أَهَتُوفٌO cooing bird بانَof a ban-tree فيin سرارِthe heart of الواديthe valley
أَهَتُوفٌ بانَ في سرارِ الوادي
هلdid كنتَyou were منwith بَيْنٍparting علىat ميعادِan appointed meeting
هل كنتَ من بَيْنٍ على ميعادِ
O cooing bird of the ban-tree in the valley’s heart,
I wander crazily in the valleys' secrets
did you have an appointment with parting?
Were you one of the tribes at the appointed time
أَمْor قدْalready شَجَاكَhas grieved you علىon قضيبكَyour branch أنّنيthat I
أَمْ قدْ شَجَاكَ على قضيبكَ أنّني
لِنَوَىfor separation from قضيبِthe bough of البانةِthe ban-tree المَيَّادِswaying
لِنَوَى قضيبِ البانةِ المَيَّادِ
Or has it grieved you, on your branch, that I
Or did the shepherd's staff mislead you that I
am parted from the swaying bough of the ban-tree?
Am intent on the shepherd's crook which curves at the top
وأراكand I see you ياO غُصْنَbough of الأراكِthe arak tree مُرَنَّحاًswaying
وأراك يا غُصْنَ الأراكِ مُرَنَّحاً
أَلِزَمّis it at the bridling of عِيرٍa caravan أَمْor تَرَنُّحِthe swaying of حَادِa camel-driver
أَلِزَمّ عِيرٍ أَمْ تَرَنُّحِ حَادِ
And I see you, O arak bough, swaying:
And I see you, O spriggy oleander bending
is it at a caravan’s bridling, or a camel-driver’s swaying?
Have you stuck to a camel train or are you bending gracefully
ماnot كُنتٌI was أَحسبَI think أَنّthat طارقةَthe night-visitant of النَّوىparting
ما كُنتٌ أَحسبَ أَنّ طارقةَ النَّوى
شَحَذَتْsharpened أَسِنَّتَهاher spearheads لغيرfor any but فؤاديmy heart
شَحَذَتْ أَسِنَّتَها لغير فؤادي
I never thought the night-visitant of parting
I did not expect that the kindler of the oleanders
had whetted her spearheads for any heart but mine.
Had sharpened her tongue for other than my heart
ياO صاحِcompanion ياO صاحيsober of الفُؤادِheart أَنِخmake your camel kneel ولوeven if only
يا صاحِ يا صاحي الفُؤادِ أَنِخ ولو
رجعthe return of الصَّدَىthe echo لِتَبُلَّso you may slake غلَّةَthe burning thirst of صادِa thirsty one
رجع الصَّدَى لِتَبُلَّ غلَّةَ صادِ
O friend, O sober-hearted one, make your camel kneel, if only
O you who cries out, cry out to my heart even if
for an echo’s return, to slake a thirsty one’s burning thirst.
The echo returns to reach the knots of the breastbones
وَاِحْبِسْand stay فإنَّfor indeed وراءَbeyond هاتيكَthose الرُّبَىhills
وَاِحْبِسْ فإنَّ وراءَ هاتيكَ الرُّبَى
أَربيmy desire وفيand in ذاكthat المُرادِdesired place مُراديmy desire
أَربي وفي ذاك المُرادِ مُرادي
And stay, for beyond those hills
And wait, for beyond these hillsides
lies my desire; in that desired place lies all I seek.
Is my meadow, and in that intention lies my own intention
فَلَعَلَّso perhaps أنفاسَthe breaths of الحِمَىthe protected grounds يَبْرُدْنَwill bring cool relief منfrom
فَلَعَلَّ أنفاسَ الحِمَى يَبْرُدْنَ من
نَفَسٍa sigh تَضَوَّعspread fragrance through مربَعَthe spring pasture of الأذوادِthe camel herds
نَفَسٍ تَضَوَّع مربَعَ الأذوادِ
Perhaps the breezes of the protected grounds will bring cool relief from
Maybe the breaths of fever will cool down from
a sigh perfuming the camel herds’ spring pasture.
A breath that saturates the square tents
شِمْwatch for بَرْقَthe lightning of عانَةَAnah عنon behalf of جُفُونيmy eyelids إنَّهاfor they
شِمْ بَرْقَ عانَةَ عن جُفُوني إنَّها
حُجِبَتْhave been veiled بسُحبٍby clouds لِلدموعِof tears ورادِruddy
حُجِبَتْ بسُحبٍ لِلدموعِ ورادِ
Watch Anah’s lightning on my eyelids’ behalf, for they
Smell the lightning of Union from my eyelids, it
are veiled by ruddy clouds of tears.
Has been veiled by clouds, a visitors for tears
دارٌan abode يُعطِّرperfumes ذيْلَthe trailing hem of خاطِرِهاits passing visitor بهاthere
دارٌ يُعطِّر ذيْلَ خاطِرِها بها
مِنfrom طيبِthe fragrance of أَجسادٍbodies بِهاwithin it وجسادِand saffron dye
مِن طيبِ أَجسادٍ بِها وجسادِ
An abode that perfumes its passing visitor’s trailing hem
A house that perfumes the end of its idea with it
with the fragrance of bodies within it, and saffron dye.
With the scent of bodies in it and carcasses
يَسْفِرْنَthey unveil عنfrom سُحُبٍclouds سوافرَunveiling عنfrom سناًradiance
يَسْفِرْنَ عن سُحُبٍ سوافرَ عن سناً
مثلَlike الأَهِلَّةِcrescent moons فيat فروعِthe tips of صِعادِupright spears
مثلَ الأَهِلَّةِ في فروعِ صِعادِ
They unveil clouds that themselves unveil a radiance
They travel, revealing clouds over abundant years
like crescent moons at the tips of upright spears.
Like the crescent in the branches of highlands
أَمَعاهدَO haunts of الأحبابِthe loved ones هلwill عهْدُthe days of الهوىlove
أَمَعاهدَ الأحبابِ هل عهْدُ الهوى
عادٍreturn بقصرby curbing يديthe two hands of الزمانِTime العاديthe ravager
عادٍ بقصر يدي الزمانِ العادي
O haunts of loved ones, will love’s old days
As for the covenant of loved ones, is the covenant of love
return, curbing the two hands of ravaging Time?
Returning with the shortness of my lifetime
كعُقُودِlike the necklaces of مجدthe glory of أبيAbu الرَّجاءِal-Raja تَبَسَّمَتْsmiled
كعُقُودِ مجد أبي الرَّجاءِ تَبَسَّمَتْ
عنهاto reveal them رياضُthe gardens of قصائدِthe odes of القُصَّادِpetitioners
عنها رياضُ قصائدِ القُصَّادِ
Like the necklaces of Abu al-Raja’s glory, which the smiling
Like the necklaces of my father Regea’s glory that
gardens of petitioners’ odes have revealed.
The meadows of the harvester’s poems smile from it
عَضْبٌa keen sword يَرُوقُكَdelights you أوor يَرُوعكَterrifies you مرهفfinely honed الthe
عَضْبٌ يَرُوقُكَ أو يَرُوعكَ مرهف ال
حَدَّيْنِtwo edges بينbetween الوعْدِpromise والإيعادِand threat
حَدَّيْنِ بين الوعْدِ والإيعادِ
A keen sword that delights or terrifies you, honed on the
Temper which either pleases or frightens the delicate one
two edges, between promise and threat.
Between the two precise edges of promise and appointment
وحباًand bounty تظلُّremain حياضُهُhis pools ورِياضُهُand his gardens
وحباً تظلُّ حياضُهُ ورِياضُهُ
شَرْقَىchoked منwith الوُرَّادِthose coming to drink والرُّوّادِand pasture-seekers
شَرْقَى من الوُرَّادِ والرُّوّادِ
And bounty, whose pools and gardens remain
And a love whose paddocks and gardens
choked with those who come to drink and seek pasture.
Remain flourishing with visitors and people returning
سَمْحٌgenerous إذاwhen ضَنَّis stingy الصَّبِيرُthe cloudbank بقطرِهwith its rain
سَمْحٌ إذا ضَنَّ الصَّبِيرُ بقطرِه
هادٍa guide إذاwhen سدرُis bewildered البصيرِthe clear-sighted الهاديguide
هادٍ إذا سدرُ البصيرِ الهادي
Generous when the cloudbank withholds its rain;
Generous if the patient one was denied even its drizzle
a guide when the clear-sighted guide is bewildered.
Calm if the clear-sighted guide gets angry
يقظانwakeful يُسْهِرُkeeps awake عينَهُhis eye حبُّlove of العُلَىgreatness
يقظان يُسْهِرُ عينَهُ حبُّ العُلَى
وَمِنَand among المُحَالthe impossible هَوىًlove بغيرwithout سُهَادِsleeplessness
وَمِنَ المُحَال هَوىً بغير سُهَادِ
Wakeful: love of greatness keeps his eye awake;
Awake are the eyes that his love of the sublime keeps awake
and love without sleeplessness is impossible.
And it is impossible for love without beds to cause sleep
Sol 6.1