أَراحَdeparted at evening الحَيُّthe clan مِنfrom إِرَمِIram الطِرادِal-Tirad
أَراحَ الحَيُّ مِن إِرَمِ الطِرادِ
فَماso not أَبقَواthey left لِعَينِكَfor your eye مِنany سَوادِdark shape
فَما أَبقَوا لِعَينِكَ مِن سَوادِ
The clan departed at evening from Iram al-Tirad,
leaving not a dark shape for your eye.
أُرائيI dissemble before الكاشِحينَthe spiteful وَأَتَّقيهِمand guard against them
أُرائي الكاشِحينَ وَأَتَّقيهِم
كَأَنّيas though I were كاشِحٌa hater لَهُمُtoward them مُعاديan enemy
كَأَنّي كاشِحٌ لَهُمُ مُعادي
I dissemble before the spiteful and guard against them,
as though I were a hostile enemy of theirs.
تَقَرَّبناwe drew near فَلاyet no طَمَعٌhope قَريبٌnear
تَقَرَّبنا فَلا طَمَعٌ قَريبٌ
وَباعَدناand we drew away فَزِدتِso you added عَلىto البِعادِthe distance
وَباعَدنا فَزِدتِ عَلى البِعادِ
We drew near, yet no hope was near;
and we drew away, but you increased the distance.
وَماand not بالَيتِyou cared يَومَthe day رَأَيتِyou saw دَمعيmy tears
وَما بالَيتِ يَومَ رَأَيتِ دَمعي
لَهُit has سَبَلٌstreams يَفيضُpouring عَلىover نِجاديmy sword-belt
لَهُ سَبَلٌ يَفيضُ عَلى نِجادي
You did not care the day you saw my tears
pouring in streams over my sword-belt.
فَياso, oh لَكَfor you إِذwhen تُجاوِرُyou dwell beside خَيرَthe best جاراًas a neighbor
فَيا لَكَ إِذ تُجاوِرُ خَيرَ جاراً
وَإِذand when واديthe valley of سُلَيكَةَSulayka خَيرُthe best واديvalley
وَإِذ وادي سُلَيكَةَ خَيرُ وادي
How fortunate you are, when you dwell beside the finest neighbor,
and when Sulayka's valley is the finest valley.
إِلىto عَبدِAbd العَزيزِal-Aziz شَكَوتُI complained of جَهداًhardship
إِلى عَبدِ العَزيزِ شَكَوتُ جَهداً
مِنَfrom البَيضاءِthe white drought أَوor زَمَنِthe season of القَتادِthorn trees
مِنَ البَيضاءِ أَو زَمَنِ القَتادِ
To Abd al-Aziz I complained of hardship
from the white drought or the season of thorn trees—
سِنينَyears مَعَtogether with الجَرادِthe locusts تَعَرَّقَتناstripped us bare
سِنينَ مَعَ الجَرادِ تَعَرَّقَتنا
فَماso what تُبقيleave السُنونُthe years مَعَtogether with الجَرادِthe locusts
فَما تُبقي السُنونُ مَعَ الجَرادِ
years that, with the locusts, stripped us bare.
What do the years leave when joined by locusts?
وَلَولاand were it not for فَضلُthe bounty of نائِلِهِhis gifts عَلَيناupon us
وَلَولا فَضلُ نائِلِهِ عَلَينا
لَماwould not have أَحياkept alive بَنِيَّmy sons وَلاnor تِلاديmy inherited livestock
لَما أَحيا بَنِيَّ وَلا تِلادي
Were it not for the bounty of his gifts to us,
my sons and inherited livestock would not have survived.
وَلَمand not يَعشُرreached a tenth of نَداكَyour bounty أَبوAbu عَدِيٍّAdi
وَلَم يَعشُر نَداكَ أَبو عَدِيٍّ
وَلاnor كَعبُKa'b بنُson of مامَةَMamah مِنof إِيادِIyad
وَلا كَعبُ بنُ مامَةَ مِن إِيادِ
Abu Adi did not reach a tenth of your bounty,
nor did Ka'b ibn Mamah of Iyad.
سَنَشكُرُwe shall thank مَنthe one who لَهُhe has أَثَرٌa mark عَلَيناupon us
سَنَشكُرُ مَن لَهُ أَثَرٌ عَلَينا
كَآثارِlike the traces of الوَلِيِّfollow-up rain عَلىon العِهادِpreviously rain-watered ground
كَآثارِ الوَلِيِّ عَلى العِهادِ
We shall thank the one whose mark upon us
is like later rain's traces on land already watered.
دَعَوتُكَI called to you وَاليَمامَةُwith al-Yamama دونَbetween me and أَهليmy family
دَعَوتُكَ وَاليَمامَةُ دونَ أَهلي
وَلَولاand were it not for البُعدُthe distance أَسمَعَكَwould have made you hear المُناديthe caller
وَلَولا البُعدُ أَسمَعَكَ المُنادي
I called to you with al-Yamama between me and my family;
but for the distance, the caller would have made you hear.
عَلىon عَلياءَhigh ground تَرفَعُyou raise خَيرَthe finest نارٍfire
عَلى عَلياءَ تَرفَعُ خَيرَ نارٍ
وَتَقدَحُand you strike sparks بِالوَرِيِّwith the readily kindling one مِنَamong الزِنادِthe firesticks
وَتَقدَحُ بِالوَرِيِّ مِنَ الزِنادِ
On high ground you raise the finest fire,
and strike sparks with firesticks quick to kindle.
إِذاwhenever ماemphasis خِفتُI feared رَدَّhe restored إِلَيَّto me نَفسيmy spirit
إِذا ما خِفتُ رَدَّ إِلَيَّ نَفسي
وَصارَand returned إِلىto مَساكِنِهِits dwellings فُؤاديmy heart
وَصارَ إِلى مَساكِنِهِ فُؤادي
Whenever I feared, he restored my spirit to me,
and my heart returned to its resting places.
بَدَأناwe began فيwith الزِيارَةِthe visit ثُمَّthen عُدناwe returned
بَدَأنا في الزِيارَةِ ثُمَّ عُدنا
فَلاand neither بَدئيmy first visit جَفَوتَyou treated coldly وَلاnor مَعاديmy return
فَلا بَدئي جَفَوتَ وَلا مَعادي
We paid our first visit, then returned,
and you met neither my first visit nor my return with coldness.
وَقَدand indeed كُنّاwe used to نُحِبُّlove جِمادَJimad of رَهبىRahba
وَقَد كُنّا نُحِبُّ جِمادَ رَهبى
وَماand what lies بينَbetween الوَريعَةِal-Wari'a وَالمَقادِand al-Maqad
وَما بينَ الوَريعَةِ وَالمَقادِ
We once loved Jimad of Rahba,
and all between al-Wari'a and al-Maqad;
وَسُلمانينَand Sulmanayn نَذكُرُwe recall مِنfrom هَواناour longing
وَسُلمانينَ نَذكُرُ مِن هَوانا
إِلىas far as الدورِthe dwellings الدَواخِلِlying deep فيin الجِمادِal-Jimad
إِلى الدورِ الدَواخِلِ في الجِمادِ
and in our longing we remember Sulmanayn,
as far as the dwellings deep within al-Jimad.
وَوَدَّعاand they both bade farewell to الحَفايِرَal-Hafayir مِنin فُلَيجٍFulayj
وَوَدَّعا الحَفايِرَ مِن فُلَيجٍ
وَحَيّاًand a clan يَسكُنونَwho dwell in رَحاRaha الثِمادِal-Thimad
وَحَيّاً يَسكُنونَ رَحا الثِمادِ
And the two bade farewell to al-Hafayir in Fulayj,
and to a clan dwelling at Raha al-Thimad.
لَقَدindeed طَيَّبتَyou reconciled نَفسيmy soul عَنto parting from صَديقيmy friend
لَقَد طَيَّبتَ نَفسي عَن صَديقي
وَقَدand indeed طَيَّبتَyou reconciled نَفسيmy soul عَنto parting from بِلاديmy homeland
وَقَد طَيَّبتَ نَفسي عَن بِلادي
You have truly reconciled my soul to parting from my friend,
and reconciled my soul to parting from my homeland.
فَأَصبَحناso we have become وَكُلُّand every هَوىًlonging إِلَيكُمtoward you
فَأَصبَحنا وَكُلُّ هَوىً إِلَيكُم
يُقَعقِعُsets rattling نَحوَtoward أَرضِكُمُyour land عِماديmy tent-poles
يُقَعقِعُ نَحوَ أَرضِكُمُ عِمادي
Thus we are: every longing for you
sets my tent-poles rattling toward your land.
تُقَرِّبُناbring us nearer مِنَfrom اليَمَنِYemen المَهاريthe Mahri camels
تُقَرِّبُنا مِنَ اليَمَنِ المَهاري
لِعيدِيٍّof an 'Idi sire مِنَamong النُجُبِthe noble camels التِلادِof ancestral stock
لِعيدِيٍّ مِنَ النُجُبِ التِلادِ
Mahri camels from Yemen draw us nearer,
of an 'Idi sire from ancient, noble camel stock.
يُجاذِبنَthey tug against البُرينَthe nose-rings وَهُنَّwhile they are خوصٌnarrow-eyed
يُجاذِبنَ البُرينَ وَهُنَّ خوصٌ
يُطِرنَthey send flying شَوابِكَinterlaced strands of الزَبَدِthe foam الجِعادِcurled
يُطِرنَ شَوابِكَ الزَبَدِ الجِعادِ
They strain against their nose-rings, narrow-eyed,
sending tangled curls of foam flying.
إِذاwhen اِفتَرَّbare their teeth الحُداةُthe camel-drivers مَضَينَthey press on قُدماًstraight ahead
إِذا اِفتَرَّ الحُداةُ مَضَينَ قُدماً
وَفيand during الخِمسِthe five-day watering interval الجُموحُheadlong drive لَهُنَّfor them حاديa camel-driver
وَفي الخِمسِ الجُموحُ لَهُنَّ حادي
When the camel-drivers bare their teeth, they press straight ahead;
and through the five-day watering interval, wild drive is their guide.
يُصادينَthey confront الهَواجِرَthe midday heats حينَwhen تَحمىthey grow scorching
يُصادينَ الهَواجِرَ حينَ تَحمى
وَحِرباءُand the chameleon of الفَلاةِthe desert أَحَمُّblack صادِparched
وَحِرباءُ الفَلاةِ أَحَمُّ صادِ
They brave the midday heats when they blaze,
while the desert chameleon is black and parched.
دَأَبنَthey toiled steadily اللَيلَthrough the night نَحوَكُمُtoward you فَلَمّاand when
دَأَبنَ اللَيلَ نَحوَكُمُ فَلَمّا
تَجَلَّتappeared مِنfrom أَواخِرِهِits last hours الهَواديthe first lights
تَجَلَّت مِن أَواخِرِهِ الهَوادي
They toiled all night toward you; and when
the first lights appeared from its waning hours,
وَقَعنَthey settled جَوانِحاًleaning in فيin ظِلِّthe shade of لَيلٍnight
وَقَعنَ جَوانِحاً في ظِلِّ لَيلٍ
عَلىbeside مَطوِيَّةٍa stone-lined well وَالصُبحُwhile the dawn باديwas appearing
عَلى مَطوِيَّةٍ وَالصُبحُ بادي
they settled, leaning in, beneath night's shade,
beside a stone-lined well, as dawn appeared.
كَأَنَّas though الصُبحَthe dawn أَبلَقُa piebald horse ذوwith حُجولٍwhite leg-markings
كَأَنَّ الصُبحَ أَبلَقُ ذو حُجولٍ
يَشِبُّrears وَراءَbehind قَنبَلَةٍa troop of وِرادِbay horses
يَشِبُّ وَراءَ قَنبَلَةٍ وِرادِ
As though dawn were a piebald horse with white stockings,
rearing behind a troop of bay horses.
وَسَيَّرناand we sent forth قَوافِيَrhymes آبِداتٍenduring
وَسَيَّرنا قَوافِيَ آبِداتٍ
غَلَبنَthey surpassed مُهَلهِلاًMuhalhil وَأَباand Abu دُوادِDu'ad
غَلَبنَ مُهَلهِلاً وَأَبا دُوادِ
And we sent forth enduring rhymes
that surpassed Muhalhil and Abu Du'ad.
وَجِنُّand the jinn of الخافِقَينِthe two horizons يَسِرنَthey travel فيهِمamong them
وَجِنُّ الخافِقَينِ يَسِرنَ فيهِم
سِراعَswift in السَيرِtravel نازِحَةَfar-off in المَعادِreturn
سِراعَ السَيرِ نازِحَةَ المَعادِ
They travel among the jinn of the two horizons,
swift in their course, their return far distant.
يُشَبَّهُis likened وَقعَهُنَّtheir impact مُصَمِّماتٍstriking straight through
يُشَبَّهُ وَقعَهُنَّ مُصَمِّماتٍ
سُيوفاًto swords هَزَّهاbrandished them أَخَواthe two men of مُرادِMurad
سُيوفاً هَزَّها أَخَوا مُرادِ
Their impact, as they strike straight through, is likened
to swords brandished by the two men of Murad.
Sol 6.1