ياO دمنةruins of الحيّthe tribe’s camp أينَwhere الحيُّthe tribe مِنof ثُعَلِThuʿal
يا دمنة الحيّ أينَ الحيُّ مِن ثُعَلِ
وأينَand where سِرْبُthe company of حُداةِcamel-drivers of الأينْقِthe she-camels البُزِلِfull-grown
وأينَ سِرْبُ حُداةِ الأينْقِ البُزِلِ
O ruins of the tribe’s camp, where are the people of Thuʿal?
O ruins of the abandoned camp, where are the people and where are the graceful gazelles?
And where is the company of drivers of the full-grown she-camels?
Alas for the camels that carried our souls on the day they departed, they are now wandering with the herds.
واهاًah! لهاfor them إبِلاًcamels يومَon the day of النّوىparting حملتْthey carried
واهاً لها إبِلاً يومَ النّوى حملتْ
أرْواحَناour souls فهيso they are أَنْضاءٌworn-out creatures معalongside الأبلِthe camels
أرْواحَنا فهي أَنْضاءٌ مع الأبلِ
Ah, those camels! On the day of parting they carried
I kissed the hands of their riding beasts to detain them from traveling, though they did not feel my kisses.
Our souls, now worn-out creatures alongside the camels.
I said, “O caravan of Layla, get married, perhaps the hearts will return to their first habits.”
قبّلتُI kissed أيديthe forelegs of مَطاياهَمtheir mounts لأحبِسهاto hold them back
قبّلتُ أيدي مَطاياهَم لأحبِسها
عنِfrom المسيرِsetting out ومَاyet not يَشْعُرنَthey feel بالقُبَلِthe kisses
عنِ المسيرِ ومَا يَشْعُرنَ بالقُبَلِ
I kissed the forelegs of their mounts to hold them back
Where is Layla to me after she moved away, leaving me standing at the ruins?
From setting out, though they did not feel the kisses.
I don’t love the house except for the love of its dweller, nor the mounts except for the lady camel rider.
وقُلْتُand I said ياO ركَبُriders of ليلَىLayla عرّسواhalt for the night فعَسَىso perhaps
وقُلْتُ يا ركَبُ ليلَى عرّسوا فعَسَى
تُثْنَيmay be turned back القلوبُthe hearts إلىto عاداتِهاtheir ways الأُولِformer
تُثْنَي القلوبُ إلى عاداتِها الأُولِ
And I said, ‘O Layla’s riders, halt for the night; perhaps
My life would have been good if the people of Al-Aqeeq got close and they continued to be intimate.
Hearts may be turned back to their former ways.’
Stop blaming me and excuse me with their mention, for sometimes bodies get cured with sickness.
وأينَand where منيfrom me لَيْلىLayla بعدَمَاafter نزحتْshe went far away
وأينَ مني لَيْلى بعدَمَا نزحتْ
وخلفتنيand she left me مَوقوفاًstanding still علىat الطّلَلِthe ruined camp
وخلفتني مَوقوفاً على الطّلَلِ
And where is Layla now, after she journeyed far from me
I plead to God about a people who departed with the fever, and I don’t say “if only” for something that has passed.
And left me standing at the ruined camp?
Except for the son of Al-Hussein, I seek to kiss a hand in the deep sea that does not benefit the drowning.
ماnot أعْشَقُI love الدارَthe dwelling لولاwere it not for حُبُّlove of ساكنِهits inhabitant
ما أعْشَقُ الدارَ لولا حُبُّ ساكنِه
ولاnor الظعَاينُthe women in camel litters لولاwere it not for رَبَّةُthe mistress of الجمَلِthe camel
ولا الظعَاينُ لولا رَبَّةُ الجمَلِ
I would not love the dwelling but for love of its inhabitant,
Do not seek certainty after seeing it in the crescent, it does not avail you like Saturn.
Nor the women in their litters but for the mistress of the camel.
God is the Greatest! This is Yathrib offering itself to the visitors, and this is the seal of the Messengers.
ماhow كانwould have been أحسنَlovely عيشيmy life لوif تقاربَdrew near ليto me
ما كان أحسنَ عيشي لو تقاربَ لي
أهلُthe people of العقيقِal-ʿAqiq وكانand was الشمْلُtogetherness لمdid not يَزَلِcease
أهلُ العقيقِ وكان الشمْلُ لم يَزَلِ
How lovely my life would have been, had they drawn near to me—
When the evil ones went astray, their leader said: “Do you not see the shine of the brilliant planet?”
The people of al-ʿAqiq—and had our union never dissolved!
Go to the Mount and the valley while before you is the fire of the son of Imran on the night of the mountain.
خَلّleave aside الملاَمَreproach وعَلّلْنيand soothe me بذكرهُمُby mentioning them
خَلّ الملاَمَ وعَلّلْني بذكرهُمُ
فربّماfor sometimes صَحّتِregained health الأجسامُthe bodies بالعِلَلِthrough ailments
فربّما صَحّتِ الأجسامُ بالعِلَلِ
Leave off reproach, and soothe me with their remembrance;
Then the obedient camel turned away his call, Shuwsha, and broke the rods of the withered palm trees.
For sometimes bodies regain health through ailments.
Blessed is the face that settled in a country except it made the heavy rain pour.
باللهby God أندبْlament قوماًa people بالحِمىin the protected pastures رَحَلواthey departed
بالله أندبْ قوماً بالحِمى رَحَلوا
ولاَand not أقولُI say لشيءٍto anything فاتَwas lost ليْتَكَif only you were ليmine
ولاَ أقولُ لشيءٍ فاتَ ليْتَكَ لي
By God, lament a people who left the protected pastures;
People come to him in groups from a group, and delegations will continue to come to him in succession.
Nor do I say to anything lost, ‘If only you were mine.’
O best of those a female carried, and the best caregiver over the world who is highborn.
ولاand not سوىother than ابنِthe son of الحسينِal-Husayn أستميحُI ask for يداًa generous hand
ولا سوى ابنِ الحسينِ أستميحُ يداً
فيin لُجةِthe depths of البحرthe sea ماwhat يُغْنيsuffices عنinstead of الوَشَلِthe trickle
في لُجةِ البحر ما يُغْني عن الوَشَلِ
And I seek a generous hand from none but Ibn al-Husayn;
In the depths of the sea is what makes a trickle needless.
لاdo not تطلبّنَّseek at all يقيناًcertainty بعدَafter رؤيتهseeing him
لا تطلبّنَّ يقيناً بعدَ رؤيته
فيin طلْعَةِthe rising of البدرthe full moon مَاwhat يُغْنيكsuffices for you عنinstead of زحَلِSaturn
في طلْعَةِ البدر مَا يُغْنيك عن زحَلِ
Seek no further certainty after beholding him;
In the full moon’s rising is enough to spare you Saturn.
اللهُGod أكبرُgreatest هذهthis is يثربٌYathrib عرضَتْhas come into view
اللهُ أكبرُ هذه يثربٌ عرضَتْ
للزائرينَto the visitors وهذاand this is خاتمُthe Seal of الرُّسلِthe messengers
للزائرينَ وهذا خاتمُ الرُّسلِ
God is greatest! Here is Yathrib, come into view
For the visitors; and here is the Seal of the Messengers.
إذاwhen الُسُّراةُthe night travelers أضلّواthey lost their way قالوthey said قائلهمtheir spokesman
إذا الُسُّراةُ أضلّوا قالو قائلهم
أماdo ... not? ترونَyou see ضياءthe radiance of الكَوكبِthe star البجليBajali
أما ترونَ ضياء الكَوكبِ البجلي
When night travelers lose their way, they speak through their spokesman:
‘Do you not see the radiance of the Bajali star?
سيرواgo إلىto الطُّورِthe Mount والواديand the valley ودوَنكمand before you
سيروا إلى الطُّورِ والوادي ودوَنكم
نارُthe fire of ابنthe son of عمرانَʿImran مَوسىMoses ليلةَon the night of الجبلِthe mountain
نارُ ابن عمرانَ مَوسى ليلةَ الجبلِ
Go to the Mount and the valley; there before you lies
The fire of ʿImran’s son, Moses, on the night at the mountain.’
فثمَّfor there ابلجُa radiant-faced man تثَنيecho الخيَلُthe horses دعوتَهhis summons
فثمَّ ابلجُ تثَني الخيَلُ دعوتَه
شُوساfierce-eyed وتقصفand they shatter أعوادَthe shafts of القناthe spears الذبلِslender
شُوسا وتقصف أعوادَ القنا الذبلِ
For there is a radiant-faced man whose summons the horses echo,
Fierce-eyed, shattering the shafts of slender spears.
مُباركblessed الوجهthe face ماnot أنindeed حَلّhe settled فيin بَلدٍa land
مُبارك الوجه ما أن حَلّ في بَلدٍ
الاَّexcept أقامَhe established قامَstood (text unclear) العَارضِthe rain-cloud الهطلِpouring rain
الاَّ أقامَ قامَ العَارضِ الهطلِ
Blessed of face, he never settles in a land
Without taking [the place of] a cloud pouring rain.
يأويtakes refuge الورىhumankind زُمَرِاًin throngs منهfrom him إلىto زمرٍthrongs
يأوي الورى زُمَرِاً منه إلى زمرٍ
ولنand will never تزالcease إليهto him الوفدthe delegations فيin زجلِclamorous cries
ولن تزال إليه الوفد في زجلِ
People receive shelter from him, throng following throng,
And delegations will keep coming to him with clamorous cries.
ياO خيرَbest of منthose whom حَملَتْcarried أنَثىa female ومَنand those whom وضعَتْshe bore
يا خيرَ من حَملَتْ أنَثى ومَن وضعَتْ
وخيرَand best of حافٍone barefoot علىupon الدنياthe world ومنتعلِand one shod
وخيرَ حافٍ على الدنيا ومنتعلِ
O best of those a woman has carried and brought forth,
And best on earth of the barefoot and the shod!
Partial English translation: 18 of 36 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1