ماwhat هاجَكَstirred you اليَومَtoday مِنof رَسمٍa trace وَأَطلالِand ruins
ما هاجَكَ اليَومَ مِن رَسمٍ وَأَطلالِ
مِنهاsome of them مُبينٌclear وَمِنهاand some of them دارِسٌeffaced بالِworn away
مِنها مُبينٌ وَمِنها دارِسٌ بالِ
What traces and ruins have stirred you today—
What stirred you today of ruins and traces
some still clear, and others effaced and worn—
Some are clear, some covered in dust
بَينَbetween السَنامِal-Sanam وَهضميهِand its two hollows وَذيand Dhu بَقَرٍBaqar
بَينَ السَنامِ وَهضميهِ وَذي بَقَرٍ
كَأَنَّهاas though they were صُحُفٌwritten sheets يُخطهاhe inscribes them تاليa reciter
كَأَنَّها صُحُفٌ يُخطها تالي
between al-Sanam, its two hollows, and Dhu Baqar,
Between Sanam, Hudhmah, and Thu Baqar
like pages inscribed by a reciter?
As if they are pages scribbled by a reader
دارٌa dwelling لِقَيلَةَbelonging to Qayla إِذwhen قَلبيmy heart بِهاwith her كَلِفٌenamored
دارٌ لِقَيلَةَ إِذ قَلبي بِها كَلِفٌ
أَقَوَتbecame deserted مَنازِلُهاher dwellings مِنfrom بَعدِafter أَحوالِyears
أَقَوَت مَنازِلُها مِن بَعدِ أَحوالِ
Qayla's dwelling, when my heart was enamored of her;
A home for Qailah when my heart was occupied with her
her abodes have fallen empty after years.
Its dwellings weakened after circumstances
تَمشيwalk النِعاجُthe wild cows بِهاin it وَالعينُand the wide-eyed ones مُطفِلَةٌhaving young
تَمشي النِعاجُ بِها وَالعينُ مُطفِلَةٌ
إِلىtoward رَواشِحَnewly walking calves قَدalready حَفَّتclustered close وَأَطفالِand newborns
إِلى رَواشِحَ قَد حَفَّت وَأَطفالِ
Wild cows roam there, and the wide-eyed ones have young,
Sheep walk through it while the eye pries
moving toward calves clustered close, and newborns.
Upon graceful gazelles surrounded by young
ظَلَلتُI spent the day فيهاin it كَئيباًgrieving غَيرَnot مُضطَلِعٍable to bear
ظَلَلتُ فيها كَئيباً غَيرَ مُضطَلِعٍ
هَمّيmy sorrow وَأَسبَلَand streamed دَمعيmy tears أَيَّwhat a اِسبالِpouring forth
هَمّي وَأَسبَلَ دَمعي أَيَّ اِسبالِ
I spent the day there grieving, unable to bear
I lingered there, sad without relief
my sorrow; my tears poured down in torrents.
My worries spilled my tears - what outpouring!
وَجَسرَةand a sturdy she-camel الخَلقِof build مَنفوجٍspread apart مَرافِقُهاher elbows
وَجَسرَة الخَلقِ مَنفوجٍ مَرافِقُها
عَيرانَةٍwild-ass-strong كَوبيلِlike a powerful male القشِّof the ostriches شِملالِfleet-footed
عَيرانَةٍ كَوبيلِ القشِّ شِملالِ
And a stout-built she-camel, her elbows set wide apart,
Its bridge flanked by joined mountains
wild-ass-strong, fleet as a powerful ostrich:
Like bundles of straws piled up
صَعلٌsmall-headed أَتاهُcame upon him بَياضٌwhiteness مِنfrom شَواكِلِهِhis flanks
صَعلٌ أَتاهُ بَياضٌ مِن شَواكِلِهِ
جَونِblack السَراةِof back أَجَشَّhoarse الصَوتِof voice صَلصالِloudly resonant
جَونِ السَراةِ أَجَشَّ الصَوتِ صَلصالِ
small-headed, whiteness showing along his flanks,
A rugged hill turned white at its peaks
black-backed, hoarse-voiced, loudly resonant.
From the voice of rain, the ground clattering
يَغدوhe goes at dawn عَلىtoward شُسُبٍlean females شُعثٍshaggy عَقايِقُهاtheir natal down
يَغدو عَلى شُسُبٍ شُعثٍ عَقايِقُها
كَأَنَّas though تَصويتَهُhis cry تَصويتُthe cry of اهِلالِacclamation
كَأَنَّ تَصويتَهُ تَصويتُ اهِلالِ
He goes at dawn to lean females with shaggy down,
In the morning it marches on arid shrubs, their blossoms
his cry like a shout of acclamation.
As if their rustling is the rustling of orphans
أَوor فَوقَatop أَحقَبَa white-girdled wild ass يَقروtraversing رَملَthe sands of واقِصَةٍWaqisa
أَو فَوقَ أَحقَبَ يَقرو رَملَ واقِصَةٍ
فيin رَعلَةٍa herd كَشَقيقِlike strips of cloth التَجرِthe merchants أَمثالِalike
في رَعلَةٍ كَشَقيقِ التَجرِ أَمثالِ
Or atop a white-girdled wild ass traversing Waqisa's sands,
Or it calls in the sand of Wāqiṣah’s valley
in a herd, alike as strips of merchants' cloth.
Among pebbles like pieces of porcelain
قَدalready خُضِّبَwas stained الكَعبُthe hock مِنfrom نَسفِuprooting العُروقِthe roots بِهِwith it
قَد خُضِّبَ الكَعبُ مِن نَسفِ العُروقِ بِهِ
مِنَof الرُخامىthe rukhama plant بجنبيon both sides of حَزمِthe upland of أَورالِAwral
مِنَ الرُخامى بجنبي حَزمِ أَورالِ
His hock is stained from tearing out roots with it,
Blood dyed its ankles from the gushing veins
of rukhama plants, on both sides of Hazm Awral.
Beside my cheek, bundles of lilies
هَبَّتblew عَلَيهِupon him سَمومُthe scorching wind of الصَيفِsummer لاهبَةًblazing
هَبَّت عَلَيهِ سَمومُ الصَيفِ لاهبَةً
وَكَفَّتِand withheld الماءَthe water عَنهُfrom him صَدرَat the beginning of شَوالِShawwal
وَكَفَّتِ الماءَ عَنهُ صَدرَ شَوالِ
Summer's scorching wind blew blazing over him,
Summer heat storms blew over it, scorching
and cut off his water at the beginning of Shawwal,
As July held back its water
إِلّاexcept الثِمادَthe scant pools فَماso he does not يَنفَكُّcease يَحفِرُهاhe digs for them
إِلّا الثِمادَ فَما يَنفَكُّ يَحفِرُها
فيat رَأَسِthe summit of شاهِقَةٍa lofty crag عَيطاءَtowering مِظلالِshade-giving
في رَأَسِ شاهِقَةٍ عَيطاءَ مِظلالِ
save scant pools, which he never ceases digging for,
Except for the salicornia that ceaselessly digs
at the summit of a lofty, towering, shade-giving crag,
Into towering barren heights, shaded
خُضراًgreen كُسينَthey were clothed دُوَينَjust below الشَمسِthe sun عَرمَضَهُits green scum
خُضراً كُسينَ دُوَينَ الشَمسِ عَرمَضَهُ
أَوor طُحلُباًalgae بِأَعاليat the upper reaches of اللِصبِthe narrow rock cleft أَوشالِtrickling waters
أَو طُحلُباً بِأَعالي اللِصبِ أَوشالِ
green, clothed just below the sun in the water's scum,
As green as the robes of sun-scorched ruins
or algae—trickling waters high in the narrow rock cleft.
Or algae at the peaks of crumbling rocks
كَأَنَّas though كَوكَبَa star of نَحسٍill fortune فيin مُعَرَّسَةٍa night-resting place
كَأَنَّ كَوكَبَ نَحسٍ في مُعَرَّسَةٍ
أَوor فارِسِيّاًa Persian عَلَيهِupon him سَحقَthreadbare سِربالِa tunic
أَو فارِسِيّاً عَلَيهِ سَحقَ سِربالِ
As though an ill-omened star were at a night's resting place,
Like an ill-omened planet in its crest
or a Persian wearing a threadbare tunic.
Or a Persian whose armor it crushed
فَعارَضَتthen she crossed بِكَwith you فيthrough خَرقٍa desert expanse لَهُit has قَثَمٌdusty murk (uncertain)
فَعارَضَت بِكَ في خَرقٍ لَهُ قَثَمٌ
تَزقوcry بِهِin it الهامُthe owls ذيpossessing قَوزٍa sandhill وَأَميالِand miles
تَزقو بِهِ الهامُ ذي قَوزٍ وَأَميالِ
Then she bore you through a wilderness veiled in murk,
So it challenged you with a hole in its side
where owls cry, with a sandhill and miles of ground.
Piercing the brain with spears and miles
تُناديcall out الرَكبُthe riders جارواthey strayed عَنfrom طريقِهِمُtheir road
تُنادي الرَكبُ جاروا عَن طريقِهِمُ
وَيَتَّقونَand they protect themselves بِهادٍwith a guide غَيرِnot مِضلالِone who misleads
وَيَتَّقونَ بِهادٍ غَيرِ مِضلالِ
The riders call out; they have strayed from their road,
Caravans cry "Detour from its path!"
and seek safety with a guide who does not lead astray.
And avoid it, not deviating from the right way
إِنif تُعرِضيyou turn away وَتَضِنّيand you begrudge بِالنِوالِwith favors لَناto us
إِن تُعرِضي وَتَضِنّي بِالنِوالِ لَنا
فَواصَلنthen maintain bonds إِذاwhen واصَلتِyou form bonds أَمثاليmen like me
فَواصَلن إِذا واصَلتِ أَمثالي
If you turn away and withhold your favors from us,
If you turn away and tease us with your gifts
then, when you form a bond, form it with men like me.
Then join me if you join the likes of me
إِنّيI indeed صَبورٌpatient عَلىunder ماwhatever نابَbefell مُعتَرِفٌaccepting
إِنّي صَبورٌ عَلى ما نابَ مُعتَرِفٌ
أُصَرِّفُI direct الأَمرَthe affair مِنfrom حالٍone state إِلىto حالِanother state
أُصَرِّفُ الأَمرَ مِن حالٍ إِلى حالِ
I am patient under whatever befalls, accepting it;
I am patient with what comes my way, confessing
I turn affairs from one state to another.
I maneuver events from one state to another
أَنمىI trace my descent إِلىto مَجدِthe glory of أَجدادٍforefathers لَهُمthey possess عَدَدٌnumbers
أَنمى إِلى مَجدِ أَجدادٍ لَهُم عَدَدٌ
مُذَلِّلينَsubduing others لِوَطءِto the tread of الحَقِّwhat is right اِزوالِvaliant men
مُذَلِّلينَ لِوَطءِ الحَقِّ اِزوالِ
I trace my descent to the glory of forefathers with strength in numbers,
I aspire to the glory of ancestors, their number
valiant men, subduing others beneath the tread of right,
Humbling, making truth everlasting
القائِمينَthose who rise لِأَمرٍto a task لاnot يَقومُcan rise لَهُto it
القائِمينَ لِأَمرٍ لا يَقومُ لَهُ
إِلّاexcept هُمُthey وَمَحاميلٌand stout bearers لِأَثقالِof heavy burdens
إِلّا هُمُ وَمَحاميلٌ لِأَثقالِ
who rise to a task that none can face
Upholding a matter none can uphold
but they; and they shoulder heavy burdens,
Except them, bearing heavy loads
وَالمُطعِمينَand those who feed others إِذاwhen هَبَّتblows شآمِيَةٌa wind from Syria
وَالمُطعِمينَ إِذا هَبَّت شآمِيَةٌ
تَذريscatters الهَشيمَthe brittle stalks وَثَمَّand there الدِندَنِthe dry brushwood الباليdecayed
تَذري الهَشيمَ وَثَمَّ الدِندَنِ البالي
and feed others when a wind from Syria blows,
Feeding when the north wind blows
scattering brittle stalks, with old dead brushwood lying there.
Scattering husks, the useless gone
وَمَرصَدٍand a watch-post خائِفٍfearsome لاnot يَستَطيفُcircles بِهِaround it
وَمَرصَدٍ خائِفٍ لا يَستَطيفُ بِهِ
مِنَamong المُسامِحِthe easygoing إِلّاexcept المُشفِقِthe wary man الخاليunencumbered
مِنَ المُسامِحِ إِلّا المُشفِقِ الخالي
And a fearsome watch-post, approached by none
A watchful herd, gaining no comfort from
of the easygoing, save a wary, unencumbered man—
The lenient except the lonely empty one
قَدalready عَوَّدوهُthey have accustomed it قياداًto the leading of كُلَّevery سَلهَبَةٍlong-limbed mare
قَد عَوَّدوهُ قياداً كُلَّ سَلهَبَةٍ
تَنطوoutstrips الخَميسَthe army وَنِعمَand excellent is الجَوزِthe barrel ذَيّالِlong-tailed
تَنطو الخَميسَ وَنِعمَ الجَوزِ ذَيّالِ
they have accustomed it to every long-limbed mare led through,
They trained him to lead every fiery mare
outstripping the army, fine-barreled and long-tailed.
Galloping on Thursday - excellent hazel eyes!
يَجذِبنَthey tug فيat قَودِthe leading of الأَرسانِthe halters قافِلَةًreturning
يَجذِبنَ في قَودِ الأَرسانِ قافِلَةً
مِثلَlike القَسِيِّthe bows بَريpared أَعطافَهاtheir curved limbs الغاليthe long-range archer
مِثلَ القَسِيِّ بَري أَعطافَها الغالي
Returning, they tug at their halter-leads,
Pulling caravans in the rope of floods, like
like bows whose curved limbs the long-range archer has pared.
The sturdy camel whose strap is precious
Sol 6.1