قِفَاstop, you two فيat دَارَthe dwelling of أَهْلِيmy family فَاسْأَلاَهَاthen question it, you two
قِفَا في دَارَ أَهْلِي فَاسْأَلاَهَا
وكَيْفَand how سُؤَالُquestioning أَخْلاَقِworn remnants الدِّيَارِof the dwellings
وكَيْفَ سُؤَالُ أَخْلاَقِ الدِّيَارِ
Stop, you two, at my family's dwelling, and question it.
Stop at the abode of my people and ask it
Yet how can the worn remains of dwellings be questioned?
How does one ask after the manners of a land?
دَوَاثِرُeffaced ruins بَيْنَbetween أَرْمَامٍArmam وغُبْرٍand Ghubr
دَوَاثِرُ بَيْنَ أَرْمَامٍ وغُبْرٍ
كَبَاقِيlike remnants of الوَحْيِwriting فيin البَلَدthe land ِالقِفَارِbarren
كَبَاقِي الوَحْيِ في البَلَد ِالقِفَارِ
Effaced ruins between Armam and Ghubr,
Ruins between sand dunes and dust
Like remnants of writing in a barren land.
Like remnants of revelation in the barren land
تَرُودُroam ظِبَاءُgazelles آرَامٍof Aram عَلَيْهَاover it
تَرُودُ ظِبَاءُ آرَامٍ عَلَيْهَا
كَمَاas كَرَّwheeled around الهِجَانُthe fair women عَلَىaround الدِّوَارِal-Diwar
كَمَا كَرَّ الهِجَانُ عَلَى الدِّوَارِ
Gazelles of Aram roam over it,
Wild cows wander upon it
As fair women wheeled around al-Diwar.
As fate spun upon the wheel
تُرَاعِيهَاwatch over it بَنَاتُdaughters يأَصَكَّknock-kneed (unclear spelling) صَعْلٍsmall-headed
تُرَاعِيهَا بَنَاتُ يأَصَكَّ صَعْلٍ
خَفِضٍlow صَوْتهُhis voice غَيْرَexcept for العِرَارِthe male ostrich's cry
خَفِضٍ صَوْتهُ غَيْرَ العِرَارِ
The daughters of a knock-kneed, small-headed ostrich watch over it,
Daughters of Yasak watch over it
His voice low, save for the ostrich-call.
Whose voice is subdued unlike the stallion
لوَىgathered together بَيْضَاتِهِhis eggs بِنَقَاon the sand-dune of رُمَاحٍRumah
لوَى بَيْضَاتِهِ بِنَقَا رُمَاحٍ
إلَىtoward حَرَّانَa parched one بِالأَصْيَافِin summer هَارِfaint and feeble
إلَى حَرَّانَ بِالأَصْيَافِ هَارِ
He gathered his eggs on the dune of Rumah,
They curved their white tent poles
To himself, parched and faint in the summer heat.
Towards Harran in summer, hot
تَعَلمْknow أَنَّthat شَرَّthe worst بَنَاتِoffspring (afflictions) عَيْنٍof the eye
تَعَلمْ أَنَّ شَرَّ بَنَاتِ عَيْنٍ
لَشَوْقٌsurely a longing عَادَنِيrevisited me بِقَفَاbehind السِّتَارِal-Sitar
لَشَوْقٌ عَادَنِي بِقَفَا السِّتَارِ
Know that the worst of the eye's afflictions
You know the most wicked of ain's daughters
Is surely a longing that returned to me behind al-Sitar,
Is a yearning that brought me behind the curtain
وأطْوَلُهَاand the longest of them إِذاwhen الجَوْزَاءُOrion كَانَتْwas
وأطْوَلُهَا إِذا الجَوْزَاءُ كَانَتْ
تَوَالِيهَاits trailing stars تَعرَّضُapproach لِلْغَيارِtoward setting
تَوَالِيهَا تَعرَّضُ لِلْغَيارِ
And the longest of them, when Orion's
The tallest when canopus was
Trailing stars were nearing their setting.
Its sequence exposed to envy
كَأَنَّas though كَوَاكِبَthe stars of الجَوْزَاءِOrion عُوذٌnewly calved she-camels
كَأَنَّ كَوَاكِبَ الجَوْزَاءِ عُوذٌ
مُعَطَّفَةٌturned back affectionately حَنَتْbent tenderly عَلَىover حُوَارِa camel calf
مُعَطَّفَةٌ حَنَتْ عَلَى حُوَارِ
As though Orion's stars were newly calved she-camels,
As if canopus' stars were coats
Turned back tenderly, bending over a calf,
That bent over fences
كَسِيرlame لاَnot يُشَيِّعُهُنَّfollow them حَتَّىuntil
كَسِير لاَ يُشَيِّعُهُنَّ حَتَّى
يَحِينَthe time comes لحَاقُهُfor him to catch up بَعْدَafter انْتِظَارِwaiting
يَحِينَ لحَاقُهُ بَعْدَ انْتِظَارِ
Lame, unable to follow them until
A walk not seen off until
The time comes for him to catch up, after waiting.
Its joining after waiting
ومَاand not لاَقَيْتُI experienced مِنْof يَوْمَيْthe two days of جَدُودٍJadud
ومَا لاَقَيْتُ مِنْ يَوْمَيْ جَدُودٍ
كَيَوْمِlike the day أَجِدَّset out in earnest حَيُّthe clan of بَنِيthe sons of دِثَارِDithar
كَيَوْمِ أَجِدَّ حَيُّ بَنِي دِثَارِ
And neither of the two days of Jadud I faced
I haven’t met since the day of my ancestors
Was like the day the clan of Banu Dithar set out in earnest.
A day like when Hayy tribe of Dithar appeared
غَدَاdeparted العِزُّhonor العَزِيزُmighty غَدَاةَthe morning بَانُواthey departed
غَدَا العِزُّ العَزِيزُ غَدَاةَ بَانُوا
وأَبْقَىand left behind فيin المَقَامَةِthe encampment وافْتِخَارِيand my pride
وأَبْقَى في المَقَامَةِ وافْتِخَارِي
Mighty honor departed the morning they left,
Honor became great honor when they appeared
And left behind, in the encampment, my pride,
And I remained in the session proudly
وأَيْسَارِيand my fellow gamblers إِذَاwhen مَاan emphatic particle الحَيُّthe tribe حَلَّتْsettled
وأَيْسَارِي إِذَا مَا الحَيُّ حَلَّتْ
بُيُوتُهُمُtheir tents بِكَادِيon unproductive ground النَّبْتِvegetation عَارِيbare
بُيُوتُهُمُ بِكَادِي النَّبْتِ عَارِي
And my fellow gamblers, when the tribe pitched
My ease when the tribe's
Their tents on bare land where growth was scant.
Tents were stripped by the sprouting thorn
غَدَتْdeparted in the morning أَظْعَانُcamel-litters طَيْبَةَof Taybah لَمْnot تُوَدِّعْbid farewell
غَدَتْ أَظْعَانُ طَيْبَةَ لَمْ تُوَدِّعْ
وخَيْرُand the best وَدَاعِهِنَّfarewell to them عَلَىwhile in قَرَارِsettled residence
وخَيْرُ وَدَاعِهِنَّ عَلَى قَرَارِ
Taybah's camel-litters departed without farewell,
The young ladies of Taibah left
Yet farewells to them are best while they are still settled.
And best farewells upon settle
وأَدَّيْنَand they fulfilled العُهُودَthe pledges كَمَاas تُؤَدَّىare returned
وأَدَّيْنَ العُهُودَ كَمَا تُؤَدَّى
أَدَاةُgear المُسْتَعَارِborrowed مِنَfrom المُعَارِthe one lent to
أَدَاةُ المُسْتَعَارِ مِنَ المُعَارِ
And they fulfilled their pledges, like the return of
They fulfilled pacts as repayed
Borrowed gear by the one it was lent to.
Is a borrowed tool from the lender
ولاَحَand shone بِبُرْقَةِat Burqat الأَمْهَارِal-Amhar مِنْهَاfrom her
ولاَحَ بِبُرْقَةِ الأَمْهَارِ مِنْهَا
بِعَيْنِكِbefore your eyes نَازِحٌdistant مِنْof ضَوْءِthe light نَارِof a fire
بِعَيْنِكِ نَازِحٌ مِنْ ضَوْءِ نَارِ
And from her, at Burqat al-Amhar, there shone
There flashed with skillful pony from it
Before your eyes a distant gleam of firelight.
In your eye a glance from a fire's light
إِذَاwhenever مَاan emphatic particle قُلْتُI said زَهَّتْهَاmade it blaze عِصيُّsticks
إِذَا مَا قُلْتُ زَهَّتْهَا عِصيُّ
عِصيُّsticks of الرَّنْدِrand, an aromatic tree والعُصُفُand the gales السِّوَارِيblowing by night
عِصيُّ الرَّنْدِ والعُصُفُ السِّوَارِي
Whenever I said that sticks had made it blaze—
When I say it wags its wand
Sticks of rand, and the gales blowing by night—
Wand of lute and chords of bracelet
لِمُشْتَاقٍfor a yearning man يُصَفِّقُهُbuffets him وَقُودٌa blaze
لِمُشْتَاقٍ يُصَفِّقُهُ وَقُودٌ
كَنَارِlike the fire of مَجُوسَthe Magians فيin الأَجَمِthe reed-thickets المُطَارِwind-tossed
كَنَارِ مَجُوسَ في الأَجَمِ المُطَارِ
For a yearning man whom the blaze buffets,
For a longing one, firewood claps him
Like the Magians' fire in wind-tossed reed-beds.
Like Magi's fire in sparked coal
رَكِبْنَthey rode جَهَامَةًdarkness بِحَزِيزِon the stony ridge of فَيْدٍFayd
رَكِبْنَ جَهَامَةً بِحَزِيزِ فَيْدٍ
يُضِئْنَthey shine بِلَيْلِهِنَّthrough their night إِلىuntil النَّهَارِthe day
يُضِئْنَ بِلَيْلِهِنَّ إِلى النَّهَارِ
They rode into darkness on Fayd's stony ridge,
They rode spirited, smooth-gaited horses
Shining through their night until the day.
Lighting their night to daybreak
جَعَلْنَthey put جَمَاجِمَthe hill-crests of الوَرْكاءِal-Warka خَلْفاًbehind
جَعَلْنَ جَمَاجِمَ الوَرْكاءِ خَلْفاً
بِغَرْبِيِّwest of القَعَاقِعِal-Qa'aqi' فَالسِّتَارِthen al-Sitar
بِغَرْبِيِّ القَعَاقِعِ فَالسِّتَارِ
They left the heights of al-Warka behind,
They made skulls of warqa behind
West of al-Qa'aqi', then al-Sitar.
With my occident, the curtain
وهُنَّand they كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were ظِبَاءُgazelles تَرْجٍof Tarj
وهُنَّ كَأَنَّهُنَّ ظِبَاءُ تَرْجٍ
تَكَشَّفُbecome exposed مِنْfrom سَوَالِفَهَاthe sides of their necks الصَّوَارِيthe upright poles
تَكَشَّفُ مِنْ سَوَالِفَهَا الصَّوَارِي
And they seemed like the gazelles of Tarj,
As if they are wild cows of tarj
With the poles showing above their necks,
Baring from its wrap the tent
عَلَىupon جُرْدِsmooth and bare السَّوَالِفِat the neck-sides بَاقِيَاتٍenduring
عَلَى جُرْدِ السَّوَالِفِ بَاقِيَاتٍ
كِرَامِnoble الوَشْمِin markings وَاضِحَةِclear النِّجَارِin lineage
كِرَامِ الوَشْمِ وَاضِحَةِ النِّجَارِ
Upon enduring, smooth-necked mounts,
Upon bare wrap remaining
Nobly marked, of unmistakable stock.
Honor's mark clear carpentry
أَقُولُI say وقَدْand already سَنَدْنَthey ascended لِقَرْنِtoward Qarn ظَبْيٍZaby
أَقُولُ وقَدْ سَنَدْنَ لِقَرْنِ ظَبْيٍ
بِأَيِّin what مِرَاءِcontest مُنْحَدَرٍa downhill course تُمَارِيdo you vie
بِأَيِّ مِرَاءِ مُنْحَدَرٍ تُمَارِي
I say, now they have climbed toward Qarn Zaby:
I say and they supported a gazelle's horn
“In what downhill contest do you vie?”
With what declining cliff do you compete?
فَلَسْتُfor I am not كَمَاas يَقُولُhe says إِنَّif لَمْnot
فَلَسْتُ كَمَا يَقُولُ إِنَّ لَمْ
تُجَامِعْadjoin دَارَكُمْyour dwelling بِدِمَشْقَin Damascus دَارِيmy dwelling
تُجَامِعْ دَارَكُمْ بِدِمَشْقَ دَارِي
For I am not as he says, even if
I'm not as he says, if not
My dwelling does not adjoin yours in Damascus.
Your abode meets mine in Damascus
Sol 6.1