مَتىwhen كانَwere المَنازِلُthe dwellings بِالوَحيدِat al-Wahid
مَتى كانَ المَنازِلُ بِالوَحيدِ
طُلولٌruins مِثلُlike حاشِيَةِthe border of البُرودِthe striped cloaks
طُلولٌ مِثلُ حاشِيَةِ البُرودِ
When did the dwellings at al-Wahid become
ruins like the borders of striped cloaks?
لَيالِيَnights حَبلُthe cord of وَصلِكُمُunion with you جَديدٌnew
لَيالِيَ حَبلُ وَصلِكُمُ جَديدٌ
وَماand not تُبقيleave intact اللَياليthe nights مِنof جَديدِanything new
وَما تُبقي اللَيالي مِن جَديدِ
In the nights when the cord of union with you was new—
yet the nights leave nothing new intact.
أَحَقٌّis it real? أَمor خَيالُكَyour phantom زارَvisited شُعثاًdisheveled men
أَحَقٌّ أَم خَيالُكَ زارَ شُعثاً
وَأَطلاحاًand worn-out camels جَوانِحَleaning بِالقُيودِunder hobbles
وَأَطلاحاً جَوانِحَ بِالقُيودِ
Was it real, or did your phantom visit disheveled men
and worn-out camels bent beneath their hobbles?
فَلَولاbut were it not for بَعدُthe remoteness of مَطلَبِناour quest عَلَيكُمfor you
فَلَولا بَعدُ مَطلَبِنا عَلَيكُم
وَأَهوالُand the terrors of الفَلاةِthe desert لَقُلتُI would have said عوديreturn!
وَأَهوالُ الفَلاةِ لَقُلتُ عودي
But for the distance of our quest for you
and the desert's terrors, I would have said, "Return!"
رَأىexperienced الحَجّاجُal-Hajjaj عافِيَةًwell-being وَنَصراًand victory
رَأى الحَجّاجُ عافِيَةً وَنَصراً
عَلىin رَغمِspite of المُنافِقِthe hypocrite وَالحَسودِand the envious man
عَلى رَغمِ المُنافِقِ وَالحَسودِ
Al-Hajjaj enjoyed well-being and victory,
in spite of the hypocrite and the envious man.
دَعاcalled upon أَهلَthe people of العِراقِIraq دُعاءَthe call of هودٍHud
دَعا أَهلَ العِراقِ دُعاءَ هودٍ
وَقَدand already ضَلّواthey had strayed ضَلالَةَthe straying of قَومِthe people of هودِHud
وَقَد ضَلّوا ضَلالَةَ قَومِ هودِ
He called to the people of Iraq as Hud had called,
for they had strayed as Hud's people strayed.
كَأَنَّas though المُرجِفينَthe rumor-mongers وَهُمwhile they were نَشاوىdrunk
كَأَنَّ المُرجِفينَ وَهُم نَشاوى
نَصارىChristians يَلعَبونَthey frolic غَداةَon the morning of عيدِa festival
نَصارى يَلعَبونَ غَداةَ عيدِ
The rumor-mongers, drunk as they were, seemed like
Christians frolicking on a feast-day morning.
وَظَنّواand they thought فيin اللِقاءِthe encounter لَهُمfor them رَواحاًrelief
وَظَنّوا في اللِقاءِ لَهُم رَواحاً
وَكانواand they were يُصعَقونَstruck senseless مِنَby الوَعيدِthreats
وَكانوا يُصعَقونَ مِنَ الوَعيدِ
And they thought to find relief in battle,
though threats would strike them senseless.
فَجاؤواso they came خاطِمينَhaltering ظَليمَa male ostrich of قَفرٍthe desert
فَجاؤوا خاطِمينَ ظَليمَ قَفرٍ
إِلىto الحَجّاجِal-Hajjaj فيin أَجَمِthe thickets of الأُسودِthe lions
إِلى الحَجّاجِ في أَجَمِ الأُسودِ
So they came, haltering a male ostrich of the desert,
to al-Hajjaj amid the lions' thickets.
لَقيتَهُمُyou met them وَخَيلُهُمُand their horses سِمانٌfat
لَقيتَهُمُ وَخَيلُهُمُ سِمانٌ
بِساهِمَةِwith gaunt horses النَواظِرِthe eyes وَالخُدودِand the cheeks
بِساهِمَةِ النَواظِرِ وَالخُدودِ
You met them while their horses were fat,
with horses gaunt about the eyes and cheeks.
أَقَمتَyou set up لَهُمfor them بِمَسكَنِat Maskan سوقَa market of موتٍdeath
أَقَمتَ لَهُم بِمَسكَنِ سوقَ موتٍ
وَأُخرىand another يَومَon the day of زاوِيَةِZawiya الجُنودِthe troops
وَأُخرى يَومَ زاوِيَةِ الجُنودِ
You set up for them at Maskan a market of death,
and another on the day of Zawiyat al-Junud.
تَرىyou see نَفسَthe soul of المُنافِقِthe hypocrite فيwithin حَشاهُhis entrails
تَرى نَفسَ المُنافِقِ في حَشاهُ
تُعارِضُconfronts كُلَّevery جائِفَةٍdeep wound عَنودِslanting
تُعارِضُ كُلَّ جائِفَةٍ عَنودِ
You see the hypocrite's soul within his entrails,
confronting every deep, slanting wound.
تَحُسُّهُمُslaughter them السُيوفُthe swords كَماjust as تَسامىrose high
تَحُسُّهُمُ السُيوفُ كَما تَسامى
حَريقُthe blaze of النارِfire فيin أَجَمِthe thickets of الحَصيدِcut stalks
حَريقُ النارِ في أَجَمِ الحَصيدِ
The swords cut them down, as
a blaze of fire rises through thickets of cut stalks.
وَيَومُهُمُand their day العَماسُgrim إِذاwhen رَأوهُthey see it
وَيَومُهُمُ العَماسُ إِذا رَأوهُ
عَلىon سِربالِهِits tunic صَدَأُthe rust of الحَديدِiron
عَلى سِربالِهِ صَدَأُ الحَديدِ
And their grim day, when they behold it,
bears iron's rust upon its tunic.
وَماand not الحَجّاجُal-Hajjaj فَاِحتَضِرواso come for نَداهُhis bounty
وَما الحَجّاجُ فَاِحتَضِروا نَداهُ
بِجاذيwith drawn-in المِرفَقَينِelbows وَلاnor نَكودِa miser
بِجاذي المِرفَقَينِ وَلا نَكودِ
And al-Hajjaj—so come for his bounty—
is neither tight-elbowed nor miserly.
أَلاah! نَشكوwe complain إِلَيكَto you زَمانَa time of مَحلٍdrought
أَلا نَشكو إِلَيكَ زَمانَ مَحلٍ
وَشُربَand drinking الماءِwater فيin زَمَنِthe season of الجَليدِfrost
وَشُربَ الماءِ في زَمَنِ الجَليدِ
Ah, we complain to you of a time of drought,
and of drinking water in the season of frost,
وَمَعتِبَةَand the reproaches of العِيالِthe dependents وَهُمwhile they are سِغابٌhungry
وَمَعتِبَةَ العِيالِ وَهُم سِغابٌ
عَلىover دَرِّthe milk yield of المُجالِحَةِthe persistently milking she-camel الرَفودِabundant-yielding
عَلى دَرِّ المُجالِحَةِ الرَفودِ
and the reproaches of our dependents, hungry as they are,
over the milk of the ever-yielding, bountiful she-camel:
زَماناًa time يَترُكُleaves الفَتَياتِthe young women سوداًblackened
زَماناً يَترُكُ الفَتَياتِ سوداً
وَقَدand previously كانَwere المَحاجِرُthe eye sockets غَيرَnot سودِblack
وَقَد كانَ المَحاجِرُ غَيرَ سودِ
a time that leaves young women blackened,
though their eye sockets had not been black before.
Sol 6.1