أَتَعرِفُdo you recognize رَسمَthe traces of الدارِthe dwelling قَفراًdeserted مَنازِلُهits campsites
أَتَعرِفُ رَسمَ الدارِ قَفراً مَنازِلُه
كَجَفنِlike the scabbard of اليَمانِthe Yemeni زَخرَفَembellished الوَشيَthe ornamental pattern ماثِلُهits designer
كَجَفنِ اليَمانِ زَخرَفَ الوَشيَ ماثِلُه
Do you recognize the dwelling's traces, its camps deserted,
like a Yemeni's scabbard, its pattern adorned by its craftsman,
بِتَثليثَat Tathlith أَوor نَجرانَNajran أَوor حَيثُwhere تَلتَقيmeet
بِتَثليثَ أَو نَجرانَ أَو حَيثُ تَلتَقي
مِنَfrom النَجدِNajd فيin قَيعانِthe lowlands of جَأشٍJaʾsh مَسائِلُهits watercourses
مِنَ النَجدِ في قَيعانِ جَأشٍ مَسائِلُه
at Tathlith or Najran, or where there meet
in Jaʾsh's lowlands the watercourses from Najd?
دِيارٌdwellings لِسَلمىof Salma إِذwhen تَصيدُكَshe ensnares you بِالمُنىwith hopes
دِيارٌ لِسَلمى إِذ تَصيدُكَ بِالمُنى
وَإِذand when حَبلُthe bond of سَلمىSalma مِنكَto you دانٍnear تُواصُلُهits joining
وَإِذ حَبلُ سَلمى مِنكَ دانٍ تُواصُلُه
Dwellings of Salma, when she ensnared you with hopes,
and when Salma's bond was near enough for you to keep it joined;
وَإِذand when هِيَshe مِثلُlike الرَئمِthe white gazelle صيدَwas captured غَزالُهاher fawn
وَإِذ هِيَ مِثلُ الرَئمِ صيدَ غَزالُها
لَهاshe has نَظَرٌa gaze ساجٍlanguid إِلَيكَtoward you تُواغِلُهshe fixes it intently
لَها نَظَرٌ ساجٍ إِلَيكَ تُواغِلُه
when she was like a white gazelle whose fawn was captured,
hers a languid gaze that she fixed intently upon you.
غَنيناwe dwelt وَماand did not نَخشىfear التَفَرُّقَseparation حِقبَةًfor a time
غَنينا وَما نَخشى التَفَرُّقَ حِقبَةً
كِلاناboth of us غَريرٌguileless ناعِمُeasy in العَيشِliving باجِلُهenjoying its plenty
كِلانا غَريرٌ ناعِمُ العَيشِ باجِلُه
We dwelt awhile, with no fear of parting,
both guileless, living in ease and plenty.
لَيالِيَnights when أَقتادُI lead الصِباyouthful passion وَيَقودُنيand it leads me
لَيالِيَ أَقتادُ الصِبا وَيَقودُني
يَجولُroams بِناwith us رَيعانُهُits first flush وَيُحاوِلُهand pursues it
يَجولُ بِنا رَيعانُهُ وَيُحاوِلُه
Nights when I led youthful passion, and it led me;
its first flush carried us wandering in pursuit of it.
سَماrose لَكَbefore you مِنfrom سَلمىSalma خَيالٌa phantom وَدونَهاand between you and her
سَما لَكَ مِن سَلمى خَيالٌ وَدونَها
سَوادُthe dark mass of كَثيبٍa sandhill عَرضُهُits breadth فَأَمايِلُهthen its slopes
سَوادُ كَثيبٍ عَرضُهُ فَأَمايِلُه
A phantom of Salma rose before you, though between you and her lay
a sandhill's dark mass, its breadth and sloping sides;
فَذوthen Dhu النيرِal-Nir فَالأَعلامُthen the landmarks مِنfrom جانِبِthe side of الحِمىthe protected pasture
فَذو النيرِ فَالأَعلامُ مِن جانِبِ الحِمى
وَقُفٌّand a rocky upland كَظَهرِlike the back of التُرسِa shield تَجريflow أَساجِلُهits watercourses
وَقُفٌّ كَظَهرِ التُرسِ تَجري أَساجِلُه
then Dhu al-Nir, then the landmarks beside the protected pasture,
and a rocky upland like a shield's back, its watercourses flowing.
وَأَنّىand how اِهتَدَتfound her way سَلمىSalma وَسائِلَties بَينَناbetween us
وَأَنّى اِهتَدَت سَلمى وَسائِلَ بَينَنا
بَشاشَةُthe gladness of حُبٍّa love باشَرَtouched القَلبَthe heart داخِلُهits innermost depths
بَشاشَةُ حُبٍّ باشَرَ القَلبَ داخِلُه
How did Salma find her way? The ties between us were
the gladness of a love whose depths had touched the heart.
وَكَمand how many دونَshort of سَلمىSalma مِنof عَدوٍّan enemy وَبَلدَةٍand a tract of land
وَكَم دونَ سَلمى مِن عَدوٍّ وَبَلدَةٍ
يَحارُloses his bearings بِهاin it الهاديthe guide الخَفيفُlight in ذَلاذِلُهhis garment hems
يَحارُ بِها الهادي الخَفيفُ ذَلاذِلُه
How many an enemy and wilderness lay between me and Salma,
where the guide, light of garment-hem, loses his way.
يَظَلُّspends the day بِهاin it عَيرُthe wild ass of الفَلاةِthe wilderness كَأَنَّهُas though he were
يَظَلُّ بِها عَيرُ الفَلاةِ كَأَنَّهُ
رَقيبٌa lookout يُخافيconceals شَخصَهُhis form وَيُضائِلُهand makes it smaller
رَقيبٌ يُخافي شَخصَهُ وَيُضائِلُه
The desert's wild ass spends the day there as though
a lookout, concealing his form and making himself small.
وَماand not خِلتُI thought سَلمىSalma قَبلَهاbefore it ذاتَpossessed of رِجلَةٍendurance on foot
وَما خِلتُ سَلمى قَبلَها ذاتَ رِجلَةٍ
إِذاwhen قَسوَريُّthe mighty darkness of اللَيلِthe night جيبَتwere torn open سَرابِلُهits robes
إِذا قَسوَريُّ اللَيلِ جيبَت سَرابِلُه
I had not thought Salma, before this, so strong on foot,
when the mighty night has its robes torn open.
وَقَدand indeed ذَهَبَتhas gone off سَلمىSalma بِعَقلِكَwith your reason كُلِّهِall of it
وَقَد ذَهَبَت سَلمى بِعَقلِكَ كُلِّهِ
فَهَلso, are you غَيرُanything but صَيدٍprey أَحرَزَتهُhave secured it حَبائِلُهits snares
فَهَل غَيرُ صَيدٍ أَحرَزَتهُ حَبائِلُه
Salma has indeed gone off with all your reason;
are you anything but prey held fast by its snares?
كَماjust as أَحرَزَتcaptured أَسماءُAsmaʾ قَلبَthe heart of مُرَقِّشٍMuraqqish
كَما أَحرَزَت أَسماءُ قَلبَ مُرَقِّشٍ
بِحُبٍّwith a love كَلَمعِlike the flash of البَرقِlightning لاحَتgleamed مَخايِلُهits signs
بِحُبٍّ كَلَمعِ البَرقِ لاحَت مَخايِلُه
Just as Asmaʾ captured Muraqqish's heart
with a love whose signs gleamed like flashes of lightning.
وَأَنكَحَand gave in marriage أَسماءَAsmaʾ المُراديُّthe Muradi يَبتَغيseeking
وَأَنكَحَ أَسماءَ المُراديُّ يَبتَغي
بِذَلِكَby that عَوفٌʿAwf أَنthat تُصابَbe struck مَقاتِلُهhis vital parts
بِذَلِكَ عَوفٌ أَن تُصابَ مَقاتِلُه
And Asmaʾ was given in marriage to the Muradi, the aim
of ʿAwf being thereby to strike him in his vital parts.
فَلَمّاthen when رَأىhe saw أَنthat لاno قَرارَrest يُقِرُّهُwould settle him
فَلَمّا رَأى أَن لا قَرارَ يُقِرُّهُ
وَأَنَّand that هَوىlove for أَسماءَAsmaʾ لاno بُدَّescape قاتِلُهwould kill him
وَأَنَّ هَوى أَسماءَ لا بُدَّ قاتِلُه
When he saw that no rest could bring him peace,
and that love for Asmaʾ must surely kill him,
تَرَحَّلَdeparted مِنfrom أَرضِthe land of العِراقِIraq مُرَقِّشٌMuraqqish
تَرَحَّلَ مِن أَرضِ العِراقِ مُرَقِّشٌ
عَلىin طَرَبٍpassionate longing تَهويsped سِراعاًswiftly رَواحِلُهhis mounts
عَلى طَرَبٍ تَهوي سِراعاً رَواحِلُه
Muraqqish departed from the land of Iraq,
in passionate longing, his mounts speeding swiftly,
إِلىtoward السَروِal-Sarw أَرضٌa land ساقَهُdrove him نَحوَهاtoward it الهَوىlove
إِلى السَروِ أَرضٌ ساقَهُ نَحوَها الهَوى
وَلَمand did not يَدرِknow أَنَّthat المَوتَdeath بِالسَروِat al-Sarw غائِلُهwould take him unawares
وَلَم يَدرِ أَنَّ المَوتَ بِالسَروِ غائِلُه
toward al-Sarw, a land to which love drove him,
not knowing that death at al-Sarw would take him unawares.
فَغودِرَso he was abandoned بِالفَردَينِat al-Fardayn أَرضٍa land نَطيَّةٍfar away
فَغودِرَ بِالفَردَينِ أَرضٍ نَطيَّةٍ
مَسيرَةِa journey of شَهرٍa month دائِبٍone traveling tirelessly لاnot يُواكِلُهshirking it
مَسيرَةِ شَهرٍ دائِبٍ لا يُواكِلُه
So he was abandoned at al-Fardayn, a far-off land,
a month's journey for a tireless traveler who never shirks it.
فَياso, alas لَكَfor you مِنwhat a ذيone with حاجَةٍa desire حيلَa barrier was set دونَهاagainst it
فَيا لَكَ مِن ذي حاجَةٍ حيلَ دونَها
وَماand not كُلُّeverything ماthat يَهوىdesires اِمرُؤٌa man هُوَhe نائِلُهattains it
وَما كُلُّ ما يَهوى اِمرُؤٌ هُوَ نائِلُه
Alas for you, with a desire you were kept from attaining!
Not everything a man desires is his to attain.
فَوَجديso my anguish بِسَلمىfor Salma مِثلُlike وَجدِthe anguish of مُرَقِّشٍMuraqqish
فَوَجدي بِسَلمى مِثلُ وَجدِ مُرَقِّشٍ
بِأَسماءَfor Asmaʾ إِذwhen لاnot تَستَفيقُrelent عَواذِلُهhis female reproachers
بِأَسماءَ إِذ لا تَستَفيقُ عَواذِلُه
My anguish for Salma is like Muraqqish's anguish
for Asmaʾ, when his reproaching women would not relent.
قَضىmet نَحبَهُhis destined end وَجداًfrom longing عَلَيهاfor her مُرَقِّشٌMuraqqish
قَضى نَحبَهُ وَجداً عَلَيها مُرَقِّشٌ
وَعُلَّقتُand I was ensnared مِنthrough سَلمىSalma خَبالاًin madness أُماطِلُهI keep staving it off
وَعُلَّقتُ مِن سَلمى خَبالاً أُماطِلُه
Muraqqish died of longing for her,
while I am snared through Salma in a madness I keep staving off.
لَعَمريby my life لَمَوتٌsurely a death لاno عُقوبَةَpunishment بَعدَهُafter it
لَعَمري لَمَوتٌ لا عُقوبَةَ بَعدَهُ
لِذيfor one with البَثِّanguish أَشفىmore healing مِنthan هَوىًa love لاnot يُزايِلُهleaves him
لِذي البَثِّ أَشفى مِن هَوىً لا يُزايِلُه
By my life, a death with no punishment after it
is more healing for one in anguish than a love that never leaves him.
Sol 6.1