أرقتُI lay sleepless وقدand already غنّىsang الحمامُthe doves الهواتفُthe calling ones
أرقتُ وقد غنّى الحمامُ الهواتفُ
بمنعرجat the bend of الأجزاعthe valley reaches والليلُand the night عاكفlingering
بمنعرج الأجزاع والليلُ عاكف
I lay sleepless while the calling doves sang
I was restless though doves cooed
At the bend of the valley reaches, while night lingered.
In the bends of the tree trunks, and night lingered
أعدنَthey revived ليَfor me الشوقthe longing القديمَthe old وطافand circled بيaround me
أعدنَ ليَ الشوق القديمَ وطاف بي
علىdespite النأيthe distance منfrom ذكرىremembrance of المليحةthe fair woman طائفُa passing vision
على النأي من ذكرى المليحة طائفُ
They revived my old longing, and around me moved,
My old longing returned, wandering around me
Despite the distance, a phantom from remembrance of the fair one.
A visitor to my remoteness from the memory of the beautiful one
وماand not الجانبُthe side الشرقيeastern منof رملِthe sands of عالجʿĀlij
وما الجانبُ الشرقي من رملِ عالج
بحيثُwhere استوتlay level غيطانُهits lowlands والنفانفُand the open expanses
بحيثُ استوت غيطانُه والنفانفُ
Nor is the eastern side of ʿĀlij’s sands,
The eastern side of the sand dunes of Alaj is no match
Where its hollows and open expanses lie level,
For its peaks and soft sands
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle تغنَّىsang الرَّدعُthunder (apparent transposition of الرعد) فوقabove هِضابهِits hills
إذا ما تغنَّى الرَّدعُ فوق هِضابهِ
سقىwatered الروضَthe meadow منfrom وبلِthe downpour of الغمامةِthe cloud واكفfalling rain
سقى الروضَ من وبلِ الغمامةِ واكف
When thunder sings above its hills
When the thunder rumbled above its plateaus
And dripping rain from the cloud’s downpour waters the meadow,
It watered the garden with drops from rainclouds
بأحسنَany lovelier منthan أطلالthe ruins of عَلوَةʿAlwa منظراًto behold
بأحسنَ من أطلال عَلوَة منظراً
وإنand even though درستhave faded آياتُهُits traces والمعارِفand the landmarks
وإن درست آياتُهُ والمعارِف
A lovelier sight than ʿAlwa’s ruins,
More beautiful than the ruins of lofty towers
Though their traces and landmarks have faded.
Though their signs and knowledge are gone
خليليَّmy two friends هلis there? بالخيفat al-Khayf للشملِfor the company ألفةٌreunion
خليليَّ هل بالخيف للشملِ ألفةٌ
فيأمنso it may feel safe قلبٌa heart منfrom نوىseparation لاخيفal-Khayf (apparent transposition of الخيف) خائفfearful
فيأمن قلبٌ من نوى لاخيف خائف
My two friends, can our company reunite at al-Khayf,
My friend, does the tent welcome closeness
So a heart fearing separation from al-Khayf may feel safe?
So a heart longing for intimacy wouldn’t fear separation
أفيis there in وقفةa halt عندbeside العقيقal-ʿAqīq ملامةٌblame
أفي وقفة عند العقيق ملامةٌ
علىupon دنفِa lovesick man شاقتهmade him yearn تلكthose المواقفthe stopping places
على دنفِ شاقته تلك المواقف
Is a halt beside al-ʿAqīq cause for blame
Is there blame in pausing at Aqeeq
For a lovesick man whose longing those stopping places stirred?
For that difficult ascent of its route
سقىmay water عرصاتthe open grounds of الدارthe dwelling كلُّevery مُلثّةٍlingering raincloud
سقى عرصات الدار كلُّ مُلثّةٍ
منamong المُزنِthe rainclouds تزجيهاdrive them onward البروقُthe lightning flashes الخواطفُthe darting ones
من المُزنِ تزجيها البروقُ الخواطفُ
May every lingering raincloud water the dwelling’s open grounds,
The courtyards of the abode were watered by every
From among the clouds driven onward by darting lightning.
Drizzle sent by lightning
كأنas though نثيرَthe scattered spray of القطرِthe rain منهاfrom them جواهرُjewels
كأن نثيرَ القطرِ منها جواهرُ
تُفرّقُهاscatter them للرِّيحbelonging to the wind أيدٍhands عواصفُtempestuous
تُفرّقُها للرِّيح أيدٍ عواصفُ
As though the raindrops strewn from them were jewels,
As if the scattering of its drops were pearls
Scattered by the wind’s tempestuous hands.
Scattered by stormy winds
كأنas though ابتسامَthe smile of البرقِthe lightning فيهاwithin them إذاwhen بدتthey appeared
كأن ابتسامَ البرقِ فيها إذا بدت
سيوفُthe swords of علّيٍAli بالدماءِwith blood رواعفُdripping
سيوفُ علّيٍ بالدماءِ رواعفُ
As though the lightning’s smile within them, when they appeared,
As if the smile of lightning in it when it appeared
Were Ali’s swords, dripping with blood.
Were Ali’s swords with blood dripping
Sol 6.1