زارَتvisited سُكَينَةُSukayna أَطلاحاًexhausted travelers أَناخَsettled بِهِمamong them
زارَت سُكَينَةُ أَطلاحاً أَناخَ بِهِم
شَفاعَةُintercession النَومِsleep لِلعَينَينِfor the two eyes وَالسَهَرُand sleeplessness
شَفاعَةُ النَومِ لِلعَينَينِ وَالسَهَرُ
Sukayna visited weary travelers among whom had settled
sleep’s intercession for the two eyes, and sleeplessness.
كَأَنَّماas though مُوِّتواthey were slain بِالأَمسِyesterday إِذwhen وَقَعواthey fell
كَأَنَّما مُوِّتوا بِالأَمسِ إِذ وَقَعوا
وَقَدand already بَدَتappeared جُدَدٌstreaks أَلوانُهاtheir colors شُهُرُconspicuous
وَقَد بَدَت جُدَدٌ أَلوانُها شُهُرُ
As though they had been slain yesterday when they fell,
and streaks had appeared, their colors vivid.
وَقَدand sometimes يَهيجُstirs عَلىalongside الشَوقِthe longing الَّذيwhich بَعَثَتshe awakened
وَقَد يَهيجُ عَلى الشَوقِ الَّذي بَعَثَت
أَقرانُهُits companions لائِحاتُflashes البَرقِlightning وَالذَكَرُand remembrance
أَقرانُهُ لائِحاتُ البَرقِ وَالذَكَرُ
And alongside the longing she awakened may stir
its companions: flashes of lightning and remembrance.
وَساقَناand drove us مِنfrom قَساًQasa يُزجيurges onward رَكائِبَناour mounts
وَساقَنا مِن قَساً يُزجي رَكائِبَنا
إِلَيكَto you مُنتَجَعُpursuit of fulfillment الحاجاتِneeds وَالقَدَرُand fate
إِلَيكَ مُنتَجَعُ الحاجاتِ وَالقَدَرُ
And from Qasa, urging our mounts onward, we were driven
to you by the pursuit of our needs and by fate,
وَجائِحاتٌand ravaging calamities ثَلاثاًthree ماnot تَرَكنَthey left لَناfor us
وَجائِحاتٌ ثَلاثاً ما تَرَكنَ لَنا
مالاًwealth بِهِwith it بَعدَهُنَّafter them الغَيثُrain يُنتَظَرُis awaited
مالاً بِهِ بَعدَهُنَّ الغَيثُ يُنتَظَرُ
and by three ravaging calamities that left us
no wealth with which to await the rain after them.
ثِنتانِtwo لَمnot تَترُكاthey both left لَحماًflesh وَحاطِمَةٌand a crushing calamity
ثِنتانِ لَم تَترُكا لَحماً وَحاطِمَةٌ
بِالعَظمِupon the bone حَمراءُred حَتّىuntil اِجتيحَتِwere swept away الغُرَرُthe choicest stock
بِالعَظمِ حَمراءُ حَتّى اِجتيحَتِ الغُرَرُ
Two left no flesh; another crushed
the bones—a red calamity—until the choicest stock were swept away.
فَقُلتُso I said كَيفَhow بِأَهليwith my family حينَwhen عَضَّbit بِهِمinto them
فَقُلتُ كَيفَ بِأَهلي حينَ عَضَّ بِهِم
عامٌa year لَهُfor it كُلُّevery مالٍlivestock مُعنِقٌhastening جَزَرُslaughter-stock
عامٌ لَهُ كُلُّ مالٍ مُعنِقٌ جَزَرُ
So I said: What of my family, when they were bitten
by a year for which every hastening herd was slaughter-stock?
عامٌa year أَتىcame قَبلَهُbefore it عامانِtwo years ماnot تَرَكاthey both left
عامٌ أَتى قَبلَهُ عامانِ ما تَرَكا
مالاًwealth وَلاand not بَلَّmoistened عوداًa twig فيهِماin both of them مَطَرُrain
مالاً وَلا بَلَّ عوداً فيهِما مَطَرُ
A year before which came two years that left
no wealth, nor did rain wet a twig in either.
تَقولُshe says لَمّاwhen رَأَتنيshe saw me وَهيَand she طَيِّبَةٌsweet
تَقولُ لَمّا رَأَتني وَهيَ طَيِّبَةٌ
عَلىupon الفِراشِthe bed وَمِنهاand from her الدَلُّcoy charm وَالخَفَرُand modesty
عَلى الفِراشِ وَمِنها الدَلُّ وَالخَفَرُ
She said when she saw me—sweet as she lay
upon the bed, with coy charm and modesty—
كَأَنَّنيas though I طالِبٌpursuing قَوماًa people بِجائِحَةٍover a calamity
كَأَنَّني طالِبٌ قَوماً بِجائِحَةٍ
كَضَربَةِlike a blow الفَتكِtreacherous killing لاnot تُبقيspares وَلاand not تَذَرُleaves
كَضَربَةِ الفَتكِ لا تُبقي وَلا تَذَرُ
as though I were pursuing a people over a calamity
like a treacherous killing-blow that spares nothing and leaves nothing:
أَصدِرsend away هُمومَكَyour worries لاdo not يَقتُلكَkill you وارِدُهاtheir arriving one
أَصدِر هُمومَكَ لا يَقتُلكَ وارِدُها
فَكُلُّfor every وارِدَةٍarriving thing يَوماًone day لَهاfor it صَدَرُdeparture
فَكُلُّ وارِدَةٍ يَوماً لَها صَدَرُ
“Dismiss your worries; let none that arrives kill you;
for all that arrives will one day depart.”
لَمّاwhen تَفَرَّقَscattered بيthrough me هَمّيmy anxiety جَمَعتُI mustered لَهُfor it
لَمّا تَفَرَّقَ بي هَمّي جَمَعتُ لَهُ
صَريمَةًfirm resolve لَمnot يَكُنwas فيin عَزمِهاits determination خَوَرُweakness
صَريمَةً لَم يَكُن في عَزمِها خَوَرُ
When my anxiety scattered me, I mustered to meet it
a firm resolve, with no weakness in its determination.
فَقُلتُso I said ماnot هُوَit إِلّاexcept الشَأمُal-Sham تَركَبُهُyou ride to it
فَقُلتُ ما هُوَ إِلّا الشَأمُ تَركَبُهُ
كَأَنَّماas though المَوتُdeath فيin أَجنادِهِits military districts البَغَرُunquenchable thirst
كَأَنَّما المَوتُ في أَجنادِهِ البَغَرُ
So I said: There is only al-Sham for you to ride to,
as though death in its military districts were unquenchable thirst,
أَوor أَنto تَزورَyou visit تَميماًTamim فيin مَنازِلِهاits dwellings
أَو أَن تَزورَ تَميماً في مَنازِلِها
بِمَروَat Merv وَهيَand it مَخوفٌfeared دونَهاbefore reaching it الغَرَرُperil
بِمَروَ وَهيَ مَخوفٌ دونَها الغَرَرُ
or for you to visit Tamim in its dwellings
at Merv, though peril is feared on the way to it.
Sol 6.1