حداةsinging camel-drivers الحمولthe laden camels قفوهاstop them قليلاa little
حداة الحمول قفوها قليلا
عسىperhaps بالطولthrough lingering سأشفىI shall soothe الغليلاthe burning thirst
عسى بالطول سأشفى الغليلا
O drivers of the laden camels, stop them awhile.
Restrain the camels awhile,
Perhaps, by lingering, I shall quench my burning thirst.
Perhaps in patience I may find solace for my grief.
أأكنافO environs of نجدNajd ترىdo you think فيكin you تجدىthey avail
أأكناف نجد ترى فيك تجدى
دموعtears بخدىupon my cheek توالىcontinue الهمولاthe pouring down
دموع بخدى توالى الهمولا
O environs of Najd, do you think they avail in you—
O sands of Nejd, do you harbor any cure,
the tears upon my cheek, pouring down without cease?
As tears flow down my cheeks in torrents?
فؤادthe heart of المثوقthe yearning one (uncertain reading) ذوىhas withered بالحقوقunder obligations
فؤاد المثوق ذوى بالحقوق
متىwhen بالعقيقat al-Aqiq سيلفىit will find مقيلاa resting place
متى بالعقيق سيلفى مقيلا
The yearning one's heart has withered under obligations;
My heart had faith in justice and rights,
when will it find a resting place at al-Aqiq?
When will the sacred land bring relief?
حمامthe doves of الغصونthe boughs بشجوwith the plaintive song of الفنونthe varied strains
حمام الغصون بشجو الفنون
أهجنَthey stirred شجونىmy sorrows بروضِin a garden أصيلاat dusk
أهجنَ شجونى بروضِ أصيلا
The doves of the boughs, with their varied plaintive strains,
The doves in the boughs sing artfully,
stirred my sorrows in a garden at dusk.
Their melody adds to my sorrow in this barren place.
فيبتّso I spent the night (uncertain reading) أنادىcalling وقلبىand my heart صادىathirst
فيبتّ أنادى وقلبى صادى
متىwhen ياO رشادىmy guidance أزورI visit الرسولاthe Messenger
متى يا رشادى أزور الرسولا
So I spent the night calling, my heart athirst:
Sleepless I call out, my heart echoes,
When, O my guide, shall I visit the Messenger?
O guide, when can I visit the Messenger?
فؤادُthe heart of الكئيبthe grieving one غداhas become فيin لهيبflames
فؤادُ الكئيب غدا في لهيب
فهلis there, then منany طبيبphysician يعانىwho tends العليلاthe ailing one
فهل من طبيب يعانى العليلا
The grieving one's heart has come to burn in flames;
My aching heart is aflame,
is there, then, a physician to tend the ailing one?
Is there a doctor to aid the feeble?
لقدindeed طالhas grown long شوقيmy yearning لملاكfor the masters of رقىmy bondage
لقد طال شوقي لملاك رقى
فدينواso deal برفقwith gentleness وولواand bestow الجميلاkindness
فدينوا برفق وولوا الجميلا
My yearning for the masters of my bondage has indeed grown long;
My yearning for the angel of dignity has lasted long,
so treat me gently, and bestow kindness.
Be gentle and speak well.
متىwhen للمعالىtoward lofty honors وبدرand the full moon of الكمالperfection
متى للمعالى وبدر الكمال
علىdespite ضعفthe frailty of حاليmy condition سأهدىI shall be guided السبيلاthe way
على ضعف حالي سأهدى السبيلا
When, toward lofty honors and the full moon of perfection,
When can my lowly state aspire to the sublime,
despite my frail condition, shall I be guided along the way?
And find the path to the full moon?
أياO صاحfriend دعنىleave me be لوىhas twisted الدهرtime دينيmy faith
أيا صاح دعنى لوى الدهر ديني
فأدعso I leave alone عينىmy eyes أصبنَthey found المسيلاthe channel
فأدع عينى أصبنَ المسيلا
O friend, leave me be: time has twisted my faith.
O companion, let me repay my debt to fate,
So I let my eyes be: they have found their channel.
And let my eyes pour out their flooding tears.
نأتhas grown distant عنهfrom him دارىmy home بغيرwithout اختيارىmy choosing
نأت عنه دارى بغير اختيارى
لبعدbecause of the distance of المزارthe place of visitation حرمتI was denied الوصولاarrival
لبعد المزار حرمت الوصولا
My home has grown distant from him, not by my choosing;
My home turned from me against my will,
because the place of visitation is distant, I have been denied arrival.
Because the tomb was too far to reach.
بطيبةin Tayba سولىmy heart's desire وقبرand the tomb of الرسولthe Messenger
بطيبة سولى وقبر الرسول
إليهtoward him خليلىmy dear friend فحثso hasten الرحيلاthe departure
إليه خليلى فحث الرحيلا
In Tayba are my heart's desire and the Messenger's tomb;
By Tabuk and the tomb of the Messenger
toward him, my dear friend—hasten the departure!
To whom I am most devoted, I was urged to depart.
فنىhas wasted away الصبthe lovelorn one برحاin anguish وحزناand grief ونوحاand lamentation
فنى الصب برحا وحزنا ونوحا
وبالغربand in the West أضحىhe became غريباa stranger ذليلاabased
وبالغرب أضحى غريبا ذليلا
The lovelorn one has wasted away in anguish, grief, and lamentation;
At dawn I left in sorrow, lamenting, grieving,
and in the West he has become a stranger, abased.
A pitiful stranger in the West.
يؤدlongs (uncertain reading) المعنىthe tormented one لوif only أنthat قدindeed تغنىsang
يؤد المعنى لو أن قد تغنى
لدىbeside الصبthe lovelorn one مضنىa wasted sufferer فيحدوand so he drives with song الحمولاthe laden camels
لدى الصب مضنى فيحدو الحمولا
The tormented one longs: if only someone would sing—
If I were to express the meaning sung
a wasted soul beside the lover—and urge the laden camels on.
To the dawn's melody which inspires the camel drivers.
حداةsinging camel-drivers الرفاقthe traveling companions دموعthe tears of اشتياقيmy longing
حداة الرفاق دموع اشتياقي
همَتthey poured فيin المآقىthe eye-corners فأجرتso set flowing سيولاtorrents
همَت في المآقى فأجرت سيولا
O drivers of the traveling company, the tears of my longing
The tears of my dear friends upon parting
have streamed from the corners of my eyes and set torrents flowing.
Poured forth floods of sorrow at our misery.
فرقّواso have pity لباكon a weeper جوىthe burning pain of البينseparation شاكcomplaining
فرقّوا لباك جوى البين شاك
حكىhe imitated فيamong الأراكthe arak trees بشدوwith song هديلاa dove's cooing
حكى في الأراك بشدو هديلا
So pity a weeper who complains of separation's burning pain,
They bid farewell, their tears like rain,
who, among the arak trees, imitated a dove's cooing in song.
Murmuring softly, voices subdued.
سقىmay water المزنُthe rainclouds وبلاwith a downpour ثرىearth فيهin which حلاhe dwelt
سقى المزنُ وبلا ثرى فيه حلا
هلالa crescent moon تجلىshone سناءradiance جليلاmajestic
هلال تجلى سناء جليلا
May the rainclouds drench with a downpour the earth where dwelt
The crescent shone, pure and unblemished,
a crescent moon that shone with majestic radiance.
A sublime new moon.
فصلىso may He bless الإلهGod علىupon منthe one whose علاهhis eminence
فصلى الإله على من علاه
سماrose high واعتلاهand he ascended it فأضحىand so he became أثيلاfirmly established and noble
سما واعتلاه فأضحى أثيلا
So may God bless him whose eminence
May God bless him who ascended above,
soared, and who attained it, becoming noble and firmly established.
And attained lofty virtues.
Sol 6.1