غابَتwere absent سراةُthe chiefs of بَنيthe sons of بَحرٍBahr وَلَوand if شَهِدواthey had been present
غابَت سراةُ بَني بَحرٍ وَلَو شَهِدوا
يَوماًone day لَأُعطيتُI would have been given ماwhat أَبغيI desire وَأَطَّلِبُand I seek
يَوماً لَأُعطيتُ ما أَبغي وَأَطَّلِبُ
The chiefs of Banu Bahr were absent; had they been present
The caravan of the sons of Bahir disappeared
For a day, I would have been given what I desire and seek.
Had they witnessed a day, I would have been given what I want and ask for
لَمّاwhen دَفَعتُI made my way إِلىto الماحوزِal-Mahuz قُلتُI said لَهُto him
لَمّا دَفَعتُ إِلى الماحوزِ قُلتُ لَهُ
هَلquestion marker أَنتَyou مُفتَعِلٌdoing خَيراًa good deed وَمُحتَسِبُand seeking divine reward
هَل أَنتَ مُفتَعِلٌ خَيراً وَمُحتَسِبُ
When I made my way to al-Mahuz, I said to him,
When I handed over to Al-Mahouz, I said to him
“Will you do a good deed and seek divine reward?”
Are you a doer of good and a reckoner?
إِذاwhenever خَطيبٌa spokesman قَضىfinished مِنّاfrom among us مَقالَتَهُhis speech
إِذا خَطيبٌ قَضى مِنّا مَقالَتَهُ
ثَنّىfollowed up بِأُخرىwith another خَطيبٌa spokesman فاصِلٌeloquent أَرِبُskillful
ثَنّى بِأُخرى خَطيبٌ فاصِلٌ أَرِبُ
Whenever one of our spokesmen finished his speech,
When an orator finishes his speech
An eloquent, skillful spokesman followed with another.
Another eloquent orator follows, intimate and skillful
حَتّىuntil وَرَدناwe reached القُنَينِيّاتِal-Qunayniyyat ضاحِيَةًin full sunlight
حَتّى وَرَدنا القُنَينِيّاتِ ضاحِيَةً
فيin ساعَةٍan hour مِنof نَهارِthe daytime of الصَيفِsummer تَلتَهِبُblazes
في ساعَةٍ مِن نَهارِ الصَيفِ تَلتَهِبُ
Until we reached al-Qunayniyyat in full sunlight,
Until we reached Al-Qunainiyat shining
At a blazing hour of a summer day.
In an hour of a summer day flaming
فَجادَthen gave generously بِالبارِدِwith the cool العَذبِthe sweet الزُلالِthe limpid لَناto us
فَجادَ بِالبارِدِ العَذبِ الزُلالِ لَنا
مادامَas long as يُمسِكُholds عودَيْthe two rods of دَلوِناour bucket الكَرَبُthe binding-rope
مادامَ يُمسِكُ عودَيْ دَلوِنا الكَرَبُ
Then cool, sweet, limpid water was generously given to us,
So he was generous with cool, fresh water for us
As long as the binding-rope held our bucket’s two rods,
As long as the handle of our bucket can still draw water
مِنfrom ماءِthe water of خالَةَKhala جَيّاشٌsurging بِجَمَّتِهِin its pool of water
مِن ماءِ خالَةَ جَيّاشٌ بِجَمَّتِهِ
ممّاfrom what تَوارَثَهُinherited it successively الأَوحادُal-Awhad وَالعُتَبُand al-ʿUtab
ممّا تَوارَثَهُ الأَوحادُ وَالعُتَبُ
From Khala’s water, surging in its pool,
From the surging water of Khalat Jiyash
From what al-Awhad and al-ʿUtab inherited generation after generation.
Inherited by the lonely and the loved ones
Sol 6.1