خَليلَيَّO my two friends مِنof عَوفAwf ابنِson of عُذرَةَUdhrah إِنَّنيindeed I
خَليلَيَّ مِن عَوف ابنِ عُذرَةَ إِنَّني
بِكُلِّof every غَرامtorment of love فيكُماfor you both لَجَديرُsurely deserving
بِكُلِّ غَرام فيكُما لَجَديرُ
My two friends of Awf ibn Udhrah, I am
surely worthy of every pang of love for you both.
كَفىit is enough حَزَناًas sorrow أَنّيthat I أَبيتُspend the night وَبَينَناwhile between us
كَفى حَزَناً أَنّي أَبيتُ وَبَينَنا
وَسيعُvast الملاthe open wilderness وَالسّامِرونَand the night-talkers كَثيرُmany
وَسيعُ الملا وَالسّامِرونَ كَثيرُ
It is sorrow enough that I spend the night while between us
lies the vast wilderness, and the night-talkers are many;
وَأصبِحُand I wake مَغلوباًoverpowered عَلىunder حُكمthe dictates of رَأيِهِhis will
وَأصبِحُ مَغلوباً عَلى حُكم رَأيِهِ
وَقَدthough indeed عِشتُI lived دَهراًan age ماnot عَلَيَّover me أَميرُa ruler
وَقَد عِشتُ دَهراً ما عَلَيَّ أَميرُ
and wake overpowered by the dictates of his will,
though I lived an age with no ruler over me.
أسيمُI pasture رِكابيmy riding camels فيin بِلادٍlands غَريبَةٍstrange
أسيمُ رِكابي في بِلادٍ غَريبَةٍ
مِنَof العيسِthe pale camels لَمdid not يَسرَحgraze بِهِنَّin them بَعيرُa camel
مِنَ العيسِ لَم يَسرَح بِهِنَّ بَعيرُ
I pasture my riding camels in strange lands
where no pale camel has ever grazed.
فَقَدfor indeed جَهلَتthey lost their bearings حَتّىuntil أَرادَwished خَبيرُهاtheir guide
فَقَد جَهلَت حَتّى أَرادَ خَبيرُها
بِواديin the valley of القُطَينِal-Qutayn أَنthat يَلوحَcome into view سَنيرُSanir
بِوادي القُطَينِ أَن يَلوحَ سَنيرُ
For they grew so bewildered that their guide wished
to see Sanir loom in the valley of al-Qutayn.
وَكَمand how often طَلَبَتthey sought ماءthe water of الأَحصِّal-Ahass بِآمِدٍin Amid
وَكَم طَلَبَت ماء الأَحصِّ بِآمِدٍ
وَذَلِكَand that ظُلمٌan injustice لِلرَّجاءto hope كَبيرُgreat
وَذَلِكَ ظُلمٌ لِلرَّجاء كَبيرُ
And how often they sought al-Ahass's water in Amid—
and that is a great injustice to hope.
عِدوهاpromise them قُوَيقاًQuwayq وَاطلُبواand seek لِحَنينهاfor their yearning
عِدوها قُوَيقاً وَاطلُبوا لِحَنينها
بِجانِبِbeside حِسمىHisma أَنthat تَهبَّshould blow دُبورُa west wind
بِجانِبِ حِسمى أَن تَهبَّ دُبورُ
Promise them Quwayq, and for their longing ask
that a west wind blow beside Hisma.
فَوَاللَّهِfor, by God ماnot ريحُthe wind of الصَّباthe east بِحَبيبَةٍdear
فَوَاللَّهِ ما ريحُ الصَّبا بِحَبيبَةٍ
إِلَيهاto them وَلاnor ماءthe water of الأَحُصِّal-Ahass ثَميرُrich
إِلَيها وَلا ماء الأَحُصِّ ثَميرُ
For, by God, the east wind is not dear
to them, nor is al-Ahass's water rich.
سَقىmay water الهَضبَةthe hill الأَدماءtawny مِنfrom رُكنِthe flank of جَوشنJawshan
سَقى الهَضبَة الأَدماء مِن رُكنِ جَوشن
سَحائِبُclouds تُسديlay the warp of رَوضَةًa meadow وَتُنيرُand weave its weft
سَحائِبُ تُسدي رَوضَةً وَتُنيرُ
May the tawny hill on Jawshan's flank be watered
by clouds that weave a meadow's warp and weft,
وَحَلَّand may unfasten عُقودَthe necklaces of المُزنِthe rain clouds فيin حُجُراتِهِits recesses
وَحَلَّ عُقودَ المُزنِ في حُجُراتِهِ
نَسيمٌa breeze بِأَدواءِin the ailments of القُلوبِhearts خَبيرُwell versed
نَسيمٌ بِأَدواءِ القُلوبِ خَبيرُ
and may the rain-clouds' necklaces in its recesses be unstrung
by a breeze versed in the ailments of hearts.
فَماfor never ذَكَرَتهُremembered it النَّفسُthe soul إِلّاexcept that تَبادَرَتrushed forth
فَما ذَكَرَتهُ النَّفسُ إِلّا تَبادَرَت
مَدامِعُtears لاnot يَخفىremains hidden بِهِنَّthrough them ضَميرُa secret feeling
مَدامِعُ لا يَخفى بِهِنَّ ضَميرُ
For my soul never recalled it without a rush
of tears through which no secret feeling stays concealed.
نَظَرتُI gazed وَأَعلامُwhile the peaks of الجَزيرَةِal-Jazira بَينَناbetween us
نَظَرتُ وَأَعلامُ الجَزيرَةِ بَينَنا
وَأَطوادُand the mountains of حِسمىHisma إِنَّنيindeed I لَصَبورُam surely patient
وَأَطوادُ حِسمى إِنَّني لَصَبورُ
I gazed, with al-Jazira's peaks between us
and Hisma's mountains—indeed, I am patient—
بِمَطروفَةِwith an afflicted eye الأَجفانِthe eyelids عائِرَةِirritated by القَذىgrit
بِمَطروفَةِ الأَجفانِ عائِرَةِ القَذى
تَقودُleads زِمامَthe rein of النَّجمِthe star وَهوَwhile it is حَسيرُweary
تَقودُ زِمامَ النَّجمِ وَهوَ حَسيرُ
with a sore-lidded eye tormented by grit,
leading the star by its rein, though it was weary.
ذَرَعتُI measured بِهاwith it الظَّلماءthe darkness وَهيَthough it was فَسيحَةٌvast
ذَرَعتُ بِها الظَّلماء وَهيَ فَسيحَةٌ
وَباشَرتُand I experienced فيهاwithin it النَّومَsleep وَهوَthough it was عَسيرُdifficult
وَباشَرتُ فيها النَّومَ وَهوَ عَسيرُ
With it I measured out the darkness, vast as it was,
and in it I experienced sleep, hard though it was to find.
Sol 6.1