ماهاجَwhat stirred قَلبَكَyour heart مِنat مَعارِفِfamiliar traces of دِمنَةٍa ruined campsite
ماهاجَ قَلبَكَ مِن مَعارِفِ دِمنَةٍ
بِالبَرقِat al-Barq بَينَbetween أَصالِفٍAsalif وَفَدافِدِand Fadafid
بِالبَرقِ بَينَ أَصالِفٍ وَفَدافِدِ
What stirred your heart at the familiar traces of a ruined campsite
Your heart was not troubled by the spiteful acquaintances,
At al-Barq, between Asalif and Fadafid?
With lightning between interlocked ribs and vertebrae.
لَعِبَتplayed بِهاwith it هُوجُthe raging blasts of الرِياحِthe winds فَأَصبَحَتso it became
لَعِبَت بِها هُوجُ الرِياحِ فَأَصبَحَت
قَفراًa desolate waste تَعَذَّرَbecame hard to discern غَيرَexcept for أَورَقَash-gray هامِدِextinguished; lifeless
قَفراً تَعَذَّرَ غَيرَ أَورَقَ هامِدِ
The wild winds played with it, and it became
The gusts of wind played with it, so it became
A desolate waste, hard to discern, save for gray, dead ashes.
A barren land where none but the still leaves of reeds can grow.
وَلَقَدand indeed رَدَدتُI repeated بِهاat it السُؤالَthe questioning صَبابَةًout of ardent longing
وَلَقَد رَدَدتُ بِها السُؤالَ صَبابَةً
وَالدارُand the dwelling قَبليbefore me ماتَبينُdoes not answer لِناشِدِto an inquirer
وَالدارُ قَبلي ماتَبينُ لِناشِدِ
And indeed I repeated my questions there, out of longing,
And I did address it with questions out of yearning,
Though even before I came, the dwelling answered no inquirer.
While the abode before me was obscured from the inquirer.
وَلَقَدand indeed نَظَرتُI looked فَماbut not رَأَيتُI saw لِناظِرٍfor an observer
وَلَقَد نَظَرتُ فَما رَأَيتُ لِناظِرٍ
غَيرَexcept الصَفيحِthe stone slabs وَغَيرَand except رأُسٍّa foundation (unclear reading) بائِدِruined; perished
غَيرَ الصَفيحِ وَغَيرَ رأُسٍّ بائِدِ
And indeed I looked, but saw nothing to meet the eye
And I did look, but I did not see a beholder
But stone slabs and a ruined foundation.
Other than the steel and the head of a lance brought low.
تَجلوshe polishes بِأَخضَرَwith a green twig مِنfrom فُروعِthe branches of أَراكَةٍan arak tree
تَجلو بِأَخضَرَ مِن فُروعِ أَراكَةٍ
حَسَنَbeautiful المُنَصَّبِthe setting of the teeth كَالفَضيضِlike fresh water البارِدِcool
حَسَنَ المُنَصَّبِ كَالفَضيضِ البارِدِ
She polishes, with a green twig from an arak tree,
It shelters with the greenest of arâk branches,
Her lovely, well-set teeth, like cool, fresh water.
Beautifully pitched like cooled clarify juice.
رَحَلَتshe journeyed لِتَقضيto fulfill فيin المَدينَةِMedina حاجَةًa need
رَحَلَت لِتَقضي في المَدينَةِ حاجَةً
عِندَwith; at الأَميرِthe emir وَأَهلُهاand her people بِعُتائِدِat Uta'id
عِندَ الأَميرِ وَأَهلُها بِعُتائِدِ
She journeyed to fulfill a need in Medina,
It travelled to fulfill a need in the city
With the emir, while her people were at Uta'id.
With the prince, while its people were busied.
مَنwhoever كانَwas أَخطَأَهُhad missed him الرَبيعُspring فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it is so
مَن كانَ أَخطَأَهُ الرَبيعُ فَإِنَّهُ
نُصِرَwas succored الحِجازُthe Hijaz بِغَيثِby the rain of عَبدِAbd (servant of) الواحِدِal-Wahid (the One)
نُصِرَ الحِجازُ بِغَيثِ عَبدِ الواحِدِ
If spring has passed anyone by, then surely
Whoever spring had missed, he was given victory
The Hijaz has been succored by Abd al-Wahid's rain.
When the Hijâz was watered by the rain of the Unique.
سَبَقَتoutstripped أَوائِلُهُhis earliest showers أَواخِرَthe last stages of نَوئِهِhis rainy season
سَبَقَت أَوائِلُهُ أَواخِرَ نَوئِهِ
بِمُشَرَّعٍwith an accessible watering place عَذبٍsweet; fresh وَنَبتٍand vegetation واعِدِpromising
بِمُشَرَّعٍ عَذبٍ وَنَبتٍ واعِدِ
His earliest showers outstripped the last of his rainy season,
Its early showers outdid its late downpour
With a sweet-water drinking place and promising growth.
With sweet, aromatic, verdant, promising growth.
لانَتshe grew tender وَغَرَّقَهاand drenched her النَعيمُluxury وَشُرِّبَتand she was steeped
لانَت وَغَرَّقَها النَعيمُ وَشُرِّبَت
طيبَthe perfume of العِراقِIraq فَنِعمَso excellent is غُصنُthe branch of العاضِدِthe branch-cutter
طيبَ العِراقِ فَنِعمَ غُصنُ العاضِدِ
She grew tender, luxury drenched her, and she was steeped
It became delicate and drenched with bliss, and was watered
In Iraq's perfume—a fine bough for the branch-cutter!
With the perfume of Irâq, so excellent is the supporting branch.
إِنَّindeed المَدينَةَMedina أَصبَحَتhas become مَعموَرَةًprosperous; well populated
إِنَّ المَدينَةَ أَصبَحَت مَعموَرَةً
بِمُتَوَّجٍwith a crowned ruler حُلوِsweet الشَمائِلِthe manners ماجِدِnoble
بِمُتَوَّجٍ حُلوِ الشَمائِلِ ماجِدِ
Indeed, Medina has become prosperous
The city has become populated
With a crowned ruler, sweet in disposition and noble,
With a crowned conqueror, beautiful of noble deeds.
كَالغَيثِlike rain مِنfrom عَرضِthe breadth of الفُراتِthe Euphrates تَهافَتَتconverged; rushed together
كَالغَيثِ مِن عَرضِ الفُراتِ تَهافَتَت
سُبُلٌroads إِلَيهِtoward him بِصادِرٍbearing a departing traveler أَوor وارِدِan arriving traveler
سُبُلٌ إِلَيهِ بِصادِرٍ أَو وارِدِ
Like rain from the Euphrates' broad expanse; there converged
The paths to it rushed like the rain from the Euphrates’ width,
Roads toward him, bearing travelers departing or arriving.
With visitors incoming or resident.
وَمَلَكتَand you ruled غَيرَnot مُعَنَّفٍrebuked; censured فيin مُلكِهِhis dominion
وَمَلَكتَ غَيرَ مُعَنَّفٍ في مُلكِهِ
مادونَall this side of مَكَّةَMecca مِنof حَصىًpebbled ground وَمَساجِدِand mosques
مادونَ مَكَّةَ مِن حَصىً وَمَساجِدِ
And you ruled, uncensured in your dominion,
And it ruled without being oppressed in its rule
All this side of Mecca, its pebbled ground and mosques.
What lies before Mecca, whether pebbles or mosques.
وَلَقَدand indeed بَلَغتَyou attained بِغَيرِwithout أَمرِan act of تَكَلُّفٍstrained effort
وَلَقَد بَلَغتَ بِغَيرِ أَمرِ تَكَلُّفٍ
أَعلىthe highest الحُظوظِfortunes بِرِغمِin spite of أَنفِthe nose of الحاسِدِthe envier
أَعلى الحُظوظِ بِرِغمِ أَنفِ الحاسِدِ
And indeed, without strained effort, you attained
And you reached, without pretentious effort,
The highest fortune, to the envier's humiliation.
The highest fortunes, despite the envious one’s spite,
وَمَلَكتَand you ruled ماall that بَينَlies between العِراقِIraq وَيَثرِبٍand Yathrib
وَمَلَكتَ ما بَينَ العِراقِ وَيَثرِبٍ
مُلكاًa dominion أَجارَthat protected لِمُسلِمٍfor a Muslim وَمُعاهِدِand a covenant-holder
مُلكاً أَجارَ لِمُسلِمٍ وَمُعاهِدِ
And you ruled all between Iraq and Yathrib,
And ruled what lay between Irâq and Yathrib
A rule that protected, for Muslim and covenant-holder alike,
A kingdom that gave sanctuary to Muslim and dhimmî.
ماليهِماthe wealth of both وَدَميهِماand the blood of both مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماwhen
ماليهِما وَدَميهِما مِن بَعدِ ما
غَشىّhad engulfed الضَعيفُthe weak شُعاعُthe gleam of سَيفِthe sword of المارِدِthe rebel
غَشىّ الضَعيفُ شُعاعُ سَيفِ المارِدِ
Their wealth and their blood, after
Their wealth and blood, after what
The weak had been engulfed by the gleam of the rebel's sword.
The brightness of the sword of the gallant covered the weak.
وَلَقَدand indeed رَمَتhurled قَيسٌQays وَراءَكَbehind you بِالحَصىwith pebbles
وَلَقَد رَمَت قَيسٌ وَراءَكَ بِالحَصى
مَنwhoever رامَsought ظُلمَكَwronging you مِنamong عَدوٍّan enemy جاهِدٍstriving; determined
مَن رامَ ظُلمَكَ مِن عَدوٍّ جاهِدٍ
And indeed Qays, behind you, hurled pebbles
And Qais threw pebbles behind you
At any determined foe who sought to wrong you.
At whoever sought to wrong you, you bold hostile foe.
Sol 6.1