وَلَوand if كانَwas البُكاءُweeping يَرُدُّbrings back شَيئاًanything
وَلَو كانَ البُكاءُ يَرُدُّ شَيئاً
عَلىto الباكيthe weeper بَكَيتُI wept عَلىfor صُقوريmy falcons
عَلى الباكي بَكَيتُ عَلى صُقوري
Even if weeping could bring anything back,
And if weeping could bring anything back
to the mourner, I would weep for my falcons.
to the weeper, I would weep for my falcons.
إِذاwhen حَنَّتshe cried in longing نَوارُNawar تَهيجُshe stirs مِنّيfrom me
إِذا حَنَّت نَوارُ تَهيجُ مِنّي
حَرارَةَheat مِثلِlike مُلتَهِبِa blazing flame السَعيرِthe inferno
حَرارَةَ مِثلِ مُلتَهِبِ السَعيرِ
Whenever Nawār moans, there flares within me
When Nawar cries in longing, she stirs in me
a searing heat like the blaze of raging fire—
a heat like an inferno's blaze—
حَنينِyearning الوالِهَينِof the two distraught ones إِذاwhen ذَكَرناwe remembered
حَنينِ الوالِهَينِ إِذا ذَكَرنا
فُؤادَيناour two hearts اللَذَينِthe two which مَعَwith القُبورِthe graves
فُؤادَينا اللَذَينِ مَعَ القُبورِ
the yearning of two grief-distraught souls whenever we remember
the yearning of two distraught ones, when we remember
our two hearts that lie among the graves.
our two hearts, which lie among the graves.
إِذاwhen بَكَياthe two wept حُوارَهُماtheir camel calf اِستَحَثَّتstirred
إِذا بَكَيا حُوارَهُما اِستَحَثَّت
جَناجِنَbreastbones جِلَّةِlarge الأَجوافِthe bellies خورِmilk-rich she-camels
جَناجِنَ جِلَّةِ الأَجوافِ خورِ
When the two weep for their shared camel calf, their crying stirs
When the two wept for their calf, their cries stirred
the breastbones of great, hollow-bellied, feeble she-camels.
the breastbones of large-bellied, milk-rich she-camels.
بَكَينَthey wept لِشَجوِهِنَّfor their sorrow فَهِجنَand they roused بَركاًa kneeling herd
بَكَينَ لِشَجوِهِنَّ فَهِجنَ بَركاً
عَلىin جَزَعٍanguish لِفاقِدَةٍfor a bereaved female ذُكورِmale offspring
عَلى جَزَعٍ لِفاقِدَةٍ ذُكورِ
They weep in their own sorrow and grow agitated as they kneel,
They wept for their sorrow and roused a kneeling herd
in sympathy with the anguish of a mother bereft of sons.
in anguish for a mother bereft of male offspring.
كَأَنَّas though تَشَرُّبَseeping العَبَراتِthe tears مِنهاfrom her
كَأَنَّ تَشَرُّبَ العَبَراتِ مِنها
هِراقَةُpouring out شِنَّتَينِtwo worn waterskins عَلىover بَعيرِa camel
هِراقَةُ شِنَّتَينِ عَلى بَعيرِ
As though the soaking-through of her tears
As though the seeping of tears from her
were the pouring of two worn waterskins over a camel.
were the emptying of two worn waterskins over a camel.
كَلَيلِlike the night of مُهَلهَلٍMuhalhil لَيليmy night إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
كَلَيلِ مُهَلهَلٍ لَيلي إِذا ما
تَمَنّىhe wished for الطولَlength ذوthe possessor of اللَيلِthe night القَصيرِshort
تَمَنّى الطولَ ذو اللَيلِ القَصيرِ
My night is like al-Muhalhil’s night whenever
My night is like Muhalhil's night, when
the man of a short night wishes it long.
one whose night is short wishes it long.
يَمانِيَةٌYemeni كَأَنَّas though شَآمِياتٌSyrian ones
يَمانِيَةٌ كَأَنَّ شَآمِياتٌ
رَجَحنَthey weighed heavily بِجانِبَيهِon its two sides عَنِaway from الغُؤورِsetting
رَجَحنَ بِجانِبَيهِ عَنِ الغُؤورِ
A southerly one—as though northerly ones
Its stars are Yemeni, as though Syrian stars
had weighed upon its two sides, keeping it from setting.
weighed heavily on its two sides, without setting.
كَأَنَّas though اللَيلَthe night يَحسِبُهُreckons it عَلَيناagainst us
كَأَنَّ اللَيلَ يَحسِبُهُ عَلَينا
ضِرارٌmalice أَوor يَكُرُّit returns إِلىto نُذورِvows
ضِرارٌ أَو يَكُرُّ إِلى نُذورِ
As though the night were being counted against us
As though the night were being reckoned against us
by Dirār—or as though he wheeled back toward Nudhūr.
by malice—or it kept returning to vows.
كَأَنَّas though نُجومَهُits stars شولٌdry she-camels تَثَنّىbending
كَأَنَّ نُجومَهُ شولٌ تَثَنّى
لِأَدهَمَtoward a black camel فيin مَبارِكِهاtheir kneeling places عَقيرِhamstrung
لِأَدهَمَ في مَبارِكِها عَقيرِ
As though its stars were post-weaning she-camels, bending
As though its stars were dry she-camels bending
toward a black camel, hamstrung among their kneeling places.
toward a black camel, hamstrung in their kneeling places.
وَكَيفَand how بِلَيلَةٍwith a night لاno نَومَsleep فيهاin it
وَكَيفَ بِلَيلَةٍ لا نَومَ فيها
وَلاand no ضَوءٍlight لِصاحِبِهاfor its companion مُنيرِshining
وَلا ضَوءٍ لِصاحِبِها مُنيرِ
Ah, how can one bear a night with no sleep in it,
And how can one bear a night with no sleep in it,
and no light shining for the one who keeps it company?
and no light shining for its companion?
Sol 6.1