لِمَنwhose دِمَنٌtraces of old camps بَينَamid الغُوَيرِal-Ghuwayr وَأَربُعُand dwelling sites
لِمَن دِمَنٌ بَينَ الغُوَيرِ وَأَربُعُ
تَوَهَّمَهاdimly discerned them جَفنٌan eyelid مِنَwith الدَّمعِtears مُترَعُbrimming
تَوَهَّمَها جَفنٌ مِنَ الدَّمعِ مُترَعُ
Whose are the old camp-traces and dwelling sites amid al-Ghuwayr,
For whom are tears between yearning and regret,
dimly discerned by an eye brimming with tears?
Imagined by an eyelid overflowing with tears?
مَحاهاerased them صُبوحُthe morning draught الغَينof the cloud بَعدَafter غُبوقِهِits evening draught
مَحاها صُبوحُ الغَين بَعدَ غُبوقِهِ
وَهَبَّتand blew بِهاthrough them ريحُthe wind الصَّباfrom the east وَهيَwhile it was زَعزَعُviolently gusting
وَهَبَّت بِها ريحُ الصَّبا وَهيَ زَعزَعُ
The cloud's morning draught erased them after its evening draught,
The morning of beauty erased them after its darkness,
and the east wind blew through them in violent gusts.
And the breeze of morning blew them away, tottering.
يَقولُsay صَحابيmy companions هَلhas ...? نَسيمُa breeze حَديقَةٍof a garden
يَقولُ صَحابي هَل نَسيمُ حَديقَةٍ
تَنَفَّسَbreathed forth أَمor ذِكرُthe remembrance الهَوىof love يَتَضَوَّعُwafts fragrance
تَنَفَّسَ أَم ذِكرُ الهَوى يَتَضَوَّعُ
My companions ask, "Has a garden breeze
My friend says, “Is this the breeze of a garden
breathed forth, or is love's remembrance wafting fragrance?"
Breathing, or the memory of love languishing?”
فَأَقسَمتُso I swore ماnot أَدريI know أَرَكبٌis it a band of riders? تَناشَدواrecited verses to one another
فَأَقسَمتُ ما أَدري أَرَكبٌ تَناشَدوا
عَلىat الدّارِthe dwelling أَمor لَحنُthe melody الحَمائِمِof the doves تَسجَعُcoo
عَلى الدّارِ أَم لَحنُ الحَمائِمِ تَسجَعُ
So I swore, "I cannot tell—is it riders reciting verses to one another
I swore I did not know - are the riders chanting
at the dwelling, or the melody of cooing doves?
About the abode, or is it the melody of doves cooing?
وَنارٌand a fire عَلىon الجَرعاءِal-Jar'a (sandy ground) يَدعوcalls بِهاwith it الدُّجاthe darkness
وَنارٌ عَلى الجَرعاءِ يَدعو بِها الدُّجا
إِلىto الطَّرفِthe eye أَمor بيضُthe bright blades القَواضِبِof cutting swords تَلمَعُflash
إِلى الطَّرفِ أَم بيضُ القَواضِبِ تَلمَعُ
And is it a fire on al-Jar'a, with which darkness beckons
A fire over the dunes calls the camels
to the eye, or are bright sword-blades flashing?"
To the valley, or is it the whiteness of boats glistening?
وَقُلتُand I said لِسَعدٍto Sa'd وَالنُّعامىand the south wind تَنوشُهُbuffets him
وَقُلتُ لِسَعدٍ وَالنُّعامى تَنوشُهُ
وَقَدand already أَثمَلَhad intoxicated الرَّكبَthe riders الحَنينُthe plaintive longing المُرَجَّعُrepeated in echoes
وَقَد أَثمَلَ الرَّكبَ الحَنينُ المُرَجَّعُ
And I said to Sa'd, as the south wind buffeted him,
And I said to Sa’d while the ostriches were drinking it,
while echoed cries of longing had intoxicated the riders:
And yearning had made the riders turn back:
تَصامَمfeign deafness عَنِto الأَنضاءthe worn-out mounts أَوor فَالتَمِسthen seek لَهاfor them
تَصامَم عَنِ الأَنضاء أَو فَالتَمِس لَها
فُؤاداًa heart يُعاطيهاshares with them الغَرامَpassionate longing وَيَجزَعُand grieves
فُؤاداً يُعاطيها الغَرامَ وَيَجزَعُ
"Feign deafness to the worn-out mounts, or find for them
“Be determined to abandon the maidens, or find
a heart that shares their passionate longing and grieves.
A heart that will indulge them, and grieve.
وَدَعand leave aside عَنكَaway from you إِيماضَthe flashing البُروقِof lightning فَإِنَّهاfor they
وَدَع عَنكَ إِيماضَ البُروقِ فَإِنَّها
صَوارِمُkeen swords فيin سِرِّthe hidden depths الجَوائِحِof afflictions تَقطَعُcut
صَوارِمُ في سِرِّ الجَوائِحِ تَقطَعُ
And dismiss the flashes of lightning, for they
And leave off brandishing lightnings, for they
are keen swords cutting in the hidden depths of affliction."
Are swords cutting the mysteries of calamities.
فَلَمَّاso when أَبىrefused إِلّاanything but نِزاعاًyearning فُؤادُهُhis heart
فَلَمَّا أَبى إِلّا نِزاعاً فُؤادُهُ
شَجانيgrieved me جَواهُhis burning sorrow فَالعَزولُso the aloof one المُفَجَّعُthe grief-stricken one
شَجاني جَواهُ فَالعَزولُ المُفَجَّعُ
But when his heart would accept nothing but yearning,
When his heart insisted on strife,
his burning sorrow grieved me; the aloof one was grief-stricken.
Its ardour stirred me, and the one who turns away grieves.
وَهَبَّتand blew لَهُfor him ريحُthe wind الصَّباfrom the east فَأَرَيتَهُso you showed him
وَهَبَّت لَهُ ريحُ الصَّبا فَأَرَيتَهُ
فُؤادَthe heart الحَزينِof the sorrowful one كَيفَhow يَمضيgoes وَيَرجِعُand returns
فُؤادَ الحَزينِ كَيفَ يَمضي وَيَرجِعُ
And the east wind blew for him, so you showed him
The morning breeze blew toward him, so I saw
the sorrowful one's heart—how it goes and returns.
The sorrowful heart - how it goes and returns!
خَليلَيَّmy two dear friends إِنif لَمdo not تَعرِفاyou two recognize زَفرَةَthe sigh النَّوىof separation
خَليلَيَّ إِن لَم تَعرِفا زَفرَةَ النَّوى
وَلَمand do not تُسعِدانيyou two comfort me فانظُراthen look, you two كَيفَhow أَصنَعُI act
وَلَم تُسعِداني فانظُرا كَيفَ أَصنَعُ
My two dear friends, if you do not know the sigh of separation
My two friends, if you do not recognize the sigh of passion,
and do not comfort me, then watch what I do.
And do not gladden me, then look how I act.
تَجاهَلتُI feigned ignorance حَتّىuntil أَنكَرَتنيno longer recognized me خَفاجَةٌKhafaja
تَجاهَلتُ حَتّى أَنكَرَتني خَفاجَةٌ
وَقالَتand she said بِماthrough what ضَلَّwent astray الأَعَزُّthe most honored المُشَيَّعُthe fearless one
وَقالَت بِما ضَلَّ الأَعَزُّ المُشَيَّعُ
I feigned ignorance until Khafaja no longer recognized me,
I feigned ignorance until a lovesick woman denied me,
and said, "What has led the most honored, fearless man astray?"
Saying, ‘How the dearest departed guest has strayed!’
وَأَصبَحتُand I came to أَرجوI hope أَنthat تَعودَmay return أَنايَتيmy composure
وَأَصبَحتُ أَرجو أَن تَعودَ أَنايَتي
وَلَيسَand there is not لِمَنfor one whom تَطويfolds away المَنِيَّةُdeath مَرجعُa return
وَلَيسَ لِمَن تَطوي المَنِيَّةُ مَرجعُ
And now I hope that my composure will return,
I began hoping my happiness would return,
yet one whom death folds away has no return.
But there is no return for one covered by death.
تَوَقَّدblaze أَسىwith sorrow ماnot ذَلِكَthat العَهدُformer time عائِدٌreturning
تَوَقَّد أَسى ما ذَلِكَ العَهدُ عائِدٌ
عَلَيكَto you وَلاnor فيin قُربِnearness to غَيداءa graceful woman مَطمَعُany hope
عَلَيكَ وَلا في قُربِ غَيداء مَطمَعُ
Blaze with sorrow: that former time will not return
Sorrow blazed - is that time coming back to you?
to you, nor is there hope of nearness to a graceful beauty.
Nor is there hope of a lovely creature near.
بَنيO sons عامِرٍof 'Amir يُلقونَthey hurl بيwith me جَمرَةَa burning ember العِدىof the foes
بَني عامِرٍ يُلقونَ بي جَمرَةَ العِدى
وَأَنصُرُكُمand I aid you وَاليَومَand today بِالنَّقعِthrough the dust أَشفَعُI intercede
وَأَنصُرُكُم وَاليَومَ بِالنَّقعِ أَشفَعُ
O sons of 'Amir, they cast me against the foes' fiery core,
O clan of ‘Amir, they inflict on me the embers of enmity,
and I aid you; today I intercede through the dust.
And I support you, though today I mediate with wounds.
وَيُسهِرُنيand keeps me awake مَنthe one whose شَفَّwasted جِسميmy body فِراقُهُhis parting
وَيُسهِرُني مَن شَفَّ جِسمي فِراقُهُ
فَأَنظُرُso I watch طَرفاًan eye فيamong العَشيرَةِthe clan يَهجَعُslumbers
فَأَنظُرُ طَرفاً في العَشيرَةِ يَهجَعُ
And the one whose parting wasted my body keeps me awake,
The one whose absence healed my body keeps me awake,
so I watch an eye among the clan slumbering.
So I look for someone in the tribe who slumbers.
تَحامواavoid, you all وُرودَcoming to the waters الصَّبرِof patience أَوor فَاتبَعواthen follow فَتىa youth
تَحاموا وُرودَ الصَّبرِ أَو فَاتبَعوا فَتى
يَقومُundertakes بِماwith what قامَundertook الكَريمُthe noble one السّمَيدَعُthe generous chief
يَقومُ بِما قامَ الكَريمُ السّمَيدَعُ
Avoid coming to patience's waters, or follow a youth
Wear the roses of patience, or follow the noble steadfast youth
who undertakes what the noble, generous chief undertook.
Who acts as the generous eminent one acted.”
Sol 6.1