أمُرْتَبعٌa spring encampment? أمor أنتyou ليسis not بمنزلِa dwelling at all
أمُرْتَبعٌ أم أنت ليس بمنزلِ
أوَشْمٌa tattoo? بزندٍon a forearm أمor وَحيٌّan inscription بجندلِon stone
أوَشْمٌ بزندٍ أم وَحيٌّ بجندلِ
Are you a spring encampment, or no dwelling at all?
Are you a bit confused or are you not at home?
A tattoo on a forearm, or an inscription on stone?
Or a tattoo with indigo or an inspiration with musk?
أمِor الخللُthe scabbard-coverings الَّلاتيwhich أبانstripped away جديدَهاtheir freshness
أمِ الخللُ الَّلاتي أبان جديدَها
جديدthe freshness of البلىdecay أمْor سحقُthreadbare remains of ثوبa garment مسلسلِchain-patterned
جديد البلى أمْ سحقُ ثوب مسلسلِ
Or scabbard-coverings whose freshness has been stripped away
Or are the flaws that revealed its renewal
by fresh decay—or the threadbare remains of a chain-patterned garment?
A new renewal or a ripped dress of a series?
ألاindeed أنَّهُit is رسمٌa trace لأسماءَof Asma طاسِمٌfading
ألا أنَّهُ رسمٌ لأسماءَ طاسِمٌ
تعاورهassailed it in turn ريحاthe two winds of جَنوبٍthe south وشمألِand the north
تعاوره ريحا جَنوبٍ وشمألِ
Indeed, it is a fading trace of Asma's dwelling,
Indeed, it is a drawing of mighty names
assailed in turn by the south wind and the north.
Shaken by the winds of south and north
أتتْcame حِقَبٌages تعديsweeping عليهover it فأسارتand left behind
أتتْ حِقَبٌ تعدي عليه فأسارت
رُسوماًtraces كتسهامlike the arrow-patterns of اليمانيthe Yemeni mantle المهلهلِthreadbare
رُسوماً كتسهام اليماني المهلهلِ
Ages came sweeping over it, and left behind
Periods have come that transgressed it so they detained
traces like the arrow-patterns of a threadbare Yemeni mantle.
Drawings as the confusion of the wavering Yemeni
وقفناwe halted بهthere صُهبَtawny العثانينِthe chin-tufts نمتَسحwe wipe away
وقفنا به صُهبَ العثانينِ نمتَسح
شُؤوناًtear-streams متىwhenever ماever نذكرwe remember الحيَّthe tribe تهملِflow freely
شُؤوناً متى ما نذكر الحيَّ تهملِ
We halted our tawny-bearded camels there, wiping away
We stood at its northern borders and wiped
tear-streams that flow whenever we remember the tribe.
Affairs whenever we recall the living forgets
وقدand indeed كانit was مأهولاًinhabited ببيضٍby fair women أوانِسٍcompanionable
وقد كان مأهولاً ببيضٍ أوانِسٍ
فأصبحso it became مأهولاًinhabited بذئبٍby a wolf وفُرعلِand a hyena cub
فأصبح مأهولاً بذئبٍ وفُرعلِ
Once it was inhabited by fair, companionable women,
It used to be populated with white, familiar ones
but now it is inhabited by a wolf and a hyena cub,
So it became populated with wolves and leopards
وعُفرٍand tawny gazelles وآرامٍand white gazelles وعينٍand wide-eyed wild cattle وعانةٍand a herd of wild asses
وعُفرٍ وآرامٍ وعينٍ وعانةٍ
يَرودforages بهاthere منof ذاتa female with قروa long back ومسحلِand a braying wild jack
يَرود بها من ذات قرو ومسحلِ
and tawny gazelles, white gazelles, wide-eyed wild cattle, and a herd
And baldness, Arameans, springs, and groves
of long-backed she-asses and braying wild jacks, foraging there.
Which wander in it from near and far places
خليليmy two friends عوجاturn aside, both of you نمنحِlet us grant الربعَthe dwelling-site ساعةًa moment
خليلي عوجا نمنحِ الربعَ ساعةً
تحيَّةَa greeting جازٍof one repaying بالوفاwith fidelity غيرِnot مُؤتلِstinting
تحيَّةَ جازٍ بالوفا غيرِ مُؤتلِ
My two friends, turn aside; let us grant the dwelling a moment:
My friend, we give the open country a quarter hour
a greeting from one who repays with fidelity, sparing no effort.
As a greeting that passes with loyalty without being severed
ولسناand we do not نحيَّيgreet الدارthe dwelling حُبّاًout of love لِربَعهاfor its site
ولسنا نحيَّي الدار حُبّاً لِربَعها
ولكنهbut it is حُبٌّlove لكالأدمfor those like tawny gazelles خُذَّلِlingering with their young
ولكنه حُبٌّ لكالأدم خُذَّلِ
We do not greet the dwelling out of love for its site,
And we don’t greet the house out of love for its open country
but out of love for women like tawny gazelles lingering with their young:
But it is a love for people who are humiliated
شَناغيفtall beauties هيفٍslender-waisted ناِعماتٍsoft and delicate نواهدٍbudding-breasted
شَناغيف هيفٍ ناِعماتٍ نواهدٍ
أماليدَsupple as young shoots غيدٍgracefully swaying منof عرانينthe nobles of نهشَلِNahshal
أماليدَ غيدٍ من عرانين نهشَلِ
tall, slender-waisted, tender, budding-breasted beauties,
Flat loaves, delicate, soft, loving
supple as young shoots, gracefully swaying, of Nahshal's noble stock.
Figures of dough made from sifted bran
وفرْعاءَand a long-haired woman غرَّآءِradiantly fair المجرَّدthe bare body طَفَلةٍsoft and delicate
وفرْعاءَ غرَّآءِ المجرَّد طَفَلةٍ
منamong الخفراتbashful women الغُنِّsweetly nasal-voiced شماhigh-nosed المقَّبلِthe place kissed
من الخفرات الغُنِّ شما المقَّبلِ
And a long-haired woman, radiant of bare skin, delicate,
And the bare, aromatic, little girl
one of the shy, sweetly nasal-voiced women, high-nosed where kisses fall.
Of the melodious singers, smelling of musk
لهاshe has مقلتاthe two eyes of مَذعورةٍa startled wild cow أمmother of جوذرٍa wild-cattle calf
لها مقلتا مَذعورةٍ أم جوذرٍ
وسالفتاand the two sides of the neck of براقَةِgleaming الجيدthe neck مُغزِلِa doe with a fawn
وسالفتا براقَةِ الجيد مُغزِلِ
She has the two eyes of a startled wild cow, mother of a calf,
She has frightened eyelids or particles
and her neck's twin contours are those of a gleaming-necked doe with a fawn.
And smooth, shining cheeks like spindle
وتسترand she covers مَتْنَيهاboth sides of her back بأسحمَwith jet-black hair فاحمٍcoal-dark
وتستر مَتْنَيها بأسحمَ فاحمٍ
كثيفٍthick أثيثِluxuriant النّبتin growth جعدcurly المرجّلِcombed
كثيفٍ أثيثِ النّبت جعد المرجّلِ
She covers both sides of her back with jet-black, coal-dark hair,
She covers her flexuous body with thick, steaming
thick, luxuriantly grown, its combed strands curling.
Dense hair, curly and disheveled
وتَبسمُand she smiles عنrevealing غُرٍgleaming white teeth كأنas though وميضهاtheir flashing
وتَبسمُ عن غُرٍ كأن وميضها
تلألؤُthe glitter of برقٍlightning فيin حبيٍa piled-up cloud مكلَّلِwreathed
تلألؤُ برقٍ في حبيٍ مكلَّلِ
She smiles, revealing white teeth whose flashing seems
She smiles from a cheek as if its glow
the glitter of lightning in a piled-up, wreathed cloud.
Is the twinkling of lightning in a crowned beloved
كأنas though سُلافاًfirst-run wine عاتقاaged بابليةًBabylonian
كأن سُلافاً عاتقا بابليةً
تُشجُّis diluted بماءwith water ذيhaving جلاميدَboulders سلسلsweet and smooth
تُشجُّ بماء ذي جلاميدَ سلسل
As though aged, first-run Babylonian wine,
As if it were a shoulder, Babylonian and flowing
diluted with sweet, smooth water from among boulders,
Agitated with water of chained ripplets
مُجاجةُsaliva فيهاher mouth بعدafter أنthat غلبovercame الكرىslumber
مُجاجةُ فيها بعد أن غلب الكرى
عليهاover her ولماand not yet تستطعshe could مضغchew مأكلِfood
عليها ولما تستطع مضغ مأكلِ
were the moisture of her mouth after slumber had overcome
Babbling in it after hardship won over her
her, while she had not yet been able to chew any food.
And she couldn’t chew food
كأنَّas though عقودnecklaces of الدُّرِّpearls والشذرand gold beads علقتwere hung
كأنَّ عقود الدُّرِّ والشذر علقت
علىupon فضةsilver منof صدرهاher breast أوor سجنحلِa polished mirror
على فضة من صدرها أو سجنحلِ
As though necklaces of pearls and gold beads were hung
As if necklaces of pearls and beads hung
upon the silver of her breast, or upon a polished mirror.
On her silver chest or bracelets
تمايَلُshe sways فيin أثوابهاher robes بينamong خرَّدbashful maidens
تمايَلُ في أثوابها بين خرَّد
كواعبbudding-breasted يُضنينthey wear down الفتىthe young man بالتدليُّلِwith coquetry
كواعب يُضنين الفتى بالتدليُّلِ
She sways in her robes among bashful maidens,
Swaying in her clothes between anklets
budding-breasted, who wear a young man down with their coquetry.
That arouse the young man with pampering
يَرُعْنَthey turn back إليtoward صوتيmy voice رجوعthe return of قلائصyoung she-camels
يَرُعْنَ إلي صوتي رجوع قلائص
لأعيسَtoward a tawny-white camel هدَّارloudly bellowing منamong الأبلthe camels أهدلdrooping-lipped
لأعيسَ هدَّار من الأبل أهدل
They turn toward my voice as young she-camels return
Responding to my voice, the return of barking bitches
to a tawny-white camel of the herd, bellowing, drooping-lipped.
Of a talkative pack from the camels left behind
ليَاليَin the nights when كانَwas العهدُthe bond غيرَnot مبدَّلaltered
ليَاليَ كانَ العهدُ غيرَ مبدَّل
وكانand was لذيذthe sweetness of العيشlife غيرnot مزيَّلِtaken away
وكان لذيذ العيش غير مزيَّلِ
In those nights when the bond remained unchanged,
Nights when the era was not changed
and the sweetness of life had not been taken away.
And the sweet life was not gone
سقىmay water اللهُGod ذياكthat الزمانَtime الذيwhich مضىhas passed
سقى اللهُ ذياك الزمانَ الذي مضى
بأسحمwith a dark cloud مِرنانٍthunder-resounding منof الغيثrain مسبلِpouring down
بأسحم مِرنانٍ من الغيث مسبلِ
May God water that time which has passed,
May God water that time which passed
with a dark, thunder-resounding raincloud pouring down.
With copious, pouring rain from bursting clouds
Sol 6.1