لَحَبَّindeed dear إِلَيَّto me بِالدَهناءِin al-Dahna مَلقىًa resting place
لَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ بِالدَهناءِ مَلقىً
لِأَيديfor the forelegs of العيسِthe pale camels واضِعَةَsetting down الرِحالِthe saddles
لِأَيدي العيسِ واضِعَةَ الرِحالِ
How dear to me is a resting place in al-Dahna,
In the valley of Dahna, a home greeted me
For the forelegs of pale camels setting down their saddles:
Where pilgrims’ hands had laid down their burdens
مُناخُa campsite for مُطَلَّحينَtravel-worn men تَقاذَفَتهُمtossed them about
مُناخُ مُطَلَّحينَ تَقاذَفَتهُم
غَريبُstrange الحاجِneeds وَالهِمَمِand ambitions العَواليlofty
غَريبُ الحاجِ وَالهِمَمِ العَوالي
A campsite for worn-out travelers, tossed about
A stopping place for the bedraggled, tossed about
By strange needs and lofty ambitions.
The stranger, the high-minded with lofty goals
أَراحواthey rested فَوقَabove أَعضادِthe upper forelegs of المَطاياthe mounts
أَراحوا فَوقَ أَعضادِ المَطايا
قَدِalready اِفتَرَشواthey spread as bedding زَرابِيَّthe carpets of الرِمالِthe sands
قَدِ اِفتَرَشوا زَرابِيَّ الرِمالِ
They rested upon their mounts' upper forelegs,
They rested atop the humps of their camels
Having spread the sand's carpets beneath them.
Having spread out on the dunes’ carpets
فَبَينَso, between مُمَضمَصٍone lightly touched بِالنَومِby sleep ذَوقاًa taste
فَبَينَ مُمَضمَصٍ بِالنَومِ ذَوقاً
وَبَينَand between مُقَيَّدٍone bound بِعُرىby the bonds of الكَلالِweariness
وَبَينَ مُقَيَّدٍ بِعُرى الكَلالِ
Some barely touched by a taste of sleep,
Some sunk in slumber, relishing its taste
And others bound by the bonds of weariness,
Others bound by the fetters of drowsiness
إِلىuntil أَنthat رَوَّعَstartled الظَلماءَthe darkness فَتقٌa rift
إِلى أَن رَوَّعَ الظَلماءَ فَتقٌ
أَغَرُّbright كَجَلحَةِlike the bald brow of الرَجُلِthe man البَجالِvenerable
أَغَرُّ كَجَلحَةِ الرَجُلِ البَجالِ
Until a rift startled the darkness,
Until the darkness was ripped by a shriek
Bright as the bald brow of a venerable man.
Shrill as a courageous man’s battle cry
فَقامواthen they rose يَرتَقونَclimbing عَلىupon ذُراهاtheir summits
فَقاموا يَرتَقونَ عَلى ذُراها
سَلاليمَladders of المَعالِقِhanging straps وَالجِبالِand mountains
سَلاليمَ المَعالِقِ وَالجِبالِ
Then they rose, climbing up to their summits,
Then they climbed, scaling the precipices
By ladders of hanging straps and mountains.
On the rungs of the cliffs and mountains
وَأَرَّقَنيand kept me awake دُعاءُthe calling of الوُرقِthe gray doves فيهاin it
وَأَرَّقَني دُعاءُ الوُرقِ فيها
عَلىupon جُرحٍa wound قَريبِnear الاِندِمالِhealing
عَلى جُرحٍ قَريبِ الاِندِمالِ
And there the gray doves' calling kept me awake,
And the leaves’ prayer stirred me
Stirring a wound close to healing.
Reopening a wound not yet healed
تُذَكِّرُنيthey remind me بِسالِفَةِof bygone اللَياليthe nights
تُذَكِّرُني بِسالِفَةِ اللَيالي
وَسالِفَةِand the neck of الغَزالَةِthe gazelle-doe وَالغَزالِand the gazelle-buck
وَسالِفَةِ الغَزالَةِ وَالغَزالِ
They remind me of bygone nights,
Reminding me of bygone nights
And the neck of the gazelle-doe and gazelle-buck.
Of the gazelle and her fawn
وَأَيّامُand the days of الشَبابِyouth مُساعِفاتٌfavorable
وَأَيّامُ الشَبابِ مُساعِفاتٌ
جُمِعنَwere gathered لَناfor us وَأَيّامَand the days of الوِصالِunion
جُمِعنَ لَنا وَأَيّامَ الوِصالِ
And the days of youth were kind,
Days of youth are accumulated
Gathered for us with the days of union.
Gathered for us like days of union
كَأَنفاسِlike the breaths of الشَمولِwine كَرَعتُI drank deeply فيهاin them
كَأَنفاسِ الشَمولِ كَرَعتُ فيها
عَلىin ظَمَإٍthirst وَأَنفاسِand the breaths of الشَمالِthe north wind
عَلى ظَمَإٍ وَأَنفاسِ الشَمالِ
Like breaths of wine, I drank deep of them,
I drank them in like breaths of air
In thirst—and like breaths of the north wind.
Thirstily, inhaling the north wind
أَقولُI say لَهاto her وَقَدand already رَنَّتshe cooed مِراحاًjoyfully
أَقولُ لَها وَقَد رَنَّت مِراحاً
لَبالُكَindeed your mood ياO حَمامَةُdove غَيرُother than باليmy mood
لَبالُكَ يا حَمامَةُ غَيرُ بالي
I say to her, as she coos with joy:
I say to her, as she rings plaintively
Your mood, O dove, is surely not my own.
Your mind is not on me, dove
تَباعَدَgrew far apart بَينَناbetween us مَنone who قيلَwas called شاكٍa sufferer
تَباعَدَ بَينَنا مَن قيلَ شاكٍ
تَعَلَّقَbecame entangled بِالغَرامِin passionate love وَقيلَand was called ساليfree of love's cares
تَعَلَّقَ بِالغَرامِ وَقيلَ سالي
We have grown far apart: one called a sufferer,
He who was deemed fickle came between us
Entangled in passion, and one called free of care.
Said to be enamored, said to have strayed
تَريعُshe returns إِلىto دَرادِقَlittle chicks عاطِلاتٍunadorned
تَريعُ إِلى دَرادِقَ عاطِلاتٍ
وَهُنَّand they بُعَيدَshortly after آوِنَةٍa while حَواليyearlings
وَهُنَّ بُعَيدَ آوِنَةٍ حَوالي
She returns to little unadorned nestlings,
You wander to deserted encampments
And after a short while they are yearlings.
Far in the distance all around
لَهاfor them صِنعٌa skilled craftsman يَطولُbestows bounty عَلىupon طُلاهاtheir necks
لَها صِنعٌ يَطولُ عَلى طُلاها
قَلائِدُnecklaces لاnot تُفَصَّلُare interspersed بِاللَآليwith pearls
قَلائِدُ لا تُفَصَّلُ بِاللَآلي
For them, a craftsman bestows upon their necks
Adorning you, their handsiwork lasts long
Necklaces not interspersed with pearls.
Necklaces never to be unstrung
عَوارٍbare ones لاnot تَزالُcease to be الدَهرَall the while حَتّىuntil
عَوارٍ لا تَزالُ الدَهرَ حَتّى
تُجَلِّلَهاshe clothes them بِرَيطٍin fine robes غَيرِnot باليworn-out
تُجَلِّلَها بِرَيطٍ غَيرِ بالي
Bare, they remain so all the while, until
Blind, never changing, until the end of time
She clothes them in fine robes that never wear.
When death crowns you differently
وَكُلِّand each أُزَيرَقٍlittle blue one قَصُرَتbecame short خُطاهُhis steps
وَكُلِّ أُزَيرَقٍ قَصُرَت خُطاهُ
كَشَيخِlike the elder of الحَيِّthe clan طَأطَأَbowed his head لِلعَواليbefore the tall spears
كَشَيخِ الحَيِّ طَأطَأَ لِلعَوالي
And to each little blue one whose steps are short,
And the plumage of every Uzayrq has shortened his stride
Like the clan's elder, bowed before the tall spears.
Like an elder of the tribe bowing to fate
مِراحُكَyour merriment قَبلَbefore طارِقَةِthe night visitor of المَناياdeaths
مِراحُكَ قَبلَ طارِقَةِ المَنايا
وَقَبلَand before مَرَدِّthe return of عادِيَةِthe onslaught of اللَياليthe nights
وَقَبلَ مَرَدِّ عادِيَةِ اللَيالي
Your merriment comes before death's night visitation,
Your ringing comes before the advent of death
And before the return of the nights' onslaught.
And before the procession of passing nights
Sol 6.1