قسَماًby an oath لقدcertainly نشرَspread الحَياthe life-giving rain
قسَماً لقد نشرَ الحَيا
بمناكبِover the shoulders of العَلَمَينِal-‘Alamayn; the two landmark hills بُرداًa mantle
بمناكبِ العَلَمَينِ بُرداً
I swear: the rain has spread
I swear the life has spread
a mantle over the shoulders of al-‘Alamayn.
Over the shoulders of the two worlds, coldness,
وتنفستْand breathed يمنيَّةٌa Yemeni breeze
وتنفستْ يمنيَّةٌ
تَستضحِكُmakes smile الزَّهرَthe flowers المندَّىdew-moistened
تَستضحِكُ الزَّهرَ المندَّى
And a Yemeni breeze has breathed,
And a right-wing breathed
coaxing the dew-wet flowers to smile.
Laughing at the dewy flowers,
وجريحةُand a wounded one اللبّاتِthe hollows at the throat تَنْscatters (word begins)
وجريحةُ اللبّاتِ تَنْ
شُرُcompletion of 'scatters' منfrom سقيطِthe falling drops of الدمعtears عِقَداnecklaces
شُرُ من سقيطِ الدمع عِقَدا
And one wounded at the throat scatters
And the wounded lips
necklaces of falling tears.
Spread from the fall of tears, knots,
نازعتُهاI vied with her حَلَبَmilking الشؤوthe tear ducts (word begins)
نازعتُها حَلَبَ الشؤو
نِcompletion of 'the tear ducts' وقلماand seldom استعبرتُI shed tears وجدَاfrom longing
نِ وقلما استعبرتُ وجدَا
I vied with her in milking the tear
I disputed with her the milking of grief
ducts—and seldom have I wept from longing.
And I rarely found consolation and affection
ومُساجلٍand a rival ليof mine قدalready شققdug (verb begins)
ومُساجلٍ لي قد شقق
تُI (completes 'I dug') لدائِهfor his sickness فيin فيَّmy mouth لحداَa grave
تُ لدائِه في فيَّ لحداَ
And a rival of mine—I have dug
And a debater who cracked for me
a grave for his sickness within my mouth.
For his pain in me a tomb
لاdo not ترمِstrike; aim بيat me فأناfor I الذيthe one who
لا ترمِ بي فأنا الذي
صيرتُI made حُرَّthe freeborn الشِّعرِpoetry عَبدَاa slave
صيرتُ حُرَّ الشِّعرِ عَبدَا
Do not strike at me, for I am the one
Do not throw me away, for I am the one
who made freeborn poetry a slave,
Who made the poetry free, a slave
بشواردٍwith stray verses شمسِunruly القياthe reins (word begins)
بشواردٍ شمسِ القيا
دِcompletion of 'the reins' يزدنthey increase عندwith القُربnearness بُعداَin distance
دِ يزدن عند القُرب بُعداَ
with stray verses, unyielding to the
With the fantasies of the sun of leadership fluttering with proximity and distance
reins, growing more distant as one draws near.
And the holder of the two coolnesses in
وممسّكِand a musk-dark one البردينthe two mantles فيin
وممسّكِ البردين في
شبهthe likeness of النقاthe sand dune شبهاًin form وقَدّاand stature
شبه النقا شبهاً وقَدّا
And one clad in two musk-dark mantles, in
Resemblance to the thinness of firewood and kindling
a sand dune's likeness, in form and stature:
So it is as if the cloud's hand
فكأنماso, as though نسجتْwove عليupon
فكأنما نسجتْ علي
هhim يدُthe hand of الغمامِthe cloud الجونِdark جلدَاa hide
ه يدُ الغمامِ الجونِ جلدَا
as though there had been woven upon
Wove over it the skin of beauty
him a hide by the dark cloud's hand.
And if its qualities seduce you
واذاand when لوتكَelude you; put you off صفاتهhis qualities
واذا لوتكَ صفاته
أَعطاكَhe gives you مسَّa touch of الروعِfright فقدَاabsence; loss
أَعطاكَ مسَّ الروعِ فقدَا
And when his qualities elude you,
It gives you the touch of fear, loss
he gives you absence at fear's slightest touch.
So it is as if the wrist of departure
فكأَنَّso, as though معصمَthe wrist of غادةٍa maiden
فكأَنَّ معصمَ غادةٍ
فيbetween ماضغيهِhis two jaws اذاwhen تَبَدَّىhe appears
في ماضغيهِ اذا تَبَدَّى
As though a maiden's wrist
In its slackness when it separates
were between his jaws when he appears.
Gallops the legs of four
يحدوhe urges on قوائمَlegs أَربعاًfour
يحدو قوائمَ أَربعاً
يَتركنthey leave بالتَّلْعَاتِon the slopes وهدَاhollows
يَتركن بالتَّلْعَاتِ وهدَا
He urges on four legs
Leave the spills and guide them
that leave hollows in the slopes.
The singer answered and rejoiced
جابhe traversed المُطَّربthe open tract قدalready تَفَرْstood alone (word begins)
جاب المُطَّرب قد تَفَرْ
رَدَcompletion of 'stood alone' بالفراهةِin excellence واستَبَدَّاand held sole sway
رَدَ بالفراهةِ واستَبَدَّا
He traversed the open tract; he has stood
With eloquence and perseverance
alone in excellence and held sole sway.
And if it penetrates a plateau
واذاand when تخللَhe threads through هضبةًa rocky hill
واذا تخللَ هضبةً
فكأَنَّthen, as though ظلthe shadow of الليلِnight مَدَّاstretched out
فكأَنَّ ظل الليلِ مَدَّا
And when he threads through a rocky hill,
It is as if the shadow of the night has lasted
it is as though night's shadow stretches out.
And if it descends, it is as if
واذاand when هوىhe plunges فكأنَّthen, as though ركa crag (word begins)
واذا هوى فكأنَّ رك
ناًcompletion of 'a crag' منof عَمَايَةَ‘Amaya قدalready تَردَّىtumbled down
ناً من عَمَايَةَ قد تَردَّى
And when he plunges, it is as though a crag
A column from blindness has collapsed
of ‘Amaya has come crashing down.
And if it straightens you will see in
واذاand when استقلَّhe rises رأَيتَyou see فيin
واذا استقلَّ رأَيتَ في
أَعطافهhis flanks هَزلاًplayfulness وجدَاand earnestness
أَعطافه هَزلاً وجدَا
And when he rises, you see in
Its twists, jest and affection
his flanks both playfulness and earnestness.
With a split ear that refuses
متقرطٌwearing an earring أُذناًan ear تَعيthat heeds
متقرطٌ أُذناً تَعي
زَجْرَthe rebuke of العَسوفِthe harsh rider اذاwhen تَعدَىhe oversteps
زَجْرَ العَسوفِ اذا تَعدَى
Wearing as an earring an ear that heeds
The rebuke of the rider if it transgresses
the harsh rider's rebuke when he oversteps:
A gap-toothed one that cannot find
خَرقاءُpierced لاnot يجدfinds السراthe whisper (word begins)
خَرقاءُ لا يجد السرا
رُcompletion of 'the whisper' اذاwhen تولجهاit enters it مَرَدَاa way back
رُ اذا تولجها مَرَدَا
a pierced ear where no whisper finds
A pasture if the cold afflicts it
a way back once it enters.
I walked it to the pasture I forgot
أَوطأْتُهُI made him tread مرعىthe pasture of نسيlove poetry (word begins)
أَوطأْتُهُ مرعى نسي
بيmy (completes 'my love poetry') واجتنبتُand I shunned وصالَunion with سُعدَىSu‘da
بي واجتنبتُ وصالَ سُعدَى
I made him tread the pasture of my love
And avoided the union of Saad
poetry, and shunned union with Su‘da.
A king who saw kindness from
ملكٌa king رأىsaw; deemed الاحسانَbeneficence منamong
ملكٌ رأى الاحسانَ من
عُددِthe provisions for العواقبِeventual outcomes فاستعدَّاand so he prepared
عُددِ العواقبِ فاستعدَّا
A king who saw beneficence as one of
The count of consequences, so he prepared
the provisions for things to come, and made ready.
Sufficient guarantee if the steps of destruction swayed
كافيthe sufficer of الكفاةthe capable ones اذاwhen انثنتturned back
كافي الكفاة اذا انثنت
مقلthe eyes of القَناthe spears الخطىKhatti; of al-Khatt رُمْدَاinflamed; sore-eyed
مقل القَنا الخطى رُمْدَا
Kafi al-Kufat, when there turn back
Blinking from the bow, bent
the eyes of Khatti spears, inflamed.
Clothed in the spreading honor, a palm
تكسوهclothes him نشرَthe fragrance of العرفِkindness كَفْa hand (word begins)
تكسوه نشرَ العرفِ كَفْ
فٌcompletion of 'a hand' منthan جفونِthe eyelids of الطلِdew أَندَىdewier; more generous
فٌ من جفونِ الطلِ أَندَى
He is clothed in kindness's fragrance by a
From the eyelids of rising dew, moisture
hand more dewy than the eyelids of dew.
I still hope for the missing hopes and passion
لاmay you never زلتَcease to be ياO أَملَhope of العفاthe petitioners (word begins)
لا زلتَ يا أَملَ العفا
ةِcompletion of 'the petitioners' لفارطِfor the advance scout of الآمالِhopes وِردَاa watering place
ةِ لفارطِ الآمالِ وِردَا
May you ever remain, O hope of the
Spending nights wearing
petitioners, a watering place for hopes' advance scout.
A living garment, cool shade, and comfort
والقَand meet اللياليthe nights لابساًclad in
والقَ الليالي لابساً
عيشاًa life برودcool الظلِin shade رَغدَاeasy; abundant
عيشاً برود الظلِ رَغدَا
And meet the nights clad in
a life of cool shade and ease.
Partial English translation: 46 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1