مَرَىdrew forth الدَّمعَthe tears مِنfrom عَينَيكَyour two eyes دارٌa dwelling مُحِيلَةٌdesolate
مَرَى الدَّمعَ مِن عَينَيكَ دارٌ مُحِيلَةٌ
بِفَيضِat Fayḍ الحَشاal-Ḥashā تَسفِىscatters dust عَلَيهاover it دَبُورُهاits west wind
بِفَيضِ الحَشا تَسفِى عَلَيها دَبُورُها
A desolate dwelling drew tears from your eyes,
Tears flowed from your eyes, a home turned desolate
At Fayḍ al-Ḥashā, where its west wind scatters dust over it.
By a torrent of grief washed away are its dwellers
عَهِدتُI once knew بِهاat it سِرباًa company أُمَيمَةُUmaymah فِيهِمُamong them
عَهِدتُ بِها سِرباً أُمَيمَةُ فِيهِمُ
وَلَمand had not يَدعُcalled بِالبَينِfor departure المُشِتِّscattering أَمِيرُهَاher chief
وَلَم يَدعُ بِالبَينِ المُشِتِّ أَمِيرُهَا
I once knew a company there, Umaymah among them,
Once a flock of doves were there, among them
And her chief had not yet called for the parting that scatters.
No emir left that would part them when far he wandered
وَقَفتُI stood فَأَقرَأتُthen I offered السَّلامَthe greeting فَلَمbut did not تُبنِmake clear
وَقَفتُ فَأَقرَأتُ السَّلامَ فَلَم تُبنِ
جَواباًan answer وَلَمand did not تُعرِبspeak plainly لِمَنto whoever يَستَحِيرُهَاasks it to reply
جَواباً وَلَم تُعرِب لِمَن يَستَحِيرُهَا
I stood and offered my greeting, but it did not give
I stood and sent greetings but no response came
An answer, nor speak plainly to the one who sought its reply.
No words uttered, though looked for in puzzlement
فَحَمِّلso load نَوَاهاthe distance to her عَنسَلاًa swift she-camel شَمَّرِيَّةًnimble
فَحَمِّل نَوَاها عَنسَلاً شَمَّرِيَّةً
يُشَدُّis fastened عَلَىupon مِثلِthe like of السَّفِينَةِthe ship كُورُهاher saddle
يُشَدُّ عَلَى مِثلِ السَّفِينَةِ كُورُها
So lay the journey to her upon a swift, nimble she-camel,
Make its intent an easily bound scroll that ties
Whose saddle is fastened upon a ship-like frame.
Like a ship’s plank its pages and leaves in order
شَدَدتُI fastened عَلَيهاonto her الرَّحلَthe riding saddle لَمَّاwhen تَكَبَّرَتshe grew disdainful
شَدَدتُ عَلَيها الرَّحلَ لَمَّا تَكَبَّرَت
عَلَىtoward الفَحلِthe breeding male أَوor أَبدَىrevealed اللِّقاحَpregnancy خُطُورُهاher tail-swishing
عَلَى الفَحلِ أَو أَبدَى اللِّقاحَ خُطُورُها
I strapped the riding saddle on her when she scorned
When she grew arrogant I bound it fast
The breeding male, or her tail-swishing revealed her pregnancy.
If she sniffed the stallion or showed her zeal
إذَاwhen هِىَshe خَافَتfeared خَفقَةَthe swish السَّوطِthe whip لَمdid not تَزَلcease
إذَا هِىَ خَافَت خَفقَةَ السَّوطِ لَم تَزَل
كَأَنَّas though بِهاupon her لَمّاتِvisitations جِنٍّjinn تُطِيرُهَاsend her flying
كَأَنَّ بِها لَمّاتِ جِنٍّ تُطِيرُهَا
Whenever she feared the swish of the whip, she kept on
She feared the whip's blow, never ceasing to be
As though visitations of jinn possessed her and sent her flying.
As if inside her were devils to startle her
أُمَيمُUmaym احفِظىguard against نَقضَunravelling القُوَىthe strands إِنif تَذَمَّرَتraged
أُمَيمُ احفِظى نَقضَ القُوَى إِن تَذَمَّرَت
كٍلابُdogs العِدَىthe enemies دُونِىin my way وَهرَّand snarled عَقُورُهَاtheir vicious hound
كٍلابُ العِدَى دُونِى وَهرَّ عَقُورُهَا
Umaym, guard against unravelling the strands, if they rage—
My doves guard against powers rent asunder
The enemies' dogs in my way—and their vicious hound snarls.
The hounds of hatred prowl, evade their savagery
وَلَنand will not يَنقُضَundo الهِجرَانُseparation عَقداًa knot عَقَدتُهُI tied it
وَلَن يَنقُضَ الهِجرَانُ عَقداً عَقَدتُهُ
إِذاwhen مَلَّgrew weary مِنof نَقضِunravelling القُوَىthe strands مَنthe one who يُغِيرُهَاtwists them tightly
إِذا مَلَّ مِن نَقضِ القُوَى مَن يُغِيرُهَا
And separation will not undo a knot I tied,
No estrangement will breach a pact I have sealed
When the one who twists the strands tires of unravelling them.
If those who would change it tire of savagery
أُمَيمُUmaym أَماwill ... not? الدُّنياlife بِعائِدةٍreturning لَناto us
أُمَيمُ أَما الدُّنيا بِعائِدةٍ لَنا
كَماas قَدonce مَضَىpassed أَمor كَيفَhow يُرجَىis hoped for كرُورُهَاits return
كَما قَد مَضَى أَم كَيفَ يُرجَى كرُورُهَا
Umaym, will life not return to us
My doves will this world return us to one day
As it once was—or how can its return be hoped for?
Or else, how can its former ways be hoped for?
Sol 6.1