تَطاوَلَgrew long بِالخَمّانِat al-Khammān لَيليmy night فَلَمand did not تَكَدcome close
تَطاوَلَ بِالخَمّانِ لَيلي فَلَم تَكَد
تَهُمُّmake ready هَواديthe foremost of نَجمِهِits stars أَنto تَصَوَّباsink
تَهُمُّ هَوادي نَجمِهِ أَن تَصَوَّبا
My night at al-Khammān grew long, and scarcely
My night was long as the Pleiades climbed high,
did its foremost stars make ready to sink.
Scarcely had they begun to descend into the valley of their star,
أَبيتُI spend the night أُراعيهاI watch them كَأَنّيas though I were مُوَكَّلٌentrusted
أَبيتُ أُراعيها كَأَنّي مُوَكَّلٌ
بِهاwith them لاnot أُريدُI want النَومَsleep حَتّىuntil تَغَيَّباthey vanish
بِها لا أُريدُ النَومَ حَتّى تَغَيَّبا
I spend the night watching them, as though entrusted
When I resolved to watch them as if I were assigned,
with them; I want no sleep until they vanish.
To attend them, unwilling for sleep until they were gone.
إِذاwhenever غارَsets مِنهاof them كَوكَبٌa star بَعدَafter كَوكَبِa star
إِذا غارَ مِنها كَوكَبٌ بَعدَ كَوكَبِ
تُراقِبُwatches عَينيmy eye آخِرَat the end of اللَيلِthe night كَوكَباa star
تُراقِبُ عَيني آخِرَ اللَيلِ كَوكَبا
Whenever one of them sets, star after star,
Star by star they hid as dawn drew near,
my eye watches a star at the end of the night,
My eyes observed the last stars at the night's end.
غَوائِرَsinking تَترىin succession مِنamong نُجومٍstars تَخالُهاyou fancy them
غَوائِرَ تَترى مِن نُجومٍ تَخالُها
مَعَwith الصُبحِdawn تَتلوهاyou follow them زَواحِفَcrawling creatures لُغَّباweary
مَعَ الصُبحِ تَتلوها زَواحِفَ لُغَّبا
among stars sinking in succession, which you fancy,
Apparitions of stars they seemed, but at daybreak
as you follow them at dawn, to be weary crawlers.
Phantoms of the night vanished as the morning shone.
أَخافُI fear فُجاءاتِsudden blows of الفِراقِparting بِبَغتَةٍwithout warning
أَخافُ فُجاءاتِ الفِراقِ بِبَغتَةٍ
وَصَرفَand the vicissitudes of النَوىdistance مِنfor fear of أَنthat تُشِتَّit scatter وَتَشعَباand sunder
وَصَرفَ النَوى مِن أَن تُشِتَّ وَتَشعَبا
I fear the sudden, unforeseen blows of parting,
I fear the suddenness of parting without warning,
and distance's vicissitudes, lest it scatter and sunder us.
The fates might allow this, dashing hopes never to return.
وَأَيقَنتُand I became certain لِمّاwhen قَوَّضَdismantled الحَيُّthe clan خَيمَهُمtheir tents
وَأَيقَنتُ لِمّا قَوَّضَ الحَيُّ خَيمَهُم
بِرَوعاتِof the terrors of بَينٍparting تَترُكُleave الرَأسَthe head أَشيَباgray-haired
بِرَوعاتِ بَينٍ تَترُكُ الرَأسَ أَشيَبا
And when the clan struck their tents, I was certain
And I knew when the living broke camp,
of parting's terrors that leave the head gray.
With horrifyingseparation that leaves the head grey.
وَأَسمَعَكَand made you hear الداعيthe caller الفَصيحُeloquent بِفُرقَةٍof parting
وَأَسمَعَكَ الداعي الفَصيحُ بِفُرقَةٍ
وَقَدand already جَنَحَتinclined شَمسُthe sun of النَهارِthe day لِتَغرُباin order to set
وَقَد جَنَحَت شَمسُ النَهارِ لِتَغرُبا
And the eloquent caller announced parting to you,
And the clear voiced caller summoned you to depart
when the day's sun had already inclined to set.
As the sun of day had inclined to set.
وَبَيَّنَand made plain فيin صَوتِthe voice of الغُرابِthe crow اِغتِرابَهُمtheir departure
وَبَيَّنَ في صَوتِ الغُرابِ اِغتِرابَهُم
عَشِيَّةَthat evening أَوفىperched upon غُصنَa branch of بانٍa bān tree فَطَرَّباand then sang out
عَشِيَّةَ أَوفى غُصنَ بانٍ فَطَرَّبا
And their departure was made plain in the crow's voice,
And in the caw of the raven he made known his desolation
that evening, when it perched on a bān-tree branch and sang out,
In the evening when the boughs of the wild plum tree bent down.
وَفيand in الطَيرِthe birds بِالعَلياءِon high إِذwhen عَرَضَتthey appeared لَناto us
وَفي الطَيرِ بِالعَلياءِ إِذ عَرَضَت لَنا
وَماand not الطَيرُthe birds إِلّاexcept أَنto تَمُرُّthey pass وَتَنعَباand caw
وَما الطَيرُ إِلّا أَن تَمُرُّ وَتَنعَبا
and in the birds on high, when they appeared before us—
And in the birds aloft when they passed by us,
though birds do nothing but pass and caw.
Yet the birds do naught but pass and sweep on.
وَكُدتُand I almost غَداةَon the morning of البَينِparting يَغلِبُنيovercomes me الهَوىpassion
وَكُدتُ غَداةَ البَينِ يَغلِبُني الهَوى
أُعالِجُI wrestle with نَفسيmyself أَنto أَقومَrise فَأَركَباand then mount
أُعالِجُ نَفسي أَن أَقومَ فَأَركَبا
And on the morning of parting, passion almost overcame me;
And I almost succumbed at dawn to my passion,
I wrestled with myself to rise and mount.
I had to restrain myself wanting to rise and to ride away.
وَكَيفَand how وَلاand not يَنسىhe forgets التَصابِيَyouthful dalliance بَعدَماafter
وَكَيفَ وَلا يَنسى التَصابِيَ بَعدَما
تَجاوَزَhe passed beyond رَأسَthe threshold of الأَربَعينَforty وَجَرَّباand gained experience
تَجاوَزَ رَأسَ الأَربَعينَ وَجَرَّبا
And how can he not forget youthful dalliance, after
But how could one forget his beloved, having surpassed
passing the threshold of forty and gaining experience,
The forty year mark, and known many places?
وَقَدand already بانَbecame clear ماwhat يَأتيwill come مِنَof الأَمرِaffairs وَاِكتَسَتand became clothed
وَقَد بانَ ما يَأتي مِنَ الأَمرِ وَاِكتَسَت
مَفارِقُهُthe partings of his hair لَوناًa hue مِنَof الشَيبِgray hair مُغرَباstark white
مَفارِقُهُ لَوناً مِنَ الشَيبِ مُغرَبا
when what is to come is clear, and now clothed are
What would come of this matter became clear,
the partings of his hair in gray's stark white hue?
Parting from him took on a hue of grey hair.
أَتَجمَعُdo you combine شَوقاًlonging إِنif تَراخَتstretched far بِهاwith her النَوىdistance
أَتَجمَعُ شَوقاً إِن تَراخَت بِها النَوى
وَصَدّاًand rejection إِذاwhen ماever أَسقَبَتshe drew near وَتَجَنُّباand avoidance
وَصَدّاً إِذا ما أَسقَبَت وَتَجَنُّبا
Do you combine longing, if distance bears her far away,
Do I gather longing if destination brings them near to me,
with rejection and avoidance whenever she draws near?
And rejection if they avoid me and keep apart?
إِذاwhen اِنبَتَّare severed أَسبابُthe bonds of الهَوىpassion وَتَصَدَّعَتand split apart
إِذا اِنبَتَّ أَسبابُ الهَوى وَتَصَدَّعَت
عَصاthe staff of البَينُunion لَمnot تَسطِعyou could لِشَعثاءَfor Shaʿthāʾ مَطلَباa pursuit
عَصا البَينُ لَم تَسطِع لِشَعثاءَ مَطلَبا
When the bonds of passion are severed and
When the causes of passion manifest and split open,
the staff of union has splintered, you cannot pursue Shaʿthāʾ.
The staff of separation cannot reach the goal of a disheveled lover.
وَكَيفَand how تَصَدّيthe turning of المَرءِa man ذيpossessing اللِبِّunderstanding لِلصِباto youthful passion
وَكَيفَ تَصَدّي المَرءِ ذي اللِبِّ لِلصِبا
وَلَيسَand he is not بِمَعذورٍexcused إِذاif ماever تَطَرَّباhe becomes enraptured
وَلَيسَ بِمَعذورٍ إِذا ما تَطَرَّبا
And how can a man of understanding turn to youthful passion,
And how can one turn away a sensitive soul from passion,
when he has no excuse if ever he becomes enraptured?
Who cannot be blamed if infatuated and disturbed?
أُطيلُI prolong اِجتِناباًavoidance عَنهُمُfrom them غَيرَnot out of بَغضَةٍhatred
أُطيلُ اِجتِناباً عَنهُمُ غَيرَ بَغضَةٍ
وَلَكِنَّbut بُقياforbearance رَهبَةًfear وَتَصَحُّباand friendship
وَلَكِنَّ بُقيا رَهبَةً وَتَصَحُّبا
I prolong my avoidance of them, not out of hatred,
I prolong my avoidance of them without hatred,
but out of forbearance, fear, and friendship.
Merely fearing harm and seeking to avoid trouble.
أَلاindeed لاnot أَرىI see جاراًa neighbor يُعَلِّلَconsoles نَفسَهُhimself
أَلا لا أَرى جاراً يُعَلِّلَ نَفسَهُ
مُطاعاًheeded وَلاnor جاراًa neighbor لِشَعثاءَof Shaʿthāʾ مُعتَباappeased
مُطاعاً وَلا جاراً لِشَعثاءَ مُعتَبا
Indeed, I see no neighbor who consoles himself
Indeed, I see no neighbor excusing himself
getting his way, nor any neighbor of Shaʿthāʾ appeased.
As one obeyed, nor as a disheveled neighbor blamed.
Sol 6.1