إِذاwhen عَرَضَappears المَنامُthe dream لَناto us بِسَلمىwith Salma
إِذا عَرَضَ المَنامُ لَنا بِسَلمى
فَقُلthen speak فيof لَيلِa night طارِقَةٍa night-visiting phantom قَصيرِbrief
فَقُل في لَيلِ طارِقَةٍ قَصيرِ
When a dream brings Salma before us,
When dreams bring me to Salma,
then speak of a brief night with a visiting phantom.
Say on a short starry night:
أَتَتناshe came to us بَعدَماafter وَقَعَsettled down المَطاياthe mounts
أَتَتنا بَعدَما وَقَعَ المَطايا
بِناwith us فيin ظِلِّshade أَبيَضَwhite مَستَطيرِfar-spreading
بِنا في ظِلِّ أَبيَضَ مَستَطيرِ
She came to us after the mounts had settled
She came after the camels knelt down with us
with us beneath a white, far-spreading shade.
In the shade of a vast white tent.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her كَذاlike this الأَحلامُdreams أَمor لاnot
فَقُلتُ لَها كَذا الأَحلامُ أَم لا
أَتَتنيthey came to me الرائِعاتُterrifying events مِنَfrom الدُهورِthe ages
أَتَتني الرائِعاتُ مِنَ الدُهورِ
So I said to her, “Are dreams like this, or not?”
I said: “Are dreams like that or not?”
The terrors of the ages had come to me.
“Did the lovely ladies of old come to me?”
فَلَمّاthen when لِلصَلاةِto prayer دَعاcalled المُناديthe caller
فَلَمّا لِلصَلاةِ دَعا المُنادي
نَهَضتُI rose وَكُنتُand I was مِنهاbecause of her فيin غِرورِdelusion
نَهَضتُ وَكُنتُ مِنها في غِرورِ
Then, when the caller called to prayer,
When the caller summoned us to pray,
I rose, having been beguiled by her.
I got up, still in rapture with her.
نَمانيbegot me كُلُّevery أَصيَدَproud and high-headed دارِمِيٍّDarimite
نَماني كُلُّ أَصيَدَ دارِمِيٍّ
عَلىupon الأَقوَمِthe most upright أَبّاءٍunyielding فَخورِproud
عَلى الأَقوَمِ أَبّاءٍ فَخورِ
I spring from every high-headed Darimite,
My yearning for any beauty of Darimiyyah
on the straightest course, unyielding and proud.
Is for the straightest and proudest fathers.
إِذاwhen اِجتَمَعَتgather عَصايِبُbands كُلَّevery حَيٍّtribe
إِذا اِجتَمَعَت عَصايِبُ كُلَّ حَيٍّ
مِنَfrom الآفاقِthe distant regions مُختَلِفيdiffering in النُجورِancestry
مِنَ الآفاقِ مُختَلِفي النُجورِ
When the bands of every tribe gather,
When my tribesmen from all places
from distant regions, differing in ancestry,
Of diverse generosity gather,
مُلَبَّدَةٌmatted رُؤوسُهُمُtheir heads سِراعاًhastening
مُلَبَّدَةٌ رُؤوسُهُمُ سِراعاً
إِلىtoward البَيتِthe House المُحَرَّمِthe sacred ذيpossessing السُتورِcurtains
إِلى البَيتِ المُحَرَّمِ ذي السُتورِ
their heads matted, hurrying
Their heads rushing to perform Umrah
toward the Sacred House with its curtains,
To the inviolable house of curtains.
رَأَوناthey saw us فَوقَهُمabove them وَلناand we have عَلَيهِمover them
رَأَونا فَوقَهُم وَلنا عَلَيهِم
صَلاةُprayer الرافِعينَthose who lift up مَعَtogether with المُغيرِthe one rushing onward
صَلاةُ الرافِعينَ مَعَ المُغيرِ
they see us above them, and from them we are owed
We saw them and we have over them
the prayers of those who lift up, together with the one rushing onward.
The prayers of those who lift their hands and of invokers.
وَرِثناwe inherited عَنfrom خَليلِthe intimate friend of اللَهِGod بَيتاًa house
وَرِثنا عَن خَليلِ اللَهِ بَيتاً
يُطَيَّبُis perfumed لِلصَلاةِfor prayer وَلِلطَهورِand for purification
يُطَيَّبُ لِلصَلاةِ وَلِلطَهورِ
We inherited from God's intimate friend a House
We inherited from Allah’s friend a house
perfumed for prayer and purification.
That is perfumed for prayers and ablution.
هُوَit البَيتُthe House الَّذيthat مِنfrom كُلِّevery وَجهٍdirection
هُوَ البَيتُ الَّذي مِن كُلِّ وَجهٍ
إِلَيهِtoward it وَجوهُfaces أَصحابُthe occupants of القُبورِgraves
إِلَيهِ وَجوهُ أَصحابُ القُبورِ
It is the House that, from every direction,
It is the house which from all directions
the faces of those in graves are turned toward.
The faces of the people of graves turn to.
خِيارَchosen one of اللَهِGod لِلإِسلامِfor Islam إِنّاindeed we
خِيارَ اللَهِ لِلإِسلامِ إِنّا
إِلَيكَtoward you نَشُدُّwe tighten أَنساعَgirth-straps الصُدورِchests
إِلَيكَ نَشُدُّ أَنساعَ الصُدورِ
O God's chosen one for Islam, we indeed
O Allah’s best ones for Islam, we appeal to you
tighten the breast-girths to journey to you.
To open up your chests.
سَتَحمِلُناwill carry us إِلَيكَto you مُبَلِّغاتٌmounts that reach the goal
سَتَحمِلُنا إِلَيكَ مُبَلِّغاتٌ
يَطَأنَthey tread دَماًblood مُكَدَّحَةُscarred الظُهورِbacks
يَطَأنَ دَماً مُكَدَّحَةُ الظُهورِ
Mounts that reach their goal will carry us to you,
Carriers will bring us to you
treading blood, their backs scarred:
With blood dripping from overburdened backs.
بَناتُdaughters of الداعِرِيِّal-Dāʿirī إِذاwhen تَلاقَتmeet together
بَناتُ الداعِرِيِّ إِذا تَلاقَت
عُراهاtheir loops وَهيَwhile they are جائِلَةُswaying loosely الضُفورِbraided girths
عُراها وَهيَ جائِلَةُ الضُفورِ
daughters of al-Dāʿirī, when together meet
Daughters of Da’ir when they meet,
their loops, while their braided girths swing loose,
Their breasts swinging as they walk proudly
لِنَأتيso that we may reach خَيرَthe best of أَهلِthe people of الأَرضِthe earth حَيّاًliving
لِنَأتي خَيرَ أَهلِ الأَرضِ حَيّاً
تُحَلُّare brought for resolution إِلَيهِto him أَحناءُthe complexities of الأُمورِaffairs
تُحَلُّ إِلَيهِ أَحناءُ الأُمورِ
so that we may reach the best living man on earth,
That we may come to the best people alive
to whom the complexities of affairs are brought for resolution.
To whom the reins of affairs are entrusted.
Sol 6.1