ظَعَنَdeparted الغريبُthe stranger لغيبةِfor an absence الأبدِeternity
ظَعَنَ الغريبُ لغيبةِ الأبدِ
حيَّalive with المخافةِfear نائيَfar from البَلَدthe homeland
حيَّ المخافةِ نائيَ البَلَد
The stranger departed for an absence without end,
The stranger lamented the absence for eternity
Alive with fear, far from home,
Alive with fear, far from home
حَيرانbewildered يُؤنسُهُcomforts him ويكلؤُهُand guards him
حَيران يُؤنسُهُ ويكلؤُهُ
يومٌa day توعَّدَهُthreatened him بشَرِّwith the evil of غدِtomorrow
يومٌ توعَّدَهُ بشَرِّ غدِ
Bewildered, comforted and guarded
Perplexed, with solace and shade both denied
By a day that threatened him with tomorrow's evil.
A day threatened him with the evil of tomorrow
سَنَحappeared الغُرابُthe raven لهto him بأنكرِwith the worst of ماwhat
سَنَح الغُرابُ له بأنكرِ ما
تَغدوcome in the morning النُّحوسُill omens بهِwith it علىupon أحدِanyone
تَغدو النُّحوسُ بهِ على أحدِ
The raven appeared to him with the worst of what
The raven swooped, boding ill
Ill omens bring upon anyone at dawn.
As misfortunes awoke to assail someone
وابتاعَand bought أشأمَهُhis unluckiest lot بأيمنهِwith his luckiest lot
وابتاعَ أشأمَهُ بأيمنهِ
الجَدُّfortune العثورُstumbling لهfor him يداًa hand بِيدِfor a hand
الجَدُّ العثورُ له يداً بِيدِ
And his worst luck was bought with his best
And bought his own ill omen with his right hand
By stumbling Fortune, for him, hand to hand,
Seriousness and difficulty walked with him hand in hand
حتَّىuntil ينيخَhe encamps بأرضin a land مهلَكةٍa place of destruction
حتَّى ينيخَ بأرض مهلَكةٍ
فيin حيثُwhere لمnot يُولَدwas born ولمand not يَلدِbegot children
في حيثُ لم يُولَد ولم يَلدِ
Until he encamped in a land of destruction,
Until he rested in a fatal land
Where he had neither been born nor fathered a child.
Where he was neither born nor fathered children
جَزعتgrieved حليلتُهُhis wife عليهِover him فماso never
جَزعت حليلتُهُ عليهِ فما
تخلوis free منfrom الزفراتِsighs والكَمَدِand anguish
تخلو من الزفراتِ والكَمَدِ
His wife grieved over him, and so was never
His wife mourned him, her sighs and laments unceasing
Free of sighs and anguish.
Time's events fell heavy upon her
نَزلَdescended الزَّمانُTime بهاupon her فأهلكَهاand so destroyed her
نَزلَ الزَّمانُ بها فأهلكَها
منهُthrough him وأهدىand bestowed اليُتمَorphanhood للولدِon the child
منهُ وأهدى اليُتمَ للولدِ
Time descended upon her and destroyed her
Destroying her, leaving orphans to her children
Through him, and bestowed orphanhood on the child.
The days seized him, then recoiled
ظَفِرَتprevailed بهِover him الأيَّامُthe days فانحَسَرتthen withdrew
ظَفِرَت بهِ الأيَّامُ فانحَسَرت
عنهُfrom him بفاقرةٍwith a crushing calamity ولمand did not تَكدِnearly do so
عنهُ بفاقرةٍ ولم تَكدِ
The days prevailed over him, then withdrew
Leaving him with neither shelter nor means
From him with a crushing calamity, and scarcely did so.
So that after he faded they left
فتركنَso they left منهُof him بعدِafter طيتهِhis departure
فتركنَ منهُ بعدِ طيتهِ
مثلthe like of الذيthat which أبقينthey left remaining منof لُبَدِLubad
مثل الذي أبقين من لُبَدِ
So they left of him, after his departure,
As much of him as they leave of a worn-out garment
The same as they had left of Lubad.
Partial English translation: 17 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1