ياO دارَdwelling of أسماءَAsmāʾ ، بالعلياءِin the uplands منof إضمٍIḍam
يا دارَ أسماءَ ، بالعلياءِ من إضمٍ
بينَbetween الدَّكادِكِthe low sand-hills مِنof قَوٍّQaww ، فمَعصُوبِand Maʿṣūb
بينَ الدَّكادِكِ مِن قَوٍّ ، فمَعصُوبِ
O dwelling of Asmāʾ, in the uplands of Iḍam,
O home of Asma, in the heights of Edam
between the low sand-hills of Qaww and Maʿṣūb.
Among the palms, so firmly anchored
كانتْit was لناfor us مرَّةًonce داراًa dwelling ، فغيَّرهاthen changed it
كانتْ لنا مرَّةً داراً ، فغيَّرها
مرُّthe passing of الرياحِthe winds بساقيwith a waterer (probably intended: dust-sweeping) التُّربَthe dust ، مجلوبِborne in
مرُّ الرياحِ بساقي التُّربَ ، مجلوبِ
Once it was our dwelling; then it was changed by
You were once a home for us, but time
the passing winds, with drifting dust borne in.
Changed you, as the winds blew the dust around
هلis there فيin سؤالكَyour asking عنabout أسماءَAsmāʾ منْany حوبِsin
هل في سؤالكَ عن أسماءَ منْ حوبِ
وفيand in سلامِa greeting ، وإهداءِand offering المناسيبِlove verses ؟
وفي سلامِ ، وإهداءِ المناسيبِ ؟
Is there any sin in your asking about Asmāʾ,
Is it right to ask about the names of those departed
and in greetings and the offering of love verses?
And exchange greetings and gifts with their descendants?
ليستْshe is not منamong الزُّلِّthe flat-rumped women أردافاًbuttocks لاإذاno, when انصرفتْshe turns away
ليستْ من الزُّلِّ أردافاً لاإذا انصرفتْ
ولاnor القصارِthe short women ، ولاnor السُّودِthe dark-skinned women العناكيبِspiders
ولا القصارِ ، ولا السُّودِ العناكيبِ
She is not among the flat-rumped—no—when she turns away,
They are not burdens to be borne if one turns away
nor among the short, nor the dark, spider-like women.
Nor misers, nor black spiders
إنيindeed, I رأيتُI saw ابنةَthe daughter of السعديِّal-Saʿdi حينَwhen رأتْshe saw
إني رأيتُ ابنةَ السعديِّ حينَ رأتْ
شَيبيmy gray hair ، وماand what خَلَّhad wasted away منof جِسمِيmy body وتَحنيبيand my bowed limbs
شَيبي ، وما خَلَّ من جِسمِي وتَحنيبي
Indeed, I saw al-Saʿdi’s daughter, when she saw
I saw the daughter of Sa'd when she saw
my gray hair, my body’s wasting, and my bowed limbs,
My grey hair, how little remained on my worn frame
تقولُshe says حينَwhen رأتْshe saw رأسيmy head ولمَّتهُand its locks
تقولُ حينَ رأتْ رأسي ولمَّتهُ
شَمطاءُgray-streaked ، بَعدَafter بَهيمِuniformly dark اللَّونِthe color ، غِربيبِjet-black
شَمطاءُ ، بَعدَ بَهيمِ اللَّونِ ، غِربيبِ
saying, when she saw my head and its locks
She said when she saw my head wrapped up,
gray-streaked after their solid, jet-black hue:
"Grey, ugly, bleak", after the young beauty, so radiant
وللشبابِand for youth ، إذاwhen دامتْendures بشاشتهُits freshness
وللشبابِ ، إذا دامتْ بشاشتهُ
ودُّthe love of القلوبِthe hearts ، منَfrom البيضِthe fair-skinned women الرَّعابيبthe tender women
ودُّ القلوبِ ، منَ البيضِ الرَّعابيب
“And youth, while its freshness endures,
To the young, while their joy lasts,
wins the hearts of fair, tender women.”
Are hearts' love, like white sand grouse
إِنّاindeed, we ، إِذاwhen غَرَبَتْhas set شَمسٌthe sun أوِor ارتَفَعَتْhas risen
إِنّا ، إِذا غَرَبَتْ شَمسٌ أوِ ارتَفَعَتْ
وفيand in مَبارِكِهاtheir kneeling-places بُزْلُfull-grown camels المَصاعِيبِthe untamed camels
وفي مَبارِكِها بُزْلُ المَصاعِيبِ
Indeed, whether the sun sets or rises,
When a sun sets or rises,
and full-grown, untamed camels rest in their kneeling-places,
And in its blessings are life's misfortunes
قدindeed يسعدُprospers الجارُthe neighbor ، والضيفُand the guest الغريبُthe stranger بناthrough us
قد يسعدُ الجارُ ، والضيفُ الغريبُ بنا
والسائلونَand those who ask ، ونغليand we make costly ميسرَthe lottery of النّيبِold she-camels
والسائلونَ ، ونغلي ميسرَ النّيبِ
the neighbor and the stranger-guest prosper through us,
The neighbor, the stranger, may find joy with us,
and supplicants too; we spend lavishly on the old she-camel lottery.
And the beggars, as we cook the pot of the Prophet
وعندناand with us قينةٌa singing-girl بيضاءُfair-skinned ناعمةٌtender
وعندنا قينةٌ بيضاءُ ناعمةٌ
مِثلُlike المهاةِthe oryx ، منَamong الحُورِthe dark-eyed women الخراعيبِthe tall, supple women
مِثلُ المهاةِ ، منَ الحُورِ الخراعيبِ
And with us is a fair, tender singing-girl,
With us is a fair, gentle maid,
like an oryx, one of the dark-eyed, tall and supple women.
Like a gazelle, of the lovely houri
تجريshe runs السّواكَthe tooth-stick علىover غرٍّgleaming white teeth مفلَّجةٍspaced apart
تجري السّواكَ على غرٍّ مفلَّجةٍ
لمnot يَغذُهاhas nurtured her دَنسُimpurity تحتَbeneath الجلابيبِthe outer robes
لم يَغذُها دَنسُ تحتَ الجلابيبِ
She runs the tooth-stick over gleaming teeth with gaps between them.
She passes the tooth stick over a tender mouth
No impurity has nurtured her beneath her robes.
Not dirtied by what's under the wraps
ودعْand leave ذاthis ، وقلand say لبنيfor the sons of سعدٍSaʿd ، بفضلهمِfor their merit
ودعْ ذا ، وقل لبني سعدٍ ، بفضلهمِ
مَدحاًpraise يَسيرُtravels بهِwith it غادِيthe morning traveler of الأراكيبِthe riding bands
مَدحاً يَسيرُ بهِ غادِي الأراكيبِ
Leave this, and offer the sons of Saʿd, for their merit,
Leave this and say to Sa'd's clan, praising them,
praise borne abroad by riders setting out at dawn.
Words a raider takes to the nomads
سقيناwe gave drink (probably intended: we drove) ربيعةَRabīʿa نحوَtoward الشامِal-Shām كارهةٍunwilling
سقينا ربيعةَ نحوَ الشامِ كارهةٍ
سَوقthe driving of البكارِthe young camels علىunder رَغمٍcompulsion وتأنيبِand rebuke
سَوق البكارِ على رَغمٍ وتأنيبِ
We drove Rabīʿa unwilling toward al-Shām,
We drove Rabi'a towards Damascus against their will
as young camels are driven, under compulsion and rebuke.
Driving the virgins by force and rebuke
إذاwhenever أرادواthey wanted نزولاًto halt حَثَّspurred سَيرهُمُtheir march
إذا أرادوا نزولاً حَثَّ سَيرهُمُ
دُونَbefore النُّزولِhalting ، جِلادٌsword-fighting غَيرُnot تَذبيبِmere warding-off
دُونَ النُّزولِ ، جِلادٌ غَيرُ تَذبيبِ
Whenever they sought to halt, their march was hastened
If they wanted to camp, a whip hastened their journey
by sword blows, not mere warding-off, before they could halt.
No rest, relentless beating
والحيُّand the tribe قحطانُQaḥṭān ، قدماًfrom of old ماnot يزالceases لهاfor it
والحيُّ قحطانُ ، قدماً ما يزال لها
مناfrom us وقائعُbattles ، منof قتلٍslaughter ، وتعذيبِand torment
منا وقائعُ ، من قتلٍ ، وتعذيبِ
And the tribe Qaḥṭān, from of old, has never been without
The living Qahtan, their feet still
battles at our hands—slaughter and torment.
Have events with us, of killing and torture
لمَّاwhen التَقىmet مَشهدُa host مِنَّاfrom us ومَشهَدهُمُand their host
لمَّا التَقى مَشهدُ مِنَّا ومَشهَدهُمُ
يومَon the day of العذيبِal-ʿUdhayb ، وفيand in أيامdays of تحريبِwarfare
يومَ العذيبِ ، وفي أيام تحريبِ
When a host of ours met their host
When our army met theirs
on the day of al-ʿUdhayb, and in days of warfare,
On the day of torture, in days of pillage
لمّاwhen رأَواthey saw أَنّهاthat it was نارٌa fire ، يُضَرِّمُهاkindles it
لمّا رأَوا أَنّها نارٌ ، يُضَرِّمُها
منfrom آلِthe house of سعدٍSaʿd ، بنوsons of البيضِthe fair women المناجيبِbearers of noble sons
من آلِ سعدٍ ، بنو البيضِ المناجيبِ
when they saw it was a fire being kindled
When they saw it was fire, stoked
by men of Saʿd’s house, sons of fair mothers of noble offspring,
By Sa'd's clan, the white-faced warriors
ولَّىfled أبوAbū (father of) كربٍKarb مناfrom us بمهجتهِwith his life
ولَّى أبو كربٍ منا بمهجتهِ
وصاحِباهُand his two companions ، علىon قُودٍlong-necked mounts سَراحيبِlong-bodied
وصاحِباهُ ، على قُودٍ سَراحيبِ
Abū Karb fled from us with his life,
Abu Karib fled from us with his tribe
and his two companions, on long-necked, rangy mounts.
And followers, on trails of dromedaries
Sol 6.1