ماnot بَرَّحَvanished الرَسمُthe campsite trace الَّذيwhich بَينَbetween حَنجَرٍHanjar
ما بَرَّحَ الرَسمُ الَّذي بَينَ حَنجَرٍ
وَذَلفَةٍand Dhalfa حَتّىuntil قيلَit was said هَلwhether هُوَit نازِحُgone far away
وَذَلفَةٍ حَتّى قيلَ هَل هُوَ نازِحُ
The campsite trace between Hanjar did not vanish,
The picture that was drawn between my throat
and Dhalfa, until it was asked, “Has it gone far away?”
And chest did not delight until it was said, is it fading?
وَمازِلتَand you kept on تَرجوyou hope for نَفعَthe favor of سُعدىSu'da وَوُدَّهاand her affection
وَمازِلتَ تَرجو نَفعَ سُعدى وَوُدَّها
وَتُبعِدُand you go far حَتّىuntil اِبيَضَّturned white مِنكَof yours المَسائِحُthe temple locks
وَتُبعِدُ حَتّى اِبيَضَّ مِنكَ المَسائِحُ
And you kept hoping for Su'da's favor and affection,
And you kept hoping for the benefit and love of Su’da
and going far afield until your temple locks turned white.
And kept away until the white hairs were apparent from you
وَحَتّىand until رَأَيتَyou saw الشَخصَthe figure يَزدادُincreases مِثلُهُits likeness
وَحَتّى رَأَيتَ الشَخصَ يَزدادُ مِثلُهُ
إِلَيهِto it وَحَتّىand until نِصفُhalf of رَأسِيَmy head واضِحُgleaming white
إِلَيهِ وَحَتّى نِصفُ رَأسِيَ واضِحُ
And until you saw a figure gain its double
And until you saw the person become more like him
beside it, and until half my head gleamed white.
To it and until half my head became white
عَلاrose over حاجِبَيَّmy two eyebrows الشَيبُgray hair حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّهُas though it were
عَلا حاجِبَيَّ الشَيبُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ
ظِباءٌgazelles جَرَتran مِنهاamong them سَنيحٌone passing left to right وَبارِحُand one passing right to left
ظِباءٌ جَرَت مِنها سَنيحٌ وَبارِحُ
Gray hair rose over my eyebrows until it seemed
The white hairs rose over my eyebrows as if they were
like running gazelles, some passing rightward, others leftward.
A herd of deer from which the yearlings and calves fled
فَأَصبَحتُso I became لاnot أَبتاعُI buy إِلاexcept مُؤامِراًconsulting others
فَأَصبَحتُ لا أَبتاعُ إِلا مُؤامِراً
وَماand not بَيعُthe bargain of مَنone who يَبتاعُbuys مِثلِيَlike me رابِحُprofitable
وَما بَيعُ مَن يَبتاعُ مِثلِيَ رابِحُ
So I came to buy nothing without consulting others,
So I became one who buys only conspiracies
and the bargain of one who buys as I do is not profitable.
And the sale of one who buys like me is not profitable
أَلاah لَيتَif only سَلمىSalma كُلَّماwhenever حانَcame time for ذِكرُهاmention of her
أَلا لَيتَ سَلمى كُلَّما حانَ ذِكرُها
تُبَلِّغُهاconvey to her عَنّيfrom me الرِياحُthe winds النَوافِحُthe wafting ones
تُبَلِّغُها عَنّي الرِياحُ النَوافِحُ
Ah, would that Salma, whenever her name came to mind,
Oh, if only the winds that blow hard
were brought word from me by the wafting winds.
Could deliver to Salma whenever her mention comes up:
وَقالَتand she said تَعلَّمknow أَنَّthat ماwhat كانَwas بَينَناbetween us
وَقالَت تَعلَّم أَنَّ ما كانَ بَينَنا
إِلَيكَto you أَداءٌa repayment إِنَّindeed عَهدَكَyour covenant صالِحُsound
إِلَيكَ أَداءٌ إِنَّ عَهدَكَ صالِحُ
And she said, “Know that what passed between us
“Know that whatever was between us
shall be returned to you; your covenant is sound.
Is a return to you, indeed your pact is honest”
جَميعاًall of it تُؤَدّيهِreturns it إِلَيكَto you أَمانَتيmy faithfulness
جَميعاً تُؤَدّيهِ إِلَيكَ أَمانَتي
كَماas أُدِّيَتwere returned بَعدَafter الغِرازِthe drying of milk المَنائِحُanimals lent for their milk
كَما أُدِّيَت بَعدَ الغِرازِ المَنائِحُ
My faithfulness returns it all to you,
My loyalty delivers everything to you
as animals lent for milking are returned once their milk dries up.”
As it was delivered after the hidden love
وَقالَتand she said تَعلَّمknow أَنَّthat بَعضَsome of حُمُوَّتيmy in-laws
وَقالَت تَعلَّم أَنَّ بَعضَ حُمُوَّتي
وَبَعليand my husband غِضابٌangry كُلُّهُمall of them لَكَtoward you كاشِحُhostile
وَبَعلي غِضابٌ كُلُّهُم لَكَ كاشِحُ
And she said, “Know that some of my in-laws
And she said: “Know that some of my rage
and my husband are angry; each harbors hatred for you.
And my husband’s are all swords against you
يَحِدّونَthey sharpen بِالأَيديwith their hands الشَفارَthe blades وَكُلُّهُمand all of them
يَحِدّونَ بِالأَيدي الشَفارَ وَكُلُّهُم
لِحَلقِكَfor your throat لَوif يَستَطيعُhe can حَلقَكَyour throat ذابِحُa slaughterer
لِحَلقِكَ لَو يَستَطيعُ حَلقَكَ ذابِحُ
They sharpen blades with their hands, and every one of them
They sharpen the blades and all of them
would slit your throat, if he could reach your throat.”
If able, would slaughter your throat
وَهَزَّةِand a swaying movement of أَظعانٍwomen in traveling litters عَلَيهِنَّupon them بَهجَةٌbeauty
وَهَزَّةِ أَظعانٍ عَلَيهِنَّ بَهجَةٌ
طَلَبتُI pursued وَرَيعانُand the first bloom of الصِباyouth بِيَwithin me جامِحُunbridled
طَلَبتُ وَرَيعانُ الصِبا بِيَ جامِحُ
And many a swaying train of women in litters, radiant with beauty,
I desired the swaying of gazelles upon which is
I pursued while youthful vigor ran unbridled within me.
Delight, and the pastures of youth are my passion”
فَلَمّاso when قَضَيناwe fulfilled مِنfrom مِنىًMina كُلَّevery حاجَةٍneed
فَلَمّا قَضَينا مِن مِنىً كُلَّ حاجَةٍ
وَمَسَّحَand stroked رُكنَthe corner of البَيتِthe House مَنthe one who هُوَhe ماسِحُone who touches
وَمَسَّحَ رُكنَ البَيتِ مَن هُوَ ماسِحُ
So when we had fulfilled every need at Mina,
So when we finished every need of pilgrimage
and those who would touch the House's corner had touched it,
And the corner of the house was touched by one who wipes it
وَشُدَّتand were fastened عَلىon حُدبِthe humps of المَهارىthe Mahri camels رِحالُهاtheir saddles
وَشُدَّت عَلى حُدبِ المَهارى رِحالُها
وَلاand not يَنظُرُwaits for الغاديthe morning traveler الَّذيthe one who هُوَhe رائِحُan evening traveler
وَلا يَنظُرُ الغادي الَّذي هُوَ رائِحُ
and their saddles were fastened over the Mahri camels' humps,
And their saddlebags were tied onto the saddles
and the morning traveler did not wait for the evening traveler,
And the departing one does not look back at the one arriving
فَقُلناso we spoke عَلىon الهوجِthe headstrong camels المَراسيلِthe swift-going ones وَاِرتَمَتand surged onward
فَقُلنا عَلى الهوجِ المَراسيلِ وَاِرتَمَت
بِهِنَّwith them الصَحارىthe deserts وَالصِمادُand the hard uplands الصَحاصِحُthe bare, open expanses
بِهِنَّ الصَحارى وَالصِمادُ الصَحاصِحُ
we spoke atop the headstrong, swift-going camels, and onward surged
We said farewell on the she-camels
with them the deserts and the hard, bare uplands.
The plains were covered in them and the solid rocks
نَزَعناwe drew out بِأَطرافِwith fragments of الأَحاديثِconversation بَينَناamong ourselves
نَزَعنا بِأَطرافِ الأَحاديثِ بَينَنا
وَمالَتand tilted بِأَعناقِwith the necks of المَطِيِّthe riding camels الأَباطِحُthe broad streambeds
وَمالَت بِأَعناقِ المَطِيِّ الأَباطِحُ
We drew out fragments of talk among ourselves,
We parted with edges of conversation between us
and the broad streambeds tilted with the riding camels' necks.
And the necks of the riding beasts leaned
وَطِرتُand I flew إِلىto قَوداءَa long-necked she-camel قادَled تَليلُهاher neck
وَطِرتُ إِلى قَوداءَ قادَ تَليلُها
مَناكِبَهاher shoulders وَإِشتَدَّand grew firm مِنهاof her الجَوانِحُthe ribs
مَناكِبَها وَإِشتَدَّ مِنها الجَوانِحُ
And I flew to a long-necked she-camel whose neck led
I returned to a Najdi she-camel whose procession
her shoulders, and whose ribs were firm.
Moved her shoulders and she intensified her exertion
كَأَنّيas though I كَسَوتُI clothed الرَحلَthe saddle جَوناًa dark wild ass رَباعِياًfour-year-old
كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً رَباعِياً
تَضَمَّنهُsheltered him واديthe valley of الرَجاal-Raja فَالأَفايِحُthen al-Afayih
تَضَمَّنهُ وادي الرَجا فَالأَفايِحُ
As though I had clothed a dark, four-year-old wild ass with the saddle,
As if I clothed the saddle cloth with a striped coat
sheltered by Wadi al-Raja, then al-Afayih.
Enveloping it, the valleys of Rajāʾ and then Al-Afāyih
مُمَرّاًtightly knit كَعَقدِlike the knot of الأَندَرِيِّthe Andari مُدَمَّجاًcompactly built
مُمَرّاً كَعَقدِ الأَندَرِيِّ مُدَمَّجاً
بَداappeared قارِحٌa mature incisor مِنهُin him وَلَمand did not يَبدُappear قارِحُa mature incisor
بَدا قارِحٌ مِنهُ وَلَم يَبدُ قارِحُ
Tightly knit like the Andari's knot, compactly built,
A passage convoluted like the pattern of Andarani
a mature incisor had shown in him, yet had not fully shown.
A tear was visible from it, yet no mender was visible
كَأَنَّas though عَلَيهِon him مِنof قَباءٍa coat بِطانَةًa lining
كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ مِن قَباءٍ بِطانَةً
تَفَرَّجَparted عَنهاfrom it جَيبُهاits neckline وَالمَناصِحُand the sewing needles
تَفَرَّجَ عَنها جَيبُها وَالمَناصِحُ
As though he wore the lining of a coat,
As if it had a lining of fur that
its neckline and needlework opened to expose it.
Its pocket opened from it, and the advisors
أَخوa brother of الأَرضِthe earth يَستَخفيhe hides بِهاin it غَيرَexcept أَنَّهُthat he
أَخو الأَرضِ يَستَخفي بِها غَيرَ أَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen اِستافَhe scents مِنهاfrom it قارِحاًa newly pregnant female فَهُوَthen he is صائِحُcrying out
إِذا اِستافَ مِنها قارِحاً فَهُوَ صائِحُ
A brother of the earth, he hides in it, except that
A brother of the land hides in it, but when
when he scents a newly pregnant female there, he cries out.
It tears from it, exposed, he screams
دَعاهاhe called her مِنَfrom الأَمهادِthe plains أَمهادِthe plains of عامِرٍAmir
دَعاها مِنَ الأَمهادِ أَمهادِ عامِرٍ
وَهاجَتand raged مِنfrom الشِّعرىSirius عَلَيهِagainst him البَوارِحُthe scorching winds
وَهاجَت مِن الشِّعرى عَلَيهِ البَوارِحُ
He called her from the plains—the plains of Amir,
He called it from the tent pegs, the tent pegs of ʿĀmir
and from Sirius the scorching winds raged against him.
And the wild beasts stirred against him from Siʿrā
Sol 6.1