أَشاقَكَdid they stir your longing بِالقِنعِat al-Qinʿ الغَداةَthis morning رُسومُtraces
أَشاقَكَ بِالقِنعِ الغَداةَ رُسومُ
دَوارِسُeffaced أَدنىthe most recent عَهدِهِنَّmemory of them قَديمُancient
دَوارِسُ أَدنى عَهدِهِنَّ قَديمُ
Did traces at al-Qinʿ stir your longing this morning—
Your beauty drew me with a veil this morning,
Effaced, even the most recent memory of them ancient?
Young maidens whose youth is freshly bloomed.
يَلُحنَthey appear وَقَدand already جَرَّمنَthey have completed عِشرينَtwenty حِجَّةًyears
يَلُحنَ وَقَد جَرَّمنَ عِشرينَ حِجَّةً
كَماjust as لاحَappeared فيon ظَهرِthe back of البَنانِthe fingers وُشومُtattoos
كَما لاحَ في ظَهرِ البَنانِ وُشومُ
They show, though twenty years have passed over them,
They sway though twenty pilgrimages have passed,
As tattoos appear on the backs of fingers.
Like peaks on the mountain's back at dawn.
مَنازِلُdwelling places أَمّاas for أَهلُهاtheir people فَتَحَمَّلواso they packed up
مَنازِلُ أَمّا أَهلُها فَتَحَمَّلوا
فَسارواso they departed وَأَمّاand as for صَبُّهُمtheir lovesick lover فَمُقيمُso he remains
فَساروا وَأَمّا صَبُّهُم فَمُقيمُ
Dwelling places: their people have packed up
The dwellings - while their people bore their load
And departed, while their lovesick lover remains.
And journeyed on, their youth remained behind.
كَأَنّيas though I بِهاat them لَمّاwhen عَرَفتُI recognized رُسومَهاtheir traces
كَأَنّي بِها لَمّا عَرَفتُ رُسومَها
ثَقيلٌgravely stricken لَدىat أَيديthe hands of الرُقاةِhealers who recite charms سَليمُa snakebite victim
ثَقيلٌ لَدى أَيدي الرُقاةِ سَليمُ
As though I, there, when I recognized their traces,
They seemed, when I knew their features first,
Were a snakebite victim, laid low in the hands of charm-healers.
A precious trust in sculptors' hands designed.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لِماconcerning what إِستودِعَتُI was entrusted with ياO أُمَّUmm (mother of) مالِكٍMalik
وَإِنّي لِما إِستودِعَتُ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ
عَلىdespite قِدَمٍlong passage of time مِنsince عَهدِهِits time لَكَتومُindeed very discreet
عَلى قِدَمٍ مِن عَهدِهِ لَكَتومُ
And I, concerning what was entrusted to me, O Umm Malik,
When I entrusted you, O mother of Malik,
Though long has passed since then, am indeed a keeper of secrets.
To time, firm on foundations long enshrined
وَإِنّيand indeed I عَلىdespite الشَوقِthe longing الَّذيwhich أَناI داخِلٌam immersed in
وَإِنّي عَلى الشَوقِ الَّذي أَنا داخِلٌ
إِذاwhen باحَspeak openly أَصحابُthe devotees of الهَوىpassionate love لَضَمومُindeed very reticent
إِذا باحَ أَصحابُ الهَوى لَضَمومُ
And I, despite the longing in which I am engulfed,
My passion that within me stirs, when friends
When lovers speak openly, keep my own love close.
Reveal their love, I keep concealed, resigned.
فَلَمso did not تَرَsee عَينَيmy eyes مَربَعاًa spring encampment بَعدَafter مَربَعٍa spring encampment
فَلَم تَرَ عَينَي مَربَعاً بَعدَ مَربَعٍ
بِذيat Dhu العُشِّal-ʿUshsh لَوif only كانَwere النَعيمُbliss يَدومُenduring
بِذي العُشِّ لَو كانَ النَعيمُ يَدومُ
So my eyes have seen no spring encampment since that encampment
No home, though filled with happiest life, has held
At Dhu al-ʿUshsh—if only bliss could endure!
My eyes beyond a transitory stay.
فَلَيتَif only وَليَّthe designated heir العَهدِthe succession pledge كانَhad been مُحَرَّماًinviolable
فَلَيتَ وَليَّ العَهدِ كانَ مُحَرَّماً
عَلىto المَوتِdeath مَعقودٌbound عَلَيهِupon him تَميمُamulets
عَلى المَوتِ مَعقودٌ عَلَيهِ تَميمُ
Would that the heir apparent had been made untouchable
Would he the heir, predestined for our realm,
To death, with amulets bound upon him.
On whom is bound an amulet 'gainst death's claim!
صَحائِبُcompanions (apparently clouds here) لاnot مِنfrom صَيِّبٍa downpour ذيbearing صَواعِقٍthunderbolts
صَحائِبُ لا مِن صَيِّبٍ ذي صَواعِقٍ
وَلاand not مُحرِقاتٍscorching ones ماؤهُنَّtheir water حَميمُscalding
وَلا مُحرِقاتٍ ماؤهُنَّ حَميمُ
Companions [apparently clouds], not from a downpour bearing thunderbolts,
Clouds, not of lightning-charged rainstorm, but rather
Nor scorching ones whose water is scalding,
Of gentle draft whose water is pure balm.
وَلاand not مُخلِفاتٍpromise-breakers حينَwhen هِجنَthey are stirred بِنَسمَةٍby a breeze
وَلا مُخلِفاتٍ حينَ هِجنَ بِنَسمَةٍ
إِلَيهُنَّtoward them هَوجاءُwild المَهَبِّin its blowing عَقيمُbarren
إِلَيهُنَّ هَوجاءُ المَهَبِّ عَقيمُ
Nor promise-breakers, when stirred by a breeze
Nor trailing clouds that when the hot wind blows
Blowing toward them, wild in its course, barren.
Let through a barren, flaming blast of drought.
إِذاwhen ماemphasis هَبَطنَthey descend upon الأَرضَthe earth قَدalready ماتَhas died عودُهاits wood
إِذا ما هَبَطنَ الأَرضَ قَد ماتَ عودُها
بَكَينَthey weep بِهاupon it حَتّىuntil يَعيشَcomes to life هَشيمُwithered brush
بَكَينَ بِها حَتّى يَعيشَ هَشيمُ
When they descend upon the earth, its wood already dead,
When they alight upon the earth, its boughs expire,
They weep upon it until the withered brush lives.
And weep for them until the brushwood lives.
Sol 6.1