خَليلَيَّmy two friends قَوماًrise, you two فيin عُطالَةَʿUṭālah فَاِنظُراthen look, you two
خَليلَيَّ قَوماً في عُطالَةَ فَاِنظُرا
أَناراًis it a fire? تُرىis seen مِنfrom نَحوِthe direction of يَبرينَYabrīn أَمor بَرقاlightning
أَناراً تُرى مِن نَحوِ يَبرينَ أَم بَرقا
My two friends, rise in ʿUṭālah and look:
My two friends, stop for a while and look
Is that a fire seen toward Yabrīn, or lightning?
Towards Yabrin, is it lightning or fire you see?
وَحِطاand set down, you two عَلىat الأَطلالِthe ruins رَحليmy saddle فَإِنَّهاfor indeed they are
وَحِطا عَلى الأَطلالِ رَحلي فَإِنَّها
لأَِوَلِindeed the first أَطلالٍruins عَرَفتُI came to know بِهاat them العِشقاpassionate love
لأَِوَلِ أَطلالٍ عَرَفتُ بِها العِشقا
And set my saddle down at the ruins, for they are
And pitch my tent near the ruins, for they
the very first ruins where I came to know passionate love.
Were the first ruins where I came to know love.
فَإِنso if يَكُit is بَرقاًlightning فَهوَthen it is فيin مُشمَخِرَّةٍa towering cloud
فَإِن يَكُ بَرقاً فَهوَ في مُشمَخِرَّةٍ
يُغادِرُleaves behind ماءًwater لاnot قَليلاًscant وَلاnor طَرقاfouled by trampling
يُغادِرُ ماءً لا قَليلاً وَلا طَرقا
If it is lightning, it is in a towering cloud,
If it is lightning, it is in a pregnant cloud
leaving water neither scant nor fouled.
Leaving behind water in plenty, not a little.
يَهُبُّsurges بِرَيعانِwith the first rush of السَحابِthe clouds كَأَنَّماas though
يَهُبُّ بِرَيعانِ السَحابِ كَأَنَّما
يُقَوِّدُleads أَفراساًhorses مُجَنَّبَةًled alongside بُلقاpiebald
يُقَوِّدُ أَفراساً مُجَنَّبَةً بُلقا
It surges with the clouds’ first rush, as though
It moves the forelocks of the clouds as though
it were leading piebald horses at its side.
It were driving smooth-sided horses at speed.
وَإِنand if تَكُit is ناراًa fire فَهيَthen it is نارٌa fire بِمُلتَقىًat a meeting point
وَإِن تَكُ ناراً فَهيَ نارٌ بِمُلتَقىً
مِنَof الريحِthe wind تَزهاهاstirs it up وَتَعفِقُهاand buffets it عَفقاa fierce buffeting
مِنَ الريحِ تَزهاها وَتَعفِقُها عَفقا
And if it is a fire, it is a fire at a meeting point
And if it is fire, it is a fire where
of winds that stir it up and buffet it fiercely.
The wind fans it and makes it blaze and roar
لأُِمِّbelonging to the mother of عَليٍّʿAlī أَوقَدَتهاshe kindled it طِماعَةًin eager hope
لأُِمِّ عَليٍّ أَوقَدَتها طِماعَةً
لأَِوبَةِfor the return of رُكبانٍriders تَكونُwould be لَهاfor her وَفقاfitting
لأَِوبَةِ رُكبانٍ تَكونُ لَها وَفقا
Umm ʿAlī’s—she kindled it in eager hope
Umm Ali lit it greedily so it would give
of riders returning as she would wish.
Light to riders seeking their way back.
مَتىwhenever تَرفَعاyou two raise العَينَthe eye البَصيرَةَkeen-sighted تَعلَماyou two will know
مَتى تَرفَعا العَينَ البَصيرَةَ تَعلَما
بِأَنَّthat المَناياthe fates of death قَدalready قَطَعنَthey crossed بِناwith us خَرقاa trackless waste
بِأَنَّ المَنايا قَد قَطَعنَ بِنا خَرقا
Whenever you two lift your keen gaze, you will know
When you raise discerning eyes you will know
that the fates have carried us across a trackless waste.
That death has torn us with many a rent.
يُحاذِرنَthey dread رَوعاتِthe terrors of السِياطِthe whips كَأَنَّماas though
يُحاذِرنَ رَوعاتِ السِياطِ كَأَنَّما
يُحاذرِنَthey fear نُشاباًarrows رُمينَthey were shot at بِهِwith it رَشقاin a volley
يُحاذرِنَ نُشاباً رُمينَ بِهِ رَشقا
They dread the terrors of the whips, as though
They fear the lashes of the whips as though
they feared arrows shot at them in a volley.
They feared arrows shot and coming straight.
وَكائِنand many a قَطَعناwe crossed بَعدَكُمafter parting from you مِنof تَنوفَةٍa barren wilderness
وَكائِن قَطَعنا بَعدَكُم مِن تَنوفَةٍ
مِنَof الأَرضِthe earth لَمnot تُقطَعwere cut أَضالِعُهاits ribs عَزقاby hoeing
مِنَ الأَرضِ لَم تُقطَع أَضالِعُها عَزقا
And many a barren wilderness we crossed after parting from you—
And after you cut us off from Tanufa,
of earth whose ribs no hoe had ever cut.
The land whose limbs were not severed,
تَقومُstands بِهاin it الوَجناءُthe stout-cheeked she-camel وَهيَand she is رَذِيَّةٌworn out
تَقومُ بِها الوَجناءُ وَهيَ رَذِيَّةٌ
كَلالاًfrom exhaustion وَيَنسىand forgets ذوone with المُخالَجَةِinner turmoil العِشقاpassionate love
كَلالاً وَيَنسى ذو المُخالَجَةِ العِشقا
There the stout-cheeked she-camel stands, worn out
The hyenas prowl it when it is empty
from exhaustion, and the troubled man forgets love.
And bare, and the passionate man forgets passion.
إِذاwhen غَيَّرَdisplaced اللَيلُthe night النَهارَthe day وَأَظلَمَتand it grew dark
إِذا غَيَّرَ اللَيلُ النَهارَ وَأَظلَمَت
رَمَيناwe drove onward بِهاwith her حَتّىuntil تَراءىappeared لَناto us فَتقاan opening
رَمَينا بِها حَتّى تَراءى لَنا فَتقا
When night displaced the day and darkness fell,
When the night changes the day and darkens
we drove her onward until an opening came into view.
We shoot at it until we make a hole in it.
Sol 6.1