أَقولُI say وَقَدand already جاوَزنَthey had crossed مِنfrom صَدرِthe upper reaches of رابِغٍRābigh
أَقولُ وَقَد جاوَزنَ مِن صَدرِ رابِغٍ
مَهامِهtrackless wastes غُبراًdust-gray يَرفَعُraises الأُكمَthe hillocks آلُهاtheir mirage
مَهامِه غُبراً يَرفَعُ الأُكمَ آلُها
I say, now that they have gone from Rābigh’s upper reaches
I say, and the glories of Rabigh have passed,
across dust-gray wastes whose mirage lifts the hillocks:
Their grandeur raising the dunes' tips.
أَأَلحَيُّis it the clan? أَمor صِيرانُgroves of دَومٍdoum palms تَناوَحَتstood facing one another
أَأَلحَيُّ أَم صِيرانُ دَومٍ تَناوَحَت
بِتَريَمَat Taryam قَصراًtoward evening وَاِستَحَثَّتand urged onward شِمالُهاits north wind
بِتَريَمَ قَصراً وَاِستَحَثَّت شِمالُها
Is that the clan, or groves of doum palms facing one another
Is it Al-Hayy or Seyran's abode which vied
at Taryam toward evening, urged on by its north wind?
In building a palace and settling its north side?
أَرىI see حينَwhen زالَتdeparted عيرُthe caravan of سَلمىSalmā بِرابِغٍat Rābigh
أَرى حينَ زالَت عيرُ سَلمى بِرابِغٍ
وَهاجَand stirred القُلوبَthe hearts الساكِناتِthe tranquil ones زَوالَهاits departure
وَهاجَ القُلوبَ الساكِناتِ زَوالَها
It seems to me, when Salmā’s caravan departed at Rābigh,
When Salma's caravan passed by Rabigh,
and its departure stirred the tranquil hearts,
And stirred up dormant hearts by its leaving,
كَأَنَّas though دُموعَthe tears of العَينِthe eye لَمّاwhen تَخَلَّلَتthreaded through
كَأَنَّ دُموعَ العَينِ لَمّا تَخَلَّلَت
مَخارِمَmountain passes بيضاًwhite مِنfrom تَمَنّيTamannī جِمالُهاher camels
مَخارِمَ بيضاً مِن تَمَنّي جِمالُها
as though the eye’s tears, when her camels threaded
It seemed teardrops had infiltrated
white mountain passes in Tamannī,
Pure white shells, yearning for its beauty.
قَبِلنَthey received غُروباًlarge buckets مِنfrom سُمَيحَةَSumayḥa أَنزَعَتhauled up
قَبِلنَ غُروباً مِن سُمَيحَةَ أَنزَعَت
بِهِنَّwith them السَوانيthe water-drawing camels وَاِستَدارَand revolved مَحالُهاits pulleys
بِهِنَّ السَواني وَاِستَدارَ مَحالُها
had received great buckets from Sumayḥa, hauled up
They bid farewell at sunset, when it removed
by water-drawing camels while its pulleys turned.
The tents, and folded its abode.
لَعَمرُكَby your life إِنَّindeed العَينَthe eye عَنon account of غَيرِother than نِعمَةٍa favor
لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ العَينَ عَن غَيرِ نِعمَةٍ
كَذاكَthus إِلىto سَلمىSalmā لَمُهدىًsurely bestowed سِجالُهاits bucketfuls
كَذاكَ إِلى سَلمى لَمُهدىً سِجالُها
By your life, the eye, with no favor to repay,
By your life! The eye turns not from grace
thus surely bestows its bucketfuls on Salmā.
To Salma, well-guided are its gazes to her.
عَذَرتُكَI excused you فيconcerning سَلمىSalmā بِآنِفَةِin the first bloom of الصِباyouth
عَذَرتُكَ في سَلمى بِآنِفَةِ الصِبا
وَمَيعَتِهِand its vigor إِذwhen تَزدَهيكَcaptivate you ظِلالُهاher shadows
وَمَيعَتِهِ إِذ تَزدَهيكَ ظِلالُها
I excused you concerning Salmā in youth’s first bloom
I excuse you for Salma, because of the folly of youth,
and its vigor, when her shadows captivated you.
And its infatuation when her shadows grow on you.
وَمُلتَمِسٍand one seeking مِنّيfrom me الشَكِيَّةَcomplaint غَرَّهُdeceived him
وَمُلتَمِسٍ مِنّي الشَكِيَّةَ غَرَّهُ
لِيانُthe softness of حَواشيthe edges of شيمَتيmy character وَجَمالُهاand its beauty
لِيانُ حَواشي شيمَتي وَجَمالُها
And one seeking to draw complaint from me was deceived
One who claims I doubt, though desire deceived him,
by the softness of my character’s edges and its beauty.
The edges of my reputation and beauty blunt his blades.
رَمَيتُI hurled بِأَطرافِwith the points of الزجاجِthe spear-butts فَلَمbut did not يُفِقrecover his senses
رَمَيتُ بِأَطرافِ الزجاجِ فَلَم يُفِق
عَنfrom الجَهلِfolly حَتّىuntil حَكَّمتهُrestrained him نِصالُهاtheir spearheads
عَن الجَهلِ حَتّى حَكَّمتهُ نِصالُها
I assailed him with spear-butt points, but he did not recover
I cast with the tips of glass but he did not awaken
from folly until their spearheads restrained him.
From ignorance until her swords judged him.
وَذيand a man of كَرَمٍgenerosity يَوماًone day أَرادَwished for كَرامَتيhonoring me
وَذي كَرَمٍ يَوماً أَرادَ كَرامَتي
وَعَربَةَand the purity of وُدّيmy affection رَغبَةًout of desire هَلwhether يَنالُهاhe might attain it
وَعَربَةَ وُدّي رَغبَةً هَل يَنالُها
And a generous man once wished to honor me
A generous man one day wanted my generosity
and to win my pure affection, hoping he might attain it.
And the lesson of my love – can he attain it?
بَذَلتُI freely gave لَهُto him مِثلاًthe like وَكُلَّand every تَحِيَّةٍgreeting
بَذَلتُ لَهُ مِثلاً وَكُلَّ تَحِيَّةٍ
مِنَfrom المَرءِa man مَردودٌreturned عَلَيهِto him مِثالُهاits like
مِنَ المَرءِ مَردودٌ عَلَيهِ مِثالُها
I gave him the like; and every greeting
I gave him an example, and every greeting
from a man has its like returned to him.
From a person is reciprocated with its like.
Sol 6.1