ساقٌa tree trunk ترَنَّحَswayed يَشْدوsings فَوقَهُabove it ساقُa dove
ساقٌ ترَنَّحَ يَشْدو فَوقَهُ ساقُ
كأنَّهُas though it لِحنينِfor the plaintive sound of الصَّوتِthe voice مُشْتاقُyearning
كأنَّهُ لِحنينِ الصَّوتِ مُشْتاقُ
A trunk swayed, a dove singing above it,
A branch swayed, singing above it a branch
As though it longed for the voice's plaintive sound.
As if it longs for the melody of sound
ياO ضَيعةَthe wasting of الشِّعْرِpoetry فيon بُلْهٍfools جَرامقَةٍJaramiqa
يا ضَيعةَ الشِّعْرِ في بُلْهٍ جَرامقَةٍ
تَشابَهتْwere alike مِنهُمُamong them فيin اللُّؤمِbaseness أَخلاقُcharacters
تَشابَهتْ مِنهُمُ في اللُّؤمِ أَخلاقُ
Alas for poetry wasted on foolish Jaramiqa!
O lost poetry in the ignorance of fools
Their characters were alike in baseness.
Whose morals have become alike in meanness
غُلَّتْmay be fettered بِأَعناقِهمْto their necks أَيْدٍhands مُقَفَّعةٌclenched
غُلَّتْ بِأَعناقِهمْ أَيْدٍ مُقَفَّعةٌ
لاmay not بُورِكَتْbe blessed مِنْهُمُof theirs أَيْدٍhands وَأعْناقُand necks
لا بُورِكَتْ مِنْهُمُ أَيْدٍ وَأعْناقُ
May their clenched hands be fettered to their necks;
Chains tied around their necks by grasping hands
May neither their hands nor their necks be blessed!
Neither blessed are their hands or necks
كَأنَّماas though بَيْنَهُمْamong them فيin مَنْعِrefusing سائِلهِمْtheir petitioner
كَأنَّما بَيْنَهُمْ في مَنْعِ سائِلهِمْ
وحَبْسُand withholding نائِلِهمْtheir bounty عَهْدٌa pledge ومِيثاقُand a covenant
وحَبْسُ نائِلِهمْ عَهْدٌ ومِيثاقُ
As though among them, in refusing their petitioner,
As if between them in preventing their beggar
And withholding their bounty, there were a pledge and a covenant.
And depriving their attainer is a covenant and pact
كمhow often سُقْتُهُمI drove them بِأَمادِيحيwith my praises وقُدْتُهُمand I led them
كم سُقْتُهُم بِأَمادِيحي وقُدْتُهُم
نحوَtoward المعالِيnoble heights فماyet not انْقادُواthey submitted ولاnor انْساقواthey went along
نحوَ المعالِي فما انْقادُوا ولا انْساقوا
How often I drove them with my praises and led them
How often I led them with my praises and guided them
Toward noble heights, yet they would neither be led nor driven.
To the heights yet they neither followed nor advanced
وَإنْand if نَباproved inhospitable بِيَto me فيin ساحاتِهمْtheir precincts وطنٌa home
وَإنْ نَبا بِيَ في ساحاتِهمْ وطنٌ
فَالأرضُthen the earth واسعةٌis wide والنَّاسُand people أَفْراقُdifferent groups
فَالأرضُ واسعةٌ والنَّاسُ أَفْراقُ
And if a home in their precincts proves inhospitable to me,
And if a homeland called me in their plains
Then the earth is wide, and people are of many kinds.
The earth is wide and people differ
ماnot كُنتُI was أَوَّلَthe first ظَمْآنٍthirsty man بِمهْمَهَةٍin a trackless desert
ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ ظَمْآنٍ بِمهْمَهَةٍ
يَغُرُّهُdeceives him مِنْfrom سَرابِthe mirage of القَفْرِthe wasteland رِقْراقُa shimmer
يَغُرُّهُ مِنْ سَرابِ القَفْرِ رِقْراقُ
I was not the first thirsty man in a trackless desert
I was not the first thirsty one tempted
To be deceived by the shimmer of the wasteland's mirage.
By the mirage of the desert’s heat flickering
رِزْقٌprovision مِنَfrom اللَّهِGod أَرضاهُمْpleased them وَأَسخَطَنيand angered me
رِزْقٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَرضاهُمْ وَأَسخَطَني
واللَّهُand God لِلأَنْوكِfor the witless one المَعْتُوهِthe imbecile رزَّاقُa bountiful provider
واللَّهُ لِلأَنْوكِ المَعْتُوهِ رزَّاقُ
Provision from God pleased them and angered me;
A livelihood from God that pleased them and angered me
And God is a bountiful provider for the witless imbecile.
And God provides for the confused young camel
ياO قابِضَclencher of الكَفِّthe hand لاmay not زالتْcease to be مُقَبَّضَةًclenched
يا قابِضَ الكَفِّ لا زالتْ مُقَبَّضَةً
فماfor ... not أنامِلُهاits fingertips لِلنَّاسِfor people أَرْزاقُprovisions
فما أنامِلُها لِلنَّاسِ أَرْزاقُ
O you who clench your hand, may it never unclench!
O you who clenches his fist remaining clenched
For its fingertips bring people no sustenance.
My palms are not stingy in giving people their provision
وَغِبْand vanish إذاif شِئْتَyou wish حَتَّىso that لاnot تُرىyou are seen أبَداًever
وَغِبْ إذا شِئْتَ حَتَّى لا تُرى أبَداً
فماfor ... not لِفقْدِكَat your absence فيin الأَحْشاءِthe inward parts إقْلاقُdistress
فما لِفقْدِكَ في الأَحْشاءِ إقْلاقُ
And vanish if you wish, never to be seen again;
Disappear if you wish until you are never seen again
For your absence stirs no anguish deep within.
For your loss does not cause turmoil in the hearts
ولاnor إليكَtoward you سَبيلُthe path of الجُودِgenerosity شارِعَةٌleading
ولا إليكَ سَبيلُ الجُودِ شارِعَةٌ
وَلاnor عَليْكَupon you لِنُورِfor the light of المَجدِglory إشْراقُradiance
وَلا عَليْكَ لِنُورِ المَجدِ إشْراقُ
Nor does the path of generosity lead to you,
No path to generosity is open to you
Nor does the light of glory shine upon you.
Nor does the light of glory shine upon you
لمdid not يَكْتَنِفْنيsurround me رَجاءٌhope لاno ولاnor أملٌexpectation
لم يَكْتَنِفْني رَجاءٌ لا ولا أملٌ
إلاexcept that تَكَنَّفهُsurrounded it ذُلٌّhumiliation وَإمْلاقُand destitution
إلا تَكَنَّفهُ ذُلٌّ وَإمْلاقُ
No hope has ever surrounded me—no, nor any expectation—
No hope came to me nor any expectation
Without humiliation and destitution surrounding it.
Except shrouded in humiliation and frustration
Sol 6.1