نظرتُI gazed ومنand of مصرEgypt قصورٌpalaces كأنهاas though they were
نظرتُ ومن مصر قصورٌ كأنها
إذاwhen غُلِّقَتwere shut دُونيagainst me أنُوفُjutting noses رِعانِof mountain spurs
إذا غُلِّقَت دُوني أنُوفُ رِعانِ
I gazed, while Egypt's palaces seemed—
when shut against me—like the jutting noses of mountain spurs,
بمقلةwith an eye بازٍof a hawk أشكلmottled الرِّيسin plumage واقعٍperched
بمقلة بازٍ أشكل الرِّيس واقعٍ
عَشِيَّةَat evening ساريmoving by night رَهمةٍgentle rain ودِجَانِand gloom
عَشِيَّةَ ساري رَهمةٍ ودِجَانِ
with the eye of a perched hawk of mottled plumage,
at evening, amid night-travelling drizzle and gloom,
إلىtoward ضوءthe light of نارٍa fire بالحبوننat al-Ḥabawnan والصفاand al-Ṣafā
إلى ضوء نارٍ بالحبونن والصفا
تُشَبُّis kindled ودونيand between me and it منof هُلُولِHulūl مِتانِhard uplands
تُشَبُّ ودوني من هُلُولِ مِتانِ
toward a fire's glow at al-Ḥabawnan and al-Ṣafā,
kindled, with Hulūl's hard uplands between me and it.
فَهَلthen will...? أرينَّI surely see اللحيَal-Laḥy يَبدُوappearing كأنهas though it were
فَهَل أرينَّ اللحيَ يَبدُو كأنه
منfrom البُعدِthe distance شِدقاthe two mouth-corners of غايَةٍa banner نَزِقَانboth tossing restlessly
من البُعدِ شِدقا غايَةٍ نَزِقَان
Will I ever see al-Laḥy appear as though it were,
from afar, the two tossing corners of a banner?
وهلand will...? أسمعَنI surely hear صوتthe voice of المغنيthe singer عشيةone evening
وهل أسمعَن صوت المغني عشية
معwith الركبthe caravan قدalready أفضىhe reached open country
مع الركب قد أفضى
And will I hear the singer's voice one evening,
when he has reached open country with the caravan?
وهلand will...? أَرِدَنI surely reach for water حِسيَthe sand-well of الجِهَاشِal-Jihāsh عَشيَّةًone evening
وهل أَرِدَن حِسيَ الجِهَاشِ عَشيَّةً
علىamong حاضرpeople camped at water منof وافدan arriving visitor وسنانdrowsy
على حاضر من وافد وسنان
And will I reach al-Jihāsh's waterhole one evening,
among a gathering of drowsy arrivals?
بأبطحin a gravelly hollow منهof it والمناهيمُand the ravenous camels تحتسيsip
بأبطح منه والمناهيمُ تحتسي
بهfrom it وسماطاand the two banks of غللانGhalalān
به وسماطا غللان
in its gravelly hollow, while the ravenous camels sip
from it, and Ghalalān's two banks
يمجُّexudes الندىmoisture منfrom بعدafter ماwhen حميbecame hot الحصَىthe pebbles
يمجُّ الندى من بعد ما حمي الحصَى
دِماثٌsoft stretches of ground بهthere مَوليَّةٌwatered by later rain ومَحَانِand valley bends
دِماثٌ به مَوليَّةٌ ومَحَانِ
exude moisture after the pebbles have grown hot—
soft ground watered by later rain, and valley bends there.
وهلand will...? أَرِدَنَّI surely reach for water الحِسيَthe sand-well حِسيَthe sand-well of ابنِIbn (son of) ضَعضَعٍḌaʿḍaʿ
وهل أَرِدَنَّ الحِسيَ حِسيَ ابنِ ضَعضَعٍ
كقُمرِيَّةٍlike a turtledove جنحَat the onset of الظلامdarkness غَوانfair young women (context unclear)
كقُمرِيَّةٍ جنحَ الظلام غَوان
And will I reach the waterhole, Ibn Ḍaʿḍaʿ's waterhole,
like a turtledove at nightfall—fair women [unclear fragment].
ولاand not هِيit إلاanything but أنthat تُرَىit be seen يومَon a day of غارةraiding
ولا هِي إلا أن تُرَى يومَ غارة
كؤودarduous قَيدُومُهاits vanguard السرعانthe swiftest
كؤود قَيدُومُها السرعان
Nor is it anything but being seen on a day of raiding—
a grueling raid, with the swiftest at its head.
ولاand not هيit إلاanything but أنthat يقربbring near أرضهاher land
ولا هي إلا أن يقرب أرضها
تدافعthe surging forward of وهمa sturdy camel طيِّبsound الوشجانin sinews
تدافع وهم طيِّب الوشجان
Nor is it anything but her land being brought near
by the surging of a sturdy camel, sound of sinew.
كأنيas though I were منfrom وجدٍlonging بهاfor her نِضوُan emaciated camel شقةof a long journey
كأني من وجدٍ بها نِضوُ شقة
بِنَجرانin Najrān مرعاهits pasture الأراكthe arāk trees يمانYemeni
بِنَجران مرعاه الأراك يمان
As though, from longing for her, I were a journey-worn camel,
in Najrān, a Yemeni beast whose pasture is arāk.
رعَىit grazed on رَيِّقاًfresh, choice growth غَضَّthe tender shoots of الأَراكِthe arāk ونَورَهُand its blossoms
رعَى رَيِّقاً غَضَّ الأَراكِ ونَورَهُ
مَشرَبٍa watering-place ذيpossessing خضرةgreenery ولَيَانِand softness
مَشرَبٍ ذي خضرة ولَيَانِ
It grazed on fresh, tender arāk and its blossoms,
at a watering-place full of greenery and lushness.
يحنit cries with longing ويقصىand is driven away ويردُّهُand turn it back
يحن ويقصى ويردُّهُ
طماطمةٌmen of unintelligible speech ماnot منهمamong them
طماطمةٌ ما منهم
It cries with longing, is driven away, and is turned back
by foreign-tongued men, none of whom...
رماناshot at us العدىthe enemies ياO أمmother of عمروʿAmr بظنهمwith their suspicions
رمانا العدى يا أم عمرو بظنهم
كماjust as يُرتَمَىare shot at فيin المجلسthe gathering الغرَضَانthe two targets
كما يُرتَمَى في المجلس الغرَضَان
Our enemies, O Umm ʿAmr, shot their suspicions at us,
as two targets are shot at in a gathering.
وكناand we were كريميtwo noble members of معشرa clan لَجَّraged persistently بينناbetween us
وكنا كريمي معشر لَجَّ بيننا
هوىًa passion فكتمناهso we concealed it بحسنwith good صِيانsafeguarding
هوىً فكتمناه بحسن صِيان
And we were two noble members of a clan; between us raged
a passion, which we concealed with careful discretion.
نُكِنُّwe keep it secret فلاso it does not يبدوshow ونخفيand we conceal it فلاso it is not يرىseen
نُكِنُّ فلا يبدو ونخفي فلا يرى
فماso not علمواthey knew منof أمرناour affair ببيانwith certainty
فما علموا من أمرنا ببيان
We keep it secret, so it does not show; conceal it, so it is not seen.
So they knew nothing certain of our affair.
نذودُwe drive away النفوسَthe souls الحائماتِcircling عنfrom الهوىpassion
نذودُ النفوسَ الحائماتِ عن الهوى
وهنَّand they بأعناقٍwith necks إليهtoward it ثوانbending
وهنَّ بأعناقٍ إليه ثوان
We drive our circling souls away from passion,
though they bend their necks toward it.
منamong الناسpeople إنسانانtwo persons دينيthe debt owed me عليهماowed by them both
من الناس إنسانان ديني عليهما
مليانboth able to pay لوif شاءاthey both wished لقدcertainly قضيانيthey would both have repaid me
مليان لو شاءا لقد قضياني
Among people are two who owe me a debt,
both able to pay: had they wished, they would have repaid me.
غريمانtwo debtors أماas for أمmother of عمروʿAmr فمنهماthen she is one of the two
غريمان أما أم عمرو فمنهما
وأماand as for عنabout الأخرىthe other woman فلاthen do not تسلانيyou two ask me
وأما عن الأخرى فلا تسلاني
Two debtors: as for Umm ʿAmr, she is one of them;
and as for the other woman, you two must not ask me.
Sol 6.1