أَمِنis it because of دِمنَةٍan abandoned campsite قَفرٍdesolate تَعاوَرَهاrepeatedly ravaged it البِلىdecay
أَمِن دِمنَةٍ قَفرٍ تَعاوَرَها البِلى
لِعَينَيكَfor your two eyes أَسرابٌstreams of tears تَفيضُoverflow غُروبُهاtheir flowing tears
لِعَينَيكَ أَسرابٌ تَفيضُ غُروبُها
Is it because of a desolate campsite, repeatedly ravaged by decay,
From the ruins of a remote wilderness worn by time
that your eyes pour out streams of overflowing tears?
For your eyes, flocks overflowing with their sunset
تَعاوَرَهاrepeatedly ravaged it طولُlong duration البِلىof decay بَعدَafter جِدَّةٍfreshness
تَعاوَرَها طولُ البِلى بَعدَ جِدَّةٍ
وَجَرَّتand dragged بِأَذيالٍwith skirts عَلَيهاover it جَنوبُهاits south wind
وَجَرَّت بِأَذيالٍ عَلَيها جَنوبُها
Long decay has repeatedly ravaged it since it was new,
Worn by the length of time after renewal
and its south wind has trailed its skirts across it.
And pulled by southern winds on it their trains
فَلَمso not يَبقَremained فيهاin it غَيرُexcept أُسٍّa foundation مُذَعذَعٍscattered
فَلَم يَبقَ فيها غَيرُ أُسٍّ مُذَعذَعٍ
وَلاand not مِنof أَثافيhearthstones الدارِof the dwelling إلّاexcept صَليبُهاtheir solid ones
وَلا مِن أَثافي الدارِ إلّا صَليبُها
So nothing remained there but a scattered foundation,
Nothing left in it but a tottering threshold
and of the dwelling's hearthstones, only the solid ones.
And of the house’s corners none but its cross
تَحَمَّلَdeparted مِنهاfrom it أَهلُهاits people فَنَأَتthen went far away بِهِمwith them
تَحَمَّلَ مِنها أَهلُها فَنَأَت بِهِم
لِطِيَّتِهِمtoward their destination مَرُّthe course النَوىof separation وَشُعوبُهاand its branching paths
لِطِيَّتِهِم مَرُّ النَوى وَشُعوبُها
Its people packed up and left it, and were borne far away
Its people bore from it and the bitterness of exile took them
toward their destination by separation's course and its branching paths.
To their endurance the myrrh of sorrow and its wadis
وَإِذand when هِيَshe كَغُصنِlike a branch البانِof the bān tree خَفَّاقَةَslender الحَشىof waist
وَإِذ هِيَ كَغُصنِ البانِ خَفَّاقَةَ الحَشى
يَروعُكَdazzles you مِنهاin her حُسنُbeauty دَلٍّof coy charm وَطيبُهاand her fragrance
يَروعُكَ مِنها حُسنُ دَلٍّ وَطيبُها
And once she was like a bān-tree branch, slender-waisted,
When it is like the fluttering ban branch
her lovely coyness and fragrance would dazzle you.
Its beautiful vine and fragrance startle you
فَأَصبَحَso became باقيthe remainder الوُدِّof affection بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهاand between her
فَأَصبَحَ باقي الوُدِّ بَيني وَبَينَها
أَمانِيَّhopes يُزجيهاpasses them along إِلَيَّto me كَذوبُهاher lying messenger
أَمانِيَّ يُزجيها إِلَيَّ كَذوبُها
So the affection left between me and her has become
What remains of love between me and it
mere hopes that her lying messenger passes on to me.
Are wishes it sends to me, their falsehood
فَدَعهَاso leave her وَعَدِّand turn away الهَمَّsorrow عَنكَfrom you وَلَوand even if دَعاcalls
فَدَعهَا وَعَدِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ وَلَو دَعا
إِلىto ذِكرِremembrance سَلمىof Salmā كُلَّevery يَومٍday طَروبُهاone who yearns for her
إِلى ذِكرِ سَلمى كُلَّ يَومٍ طَروبُها
So leave her, and cast sorrow away, even if you are called
Leave it and rid your worries, even if called
each day to remember Salmā by one who yearns for her.
To the memory of Salma each blessed day her serenity
أَتَصبوdo you yearn إِلىfor سَلمىSalmā وَمِنand on دونِthis side of أَهلِهاher people
أَتَصبو إِلى سَلمى وَمِن دونِ أَهلِها
مَهامِهُtrackless deserts يَغتالُkills unawares المَطِيَّthe riding camels سُهوبُهاtheir broad plains
مَهامِهُ يَغتالُ المَطِيَّ سُهوبُها
Do you yearn for Salmā, when between you and her people lie
You yearn for Salma, and without her people
wastelands whose broad plains kill the riding camels unawares?
Ambushes take the rider, their precipices
وَبِالعَفوِand with forgiveness وَصّانيcounselled me أَبيmy father وَعَشيرَتيand my clan
وَبِالعَفوِ وَصّاني أَبي وَعَشيرَتي
وَبِالدَفعِand with defending عَنهاon its behalf فيin أُمورٍmatters تُريبُهاtrouble it
وَبِالدَفعِ عَنها في أُمورٍ تُريبُها
My father and my clan counselled me to forgive,
My father and clan instructed me with pardon
and to defend it in matters that trouble it.
And to defend her in matters that vilify her
وَقَومَكَand your people فَاِستَبِقِso strive for المَوَدَّةَaffection فيهِمُamong them
وَقَومَكَ فَاِستَبِقِ المَوَدَّةَ فيهِمُ
وَنَفسَكَand yourself جَنِّبهاkeep it away الَّذيthat which قَدmay يَعيبُهاdisgrace it
وَنَفسَكَ جَنِّبها الَّذي قَد يَعيبُها
And among your people, strive to foster affection;
As for your people, excel in affection among them
and keep yourself away from whatever might disgrace you.
And spare your soul what flaws it
Sol 6.1