ياO نَاقُshe-camel شطّتْhas grown distant دَارُهُمْtheir dwelling فَحِنِّيso moan with longing
يا نَاقُ شطّتْ دَارُهُمْ فَحِنِّي
وأعْلنِيand proclaim الوجْدَthe longing الّذيthat تُجِنّيyou conceal
وأعْلنِي الوجْدَ الّذي تُجِنّي
O she-camel, their dwelling is far away, so moan with longing,
and give voice to the longing you conceal.
ماnever أرزَمَتْshe moaned softly وَهْناًlate at night لفقدfor the loss of إلْفِهاher companion
ما أرزَمَتْ وَهْناً لفقد إلْفِها
إلاّexcept that رَمتْshe afflicted جَوارِحيmy limbs بِوَهْنِwith weakness
إلاّ رَمتْ جَوارِحي بِوَهْنِ
Never did she moan late at night for her lost companion
without afflicting my limbs with weakness.
تذكّرتْshe remembered ألاّفَهاher companions فَهَيَّجَتْand so she stirred
تذكّرتْ ألاّفَها فَهَيَّجَتْ
لاَعِجَthe burning ache of شَوقيmy longing وذَكَرْتُand I remembered خِدْنيmy intimate companion
لاَعِجَ شَوقي وذَكَرْتُ خِدْني
She remembered her companions and stirred
the burning ache of my longing, and I recalled my dear companion.
أبكِيI weep اشتياقاًout of yearning وتَحِنُّand she moans وحْشةًout of loneliness
أبكِي اشتياقاً وتَحِنُّ وحْشةً
فَقدfor indeed شَجانِيhas saddened me حُزنُهاher grief وحُزنيand my grief
فَقد شَجانِي حُزنُها وحُزني
I weep with yearning, and she moans in loneliness;
for her grief and my own have saddened me.
حَسْبُكِenough for you قَدalready طالَhas lasted long الحنينُthe yearning والأسَىand sorrow
حَسْبُكِ قَد طالَ الحنينُ والأسَى
وماand not أرىI see طُولَthe length of الحنينِthe yearning يُغْنِيis of any use
وما أرى طُولَ الحنينِ يُغْنِي
Enough! Long have yearning and sorrow lasted,
and I see no use in prolonged yearning.
ولاand do not تَمَلّيgrow weary مِنْof مَسِيرٍtravel وَسُرىًand night travel
ولا تَمَلّي مِنْ مَسِيرٍ وَسُرىً
فيthrough مَهْمَهٍa trackless desert سَهلٍlevel وَوَعْرٍand rugged حَزِنِrough
في مَهْمَهٍ سَهلٍ وَوَعْرٍ حَزِنِ
And do not tire of travel and journeying by night
through trackless desert, across level and rough, rugged ground,
حتّىuntil تُناخِيyou are made to kneel تحتَbeneath بَاناتِbān trees of الحِمَىthe protected pasture
حتّى تُناخِي تحتَ بَاناتِ الحِمَى
سَقَىmay water الحِمَىthe protected pasture والبانَand the bān trees صوبُthe downpour of المُزنِthe rain clouds
سَقَى الحِمَى والبانَ صوبُ المُزنِ
until you are brought to kneel beneath the protected pasture's bān trees.
May the rain clouds' downpour water the protected pasture and the bān trees.
أهْوَىI love الحِمىthe protected pasture وأهلَهand its people وبانَهand its bān trees
أهْوَى الحِمى وأهلَه وبانَه
وإنْand even though نأيتُI have gone far away وتنَاءَوْاand they have gone far away عَنّيfrom me
وإنْ نأيتُ وتنَاءَوْا عَنّي
I love the protected pasture, its people, and its bān trees,
even though I have gone far away and they have grown distant from me.
شَطّواthey have gone far away وشطّتْand has grown distant بيَwith me دَارِيmy dwelling عنهُمُfrom them
شَطّوا وشطّتْ بيَ دَارِي عنهُمُ
وهُمْand they إلىto قَلبيَmy heart أدنَىnearer مِنّيthan me
وهُمْ إلى قَلبيَ أدنَى مِنّي
They have gone far, and my dwelling has taken me far from them,
yet they are nearer my heart than I myself.
لمnot يُذكَرواthey were mentioned ليto me قَطّever إلاexcept that امتلأتْfilled up
لم يُذكَروا لي قَطّ إلا امتلأتْ
بالدّمعِwith tears أجفانِيmy eyelids وقَالتْand they said قَطْنيenough for me
بالدّمعِ أجفانِي وقَالتْ قَطْني
Never were they mentioned to me without filling
my eyelids with tears and making them say, 'Enough for me!'
وهُمand they أعزُّdearer إنif نأوْاthey are far away وإنْand if دَنَوْاthey draw near
وهُم أعزُّ إن نأوْا وإنْ دَنَوْا
مماthan what حَوىcontains خِلْبيmy heart's membrane وضَمّand encloses جَفْنِيmy eyelid
مما حَوى خِلْبي وضَمّ جَفْنِي
And they are dearer, whether far away or near,
than what my heart's sheath holds and my eyelid encloses.
نَفسيmy soul فِداءُa ransom for منthose whom أُوَرِّيI allude to indirectly بالحِمَىthrough the protected pasture
نَفسي فِداءُ من أُوَرِّي بالحِمَى
والبَانِand the bān trees عنinstead of أسْمَائِهمْtheir names وأَكْنِيand I speak allusively
والبَانِ عن أسْمَائِهمْ وأَكْنِي
My soul be ransom for those I allude to through the protected pasture
and the bān trees, using hints instead of their names.
هُمُthey إذاwhen قُلتُI say سقَىmay water أرضَthe land of الحِمَىthe protected pasture
هُمُ إذا قُلتُ سقَى أرضَ الحِمَى
وبَانَهand its bān trees صوبُthe downpour of الحيَاrain مَنthose whom أعْنِيI mean
وبَانَه صوبُ الحيَا مَن أعْنِي
It is they—when I say, 'May the protected pasture's land
and its bān trees be watered by pouring rain'—whom I mean,
ضَنّاout of jealous care بِهمfor them عنfrom أَنْthat يطورَshould come near ذكْرُهُمmention of them
ضَنّا بِهم عن أَنْ يطورَ ذكْرُهُم
بمَسْمَعٍwithin earshot وَهُمْand they مكانُthe proper object of الضّنّjealous care
بمَسْمَعٍ وَهُمْ مكانُ الضّنّ
out of jealous care for them, lest mention of them come
within earshot; they deserve such jealous care.
أحبَبْتُهُمI have loved them منfrom قَبلِbefore يَنْجابُlifts دُجَىthe darkness of
أحبَبْتُهُم من قَبلِ يَنْجابُ دُجَى
فَودِيmy temple عنaway from الصّبحِthe dawn ويَذوِيand withers غُصْنِيmy bough
فَودِي عن الصّبحِ ويَذوِي غُصْنِي
I have loved them since before the darkness lifted
from my temple to reveal dawn and my bough withered,
حُبّاًa love جَرَىflowed مَجرىthe course of الحياةِlife منthrough دَمِيmy blood
حُبّاً جَرَى مَجرى الحياةِ من دَمِي
أصَمَّdeafened عنto كلِّevery نصيحٍsincere adviser أُذنِيmy ear
أصَمَّ عن كلِّ نصيحٍ أُذنِي
with a love that coursed like life itself through my blood,
deafening my ear to every sincere adviser.
فلوso if تَعوّضتُI took in exchange بهمfor them عَصْرَthe season of الصِّبَاyouth
فلو تَعوّضتُ بهم عَصْرَ الصِّبَا
لَبانَwould surely be clear فيin صَفقَةِthe bargain of بَيْعِيmy sale غَبْنِيmy loss
لَبانَ في صَفقَةِ بَيْعِي غَبْنِي
So if I took the season of youth in exchange for them,
my loss in that sale would be plain.
فَارقتُهمI parted from them أشْغَفَmost enamored ماwhen كنتُI was بِهِمof them
فَارقتُهم أشْغَفَ ما كنتُ بِهِم
وعُدتُand I returned قدalready أدمَتْhad bloodied بَنَانِيmy fingertips سِنّيmy tooth
وعُدتُ قد أدمَتْ بَنَانِي سِنّي
I parted from them when I was most enamored of them,
and returned, my teeth having bloodied my fingertips.
أُلْزِمُI press كفَّيَّmy two palms فُؤاداًa heart مَالَهُit has no
أُلْزِمُ كفَّيَّ فُؤاداً مَالَهُ
منfrom بَعدهمafter them رَوْحٌrelief سِوَىexcept التّمنِّيwishing
من بَعدهم رَوْحٌ سِوَى التّمنِّي
I press both my palms to a heart that has no
relief after their departure save in wishing.
لكنّنيbut I أدعُوI call upon لجمعِfor reuniting شَمْلِناour company
لكنّني أدعُو لجمعِ شَمْلِنا
مُسيِّرَthe mover of الشُّهْبِthe bright stars ومُجريand the one who sends sailing السّفْنِthe ships
مُسيِّرَ الشُّهْبِ ومُجري السّفْنِ
Yet for our reunion I call upon
the One who moves the bright stars and makes the ships sail.
Sol 6.1