سارِيَةٌa night-roaming cloud بينamid الدّيَاجيthe darknesses of night السّودِblack
سارِيَةٌ بين الدّيَاجي السّودِ
مكحولةُdarkened with kohl الأجْفَانِthe eyelids بالسُّهُودِwith sleeplessness
مكحولةُ الأجْفَانِ بالسُّهُودِ
A night-roaming cloud amid the black darkness,
A doe moving amidst the black robes,
Its eyelids kohled with sleeplessness,
Her eyelids swollen with prostration,
مُنْهَلَّةٌpouring down بمائِهَاwith its water البَرُودِcool
مُنْهَلَّةٌ بمائِهَا البَرُودِ
مِثْلَlike انْهِلاَلِthe streaming مُقْلِةِthe eye العَمِيْدِthe lovesick one
مِثْلَ انْهِلاَلِ مُقْلِةِ العَمِيْدِ
Pouring forth its cool water
Flowing with her cool waters,
Like tears streaming from a lovesick eye.
Like the trickling of juice from the ripe dates,
فَصَدَّقَتْso it proved true فيin الوَعْدِthe promise والوَعِيْدِand the threat
فَصَدَّقَتْ في الوَعْدِ والوَعِيْدِ
كأنَّهاas though it were إذاwhen أَقْلَعَتْit withdrew لتُودِيto vanish
كأنَّها إذا أَقْلَعَتْ لتُودِي
So it made good its promise and its threat.
True to her promise and her threat,
As though, when it lifted off to vanish,
As though when she strides away to bring
سِرْبُa flock النَّعَامِostriches نافراًfleeing فيin البِيْدِthe desert wastes
سِرْبُ النَّعَامِ نافراً في البِيْدِ
فالنَّبْتُso the vegetation قدindeed قامَrose مِنَfrom اللُّحُودِthe graves
فالنَّبْتُ قد قامَ مِنَ اللُّحُودِ
It were a flock of ostriches fleeing through the wastes.
A flock of ostriches scattering through the waste,
So the vegetation had risen from the graves,
The vegetation has sprung from barrenness,
يَمِيْسُsways gracefully فيin رِدائِهits robe الجدِيْدِnew
يَمِيْسُ في رِدائِه الجدِيْدِ
مُصَقَّلُburnished التوْرِيْسِyellow coloring والتّورِيْدِand rose-red coloring
مُصَقَّلُ التوْرِيْسِ والتّورِيْدِ
Swaying proudly in its new robe,
Swaying in its new raiment,
Burnished with yellow and rose-red hues.
Burnished weapons and coats of mail,
غاديْتُهاI visited it at dawn قبلbefore غُدُوِّthe morning departure السِّيِّدِthe wolf
غاديْتُها قبل غُدُوِّ السِّيِّدِ
وقبلand before أنto يَجْهَرَproclaim aloud بالتَّوْحِيْدِwith the profession of God's oneness
وقبل أن يَجْهَرَ بالتَّوْحِيْدِ
I sought it at dawn, before the wolf's morning departure,
I came to her before the lord's rising,
And before God's oneness was proclaimed aloud,
And before the birds' chanting of God's oneness,
بطائرٍwith a bird يُعَدّreckoned فيamong الأُسُودِthe lions
بطائرٍ يُعَدّ في الأُسُودِ
مُرَتَّبٍcarefully arranged كالْوَلَدِlike the child الموْلُودِnewborn
مُرَتَّبٍ كالْوَلَدِ الموْلُودِ
With a bird counted among lions,
Arranged like a newborn child,
Carefully arranged like a newborn child,
Erect like a valiant hero,
منتصبٍstanding upright كالبطلِlike the hero النّجِيْدِvaliant
منتصبٍ كالبطلِ النّجِيْدِ
عيناهits two eyes للمشَبِّهِto the maker of comparisons السَّعِيْدfortunate
عيناه للمشَبِّهِ السَّعِيْد
Standing upright like a valiant hero.
Her eyes for the happy likener
Its eyes, to the fortunate maker of similes,
Like two black beads on a necklace,
كالحَبَّتَيْنِlike the two berries السودِblack فيin العُنْقُودِthe grape cluster
كالحَبَّتَيْنِ السودِ في العُنْقُودِ
رفعنthey were brought into view ليto me بالطالعunder the ascendant star السعيدfortunate
رفعن لي بالطالع السعيد
Were like two black grapes in a bunch.
Raised for me the auspicious ascendant—
They came into view for me under a lucky star:
Wild cows blocked my way like secluded virgins
سدتbarred the way ظباءgazelles كالعذارىlike maidens الغيدslender and graceful
سدت ظباء كالعذارى الغيد
فيin ضاحكsmiling الزَّهْرَةِthe bloom نِضْوِthin and worn العُودِthe stem
في ضاحك الزَّهْرَةِ نِضْوِ العُودِ
Gazelles that barred the way, like slender, graceful maidens,
In the blossoming, fragrant lote-tree,
Amid smiling bloom and slender stems.
So I proved to be one whose oath is binding,
فَجُدْتُso I gave freely (unclear here) جِيْدَthe neck الحالِفِthe oath-taker المرْدُودِrebuffed
فَجُدْتُ جِيْدَ الحالِفِ المرْدُودِ
حتىuntil سَرَقْتُI stole الرّيْحَthe wind مِنْfrom بَعِيْدِfar away
حتى سَرَقْتُ الرّيْحَ مِنْ بَعِيْدِ
So I freely gave the rebuffed oath-taker's neck [wording unclear].
Until I stole the wind from afar
Until I stole the wind from afar,
And after descending became ascending,
وَصِرْتُand I became بَعْدَafter الهَبْطِthe descent فيin الصُّعُودِthe ascent
وَصِرْتُ بَعْدَ الهَبْطِ في الصُّعُودِ
فانحَطَّso it plunged مِثْلَlike الحَجَرَthe stone الصَّيْخُودِmassive and hard
فانحَطَّ مِثْلَ الحَجَرَ الصَّيْخُودِ
And, after descending, I began to climb.
Then I fell like a crumbling rock,
Then it plunged like a massive, hard stone;
Scattered like something unique,
فَبُدِّدَتْso they were scattered تَبَدُّدَthe scattering of الفَرِيْدِthe necklace's pearls
فَبُدِّدَتْ تَبَدُّدَ الفَرِيْدِ
ثُمَّthen خَلاَit was alone بكبشِهاwith their ram الفَرِيْدِsolitary
ثُمَّ خَلاَ بكبشِها الفَرِيْدِ
So they were scattered like necklace pearls.
Then her magnificent ram was left
Then it had their solitary ram to itself,
To gore with his weapons and armor—
يَنْشِبُsinks فيinto يافُوخِهِthe crown of its head والجِيْدِand the neck
يَنْشِبُ في يافُوخِهِ والجِيْدِ
مَخَالِباًclaws أمْضَىsharper مِنَthan الحَدِيْدِiron
مَخَالِباً أمْضَى مِنَ الحَدِيْدِ
Sinking into its crown and neck
Claws sharper than iron—
Claws sharper than iron.
Blessed is the unique one with no match,
بُورِكَblessed be منas a فَرْدٍunique one بلاwithout نَدِيْدِa peer
بُورِكَ من فَرْدٍ بلا نَدِيْدِ
يَرْميbrings down بِهِwith it مِذْكَارَa reminder يَوْمِa day عِيْدِa feast
يَرْمي بِهِ مِذْكَارَ يَوْمِ عِيْدِ
Blessed be this singular creature, without a peer,
Who throws at the festive day
With which one brings down a reminder of a feast day:
From the Almighty and the Supreme
منof القَدِيْرِpot-cooked meat وَمِنَand of القَدِيْدِdried meat
من القَدِيْرِ وَمِنَ القَدِيْدِ
وعامرِand what fills الطَّاجِنِthe frying pan والسَّفُودِand the roasting spit
وعامرِ الطَّاجِنِ والسَّفُودِ
Of pot-cooked meat and dried meat,
Provisioner of food and prostration.
And fare that fills the pan and roasting spit.
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1