قِفاhalt, you two نَبكِlet us weep مِنfrom ذِكرىthe memory of حَبيبٍa beloved وَعِرفانِand recognition
قِفا نَبكِ مِن ذِكرى حَبيبٍ وَعِرفانِ
وَرَسمٍand an encampment's remains عَفَتhave faded آياتُهُits signs مُنذُsince أَزمانِages
وَرَسمٍ عَفَت آياتُهُ مُنذُ أَزمانِ
Halt, you two; let us weep for a beloved's memory and familiar sights,
and a campsite whose signs have long since faded.
أَتَتpassed حُجَجٌyears بَعديafter me عَلَيهاover them فَأَصبَحَتso they became
أَتَت حُجَجٌ بَعدي عَلَيها فَأَصبَحَت
كَخَطِّlike the lettering of زَبورٍa scripture فيin مَصاحِفِthe books of رُهبانِmonks
كَخَطِّ زَبورٍ في مَصاحِفِ رُهبانِ
Years passed over them after I left, until they became
like scripture's lettering in the books of monks.
ذَكَرتُI remembered بِهاat it الحَيَّthe tribe الجَميعَall together فَهَيَّجَتso it stirred
ذَكَرتُ بِها الحَيَّ الجَميعَ فَهَيَّجَت
عَقابيلَlingering aftereffects سُقمٍillness مِنfrom ضَميرٍhidden feeling وَأَشجانِand sorrows
عَقابيلَ سُقمٍ مِن ضَميرٍ وَأَشجانِ
There I remembered the whole tribe, and the memory stirred
lingering pangs of sickness from hidden longing and grief.
فَسَحَّتso streamed دُموعيmy tears فيinto الرِداءِthe cloak كَأَنَّهاas though they were
فَسَحَّت دُموعي في الرِداءِ كَأَنَّها
كُلىstitched water-skin patches مِنfrom شُعَيبٍa water-skin ذاتُhaving سَحٍّgushing وَتَهتانِand steady dripping
كُلى مِن شُعَيبٍ ذاتُ سَحٍّ وَتَهتانِ
So my tears poured into my cloak, as though they were
water gushing and dripping from the stitched patches of a water-skin.
إِذاif المَرءُa man لَمdoes not يَخزُنguard عَلَيهِfor himself لِسانَهُhis tongue
إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَخزُن عَلَيهِ لِسانَهُ
فَلَيسَthen he is not عَلىover شَيءٍanything سِواهُother than it بِخَزّانِa vigilant guardian
فَلَيسَ عَلى شَيءٍ سِواهُ بِخَزّانِ
If a man does not keep his tongue in check,
he can be the guardian of nothing else.
فَإِمّاand if ever تَرَينيyou see me فيin رِحالَةِthe saddle of جابِرٍJabir
فَإِمّا تَرَيني في رِحالَةِ جابِرٍ
عَلىon حَرَجٍa wooden bier كَالقَرِّlike a litter تَخفُقُflutter أَكفانيmy shrouds
عَلى حَرَجٍ كَالقَرِّ تَخفُقُ أَكفاني
And if ever you see me in Jabir's saddle,
on a wooden bier like a litter, my shrouds fluttering,
فَياthen, oh رُبَّmany a مَكروبٍhard-pressed man كَرَرتُI wheeled back وَراءَهُbehind him
فَيا رُبَّ مَكروبٍ كَرَرتُ وَراءَهُ
وَعانٍand a captive فَكَكتُI unfastened الغُلَّthe neck-shackle عَنهُfrom him فَفَدّانيthen said, 'My life for yours!'
وَعانٍ فَكَكتُ الغُلَّ عَنهُ فَفَدّاني
then remember the many hard-pressed men I wheeled back to defend,
and a captive whose neck-chain I loosed, who cried, 'My life for yours!'
وَفِتيانِand young men صِدقٍof loyalty قَدindeed بَعَثتُI roused بِسُحرَةٍbefore dawn
وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ قَد بَعَثتُ بِسُحرَةٍ
فَقامواso they rose جَميعاًall together بَينَbetween عاثٍhungry وَنَشوانِand drunk
فَقاموا جَميعاً بَينَ عاثٍ وَنَشوانِ
And trusty young men I have roused before dawn;
they rose all together, some hungry, some drunk.
وَخَرقٍand a desert بَعيدٍfar-stretching قَدindeed قَطَعتُI traversed نِياطَهُits length
وَخَرقٍ بَعيدٍ قَد قَطَعتُ نِياطَهُ
عَلىon ذاتِone possessing لَوثٍstrength سَهوَةِeasy in المَشيِgait مِذعانِobedient
عَلى ذاتِ لَوثٍ سَهوَةِ المَشيِ مِذعانِ
And many a far-stretching waste whose length I have traversed,
on a strong she-camel, easy-gaited and obedient.
وَغَيثٍand rain-grown pasture كَأَلوانِlike the colors of الفَناnightshade berries قَدindeed هَبَطتُهُI descended into it
وَغَيثٍ كَأَلوانِ الفَنا قَد هَبَطتُهُ
تَعاوَرُtake turns فيهِin it كُلُّevery أَوطَفَlong-fringed cloud حَنّانِrumbling
تَعاوَرُ فيهِ كُلُّ أَوطَفَ حَنّانِ
And many a rain-grown pasture, hued like nightshade berries, I have entered,
where every long-fringed, moaning cloud took its turn,
عَلىon هَيكَلٍa mighty steed يُعطيكَgives you قَبلَbefore سُؤالِهِyour asking him
عَلى هَيكَلٍ يُعطيكَ قَبلَ سُؤالِهِ
أَفانينَvaried forms جَريٍof running غَيرَnot كَزٍّstiff وَلاnor وانِflagging
أَفانينَ جَريٍ غَيرَ كَزٍّ وَلا وانِ
on a mighty steed that gives you, before you ask him,
varied modes of running, neither stiff nor flagging.
كَتَيسِlike a buck of الظِباءِthe gazelles الأَعفَرِdust-colored اِنضَرَجَتrushed forth لَهُat him
كَتَيسِ الظِباءِ الأَعفَرِ اِنضَرَجَت لَهُ
عُقابٌan eagle تَدَلَّتswooped down مِنfrom شَماريخَthe peaks of ثَهلانِThahlan
عُقابٌ تَدَلَّت مِن شَماريخَ ثَهلانِ
Like a dust-colored gazelle-buck, at which there swooped
an eagle descending from the peaks of Thahlan.
وَخَرقٍand a desert كَجَوفِlike the belly of العيرِthe wild ass قَفرٍbarren مَضَلَّةٍbewildering
وَخَرقٍ كَجَوفِ العيرِ قَفرٍ مَضَلَّةٍ
قَطَعتُI crossed بِسامٍon a lofty mount ساهِمِlean الوَجهِof face حُسّانِvery handsome
قَطَعتُ بِسامٍ ساهِمِ الوَجهِ حُسّانِ
And many a waste, like a wild ass's belly, barren and bewildering,
I have crossed on a lofty, lean-faced, handsome camel.
يُدافِعُhe jostles أَعطافَthe flanks of المَطاياthe riding-camels بِرُكنِهِwith his shoulder
يُدافِعُ أَعطافَ المَطايا بِرُكنِهِ
كَماas مالَleaned غُصنٌa bough ناعِمٌsupple فَوقَabove أَغصانِboughs
كَما مالَ غُصنٌ ناعِمٌ فَوقَ أَغصانِ
He jostles the flanks of the riding-camels with his shoulder,
as a supple bough bends above other boughs.
وَمُجرٍand a great host كَغَيلانِlike the thickets of الأُنَيعَمِal-Unay'am بالِغٍreaching
وَمُجرٍ كَغَيلانِ الأُنَيعَمِ بالِغٍ
دِيارَthe lands of العَدُوِّthe enemy ذيpossessing زَهاءٍgreat numbers وَأَركانِand strong supports
دِيارَ العَدُوِّ ذي زَهاءٍ وَأَركانِ
And many a host, like the thickets of al-Unay'am, bound for
the lands of a foe mighty in numbers and strength—
مَطَوتُI pressed onward بِهِمwith them حَتّىuntil تَكِلَّgrow weary مَطِيُّهُمtheir riding-camels
مَطَوتُ بِهِم حَتّى تَكِلَّ مَطِيُّهُم
وَحَتّىand until الجِيادُthe fine horses ماnot يُقَدنَare led بِأَرسانِby halters
وَحَتّى الجِيادُ ما يُقَدنَ بِأَرسانِ
I pressed on with them until their riding-camels wearied,
and until the fine horses would no longer be led by halters,
وَحَتّىand until تَرىyou see الجَونُthe black mount الَّذيwhich كانَwas بادِناًfat
وَحَتّى تَرى الجَونُ الَّذي كانَ بادِناً
عَلَيهِupon it عَوافٍscavenging birds مِنof نُسورٍvultures وَعِقبانِand eagles
عَلَيهِ عَوافٍ مِن نُسورٍ وَعِقبانِ
and until you see the black mount that once was fat,
with scavengers upon it—vultures and eagles.
Sol 6.1