لوif كُنتُI were أَبكيweeping لِلحُمولfor laden camel-trains لشاقَنيwould surely stir my longing
لو كُنتُ أَبكي لِلحُمول لشاقَني
لليلىbelonging to Laylā ،بأعلىat the upper reaches of الوادِthe valley الواديينِthe two valleys حمولُa laden camel-train
لليلى ،بأعلى الوادِ الواديينِ حمولُ
If I wept for laden camel-trains, I would be stirred to longing
If I wept for the caravans, the ascent
by Laylā’s camel-train, high in the valley—the two valleys.
To Laila wearied me, atop the valley’s valleys caravans
يطالعناgaze out at us منْfrom كلِّevery حدجٍcamel-litter مخدَّرٍcurtained
يطالعنا منْ كلِّ حدجٍ مخدَّرٍ
أوانسُyoung women بِيضٌfair-skinned ، مِثلُهنَّtheir like قَليلُrare
أوانسُ بِيضٌ ، مِثلُهنَّ قَليلُ
From every curtained camel-litter there gaze upon us
Gazelles regard us from every sleepy thicket
fair young women, whose like is rare.
White does, few are their likes
يشبّههاlikens them الرائيthe beholder مهاًoryx بصريمةٍin a grove
يشبّهها الرائي مهاً بصريمةٍ
عَلَيهِنَّabove them فَينانُluxuriantly spreading الغُصونِthe branches ظَلِيلُshady
عَلَيهِنَّ فَينانُ الغُصونِ ظَلِيلُ
The beholder likens them to oryx in a grove;
The onlooker likens them to frightened oryxes
above them spread luxuriant, sheltering boughs.
Upon them the branches’ shade is plentiful
عقيلهنَّtheir choicest woman الهيجمانةُal-Hayjumāna ، عندهاwith her
عقيلهنَّ الهيجمانةُ ، عندها
لناfor us لوif نحيَّاwe were welcomed نعمةٌdelight ومقبلُand a kiss
لنا لو نحيَّا نعمةٌ ومقبلُ
The finest of them is al-Hayjumāna; with her
Their protector is al-Hijmanah, where
we would find delight and a kiss, were we welcomed.
If we lived, are boon and ascendance
وفِتيانِand young men صِدقٍof proven loyalty ، قَدindeed بَنَيتُI pitched عَلَيهمُover them
وفِتيانِ صِدقٍ ، قَد بَنَيتُ عَلَيهمُ
خِباءًa tent بِمَوماةِin a trackless waste of الفَلاةِthe desert ، يَجُولُsways
خِباءً بِمَوماةِ الفَلاةِ ، يَجُولُ
And many loyal young men—I have pitched over them
And lads of truthfulness, I built from them
a tent that sways in the desert’s trackless waste,
A shelter in Mawma’s wasteland, they wander
كماjust as جَالَcircled مُهرٌa colt فيin الرِّباطِthe tether ، يَشُوقُهُstirs its longing
كما جَالَ مُهرٌ في الرِّباطِ ، يَشُوقُهُ
علىon الشَّرفِthe ridge الأقصَىfarthest المَحَلِّin location ، خُيولُhorses
على الشَّرفِ الأقصَى المَحَلِّ ، خُيولُ
as a colt circles on its tether, stirred to longing
As a zealous love wandered in al-Ribat
by horses on a ridge far away.
In longing on the furthest high place, horses
تلاقتْmet بنوsons of كعبٍKaʿb وأفناءُand the several clans of مالكٍMālik
تلاقتْ بنو كعبٍ وأفناءُ مالكٍ
بأمرٍover a matter ، كصَدرِlike the forepart of السَّيفِthe sword ، وهْوَand it was جَلِيلُmomentous
بأمرٍ ، كصَدرِ السَّيفِ ، وهْوَ جَلِيلُ
The sons of Kaʿb and Mālik’s several clans met
Banu Ka’b and Malik’s youth joined
over a matter like a sword’s forepart, grave indeed.
With a matter, like the breast of a sword, and it is grave
تَرَىyou see كلَّevery مَشبوحِwide-spread الذِّراعَينِboth arms ضَيغَمٍa lion
تَرَى كلَّ مَشبوحِ الذِّراعَينِ ضَيغَمٍ
يَخُبُّtrots بهwith him عارٍbare شَواهُits limbs ، عَسُولُsupple in stride
يَخُبُّ به عارٍ شَواهُ ، عَسُولُ
You see every broad-armed lion of a man
You see every loose-armed panic-stricken one
borne at a trot by a lean-shanked steed, supple in stride:
For whom disgrace yearns, feeble
أَغَرَّbright-faced and noble ، مِنَamong الفِتيانِthe young men ، يَهتَزُّstirs eagerly للنَّدَىfor generous giving
أَغَرَّ ، مِنَ الفِتيانِ ، يَهتَزُّ للنَّدَى
كماjust as اهتَزَّquivered عَضبٌa keen sword باليَمينِin the right hand ، صَقِيلُpolished
كما اهتَزَّ عَضبٌ باليَمينِ ، صَقِيلُ
a radiant youth who thrills to giving,
More emaciated from the youths, trembling from the dew
as a polished, keen sword quivers in the right hand.
As the spear-shaft trembled vigorously in the right hand
كأنَّas though المذاكيْthe mature steeds ، حينَwhen جدَّpressed on earnestly جميعناall of us ،
كأنَّ المذاكيْ ، حينَ جدَّ جميعنا ،
رَعيلُa troop of وُعُولٍibex ، خَلفَهُنَّbehind them وُعولُibex
رَعيلُ وُعُولٍ ، خَلفَهُنَّ وُعولُ
It was as though the mature steeds, when we all pressed on,
As if the evening fires, when our band was alert
were a troop of ibex, with ibex behind them.
Were ululations and howls, and after them howls
عَلَيهِنَّupon them أولادُsons of المُقاعِسِal-Muqāʿis قُرَّحاًfull-grown horses
عَلَيهِنَّ أولادُ المُقاعِسِ قُرَّحاً
عناجيجُnoble steeds ، فيamong حوٍّdark bay horses لهنَّthey have صهيلُneighing
عناجيجُ ، في حوٍّ لهنَّ صهيلُ
Upon those full-grown steeds ride al-Muqāʿis’s sons,
Upon them the sons of sitting-places, covered in sores
noble horses among dark bays, raising their neighs.
Turtle-doves, a neighing ardently surrounding them
كأنَّas though علىupon فرسانهاtheir horsemen تضخَsplashes of عندمٍcrimson dye
كأنَّ على فرسانها تضخَ عندمٍ
نجيعٌfresh blood ، ومسكٌand musk بالنحورِover the breasts يسيلُflows
نجيعٌ ، ومسكٌ بالنحورِ يسيلُ
As though their riders bore splashes of crimson dye—
As if exhaled musk poured onto their chargers’ breasts
fresh blood and musk streaming down their breasts.
Flowing down to the chins
إذاwhenever خرجتْthey emerged منfrom غمرةِthe engulfing turmoil of الموتِdeath ردَّهاdrove them back
إذا خرجتْ من غمرةِ الموتِ ردَّها
إلىinto المَوتِdeath ، صَعبُformidable الحافَتينِon both flanks ، ظَلِيلُcasting dense shade
إلى المَوتِ ، صَعبُ الحافَتينِ ، ظَلِيلُ
Whenever they emerged from death’s turmoil, they were driven back
When she went out from death’s immersion, it returned her
into death by a host fierce on both flanks, casting dense shade.
To death, the harsh edges, gloomy
فماand so not تَركُواthey left فيamong عامرٍʿĀmir مِنany مُنَوِّهٍone raising his voice
فما تَركُوا في عامرٍ مِن مُنَوِّهٍ
ولاnor نسوةٍwomen ، إلاَّexcept لهنْthey have عويلُwailing
ولا نسوةٍ ، إلاَّ لهنْ عويلُ
So they left in ʿĀmir no man to raise his voice,
They left in no settled lands anything fancied
nor any women who were not wailing.
Nor women, but for them there was wailing
تَركْنَthey left بَحِيراBaḥīr والذُّهابَand al-Dhuhāb ، عَلَيهماover them both
تَركْنَ بَحِيرا والذُّهابَ ، عَلَيهما
منof الطيرbirds غاباتٌforests ، لهنَّthey have حجولُanklets
من الطير غاباتٌ ، لهنَّ حجولُ
They left Baḥīr and al-Dhuhāb beneath
They left behind Bahira and al-Duhayb, upon which
forests of birds, with anklets on their legs.
Are multitudes of birds, for them enclosures
Sol 6.1