البُعدَseparation قصُّclipping القوادمthe primary flight feathers
البُعدَ قصُّ القوادم
لكنتI would have been معwith الأظعانthe departing camel-litters أولthe first قادمto arrive
لكنت مع الأظعان أول قادم
Distance is the clipping of pinion-feathers;
Separation—the clipping of the primary flight feathers;
otherwise I would have been first to arrive with the departing caravan.
I would have been first to arrive with the departing camel-litters.
وكيفand how لمنfor one who أضحىhas become لقىa castoff بلقاكمthrough meeting you
وكيف لمن أضحى لقى بلقاكم
وأعلامهand his banners قدalready اصبحتhave become كالمعالمlike the landmarks
وأعلامه قد اصبحت كالمعالم
But how could one whom meeting you has left cast down,
And how could one arrive, made a castoff by meeting you,
the marks upon him now as conspicuous as landmarks?
When his banners have already become like landmarks?
سلواask ليلهhis night عنabout شجوهhis sorrow ونهارهand his day
سلوا ليله عن شجوه ونهاره
فقدfor indeed أشفقاboth grew fearful منof حزنهhis grief المتداومunceasing
فقد أشفقا من حزنه المتداوم
Ask his night—and his day—about his sorrow:
Ask his night and his day about his sorrow;
both have taken pity on his ceaseless grief.
For both have grown fearful of his unceasing grief.
هماboth of them أخّواهboth held him back (unclear form) عنfrom مدىthe reach مدرَكattainment العلىthe heights
هما أخّواه عن مدى مدرَك العلى
هماboth of them قيّداهboth fettered him عنfrom بلوغattaining المكارمnoble virtues
هما قيّداه عن بلوغ المكارم
Together they told him the bounds of his reach toward glory;
Both have held him back from the reach of lofty attainment;
together they fettered him from attaining noble deeds.
Both have fettered him, keeping him from attaining noble virtues.
فهاso behold هوhe فيamid أفنانthe branches دوحةthe spreading tree حزنهhis sorrow
فها هو في أفنان دوحة حزنه
يطارحexchanges بالأسحارin the predawn hours نوحlamentation الحمائمthe doves
يطارح بالأسحار نوح الحمائم
Behold him among the boughs of sorrow’s great tree,
So there he is amid the boughs of his sorrow's spreading tree,
trading laments with the doves in the hours before dawn.
Exchanging laments with the doves in the hours before dawn.
فمنso who مبلغwill convey عنهon his behalf العقيقal-ʿAqīq تحيةa greeting
فمن مبلغ عنه العقيق تحية
كماjust as نمّgave forth fragrance غبّafter القطرthe rain زهرthe blossoms الكمائمthe bud sheaths
كما نمّ غبّ القطر زهر الكمائم
Who will carry from him a greeting to al-ʿAqīq,
Who, then, will carry a greeting from him to al-ʿAqīq,
as flowers in their calyxes breathe fragrance after rain?
As blossoms in their sheaths give forth fragrance after rain?
لئنif indeed بانhas departed بانbān trees الغورthe lowland عنهfrom him فماthen not لهhe has
لئن بان بان الغور عنه فما له
نصيرٌa helper سوىexcept سحّthe pouring الدموعof tears السواجمstreaming
نصيرٌ سوى سحّ الدموع السواجم
Though al-Ghawr’s bān trees have grown distant from him, he has
If the lowland's bān trees have departed from him, he has no
no ally but the outpouring of streaming tears.
Helper save the pouring of streaming tears.
أياO سرحةspreading tree الوادىof the valley متىwhen تمنحwill grant اللقاreunion
أيا سرحة الوادى متى تمنح اللقا
ليالٍnights ترىthat deem التفريقseparation ضربةa blow لازمinescapable
ليالٍ ترى التفريق ضربة لازم
O great tree of the valley, when will reunion be granted
O spreading tree of the valley, when will reunion be granted
by nights that deem separation an inescapable blow?
By nights that deem separation an inescapable blow?
ولماand when حداsang to urge the camels on حادىthe camel-driver of الرفاقthe companions بيثرتat Yathrib (uncertain reading)
ولما حدا حادى الرفاق بيثرت
وحثواand they urged مسيرthe pace of اليعملاتthe hardy she-camels الرواسمtrotting
وحثوا مسير اليعملات الرواسم
And when the caravan’s cameleer sang out at Yathrib,
And when the companions' camel-driver sang at Yathrib (reading uncertain),
and they urged the trail-marking, sturdy she-camels on their way,
And they hastened the pace of the hardy, trotting she-camels,
وخلفنيand left me behind ضعفىmy weakness أفضتI poured out مدامعىmy tears
وخلفني ضعفى أفضت مدامعى
وقبّلتُand I kissed بالأوهامin imagination تربَthe dust of المناسمthe camels' footpads
وقبّلتُ بالأوهام تربَ المناسم
my weakness left me behind, and my tears spilled over;
And my weakness left me behind, I poured out my tears,
in fancy I kissed the dust beneath the camels’ feet.
And in imagination I kissed the dust beneath the camels' feet.
ترىI wonder تجمعwill unite الأيامthe days شملاًa company بشملهمwith their company
ترى تجمع الأيام شملاً بشملهم
فيصدقso it proves true للمشتاقfor the yearning one صدقsincerity العزائمfirm resolves
فيصدق للمشتاق صدق العزائم
Do you think the days will reunite my scattered self with theirs,
Will the days, I wonder, unite my company with theirs,
so that, for the yearning lover, the truth of resolve comes true,
So that earnest resolve proves true for the yearning one,
وتطلعand rise أقمارmoons بطالعunder an ascendant أسعدmore auspicious
وتطلع أقمار بطالع أسعد
أياO دهرTime إنif فرقتyou scattered شملىmy company أولاat first
أيا دهر إن فرقت شملى أولا
and moons rise under a happier ascendant?
And moons rise under a more auspicious ascendant?
O Time, if at first you scattered my union,
O Time, if you scattered my company at first,
عساكmay you إذاwhen تقضىyou draw to a close ينجحturns out well الخواتمthe endings
عساك إذا تقضى ينجح الخواتم
perhaps, when you decree, the final outcome will prosper.
May your endings turn out well when you draw to a close.
Sol 6.1