أَشاقَكَhas it stirred your longing بَرقٌa lightning flash آخِرَat the end of اللَيلِthe night خافِقُflickering
أَشاقَكَ بَرقٌ آخِرَ اللَيلِ خافِقُ
جَرىspread مِنfrom سَناهُits radiance بَينَةٌBaynah فَالأَبارِقُthen al-Abariq
جَرى مِن سَناهُ بَينَةٌ فَالأَبارِقُ
Has flickering lightning at night's end stirred your longing?
Another lightning flashed at the end of night,
Its radiance ran over Baynah, then al-Abariq.
Flowing from its brightness a clear rain between lightings.
قَعَدتُI sat لَهُfor it حتىعَلاuntil ... rose above الأَفقَthe horizon ماؤُهُits water
قَعَدتُ لَهُ حتىعَلا الأَفقَ ماؤُهُ
وَسالَand flowed بِفَعمِwith an abundance of الوَبلِheavy rain مِنهُfrom it الدَوافِقُthe torrents
وَسالَ بِفَعمِ الوَبلِ مِنهُ الدَوافِقُ
I sat watching it until its waters rose above the horizon,
I waited for it until its water rose high on the horizon,
And torrents poured from it in a swelling downpour.
And, because of much rain, rivulets flowed from it.
يُرَشِّحُmoistens نَبتاًvegetation ناعِماًtender وَيَزينُهُand adorns it
يُرَشِّحُ نَبتاً ناعِماً وَيَزينُهُ
نَدىًdew وَلَيالٍand nights بَعدَafter ذاكَthat طَوالِقُclear
نَدىً وَلَيالٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ طَوالِقُ
Tender growth is moistened and adorned
It waters delicate plants and adorns them
By dew and clear nights thereafter.
With dew and nights, after that, are long.
وَكَيفَand how تُرَجّيهاyou hope for her وَمِنand from دونِbefore أَرضِهاher land
وَكَيفَ تُرَجّيها وَمِن دونِ أَرضِها
جِبالُmountains of الرُباthe uplands تِلكَthose الطِوالُtall البَواسِقُtowering
جِبالُ الرُبا تِلكَ الطِوالُ البَواسِقُ
And how can you hope for her, when between you and her land
How can you wish for them without their land?
Stand those upland mountains, tall and towering—
Tall mountains, those towering heights.
حَواجِرُهاtheir rocky tracts العُلياuppermost وَأَركانُهاand their buttresses الَّتيwhich
حَواجِرُها العُليا وَأَركانُها الَّتي
بِهاon them مِنof مَغافيرِkids of العِنازِwild goats أَفارِقُherds
بِها مِن مَغافيرِ العِنازِ أَفارِقُ
Their upper rocky tracts and their buttresses,
Its high places and corners from which
Where herds of young wild goats dwell?
Separating from packs of sheep are dear to me.
وَأَنتِand you المُنىall that is desired ياO أُمَّmother of عَمرٍوAmr لَوif only أَنَّناthat we
وَأَنتِ المُنى يا أُمَّ عَمرٍو لَو أَنَّنا
نَنالُكِwe reach you أَوor تُدنيbrings near نَواكِyour distance الصَفائِقُthe sturdy she-camels
نَنالُكِ أَو تُدني نَواكِ الصَفائِقُ
And you are all I long for, Umm Amr; if only we
You are the beloved, O Umm ‘Amr, if only
Could reach you, or sturdy she-camels shorten the distance to you,
We could attain you or your tents draw nearer.
لَأَصبَحتُI would then become خِلواًfree مِنof هُمومٍcares وَماand not سَرَتpassed by night
لَأَصبَحتُ خِلواً مِن هُمومٍ وَما سَرَت
عَلَيَّover me خَيالاتُvisions of الحَبيبِthe beloved الطَوارِقُvisiting by night
عَلَيَّ خَيالاتُ الحَبيبِ الطَوارِقُ
I would wake free of cares, nor would there pass
I would be free of cares and gone from me
Over me the beloved's visions, those visitors by night.
Would be fantasies of the beloved disturbing my heart.
بِذيin a place of زَهرٍblossoms غَضٍّfresh كَأَنَّas though تِلاعَهُits ravines
بِذي زَهرٍ غَضٍّ كَأَنَّ تِلاعَهُ
إِذاwhen أَشرَفَتrise into view حَجراتُهُنَّtheir sides النَمارِقُcushions
إِذا أَشرَفَت حَجراتُهُنَّ النَمارِقُ
In a place of fresh blossoms, whose ravines seem,
With flowering plants as though their buddings
When their sides rise into view, like cushions.
Are their brilliant chambers when they come into view.
إِذاwhen خَرَجَتshe comes out مِنfrom بَيتِهاher house راقdelights عَينَهاher eye
إِذا خَرَجَت مِن بَيتِها راق عَينَها
مُعَوَّذُهُits sheltered growth وَأَعجَبَتهاand delighted her العَقائِقُthe watercourses
مُعَوَّذُهُ وَأَعجَبَتها العَقائِقُ
When she leaves her house, her eye is delighted
When she comes out from her house, her eye is guarded,
By its sheltered growth, and its watercourses charm her.
Protected - carnelians have fascinated her.
حَلَفتُI swore بِرَبِّby the Lord of الموضِعينthose riding swiftly عَشِيَّةًat evening
حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ الموضِعين عَشِيَّةً
وَغيطانُand the lowlands of فَلجٍFalj دونَهُمbefore them وَالشَقائِقُand the sandy tracts
وَغيطانُ فَلجٍ دونَهُم وَالشَقائِقُ
I swore by the Lord of those riding swiftly at evening,
I swear by the Lord of the two places on an evening
With Falj's lowlands and the sandy tracts before them,
When torrents down a hollow are below them and meadow saffrons.
يَحُثّونَthey urge on صُبحَthe pale ones among الحُمرِthe red camels خوصاًnarrow-eyed كَأَنَّهاas though they were
يَحُثّونَ صُبحَ الحُمرِ خوصاً كَأَنَّها
بِنَخلَةَat Nakhlah مِنon دونِthis side of الوَحيفِal-Wahif المَطارِقُthe rods
بِنَخلَةَ مِن دونِ الوَحيفِ المَطارِقُ
They urge on narrow-eyed, pale-red camels, as though
In the morning they rouse red proboscises as though they are
At Nakhlah, this side of al-Wahif, they were rods.
Thrusting them with half a lote tree from among the thickerets.
سِراعٌswift إِذاwhen الحاديthe camel-driver زَقاهنَّhe calls loudly to them زَقيَةًa single cry
سِراعٌ إِذا الحادي زَقاهنَّ زَقيَةً
جَنَحنَthey lean forward كَماjust as اِستُلَّتwere unsheathed سُيوفٌswords ذَوالِقُkeen-edged
جَنَحنَ كَما اِستُلَّت سُيوفٌ ذَوالِقُ
Swift are they: when the camel-driver gives them one loud cry,
When the one giving tidings startles them, they bustle hastily
They lean forward like keen swords drawn from their sheaths.
Like swords unsheathed that slash and cut.
إِذاwhen قَرَّطوهُنَّthey adorn their ears with الأَزِمَّةَthe reins وَاِرتَدواand they don their cloaks
إِذا قَرَّطوهُنَّ الأَزِمَّةَ وَاِرتَدوا
أَبَينَthey refuse فَلَمso ... could not يَقدِرprevail عَلَيهِنَّover them سابِقُany racer
أَبَينَ فَلَم يَقدِر عَلَيهِنَّ سابِقُ
When they hang reins on them like earrings and don their cloaks,
When blustering cold makes them circle about and turn away
They refuse to yield; no racer can overtake them.
Refusing, no first one can prevail against them.
إِذاwhen عَزَمَresolves on الرَكبُthe caravan الرَحيلَdeparture وَأَشرَفَتand come into view
إِذا عَزَمَ الرَكبُ الرَحيلَ وَأَشرَفَت
لَهُنَّbefore them الفَيافيthe deserts وَالفِجاجُand the passes الفَياهِقُvast and wide
لَهُنَّ الفَيافي وَالفِجاجُ الفَياهِقُ
When the caravan resolves to leave, and there appear
When the travelling party decides to depart and summits
Before them the deserts and the vast, open passes,
Of wave-like dunes and deep hollows appear to them.
عَلىon كُلِّeach حُرجوجٍlong lean she-camel كَأَنَّas though شَليلَهاher saddlecloth
عَلى كُلِّ حُرجوجٍ كَأَنَّ شَليلَها
رَواقٌan awning إِذاwhen ماever هَجَرtravels at midday الرَكبُthe caravan خافِقُfluttering
رَواقٌ إِذا ما هَجَر الرَكبُ خافِقُ
On each long, lean she-camel, whose saddlecloth seems
On every crag as though its late stragglers
A fluttering awning when the caravan travels at noon.
Are a monastery when the party moves on.
لَقَدindeed لَقِيَتناshe has met us أُمُّmother of عَمرٍوAmr بِصادِقٍwith genuine
لَقَد لَقِيَتنا أُمُّ عَمرٍو بِصادِقٍ
مِنَof الصَرمِestrangement أَوor ضاقَتhave grown too narrow عَلَيهِfor it الخَلائِقُhuman natures
مِنَ الصَرمِ أَو ضاقَت عَلَيهِ الخَلائِقُ
Umm Amr has indeed met us with genuine
Indeed, Umm ‘Amr met us with truthfulness
Estrangement—or human natures are too narrow to bear it—
Out of nobility of nature or creations restricted her.
سِوىexcept ذِكرَةٍa memory مِنهاof her إِذاwhen الرَكبُthe caravan عَرَّسواthey halt for the night
سِوى ذِكرَةٍ مِنها إِذا الرَكبُ عَرَّسوا
وَهَبَّتand awaken عَصافيرُsparrows of الصَريمِthe thicket النَواطِقُchirping
وَهَبَّت عَصافيرُ الصَريمِ النَواطِقُ
Save a memory of her when the caravan rests at night
Only a small band of them when the travellers prepared
And the thicket's chirping sparrows awaken.
And birds in the bushes burst into speech.
أَلَمdid ... not? تَسأَليyou ask ياO أُمَّmother of عَمرٍوAmr فَتُخبَريand thus you are told
أَلَم تَسأَلي يا أُمَّ عَمرٍو فَتُخبَري
سَلِمتِmay you be safe وَأَسقاكِand may ... water you السَحابُthe clouds البَوارِقُflashing with lightning
سَلِمتِ وَأَسقاكِ السَحابُ البَوارِقُ
Have you not asked, Umm Amr, so that you might be told?
Why did you not ask, O Umm ‘Amr, and be informed?
May you be safe, and may lightning-flashing clouds water you,
Greetings – may the clouds water you with heavy rains.
بَكِيّاًweeping abundantly لِصَوتِat the sound of الرَعدِthunder خُرسٌmute رَوائِحَpassing at evening
بَكِيّاً لِصَوتِ الرَعدِ خُرسٌ رَوائِحَ
وَنَعقٍand a cry وَلَمand not يُسمَعare heard لَهُنَّfrom them صَواعِقُthunderclaps
وَنَعقٍ وَلَم يُسمَع لَهُنَّ صَواعِقُ
Weeping at thunder's voice, mute, passing at evening,
Silent because of the voice of thunder but fragments
And at its cry, with no thunderclaps heard from them.
Of bleating and braying – no loud noises for them were heard.
Sol 6.1