أَمِنIs it because of طَلَلٍa ruin قَفرٍdesolate وَمِنand because of مَنزِلٍa dwelling عافِfaded
أَمِن طَلَلٍ قَفرٍ وَمِن مَنزِلٍ عافِ
عَفَتهُeffaced it رِياحٌwinds مِنfrom مَشاتٍwinters وَأَصيافِand summers
عَفَتهُ رِياحٌ مِن مَشاتٍ وَأَصيافِ
Is it for a desolate ruin and a faded dwelling,
effaced by the winds of winter and summer,
وَمَبرَكِand a kneeling-ground أَذوادٍsmall camel herds وَمَربَطِand a tethering-place عانَةٍa herd
وَمَبرَكِ أَذوادٍ وَمَربَطِ عانَةٍ
مِنَof الخَيلِthe horses يَحرُثنَthey plough الدِيارَthe dwellings بِتَطوافِby circling about
مِنَ الخَيلِ يَحرُثنَ الدِيارَ بِتَطوافِ
and a kneeling-ground for camel herds and a tethering-place for a herd
of horses that churn up the dwellings with their circling,
وَمَجمَعِand a gathering-place أَحطابٍfirewood وَمَلقىand a dumping-place أَياصِرٍshort tether-ropes
وَمَجمَعِ أَحطابٍ وَمَلقى أَياصِرٍ
إِذاwhenever هَزهَزَتهُshook it الريحُthe wind قامَrose لَهُfrom it نافِdrifting dust
إِذا هَزهَزَتهُ الريحُ قامَ لَهُ نافِ
and a heap of firewood and a place of discarded short ropes,
where, whenever the wind shakes it, drifting dust rises—
بَكَيتَyou wept وَأَنتَand you اليَومَtoday شَيخٌan old man مُجَرِّبٌseasoned
بَكَيتَ وَأَنتَ اليَومَ شَيخٌ مُجَرِّبٌ
عَلىon رَأسِهِhis head شَرخانِtwo bands مِنof لَونِcolor أَصنافِvaried kinds
عَلى رَأسِهِ شَرخانِ مِن لَونِ أَصنافِ
that you wept, though today you are an old, seasoned man?
On his head are two bands of differing hues:
سَوادٌblackness وَشَيبٌand gray hair كُلُّall ذَلِكَthat شامِلٌpervading
سَوادٌ وَشَيبٌ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ شامِلٌ
إِذاif ماemphatic particle صَباyielded to youthful passion شَيخٌan old man فَلَيسَthen there is no لَهُfor him شافِhealer
إِذا ما صَبا شَيخٌ فَلَيسَ لَهُ شافِ
blackness and gray, both spreading throughout.
If an old man yields to youthful passion, he has no healer.
وَحَيٍّand a tribe مِنَof الأَحياءِthe tribes عَودٍlong-established عَرَمرَمٍvast and numerous
وَحَيٍّ مِنَ الأَحياءِ عَودٍ عَرَمرَمٍ
مُدِلٍّself-assured فَلاso not يَخشَونَthey fear مِنfrom غَيبِthe unseen أَخيافِbands of mixed descent
مُدِلٍّ فَلا يَخشَونَ مِن غَيبِ أَخيافِ
And a tribe among the tribes, long-established and vast,
self-assured, fearing no unseen bands of mixed descent—
سَمَوناwe advanced لَهُمagainst them مِنfrom أَرضِناour land وَسَمائِناand our sky
سَمَونا لَهُم مِن أَرضِنا وَسَمائِنا
نُغاوِرُهُمwe raid them مِنfrom بَعدِbeyond أَرضٍland بِإيجافِat a swift pace
نُغاوِرُهُم مِن بَعدِ أَرضٍ بِإيجافِ
we advanced against them from our land and our sky,
raiding them across distant country at a swift pace,
عَلىon كُلِّevery مَعرونٍnose-pegged camel وَذاتِand a female bearing خِزامَةٍa nose-ring
عَلى كُلِّ مَعرونٍ وَذاتِ خِزامَةٍ
مَصاعيبَunruly camels لَمnot يُذلَلنَthey were tamed قَبليbefore me بِتَوقافِby repeated halting
مَصاعيبَ لَم يُذلَلنَ قَبلي بِتَوقافِ
on every nose-pegged camel and every she-camel with a nose-ring,
unruly mounts, not tamed before me by repeated halting.
أُولَئِكَthose قَوميmy people آلُthe clan of سَعدِSa'd بنِson of مالِكٍMalik
أُولَئِكَ قَومي آلُ سَعدِ بنِ مالِكٍ
فَمالواthen they turned عَلىwith ضَغنٍrancor عَلَيَّagainst me وَإِلغافِand persistent hostility
فَمالوا عَلى ضَغنٍ عَلَيَّ وَإِلغافِ
Those are my people, the clan of Sa'd ibn Malik.
Then they turned against me with rancor and persistent hostility.
أَكَنَّواthey concealed خُطوباًgrave troubles قَدalready بَدَتappeared صَفَحاتُهاtheir faces
أَكَنَّوا خُطوباً قَد بَدَت صَفَحاتُها
وَأَفئِدَةًand hearts لَيسَتare not عَلَيَّtoward me بِأَرآفِat all compassionate
وَأَفئِدَةً لَيسَت عَلَيَّ بِأَرآفِ
They concealed troubles whose faces had already appeared,
and hearts with no compassion for me.
وَكُلُّand every أُناسٍpeople أَقرَبُcloser اليَومَtoday مِنُهمُthan they
وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ أَقرَبُ اليَومَ مِنُهمُ
إِلَيَّto me وَإِنeven if كانواthey were عُمانَOman أُوليpossessors of اِلغافِthe ghaf trees
إِلَيَّ وَإِن كانوا عُمانَ أُولي اِلغافِ
And any people today are closer than they
to me, even if they are the people of Oman, possessors of ghaf trees.
Sol 6.1