تَناوَلَنيstruck me كِسرىKisra بِبوسىwith grief وَدونَهُand between him and me
تَناوَلَني كِسرى بِبوسى وَدونَهُ
قِفافٌrocky hills مِنَof الصَمّانِal-Samman فَلمُتَثَلَّمِthen al-Mutathallam
قِفافٌ مِنَ الصَمّانِ فَلمُتَثَلَّمِ
Kisra struck me with grief, though between him and me lay
Kisra's palace, with its high chambers
Rocky hills of al-Samman and then al-Mutathallam.
Made of teak wood elaborately carved,
فَفَجَّعَنيthus he bereaved me لاmay not وَفَّقَprosper اللَهُGod أَمرَهُhis cause
فَفَجَّعَني لا وَفَّقَ اللَهُ أَمرَهُ
بِأَبيَضَof a fair-faced man وَهّابٍlavish giver قَليلِlittle given to التَجَهُّمِscowling
بِأَبيَضَ وَهّابٍ قَليلِ التَجَهُّمِ
Thus he bereaved me—may God never prosper his cause—
Saddened me - may God frustrate its lord's aims! -
Of a fair-faced, lavish giver, seldom given to scowling.
With a fair lady hardly given to frowns.
لِتَعفُlet become deserted مِياهُwatering places الحارِثَينِthe two Hariths وَقَدand already عَفَتhave become deserted
لِتَعفُ مِياهُ الحارِثَينِ وَقَد عَفَت
مِياهُهُماtheir watering places مِنof كُلِّevery حَيٍّtribe عَرَمرَمِteeming
مِياهُهُما مِن كُلِّ حَيٍّ عَرَمرَمِ
Let the two Hariths' watering places lie deserted; already deserted
To allow the waters of the two ponds to stagnate,
Are their watering places, bereft of every teeming tribe.
Though before they were fresh from every thicket.
وَأَقفَرَand became deserted مِنof حُضّارِهِits visitors وِردُwatering place أَهلِهِhis people
وَأَقفَرَ مِن حُضّارِهِ وِردُ أَهلِهِ
وَكانَand it used to يُرَوّىbe supplied as drink فيin قِلالٍlarge jars وَحَنتَمِand glazed jars
وَكانَ يُرَوّى في قِلالٍ وَحَنتَمِ
And his people's watering place lies empty of its visitors,
Emptied of its lodgers and the visiting tribes,
Though once drink was served in large jars and glazed vessels.
Once it was watered on burning sands.
وَقُلتُand I said لِعَينٍto a spring بِالجُوَيَّةِat al-Juwayya ياO اِسلَميbe well
وَقُلتُ لِعَينٍ بِالجُوَيَّةِ يا اِسلَمي
نَعَمyes ثُمَّthen لَمdid not تَنطِقutter a word وَلَمand did not تَتَكَلَّمِspeak
نَعَم ثُمَّ لَم تَنطِق وَلَم تَتَكَلَّمِ
And I said to a spring at al-Juwayya, 'Hail!'
I said to an eye with collyrium, "Do greet them!"
Yes—then it uttered nothing and did not speak.
It consented, but did not utter a word.
دِيارُdwellings مُلوكٍkings قَدonce أَراهُمI used to see them بِغِبطَةٍin prosperity
دِيارُ مُلوكٍ قَد أَراهُم بِغِبطَةٍ
زَمانَin the time when عَمودُpillar المُلكِkingship لَمhad not يَتَهَدَّمِcrumbled
زَمانَ عَمودُ المُلكِ لَم يَتَهَدَّمِ
The dwellings of kings I once saw in prosperity,
The abode of kings I saw, when in comfort,
When the pillar of kingship had not yet crumbled.
The pillar of kingship never tumbled down.
لَعَمريby my life لَحَرثٌsurely a cultivated field بَينَbetween قُفٍّa rocky hill وَرَملَةٍand a sandy tract
لَعَمري لَحَرثٌ بَينَ قُفٍّ وَرَملَةٍ
بِبَرثٍon soft ground عَلَتrose above أَنهارُهُits streams كُلَّevery مَخرَمِmountain pass
بِبَرثٍ عَلَت أَنهارُهُ كُلَّ مَخرَمِ
By my life, a cultivated field between a rocky hill and a sandy tract,
By my life! It's now a ruin between dunes and hills
On soft ground, its streams rising above every mountain pass,
With channels on which the torrents burst all embankments.
لَدىbeside كُلِّevery بُنيانٍbuilding رَفيعٍlofty وَمَجلِسٍand a gathering
لَدى كُلِّ بُنيانٍ رَفيعٍ وَمَجلِسٍ
نَشاوىtipsy revelers وَكَأسٍand a cup أُخلِصَتmade pure لَمdid not تَصَوَّمِstand idle
نَشاوى وَكَأسٍ أُخلِصَت لَم تَصَوَّمِ
Beside every lofty building and a gathering
By every lofty palace and majestic court,
Of tipsy revelers, and a cup of pure wine never left idle,
Are desolate waste and a cup free of all froth.
أَحَبُّdearer إِلىto حَسّانَHassan لَوif يَستَطيعُهُhe could attain it
أَحَبُّ إِلى حَسّانَ لَو يَستَطيعُهُ
مِنَthan المُرقِصاتِthe prancing she-camels مِنof غِفارٍGhifar وَأَسلَمِand Aslam
مِنَ المُرقِصاتِ مِن غِفارٍ وَأَسلَمِ
Is dearer to Hassan, could he attain it,
Dearer to Hassân, if he could manage it,
Than the prancing she-camels of Ghifar and Aslam.
Than frolicking girls of Ghifar and Aslam.
Sol 6.1