لَأَدنُوَI shall surely draw near مِنto أَرضٍa land لِأَرضِكِfor your land’s sake إِنif دَنَتlies near
لَأَدنُوَ مِن أَرضٍ لِأَرضِكِ إِن دَنَت
بِهاto it بيدُهاits deserts مُوصولَةٌjoined وَإِكامُهاand its hills
بِها بيدُها مُوصولَةٌ وَإِكامُها
I shall draw near a land for your land’s sake, if it lies near,
I'll approach a land for your land, if hers
its deserts and hills joined to yours.
Comes near with her palms joined and coverings complete
أَفاطِمَO Fatima ماnot مِنany عاشِقٍlover هُوَhe مَيِّتٌdead
أَفاطِمَ ما مِن عاشِقٍ هُوَ مَيِّتٌ
مِنَamong الناسِpeople إِنif لَمdoes not يُردِslay نَفسيmy soul حُسامُهاher sharp sword
مِنَ الناسِ إِن لَم يُردِ نَفسي حُسامُها
O Fatima, no lover dies
O Fatima, no lover who's alive
among mankind, if her sword does not slay my soul.
Among people, if my soul its swords don't defeat
وَلَجتِyou entered بِعَينَيكِwith your two eyes الصَيودَينِthe two hunting ones مَولِجاًan entryway
وَلَجتِ بِعَينَيكِ الصَيودَينِ مَولِجاً
مِنَinto النَفسِthe soul إِنif لَمdoes not يوقِprotect نَفسيmy soul حِمامُهاits destined death
مِنَ النَفسِ إِن لَم يوقِ نَفسي حِمامُها
With your two hunting eyes, you entered a passage
And it settled, with your two flowing eyes
into the soul, unless its doom protects my soul.
In a soul-unsettling way, if my soul its doves don't deplete
لَقَدindeed دَلَّهَتنيshe has bewildered me عَنfrom صَلاتيmy prayer وَإِنَّهُand indeed he
لَقَد دَلَّهَتني عَن صَلاتي وَإِنَّهُ
لَيَدعوsurely calls إِلىto الخَيرِgood الكَثيرِabundant إِمامُهاits prayer leader
لَيَدعو إِلى الخَيرِ الكَثيرِ إِمامُها
She has indeed bewildered me, distracting me from my prayer, though
You've led me astray from my prayers, though he
its imam surely calls to abundant good.
Calls to much good - its leader, so discreet
أَيَحياcan he live? مَريضٌa sick man بَعدَماafter مُيِّتَتhas been killed لَهُfor him
أَيَحيا مَريضٌ بَعدَما مُيِّتَت لَهُ
سَوادُthe dark substance الَّتيthat which تَحتَbeneath الفُؤادِthe heart قِيامُهاits position
سَوادُ الَّتي تَحتَ الفُؤادِ قِيامُها
Can an ailing man live after it has been killed within him—
Can one who's sick live, after she who's beneath
the dark organ whose place is beneath the heart?
The heart has been killed by her - her standing's concrete?
أَيُقتَلُis one to be killed? مَخضوبُdyed البَنانِthe fingertips مُبَرقَعٌveiled
أَيُقتَلُ مَخضوبُ البَنانِ مُبَرقَعٌ
بِمَيتٍfor a dead man خُفاتاًsilently لَمdid not تُصِبهُstrike him كِلامُهاher wounds
بِمَيتٍ خُفاتاً لَم تُصِبهُ كِلامُها
Is a veiled woman with dyed fingertips to be slain
Can one slain by an unbloodied mute
for a man who died silently, whom her wounds never struck?
Whose cheeks are still rosy, by her words, complete?
فَهَلso, are أَنتِyou إِلّاanything but نَخلَةٌa palm tree غَيرَexcept أَنَّنيthat I
فَهَل أَنتِ إِلّا نَخلَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّني
أَراهاI see it لِغَيريfor someone else ظِلُّهاits shade وَصِرامُهاand its harvest
أَراها لِغَيري ظِلُّها وَصِرامُها
Are you, then, anything but a palm tree, save that I
You're but a date palm - though I see
see its shade and harvest belonging to another?
For others its shade and fruits replete
وَماand not زادَنيgave me more نَأيٌdistance سُلُوّاًsolace وَلاnor قِرىًvillages
وَما زادَني نَأيٌ سُلُوّاً وَلا قِرىً
مِنَof الشامِSyria قَدindeed كادَتalmost يَبورُperish أَنامُهاtheir inhabitants
مِنَ الشامِ قَد كادَت يَبورُ أَنامُها
Distance has brought me no greater solace, nor have villages
No distance made me, or lands, more calm
of Syria whose inhabitants have almost perished.
From Syria - its people almost gone, complete
إِذاwhen حُرِّقَتare scorched مِنهُمamong them قُلوبٌhearts وَنُفِّذَتand are pierced through
إِذا حُرِّقَت مِنهُم قُلوبٌ وَنُفِّذَت
مِنَof القَومِthe people أَكبادٌlivers أُصيبَis struck اِنتِظامُهاtheir cohesion
مِنَ القَومِ أَكبادٌ أُصيبَ اِنتِظامُها
When hearts among them are scorched, and pierced through
When from them hearts are burnt, livers done
are the people’s livers, their unity is wounded,
Of the tribe - their order is then effete
كَماjust as نُحِرَتwere slaughtered يَومُon the day of الأَضاحيthe sacrifices بِبَلدَةٍin a town
كَما نُحِرَت يَومُ الأَضاحي بِبَلدَةٍ
مِنَamong الهَديِthe sacrificial beasts خَرَّتfell لِلجَنوبِonto their sides قِيامُهاthose standing among them
مِنَ الهَديِ خَرَّت لِلجَنوبِ قِيامُها
just as, slaughtered in a town on the day of sacrifice,
As sacrifices were slaughtered in town
the standing sacrificial beasts fell upon their sides.
Fell south their standings - their place concrete
أَلاah لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether تَغَيَّرَhas changed بَعدَناsince our departure
أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَغَيَّرَ بَعدَنا
أُدَيعاصُlittle sand mounds أَنقاءِsand dunes الحِمىal-Hima, the protected pasture وَسَنامُهاand their hump
أُدَيعاصُ أَنقاءِ الحِمى وَسَنامُها
Ah, would that I knew: have they changed since we left—
I wonder, has Audayeas now changed
the little mounds of al-Hima’s dunes and their humped crest?
Of heated sands - their peaks and cairns effete?
كَأَنas though لَمhad not تُرَفِّعraised aloft بِالأُكَيمَةِon the little hill خَيمَةًa tent
كَأَن لَم تُرَفِّع بِالأُكَيمَةِ خَيمَةً
عَلَيهاover her نَهاراًby day بِالقُنِيِّwith spear-shafts ثُمامُهاits desert grass
عَلَيها نَهاراً بِالقُنِيِّ ثُمامُها
As though no tent had been raised upon the little hill,
As if no tent with pegs was raised
its grass thatching held over her by day on spear-shafts.
Over it by day with poles complete
أَقامَتshe stayed بِهاin it شَهرَينِtwo months حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen جَرىflowed
أَقامَت بِها شَهرَينِ حَتّى إِذا جَرى
عَلَيهِنَّover them مِنfrom سافيthe sweeping of الرِياحِthe winds هَيامُهاtheir loose sand
عَلَيهِنَّ مِن سافي الرِياحِ هَيامُها
She stayed there two months, until, when there swept
Two months it stayed, till when the winds
over them the loose sand blown by the winds,
Of saviors blew over it - their gusts replete
أَتاهُنَّcame to them طَرّادونَdrivers كُلَّevery طُوالَةٍtall she-camel
أَتاهُنَّ طَرّادونَ كُلَّ طُوالَةٍ
عَلَيهاupon it مِنَfrom النَيِّfatness المُذابُmelted لِحامُهاits flesh
عَلَيها مِنَ النَيِّ المُذابُ لِحامُها
drivers came to them, urging on every tall she-camel,
Hunters came, over it fully
its flesh upon it melting with fat.
Melted butter dripped - its flames concrete
عَلَيهِنَّupon them راحولاتُsaddlecloths كُلِّevery قَطيفَةٍplush fabric
عَلَيهِنَّ راحولاتُ كُلِّ قَطيفَةٍ
مِنَof الخَزِّsilk-and-wool cloth أَوor مِنfrom قَيصَرانِQaysaran عِلامُهاits patterned stripes
مِنَ الخَزِّ أَو مِن قَيصَرانِ عِلامُها
Upon them are saddlecloths of every plush fabric,
Over it litters of every striped cloak
of silk-and-wool, or with striped borders from Qaysaran.
Whose badges were Caesar's - effete
إِلَيكَtoward you أَقَمناwe directed الحامِلاتِthe beasts carrying رِحالَناour saddles
إِلَيكَ أَقَمنا الحامِلاتِ رِحالَنا
وَمُضمَرَand unspoken حاجاتٍneeds إِلَيكَto you اِنصِرامُهاtheir fulfillment
وَمُضمَرَ حاجاتٍ إِلَيكَ اِنصِرامُها
Toward you we directed the beasts bearing our saddles
To you we've moved our she-camels' supplies
and unspoken needs whose fulfillment rests with you.
And needs concealed, to you - their course concrete
Sol 6.1