ياO لَقَوميmy people لَحَبلِكَfor your cord المَصرومِsevered
يا لَقَومي لَحَبلِكَ المَصرومِ
يَومَon the day شَوطىShawta وَأَنتَwhile you غَيرُnot مُليمِblameworthy
يَومَ شَوطى وَأَنتَ غَيرُ مُليمِ
O my people! Alas for your severed cord,
O my people, your rope is frayed
on the day at Shawta, while you were blameless.
On the day of my misfortune while you remain unharmed
وَرُسومُand traces الدِيارِthe dwellings تُعرَفُare recognized مِنهاof hers
وَرُسومُ الدِيارِ تُعرَفُ مِنها
بِالمَلاat al-Mala بَينَbetween تَغلَمَينِTaghlamayn فَريمِand Rim
بِالمَلا بَينَ تَغلَمَينِ فَريمِ
And traces of her dwellings can be recognized
The landmarks of home can be recognized
at al-Mala, between Taghlamayn and Rim.
By children at play amidst noble youth
غَشِيَcame upon الركبُthe riders رَبعَهاher campsite فَعَجِبناso we marveled
غَشِيَ الركبُ رَبعَها فَعَجِبنا
مِنat بَلاهُits decay وَماand not المَدىtime بِمُقيمِat a standstill
مِن بَلاهُ وَما المَدى بِمُقيمِ
The riders came upon her campsite, so we marveled
The caravan covers the land yet we wonder
at its decay—and time does not stand still.
At its affliction and unrestrained roaming
كَحَواشيlike the edges الرِداءِthe cloak قَدalready مُحَّwas effaced مِنهُfrom it
كَحَواشي الرِداءِ قَد مُحَّ مِنهُ
بَعدَafter حُسنٍbeauty عَصائِبُbands التَسهيمِstriped patterning
بَعدَ حُسنٍ عَصائِبُ التَسهيمِ
Like the edges of a cloak, from which have been worn away
Like the hems of a cloak now threadbare
the once-beautiful patterned bands.
After beauty, the edges raveled and torn
بَدَّلَreplaced السَفحَthe slope فيin اليَلابِنَal-Yalabin مِنهاin her place
بَدَّلَ السَفحَ في اليَلابِنَ مِنها
كُلُّevery أَدماءَwhite female gazelle مُرشِحٍwith a fawn following her وَظَليمِand a male ostrich
كُلُّ أَدماءَ مُرشِحٍ وَظَليمِ
On the slope at al-Yalabin, she has been replaced by
It changed the slopes into dark mourning cloaks
every white gazelle with her fawn, and every male ostrich.
Bloodstained and gloomy each one
قَدsometimes أَروعُI alarm الخَليلَthe close friend بِالصَرمِby severing ties مِنّيfrom me
قَد أَروعُ الخَليلَ بِالصَرمِ مِنّي
لَمnot يَخَفهُhe feared it وَقِلَّةِand scantness of التَكليمِspeech
لَم يَخَفهُ وَقِلَّةِ التَكليمِ
Sometimes I alarm a close friend with a severing of ties on my part
I startled my friend with the illness in me
that he had not feared, and with scant speech.
He did not expect it nor my hushed speech
Sol 6.1