لِمَنِwhose الدِيارُthe dwellings عَفونَhave faded بِالحَبسِat al-Ḥabs
لِمَنِ الدِيارُ عَفونَ بِالحَبسِ
آياتُهاtheir traces كَمَهارِقِlike writing sheets الفُرسِthe Persians
آياتُها كَمَهارِقِ الفُرسِ
Whose are the dwellings, faded at al-Ḥabs?
The homes are desolate, imprisoned in neglect
Their traces are like the Persians' writing sheets.
Their ruins like the tracks of horses
لاno شَيءَthing فيهاin them غَيرُother than أَصوِرَةٍherds of wild cattle
لا شَيءَ فيها غَيرُ أَصوِرَةٍ
سُفعِdark الخُدودِcheeks يَلُحنَthey appear فيin الشَمسِthe sun
سُفعِ الخُدودِ يَلُحنَ في الشَمسِ
Nothing is there but herds of wild cattle,
Nothing in them but figural images
dark-cheeked, visible in the sun,
Cheeks rough-hewn that chatter in the sun
وَغَيرُand other than آثارِtracks الجِيادِthe steeds بِأَعراضِalong the sides of
وَغَيرُ آثارِ الجِيادِ بِأَعراضِ
الخِيامِthe tents وَآيَةِand the mark of الدَعسِtrampling
الخِيامِ وَآيَةِ الدَعسِ
and the tracks of steeds along the sides of
And traces of steeds in the breadth
the tents, and signs of trampling.
Of tents, and signs of trampling
فَحَبَستُso I halted فيهاin them الرَكبَthe riders أَحدُسI conjecture فيُabout
فَحَبَستُ فيها الرَكبَ أَحدُس فيُ
جُلِّmost of الأُمورِthe matters وَكُنتُand I was ذاpossessing حَدسِintuition
جُلِّ الأُمورِ وَكُنتُ ذا حَدسِ
So I halted the riders there, conjecturing about
So I confined the caravan there, brooding
most matters—and I was a man of intuition—
On the entirety of affairs, being perceptive
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen التَفَعَcloaked themselves الظِباءُthe gazelles بِأَطرافِin the fringes of
حَتّى إِذا التَفَعَ الظِباءُ بِأَطرافِ
الظِلالِthe shade وَقِلنَand they rested at noon فيin الكُنسِthe lairs
الظِلالِ وَقِلنَ في الكُنسِ
until, when the gazelles cloaked themselves in the fringes of
Until the gazelles leapt with the edges
the shade and rested at noon in their lairs,
Of shadows, and diminished in the scrub
وَيَئِستُand I despaired مِمّاof what كانَhad been يُطمِعُنيgiving me hope
وَيَئِستُ مِمّا كانَ يُطمِعُني
فيهاin them وَلاand nothing يُسليكَconsoles you كَاليَأسِlike despair
فيها وَلا يُسليكَ كَاليَأسِ
and I despaired of what had given me hope
And I despaired of what had made me
there—and nothing consoles you like despair—
Hopeful there, nothing consoling like despair
أَنمِيI make my way إِلىto حَرفٍa lean, tough she-camel مُذَكَّرَةٍstrong as a male
أَنمِي إِلى حَرفٍ مُذَكَّرَةٍ
تَهِصُshe crushes الحَصاthe pebbles بمَواقِعٍwith footpads خُنسِdrawn-in
تَهِصُ الحَصا بمَواقِعٍ خُنسِ
I made for a lean she-camel, strong as a male,
I incline toward an effeminate land
crushing pebbles with compact footpads,
That shears the pebbles in desolate places
خَذِمٍswift نَقائِلُهاher footpads يَطِرنَthey fly كَأَقطاعِlike strips of
خَذِمٍ نَقائِلُها يَطِرنَ كَأَقطاعِ
الفِراءِfur بِصَحصَحٍacross an open plain شَأسِrugged
الفِراءِ بِصَحصَحٍ شَأسِ
swift-moving, her soles flying like strips of
Whose scrawny cattle wander like
fur across a rugged open plain.
The furs of squirrels with a miserable bleating
أَفلاso shall we not نُعَدِّيهاurge her onward إِلىto مَلِكٍa king
أَفلا نُعَدِّيها إِلى مَلِكٍ
شَهمِbold المَقادَةِin command حازِمِresolute النَفسِin spirit
شَهمِ المَقادَةِ حازِمِ النَفسِ
Shall we not, then, urge her toward a king,
Shall we not return it to a king
bold in command, resolute in spirit?
Valiant in leadership, resolute in spirit
فَإِلىthen to ابنِthe son of مارِيَةَMāriya الجَوادِthe generous وَهَلand is there
فَإِلى ابنِ مارِيَةَ الجَوادِ وَهَل
شَروىan equal of أَبيAbū (father of) حَسانَḤassān فيamong الإِنسِhumankind
شَروى أَبي حَسانَ في الإِنسِ
Then to the generous son of Māriya—and is there
To the son of Maryah the generous, has
a peer of Abū Ḥassān among humankind?
Abu Hassân found comfort among men
يَحبوكَhe presents you بِالزَعفِwith coats of mail الفَيوضِample عَلىover
يَحبوكَ بِالزَعفِ الفَيوضِ عَلى
هَميانِهاtheir girdles وَالدَهمِand black steeds كَالغَرسِlike planted trees
هَميانِها وَالدَهمِ كَالغَرسِ
He presents you with ample coats of mail, flowing over
You love him in the overflowing green
their girdles, and black steeds like planted trees,
Upon its slopes, and the darkness like saplings
وَبالسَبيكِand with gold ingots الصُفرِyellow يُعقِبُهاhe follows them
وَبالسَبيكِ الصُفرِ يُعقِبُها
بِالآنِساتِwith companionable women البِيضِfair-skinned وَاللُعسِand dark-lipped
بِالآنِساتِ البِيضِ وَاللُعسِ
and with yellow gold ingots; he follows these
And the yellow gold that follows
with companionable women, fair-skinned and dark-lipped.
With the white sheep, and the missing
لاnot مُمسِكٌa hoarder لِلمالِof wealth يُهلِكُهُhe spends it away
لا مُمسِكٌ لِلمالِ يُهلِكُهُ
طَلقُauspicious النُجومِthe stars لَدَيهِto him كَالنَحسِlike ill fortune
طَلقُ النُجومِ لَدَيهِ كَالنَحسِ
He hoards no wealth, but spends it away;
No withholder of wealth it destroys
auspicious stars, to him, are like ill-omened ones.
The loose stars before him like ill omens
فَلَهُso, in his favor هُنالِكَthere لاnot عَلَيهِagainst him إِذاwhen
فَلَهُ هُنالِكَ لا عَلَيهِ إِذا
رَغَمَتwere rubbed in dust أُنوفُthe noses القَومِof the people للِتَعسِunto ruin
رَغَمَت أُنوفُ القَومِ للِتَعسِ
So there the gain is his, not the loss, when
So he has none there, if
the people's noses are rubbed in the dust of ruin.
The noses of the people are thrust into misery
Sol 6.1