أَلاah! أَرقتI lay sleepless لِلَمعِat the flash بَرقٍlightning سارِtraveling by night
أَلا أَرقت لِلَمعِ بَرقٍ سارِ
باتَتspent the night تُجَرِّدُهُunsheathing it يَدُthe hand الأَمطارِof the rains
باتَت تُجَرِّدُهُ يَدُ الأَمطارِ
Ah, I lay sleepless at the flash of lightning traveling by night;
Oh, did I not stay awake longing for the lightening's flash
the hand of the rains kept unsheathing it all night.
That the rains' hand kept stripping bare?
يَبدوit appears وَيُخفيهِand conceals it الحَياthe rain فَكَأَنَّهُso as though it were
يَبدو وَيُخفيهِ الحَيا فَكَأَنَّهُ
عَزمٌa resolve تجاذبهُpulled to and fro مِنَby الأَفكارِthoughts
عَزمٌ تجاذبهُ مِنَ الأَفكارِ
It appears, and the rain conceals it, as though it were
It appears and hides as life does, as though
a resolve tugged to and fro by thoughts.
A resolve torn between thoughts.
وافىit arrived عَلىupon شُعثٍdisheveled men أَضاعَdestroyed كَراهُمُtheir sleep
وافى عَلى شُعثٍ أَضاعَ كَراهُمُ
خِصبُthe prosperity اللِّئامِof the base وَضَيعَةُand the neglect الأَحرارِof the noble
خِصبُ اللِّئامِ وَضَيعَةُ الأَحرارِ
It came upon disheveled men robbed of sleep by
It has come in disheveled wildness that their hate
the prosperity of the base and the neglect of the noble.
Made fertile, vulnerability of the noble and lair of the vile.
عَمَدواthey turned إِلىto أَسيافِهِمtheir swords فَكَأَنَّهاso as though they
عَمَدوا إِلى أَسيافِهِم فَكَأَنَّها
آلَتhad sworn لِتُنجِدَهُمto aid them عَلىagainst الأَقدارِfate’s decrees
آلَت لِتُنجِدَهُم عَلى الأَقدارِ
They turned to their swords, as though the swords
They took up their swords as though they
had sworn to aid them against fate.
Had become their ally against the fates.
يَحدوurges onward بِعِزِّهِمُwith their glory كَريمُa nobleman قَبيلَةٍof a tribe
يَحدو بِعِزِّهِمُ كَريمُ قَبيلَةٍ
ذُلُّthe abasement العَدوِof the enemy بِهاthrough it وَعِزُّand the honor الجارِof the neighbor
ذُلُّ العَدوِ بِها وَعِزُّ الجارِ
A nobleman of a tribe urges their glory onward;
The generous one of an honored tribe sings of their glory
through it the foe is humbled and the neighbor honored.
The enemy's humiliation through it and the neighbor's honor.
يَرتاحُhe delights لِلبَرقِin the lightning المُضيءshining وَلَوand even if رَمىit hurled
يَرتاحُ لِلبَرقِ المُضيء وَلَو رَمى
فيinto كُلِّevery جارِحَةٍlimb بِحَذوَةِwith a brand نارِof fire
في كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ بِحَذوَةِ نارِ
He delights in the shining lightning, even if it hurled
He rests easy with the illuminating lightening even if it cast
a brand of fire into every limb.
In each limb a blazing ember.
أَخيالO phantom of عَذبَةَʿAdhba ماwhat هَداكِguided you لِعُصبَةٍto a band
أَخيال عَذبَةَ ما هَداكِ لِعُصبَةٍ
صَحَبواthey accompanied الدُّجاthe darkness نَشوىdrunken بِغَيرِwithout عُقارِwine
صَحَبوا الدُّجا نَشوى بِغَيرِ عُقارِ
O phantom of ʿAdhba, what guided you to a band
Sweet dreams, what led you to a tribe
who kept company with darkness, drunk without wine?
Who accompanied darkness scintillating without sobriety?
ماnot زالَceased عَضبُthe keen blade البَينِof separation يَفريrending شَملَهُمtheir union
ما زالَ عَضبُ البَينِ يَفري شَملَهُم
حَتّىuntil طَرَقتَهُمُyou visited them by night عَلىupon الأَكوارِthe camel-saddles
حَتّى طَرَقتَهُمُ عَلى الأَكوارِ
Separation’s keen blade kept rending their union,
Anger's separation still rends their unity
until you visited them by night upon their camel-saddles.
Until it knocked them about destitute.
ياO دارُdwelling سُقياmay rain fall لِلكَثيبِupon the dune وَصَحبُناand our companions
يا دارُ سُقيا لِلكَثيبِ وَصَحبُنا
آرامُهُits gazelles وَاللَّيلُand the night لَونُthe color of عِذارِcheek-down
آرامُهُ وَاللَّيلُ لَونُ عِذارِ
O dwelling, may the dune be watered; our companions
Oh Sukayna's house, our friends
were its gazelles, and night had the hue of cheek-down.
Calm it, and the night is the hue of pure wine.
أَيّامdays فيكَwithin you إِذاwhenever تَشاءwishes يَدُthe hand الهوىof love
أَيّام فيكَ إِذا تَشاء يَدُ الهوى
جادَتit bestowed generously بِبَدرِwith a full moon دُجاًof darkness وَشَمسِand a sun نَهارِof daylight
جادَت بِبَدرِ دُجاً وَشَمسِ نَهارِ
In those days within you, whenever the hand of love wished,
Days in you, when the hand of passion wishes
it bestowed a full moon of night and a sun of day.
Flow with a full moon's light and sun's rays.
قَصُرَتwere brief لَيالِيهِنَّtheir nights إِلّاexcept أَنَّهاthat they
قَصُرَت لَيالِيهِنَّ إِلّا أَنَّها
تَذَرُleave النُّفوسَthe souls طَويلَةَlong التَّذكارِremembrance
تَذَرُ النُّفوسَ طَويلَةَ التَّذكارِ
Their nights were brief, yet they
Their nights shortened but they
leave souls lingering long in remembrance.
Leave souls lengthy in remembrance.
فَسَقىso may it water طُلولَكَyour ruins كُلَّevery مُدَّلِجnight-traveler
فَسَقى طُلولَكَ كُلَّ مُدَّلِج
مُتكَفِّلٍpledged بِتَبَسُّمِto the smiling of الأَزهارِthe flowers
مُتكَفِّلٍ بِتَبَسُّمِ الأَزهارِ
So may every night-traveling cloud water your ruins,
So it watered all your twisting torrent valleys
pledged to make the blossoms smile,
Undertaking the blossoms' smiles.
هَزِجٌsinging يُنَظِّمُstrings together فَوقover أَجيادِthe necks of الرُّباthe hills
هَزِجٌ يُنَظِّمُ فَوق أَجيادِ الرُّبا
سِمطَيtwo necklaces of عَرارٍʿarār, an aromatic wildflower فائِحٍfragrant وَبَهارِand bahār flowers
سِمطَي عَرارٍ فائِحٍ وَبَهارِ
singing as it strings upon the necks of the hills
A songster composing over coursing steeds
two necklaces of fragrant ʿarār and bahār flowers:
The aroma of a meadow, fragrant and fresh.
زَهرٌblossoms كَزهرِlike the blossoms of الشُّهبِthe bright stars إِلّاexcept أَنَّهُthat they
زَهرٌ كَزهرِ الشُّهبِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ
مُتَبَسِّمٌsmiling مِنfrom دَمعِهِنَّtheir tears الجاريflowing
مُتَبَسِّمٌ مِن دَمعِهِنَّ الجاري
blossoms like the blossoms of the bright stars, except that they
A flower like the flower of meteors except
smile from those stars’ flowing tears.
It smiles with their flowing tears.
Sol 6.1