it became good for nothing through loss of years.
إِذاwhenever يَجِفُّdries ثَراهاits moist soil بَلَّهاmoisten it ديمٌsteady rains
إِذا يَجِفُّ ثَراها بَلَّها ديمٌ
مِنfrom كَوكَبٍa rain-star نَزلbountiful بِالماءِwith water سَجّامِpouring abundantly
مِن كَوكَبٍ نَزل بِالماءِ سَجّامِ
Whenever its soil dries, steady rains moisten it,
When its ground dried up, continuous rain wetted it
from a rain-star lavish with torrents of water.
From a star that descended with pouring water.
لَمnot يَرعَهاhas grazed it أَحَدٌanyone وأربَتّاand [perhaps remained untouched; unclear form] زَمَناًfor a time
لَم يَرعَها أَحَدٌ وأربَتّا زَمَناً
فَأوٌa broad hollow مِنَin الأَرضِthe land مَحفوفٌsurrounded بِأَعلامِby landmark hills
فَأوٌ مِنَ الأَرضِ مَحفوفٌ بِأَعلامِ
No one has grazed it; it has [perhaps remained untouched] for a time—
None pastured it, so it remained wild a long time,
a hollow in the land, surrounded by landmark hills.
Preceded by an owl from the earth with flags.
تَسمَعُyou hear لِلطَيرِfrom the birds فيalong حافاتِهاits edges زَجِلاًloud song
تَسمَعُ لِلطَيرِ في حافاتِها زَجِلاً
كَأَنَّas though أَصواتَهاtheir voices أَصواتُthe voices of جُرّامِdate-harvesters
كَأَنَّ أَصواتَها أَصواتُ جُرّامِ
You hear the birds singing loudly along its edges,
You hear for its birds in its environs a warbling
their voices like the voices of date-harvesters.
As if their voices were the voices of dragging chains.
كَأَنَّas though ريحَthe scent of خُزاماهاits lavender وَحَنوَتِهاand its fragrant herbs
كَأَنَّ ريحَ خُزاماها وَحَنوَتِها
بِاللَيلِby night ريحُthe scent of يَلَنجوجٍaloeswood وَأَهضامِand blended incense
بِاللَيلِ ريحُ يَلَنجوجٍ وَأَهضامِ
The scent of its lavender and fragrant herbs seems
As if the wind of its chamomile and lavender
by night the fragrance of aloeswood and blended incense.
Were by night the wind of Yalnjawj and Ahdam.
أَلَيسَis it not جَهلاًfolly بِذيin one possessing شَيبٍgray hair تَذكُرُهُhis remembering
أَلَيسَ جَهلاً بِذي شَيبٍ تَذكُرُهُ
مَلهىthe pleasures of لَيالٍnights خَلَتthat have passed مِنهُfrom him وَأَيامِand days
مَلهى لَيالٍ خَلَت مِنهُ وَأَيامِ
Is it not folly for a gray-haired man to remember
Is it not folly in a hoary old man
the pleasures of his bygone nights and days?
To recall a playground of bygone days and years,
وَمَنهَلٍand many a watering place لاnot يَنامُsleep القَومُthe men حَضَرتَهُnear it
وَمَنهَلٍ لا يَنامُ القَومُ حَضَرتَهُ
مِنَbecause of المَخافَةِfear أُجنٌstagnant ماؤُهُits water ظاميthirsty; scant of water
مِنَ المَخافَةِ أُجنٌ ماؤُهُ ظامي
And many a watering place where men cannot sleep
And a watering-place whose people did not sleep
for fear, its water stagnant and scant—
For fear its bitter water was poisoned?
قَدindeed بِتُّI spent the night أَحرُسُهُguarding it وَحديalone وَيَمنَعُنيand keeps me from sleep
قَد بِتُّ أَحرُسُهُ وَحدي وَيَمنَعُني
صَوتُthe sound of السِباعِwild beasts بِهِthere يَضبَحنَthey howl وَالهامِand owls
صَوتُ السِباعِ بِهِ يَضبَحنَ وَالهامِ
I have spent the night guarding it alone, kept from sleep
I would keep watch over it alone though the sounds
by the cries of wild beasts howling there, and of owls.
Of wild beasts in it would greet me at morn and dusk.
ماnot كانَit was إِلّاexcept إِطِّلاعيmy looking in فيduring مُدالَجَةٍa night journey
ما كانَ إِلّا إِطِّلاعي في مُدالَجَةٍ
ثُمَّthen اِنصِرافيmy returning إِلىto وَجناءَa sturdy she-camel مِجذامِswift-striding
ثُمَّ اِنصِرافي إِلى وَجناءَ مِجذامِ
I did no more than look in while journeying by night,
That was only my entering it furtively,
then return to a sturdy, swift-striding she-camel.
Then returning to the shelter of a perforated Mihjam.
أَفرَغتُI emptied فيinto حَوضِهاher trough صُفناًa skin-bucketful لِتَشرَبَهُfor her to drink it
أَفرَغتُ في حَوضِها صُفناً لِتَشرَبَهُ
فيinto داثِرa decayed trough خَلقِworn-out in الأَعضادِthe sides أَهدامِcrumbling
في داثِر خَلقِ الأَعضادِ أَهدامِ
I emptied a skin-bucketful into her trough for her to drink,
I poured in its basin a skin to drink from
into a neglected trough, its sides worn and crumbling.
In the ruins of the encampments of A'dad's descendants.
فَعافَتso she refused الماءُthe water وَاِستافَتand sniffed بِمَشفَرِهاwith her upper lip
فَعافَت الماءُ وَاِستافَت بِمَشفَرِها
ثُمَّthen اِستَمَرَّتshe went on سَواءُstraight ahead طَرفِهاher gaze سامِheld high
ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّت سَواءُ طَرفِها سامِ
So she refused the water and sniffed it with her upper lip,
But the water was foul, so it retched with its nozzle,
then went on, her gaze straight ahead and held high.
Then its spout continued pouring unchecked.
صَدَّتshe turned away كَماjust as صَدَّhe turned away عَمّاfrom what لاnot يَحِلُّis lawful لَهُfor him
صَدَّت كَما صَدَّ عَمّا لا يَحِلُّ لَهُ
ساقيa cupbearer to نَصارىChristians قَبيلِjust before الفَصحِEaster قَوامِdevout in prayer
ساقي نَصارى قَبيلِ الفَصحِ قَوامِ
She turned away as a man turns from what is forbidden him—
It acted as one acts who may not legally drink
a devout cupbearer to Christians, just before Easter.
Wine from a Nazarene's hand before Easter's end.
أَرميI urge onward بِهاwith her بَلَداًtoward a land تَرميهِshe makes for it عَنfrom بَلَدٍa land
أَرمي بِها بَلَداً تَرميهِ عَن بَلَدٍ
حَتّىuntil أُنيخَتshe was made to kneel عَلىbeside أَحواضِthe troughs of ضِرسامِDirsam
حَتّى أُنيخَت عَلى أَحواضِ ضِرسامِ
I urge her toward one land; she makes for it from another,
I cast it toward a land which casts it away from land
until she was made to kneel beside the troughs of Dirsam.
Until it was set down on the cisterns of Dirsam.
Sol 6.1