أعدrepeat حديثَthe tale الحمَىthe protected grounds والبانِand the moringas والسَّمُرِand the acacias
أعد حديثَ الحمَى والبانِ والسَّمُرِ
إنَّindeed الأحاديثَthe tales عنabout أهلِthe people of الحمَىthe protected grounds سَمَريmy evening conversation
إنَّ الأحاديثَ عن أهلِ الحمَى سَمَري
Repeat the tale of the protected grounds, the moringas, and the acacias.
Stop talking of the camp and Bana trees,
For tales of the people of the protected grounds are my evening conversation.
Such talk of the tribes and camp is but idle.
وقفِand pause علىby الرَّندِthe laurel منfrom سلعٍSalʿ عَسىperhaps نَفسٌa breath
وقفِ على الرَّندِ من سلعٍ عَسى نَفسٌ
يسريdrifts إليناto us منfrom الأحبابِthe loved ones فيat السَّحَرِthe predawn hours
يسري إلينا من الأحبابِ في السَّحَرِ
And pause by the laurel at Salʿ; perhaps a breath
Stand by the sand dunes, mayhap a dear soul
will drift to us from the loved ones before dawn.
Will come to us in the morn, very early.
وقُلand say لريحِto the wind الصبَّاthe east wind إِنif حُمِّلتit is entrusted with خَبراًnews
وقُل لريحِ الصبَّا إِن حُمِّلت خَبراً
ياO ريحُwind روحيgo إلىto المشتاقِthe longing one بالخبَرِwith the news
يا ريحُ روحي إلى المشتاقِ بالخبَرِ
And tell the east wind, if it is entrusted with news:
Say to the morning breeze, when bearing news,
O wind, go to the longing one with the news,
"Breeze of my soul, speak unto the longing lover."
وحدِّيثهِand tell him أحاديثاًtales لهاthey have أَرجٌa fragrance
وحدِّيثهِ أحاديثاً لها أَرجٌ
يُزريputs to shame بِروضِwith the meadows الحِمَىthe protected grounds والمَندلِand the aloeswood العطِرِfragrant
يُزري بِروضِ الحِمَى والمَندلِ العطِرِ
and tell him tales whose fragrance
And speak to him in sweet enchanting words,
puts the meadows of the protected grounds and fragrant aloeswood to shame.
That give fragrance to the meadow and orchard.
ياO بانةmoringa tree الجزعthe valley bend منfrom واديthe valley الأراكal-Arak متىwhen
يا بانة الجزع من وادي الأراك متى
نفورaversion (probably intended: 'we gain') بالظِّلِّin the shade منfrom أغصانكِyour branches النُّضرِverdant
نفور بالظِّلِّ من أغصانكِ النُّضرِ
O moringa of the valley bend in Wadi al-Arak, when
O Bana, cease your wailing in the valley of Arak,
shall we gain [probable reading] the shade of your verdant branches,
Flee into the shade, from your branches so green.
ويصبحُand comes to be الدَّهرُtime بعدَafter البُعدِseparation يَجمعنُاunites us
ويصبحُ الدَّهرُ بعدَ البُعدِ يَجمعنُا
يوماًone day علىat منهلٍa watering place منamong عُودهِits boughs الخضرِgreen
يوماً على منهلٍ من عُودهِ الخضرِ
and shall time, after separation, bring us together
Time after absence will gather us again,
one day at a watering place among its green boughs?
One day by a spring of fresh flowing water.
ماwhat يطلبُseeks الوجدُlonging والأشجانُand sorrows منfrom دنفٍa lovesick man
ما يطلبُ الوجدُ والأشجانُ من دنفٍ
لمdid not يبقَremain فيهِin him سوىexcept الأَنفاسِthe breaths والفكرشand thoughts (probable correction)
لم يبقَ فيهِ سوى الأَنفاسِ والفكرش
What do longing and sorrows seek from a lovesick man
No more would my love and yearning seek from Dhanaf,
in whom nothing remains but breaths and thoughts [probable reading]?
Naught remains but sighs and thoughts alone.
لاnot يُدركُdiscerns الطَّرفُthe eye مِنهُof him ماwhat يحَققهُverifies it
لا يُدركُ الطَّرفُ مِنهُ ما يحَققهُ
ولوand even if تمتَّعenjoyed طُولَthroughout الدَّهرِall time بالنَّظرِin gazing
ولو تمتَّع طُولَ الدَّهرِ بالنَّظرِ
The eye can discern nothing of him with certainty,
No eye can encompass the limits of it,
even if it delights in gazing for all time.
Though enjoying the sight, for an age long.
ياO بانَmoringas نَعمانَNaʿman كَمhow many ليfor me فيكَin you منof غُصُنٍa bough
يا بانَ نَعمانَ كَم لي فيكَ من غُصُنٍ
ياO سَرحةَspreading tree الجزِعِthe valley bend كَمhow many ليfor me فيكِin you منof قَمرِa moon
يا سَرحةَ الجزِعِ كَم لي فيكِ من قَمرِ
O moringas of Naʿman, how many a bough I have in you!
O Bana Noman, many a branch have I in you,
O spreading tree of the valley bend, how many a moon I have in you!
O consolation of my grief, many a moon.
منازِلٌdwellings كمhow often سألناهاwe questioned them وماand not نطقَتthey spoke
منازِلٌ كم سألناها وما نطقَت
أنَّىhow وقدand already تركوهاthey left them عُرضةَexposed to الغيرِthe vicissitudes
أنَّى وقد تركوها عُرضةَ الغيرِ
Dwellings—how often we questioned them, yet they did not speak!
How many homes did we ask for, yet they spake not,
How could they, when their people left them at the mercy of change?
Abandoned now to strangers from afar.
ضلالَةًin folly أَسأَلُI ask الأَطلالَthe ruins عنabout حِللٍencampments
ضلالَةً أَسأَلُ الأَطلالَ عن حِللٍ
مَحَلُّهاtheir abode فيin سُوَيداthe dark core القَلبِthe heart والبَصَرِand sight
مَحَلُّها في سُوَيدا القَلبِ والبَصَرِ
In folly I ask the ruins about encampments
I ask the ruins about the dear ones,
whose abode is in the dark core of the heart and eye.
Their place etched forever in my heart and eyes.
Sol 6.1