ياO قَلبِheart قَدindeed جَدَّbecame serious بَينَthe parting of الحَيِّthe clan فَاِنطَلَقواso they departed
يا قَلبِ قَد جَدَّ بَينَ الحَيِّ فَاِنطَلَقوا
عُلِّقتُهُمI was attached to them هَكَذاthus حَيناًfor a time وَماand not عَلِقواthey became attached
عُلِّقتُهُم هَكَذا حَيناً وَما عَلِقوا
O heart, the clan's parting is in earnest: they have gone.
O heart, they have set out briskly between the living, so set out.
I was attached to them thus for a time, but they felt no attachment.
I attached them this way for a while, but they did not attach.
فَتِلكَso that دارُهُمُtheir abode أَمسَتhas become مُجَدَّدَةًrenewed
فَتِلكَ دارُهُمُ أَمسَت مُجَدَّدَةً
وَبِالأَبارِقِand at al-Abariq مِنهُمof theirs مَنزِلٌa dwelling خَلَقُworn-out
وَبِالأَبارِقِ مِنهُم مَنزِلٌ خَلَقُ
So that is their abode, now renewed,
Their abode has now become renewed,
and at al-Abariq a worn-out dwelling of theirs.
and, by lightning bolts, a dwelling fashioned from them.
كَأَنَّas though آثارَthe tracks of وَحشيَّa wild one of الظِباءِthe gazelles بِهاin it
كَأَنَّ آثارَ وَحشيَّ الظِباءِ بِها
دِرعٌa coat of mail تُخَلِّفُهُleave it behind أَظلافُهُits cloven hooves نَسَقُorderly
دِرعٌ تُخَلِّفُهُ أَظلافُهُ نَسَقُ
As though the tracks of a wild gazelle there
It is as though the tracks of a shy oryx are in it -
were a coat of mail, left in ordered rows by its cloven hooves.
a coat of mail its flank-bones leave in order.
لاnot مَثلَlike مَنthose whose يَعرِفُrecognize العُشّاقُthe lovers حُبَّهُمُtheir love
لا مَثلَ مَن يَعرِفُ العُشّاقُ حُبَّهُمُ
بَلrather أَنتَyou مِنfrom بَينِهِمtheir midst تَشقىsuffer بِمَنbecause of the one whom تَمِقُyou cherish
بَل أَنتَ مِن بَينِهِم تَشقى بِمَن تَمِقُ
You are not like those whose love the lovers recognize;
None resembles those who know their lovers' love,
rather, among them you suffer for the one you cherish.
but you are among them, suffering for whom you desire.
نَأواthey went far away بِلَيلٍby night فَزَمّواso they haltered كُلَّevery يَعمَلَةٍhardy she-camel
نَأوا بِلَيلٍ فَزَمّوا كُلَّ يَعمَلَةٍ
وَيَعمَلٍand a hardy one جَمَلٍa male camel فيin أَنفِهِits nose الحَلَقُthe rings
وَيَعمَلٍ جَمَلٍ في أَنفِهِ الحَلَقُ
They departed by night, haltering every hardy she-camel,
They set out by night and hastened every working
and every hardy male camel with rings in its nose.
camel and working camel in its leading halter.
يَلقىmeets الفَلاةَthe desert بِخُفٍّwith a padded foot لاnot يَقَرُّrests بِهاon it
يَلقى الفَلاةَ بِخُفٍّ لا يَقَرُّ بِها
كَأَنَّas though تَنقيطَهُits dotting فيin تُربِهاits dust طَبَقُa platter
كَأَنَّ تَنقيطَهُ في تُربِها طَبَقُ
It meets the desert with a padded foot that never rests upon it,
It meets the wastes with a slipper wherein it finds no rest,
as though each print it dots into the desert's dust were a platter.
as though its dripping onto its soil is laminae.
إِنّيindeed I وَأَسماءَand Asma وَالحَيَّand the clan الَّذينَwho غَدواset out in the morning
إِنّي وَأَسماءَ وَالحَيَّ الَّذينَ غَدوا
بِهاwith her عَلىdespite الكُرهِunwillingness مِنfrom نَفسيmy soul وَماand not وَثِقواthey felt secure
بِها عَلى الكُرهِ مِن نَفسي وَما وَثِقوا
I, with Asma and the clan who set out
I and Asma and the living who set out at dawn
with her against my will, and did not feel secure,
thereby, against my soul's desire, and they did not pledge.
لَكَالرَبيطِsurely like a tethered beast وَقَدand already سيقَتwas driven away قَرينَتُهُits mate
لَكَالرَبيطِ وَقَد سيقَت قَرينَتُهُ
يُنازِعُstruggles against الحَبلَthe rope مَشدوداًtied fast وَيَنطَلِقُand rushes forward
يُنازِعُ الحَبلَ مَشدوداً وَيَنطَلِقُ
am like a tethered beast whose mate has been driven away,
They are like a prisoner whose mate has been led forth,
tugging at the rope, bound fast, yet lunging forward.
struggling against the rope, that pulls and slips.
فَطَيَّرواso they made flutter القَلبَthe heart وَجداًwith longing بَينَbetween أَضلُعِهِhis ribs
فَطَيَّروا القَلبَ وَجداً بَينَ أَضلُعِهِ
وَعَذَّبواand they tormented النَفسَthe soul حَتّىuntil ماno بِهاin it رَمَقُspark of life
وَعَذَّبوا النَفسَ حَتّى ما بِها رَمَقُ
So they sent my heart fluttering with longing between my ribs,
They have made the heart fly and leap between its ribs
and tormented my soul until no spark of life remained in it.
and tortured the soul until no life remains in it.
كَأَنَّنيas though I ساوَرَتنيit assailed me يَومَon the day of بَينِهِمُtheir parting
كَأَنَّني ساوَرَتني يَومَ بَينِهِمُ
رَقشاءُa speckled serpent مَجدولَةٌslender and firm فيin لَونِهاits coloring بُرَقُbright flecks
رَقشاءُ مَجدولَةٌ في لَونِها بُرَقُ
It was as though, on the day they parted, I was assailed by
It is as though there encircled me, the day I was among them,
a speckled, slender serpent with bright flecks in its coloring.
a green snake interwoven in its hues.
كَأَنَّهاas though it حينَwhen تَبدوappears مِنfrom مَكامِنِهاits hiding places
كَأَنَّها حينَ تَبدو مِن مَكامِنِها
غُصنٌa branch تَفَتَّحَunfolded فيهِon it النورُblossoms وَالوَرَقُand leaves
غُصنٌ تَفَتَّحَ فيهِ النورُ وَالوَرَقُ
As though, when it emerges from its hiding places,
When it appears from its lairs, it is as though
it were a branch on which blossoms and leaves had unfolded.
a branch in which light and leaves have opened.
يَنسَلُّslips out مِنهاfrom it لِسانٌa tongue يَستَغيثُseeks help بِهِwith it
يَنسَلُّ مِنها لِسانٌ يَستَغيثُ بِهِ
كَماjust as تَعَوَّذَsought protection بِالسَبّابَةِwith the forefinger الفَرِقُthe frightened one
كَما تَعَوَّذَ بِالسَبّابَةِ الفَرِقُ
A tongue slips from it, with which it seeks aid,
A tongue slips from it that cries out for help,
as a frightened man seeks protection with his forefinger.
as fingers that make signs cry for aid.
ماwhatever أَنسَI forget لاnot أَنسَI forget إِذwhen قامَتshe rose تُوَدِّعُناbidding us farewell
ما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ إِذ قامَت تُوَدِّعُنا
بِمُقلَةٍwith an eye جَفنُهاits eyelid فيin دَمعِهاits tears غَرِقُdrowned
بِمُقلَةٍ جَفنُها في دَمعِها غَرِقُ
Whatever I forget, I will not forget when she rose to bid us farewell,
Unforgettable - no, unforgotten as she bade us farewell
with an eye whose lid was drowned in its tears.
with eyes whose lids were drowned in her tears.
تَفتَرُّparts عَنto reveal مُقلَةٍan eye حَمراءَred مُوقَدَةٍablaze
تَفتَرُّ عَن مُقلَةٍ حَمراءَ مُوقَدَةٍ
تَكادُit almost لَولاwere it not for دُموعُthe tears of العَينِthe eye تَحتَرِقُit burns
تَكادُ لَولا دُموعُ العَينِ تَحتَرِقُ
Her lid parts to reveal an eye, red and ablaze,
She parts her reddened, flaming eyelids
which would almost burn, were it not for the eye's tears.
that would burn, were it not for the tears' quenching.
كَأَنَّهاas though she حينَwhen تَبدوappears مِنfrom مَجاسِدِهاher dyed garments
كَأَنَّها حينَ تَبدو مِن مَجاسِدِها
بَدرٌa full moon تَمَزَّقَwas torn apart فيat أَركانِهِits edges الغَسَقُthe dusk
بَدرٌ تَمَزَّقَ في أَركانِهِ الغَسَقُ
As though, when she appears from her dyed garments,
When she appears from her curtained litters,
she were a full moon, dusk torn apart around its edges.
it is as though a rent moon in whose corners night falls dark.
وَفِتيَةٍand youths كَسِيوفِlike the swords of الهِندِIndia قُلتُI said لَهُمto them
وَفِتيَةٍ كَسِيوفِ الهِندِ قُلتُ لَهُم
سيرواset out فَماso not أَخطَأواthey mistook قَوليmy words وَماand not خَرَقواthey blundered
سيروا فَما أَخطَأوا قَولي وَما خَرَقوا
And to youths like the swords of India I said:
And warriors like Indian swords, I said to them,
"Set out!" They neither mistook my words nor blundered.
"Go!" They disobeyed not my word and did not tear it.
سارواthey traveled وَقَدand already خَضَعَتhad bowed شَمسُthe sun of الأَصيلِlate afternoon لَهُمbefore them
ساروا وَقَد خَضَعَت شَمسُ الأَصيلِ لَهُم
حَتّىuntil تَوَقَّدَblazed فيin ثَوبِthe robe of الدُجىdarkness الخَفَقُthe horizon
حَتّى تَوَقَّدَ في ثَوبِ الدُجى الخَفَقُ
They traveled on, the evening sun already bowed before them,
They went out, and the sun of night submitted to them,
until the horizon blazed in the robe of darkness,
until the stirrings of darkness flared in its robe.
لِحاجَةٍfor a need لَمdid not أُضاجِعI lie with دونَهاshort of it وَسَناًslumber
لِحاجَةٍ لَم أُضاجِع دونَها وَسَناً
وَرُبَّماand often جابَcut through أَسبابَthe cords of الكَرىsleep الأَرَقُsleeplessness
وَرُبَّما جابَ أَسبابَ الكَرى الأَرَقُ
for a need I would not lie with slumber until it was met;
For a need for which I have not slept a wink,
and often sleeplessness has severed the cords of sleep.
while the causes of fate, perhaps, have robbed of sleep.
لاnot أَشرَبُI drink الماءَwater إِلّاexcept وَهوَand it is مُنجَرِدٌstripped clean
لا أَشرَبُ الماءَ إِلّا وَهوَ مُنجَرِدٌ
مِنَof القَذىfloating specks وَلِغَيريand for anyone but me الشَوبُadmixture وَالرَنِقُand murk
مِنَ القَذى وَلِغَيري الشَوبُ وَالرَنِقُ
I drink water only when it is stripped clean
I drink no water unless it is pure
of specks; the taint and the murk are for others.
of motes, and for others the turbid and tainted.
عَزميmy resolve حُسامٌa keen sword وَقَلبيand my heart لاnot يُخالِفُهُopposes it
عَزمي حُسامٌ وَقَلبي لا يُخالِفُهُ
إِذاwhen تَخاصَمَclash عَزمُthe resolve of المَرءِa man وَالفَرَقُand fear
إِذا تَخاصَمَ عَزمُ المَرءِ وَالفَرَقُ
My resolve is a keen sword, and my heart does not oppose it
My resolution is an Indian sword, and my heart does not oppose it
when a man's resolve and fear are at odds.
when a man's resolution and neck sinew contend.
مَيتُdead السَرائِرِinward thoughts ضَحّاكٌever laughing عَلىdespite حَنَقٍrage
مَيتُ السَرائِرِ ضَحّاكٌ عَلى حَنَقٍ
ماas long as دامَremains يَعجَزُis powerless عَنagainst أَعدائِيَmy enemies الحَنَقُanger
ما دامَ يَعجَزُ عَن أَعدائِيَ الحَنَقُ
My hidden thoughts lie deathly still; I laugh despite my rage,
Dead to hidden thoughts, laughing bitterly,
so long as anger remains powerless against my enemies.
so long as rancor prevails against my foes.
Sol 6.1