أَهاجَhas ... stirred? لَكَfor you الشَوقَthe longing القَديمَthe old خَبالَهُits madness
أَهاجَ لَكَ الشَوقَ القَديمَ خَبالَهُ
مَنازِلُdwellings بَينَbetween المُنتَضىal-Muntaḍā فَالمَصانِعِand al-Maṣāniʿ
مَنازِلُ بَينَ المُنتَضى فَالمَصانِعِ
Has old longing’s madness been stirred in you
by dwellings between al-Muntaḍā and al-Maṣāniʿ?
عَفَتhave faded بَعدَafter أَسرابِthe bands of الخَليطِthe companions وَقَدthough once تَرىyou would see
عَفَت بَعدَ أَسرابِ الخَليطِ وَقَد تَرى
بِهاin them بَقَراًwild cows حوراًdark-eyed حِسانَbeautiful in المَدامِعِthe eye-corners
بِها بَقَراً حوراً حِسانَ المَدامِعِ
They have faded since the bands of companions left, though once you saw
there dark-eyed wild cows, lovely of eye.
يُرينَthey show الصِباyouthful passion أَصحابَهُits devotees فيin خِلابَةٍbeguilement
يُرينَ الصِبا أَصحابَهُ في خِلابَةٍ
وَيَأبَينَyet they refuse أَنto يَسقينَهُمgive them drink بِالشَرائِعِat the watering places
وَيَأبَينَ أَن يَسقينَهُم بِالشَرائِعِ
They beguilingly show youthful passion to its devotees,
yet refuse to give them drink at the watering places.
إِذاwhen ماever أَتاهُنَّcomes to them الحَبيبُthe beloved رَشَفنَهُthey sip him
إِذا ما أَتاهُنَّ الحَبيبُ رَشَفنَهُ
كَرَشفِlike the sipping of الهِجانِthe purebred camels الأُدمِthe pale ones ماءَthe water of الوَقائِعِrock pools
كَرَشفِ الهِجانِ الأُدمِ ماءَ الوَقائِعِ
Whenever the beloved comes to them, they sip him,
as pale, purebred camels sip the water of rock pools.
يَكُنَّthey are أَحاديثَthe musings of الفُؤادِthe heart نَهارَهُthroughout its day
يَكُنَّ أَحاديثَ الفُؤادِ نَهارَهُ
وَيَطرُقنَand they visit by night بِالأَهوالِwith terrors عِندَat المَضاجِعِthe beds
وَيَطرُقنَ بِالأَهوالِ عِندَ المَضاجِعِ
All day they are the heart’s musings,
and visit the beds by night with terrors.
إِلَيكَto you اِبنُson of عَبدِʿAbd (servant of) اللَهِAllāh (God) حَمَّلتُI loaded حاجَتيmy need
إِلَيكَ اِبنُ عَبدِ اللَهِ حَمَّلتُ حاجَتي
عَلىupon ضُمَّرِlean at الأَحقابِthe girth-places خوصِnarrow in المَدامِعِthe eyes
عَلى ضُمَّرِ الأَحقابِ خوصِ المَدامِعِ
To you, son of ʿAbd Allāh, I have loaded my need
on camels lean at the girths and narrow of eye:
نَواعِجَswift she-camels كُلِّفنَthey were tasked with الذَميلَtrotting فَلَمand did not تَزَلcease
نَواعِجَ كُلِّفنَ الذَميلَ فَلَم تَزَل
مُقَلَّصَةًtucked-up أَنضاؤُهاtheir wasted frames كَالشَراجِعِlike biers
مُقَلَّصَةً أَنضاؤُها كَالشَراجِعِ
swift she-camels made to trot, never ceasing
to be tucked-up, their wasted frames like biers.
تَرىyou see الحادِيَthe camel-driver العَجلانَthe hurried one يُرقِصُhe urges a trot خَلفَهاbehind them
تَرى الحادِيَ العَجلانَ يُرقِصُ خَلفَها
وَهُنَّwhile they كَحَفّانِlike the chicks of النَعامِostriches الخَواضِعِwith lowered heads
وَهُنَّ كَحَفّانِ النَعامِ الخَواضِعِ
You see the hurried camel-driver urging a trot behind them,
while they resemble ostrich chicks with lowered heads.
إِذاwhenever نَكَّبَتthey turn aside from خَرقاًan open tract مِنَof الأَرضِthe land قابَلَتthey face
إِذا نَكَّبَت خَرقاً مِنَ الأَرضِ قابَلَت
وَقَدand already زالَit has receded عَنهاfrom them رَأسَthe beginning of آخِرَanother تابِعِfollowing
وَقَد زالَ عَنها رَأسَ آخِرَ تابِعِ
Whenever they leave one open tract of land, they face—
once it has fallen behind—the beginning of another in its wake.
بَدَأنَthey began بِهِon it خُدلَplump about العِظامِthe bones فَأُدخِلَتthen was brought in
بَدَأنَ بِهِ خُدلَ العِظامِ فَأُدخِلَت
عَلَيهِنَّupon them أَيّامُthe days of العِتاقِthe noble camels النَزائِعِthose brought from afar
عَلَيهِنَّ أَيّامُ العِتاقِ النَزائِعِ
They began it stout-limbed; then there was brought
upon them, by days of noble camels from afar,
جَهيضَan aborted foal of فَلاةٍa wasteland أَعجَلَتهُshe hastened it before تَمامَهُits full term
جَهيضَ فَلاةٍ أَعجَلَتهُ تَمامَهُ
هَبوعُa neck-stretching strider الضُحىin the forenoon خَطّارَةٌtail-flicking أُمُّmother of رابِعِa fourth calf
هَبوعُ الضُحى خَطّارَةٌ أُمُّ رابِعِ
a foal aborted in the waste, hastened before its term
by a neck-stretching morning strider, tail-flicking, mother of a fourth calf.
تَظَلُّkeep عِتاقُthe noble ones of الطَيرِthe birds تَنفيdriving off هَجينَهاtheir base-born kind
تَظَلُّ عِتاقُ الطَيرِ تَنفي هَجينَها
جُنوحاًstooping عَلىover جُثمانِthe carcass of آخَرَanother ناصِعِpure-white
جُنوحاً عَلى جُثمانِ آخَرَ ناصِعِ
The noble birds keep driving off their base-born kin,
stooping over the carcass of another pure-white foal.
وَماand not ساقَهاdrove them مِنany حاجَةٍneed أَجحَفَتwas ruinous بِهاto them
وَما ساقَها مِن حاجَةٍ أَجحَفَت بِها
إِلَيكَto you وَماnor مِنany قِلَّةٍscarcity فيamong مُجاشِعِMujāshiʿ
إِلَيكَ وَما مِن قِلَّةٍ في مُجاشِعِ
And no ruinous need had driven them
to you, nor was there any scarcity among Mujāshiʿ.
وَلَكِنَّهاbut they اِختارَتchose بِلادَكَyour land رَغبَةًout of desire
وَلَكِنَّها اِختارَت بِلادَكَ رَغبَةً
عَلىover ماwhatever سِواهاis besides it مِنof ثَناياthe passes of المَطالِعِthe ascents
عَلى ما سِواها مِن ثَنايا المَطالِعِ
Rather, they chose your land out of desire
over all other passes leading upward.
Sol 6.1