أَبَتrefused to cease ذِكَرٌmemories مِنfrom حُبِّlove of لَيلىLayla تَعودُنيrevisit me
أَبَت ذِكَرٌ مِن حُبِّ لَيلى تَعودُني
عِيادَthe recurring visitation of أَخيone afflicted with الحُمّىfever إِذاwhenever قُلتُI said أَقصَراit had abated
عِيادَ أَخي الحُمّى إِذا قُلتُ أَقصَرا
Memories of my love for Layla refuse to cease, revisiting me
as fever revisits its victim whenever I say, "It has abated."
كَأَنَّas though بِغُلّانِin the ravines of الرَسيسِal-Rasis وَعاقِلٍand ʿAqil
كَأَنَّ بِغُلّانِ الرَسيسِ وَعاقِلٍ
ذُرىthe crowns of النَخلِthe palms تَسموrise high وَالسَفينَand the ships المُقَيَّراpitch-coated
ذُرى النَخلِ تَسمو وَالسَفينَ المُقَيَّرا
As though in the ravines of al-Rasis and ʿAqil
palm crowns rose high, and ships coated with pitch.
أَلَمdid you not تَعلَميknow أَنّيthat I إِذاwhen وَصلُthe bond of خُلَّةٍa beloved
أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنّي إِذا وَصلُ خُلَّةٍ
كَذاكِlike that تَوَلّىpassed away كُنتُI was بِالصَبرِfor patience أَجدَراbetter suited
كَذاكِ تَوَلّى كُنتُ بِالصَبرِ أَجدَرا
Did you not know that, when a beloved's bond
passes away like that, patience better befits me?
وَمُستَأسِدٍand a thick-grown thicket يَندىis wet with dew كَأَنَّas though ذُبابَهُits flies
وَمُستَأسِدٍ يَندى كَأَنَّ ذُبابَهُ
أَخوa devotee of الخَمرِwine هاجَتit stirred حُزنَهُhis grief فَتَذَكَّراso he remembered
أَخو الخَمرِ هاجَت حُزنَهُ فَتَذَكَّرا
And into a dew-wet thicket, whose flies seemed
a wine-drinker whose grief wine stirred, awakening memories,
هَبَطتُI descended بِمَلبونٍon a milk-fed horse كَأَنَّas though جِلالَهُhis blankets
هَبَطتُ بِمَلبونٍ كَأَنَّ جِلالَهُ
نَضَتslipped away عَنfrom أَديمٍa leather hide لَيلَةَon the night of الطَلِّdew أَحمَراred
نَضَت عَن أَديمٍ لَيلَةَ الطَلِّ أَحمَرا
I descended on a milk-fed horse, as though his blankets
had slipped from red leather on a night of dew.
أَمينِsound in الشَوىthe limbs شَحطٍtall إِذاwhenever القَومُthe men آنَسواthey discerned
أَمينِ الشَوى شَحطٍ إِذا القَومُ آنَسوا
مَدىat the range of العَينِthe eye شَخصاًa figure كانَhe was بِالشَخصِof the figure أَبصَراmore clear-sighted
مَدى العَينِ شَخصاً كانَ بِالشَخصِ أَبصَرا
Sure-footed and tall: whenever the men discerned
a figure at the limit of sight, he saw it more keenly.
كَشاةِlike a wild bull of الإِرانِthe lair الأَعفَرِdust-colored اِنضَرَجَتburst forth لَهُtoward him
كَشاةِ الإِرانِ الأَعفَرِ اِنضَرَجَت لَهُ
كِلابٌhounds رَآهاhe saw them مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar فَأَحضَراso he galloped
كِلابٌ رَآها مِن بَعيدٍ فَأَحضَرا
Like a dust-colored wild bull in its lair, toward which rushed
hounds: he saw them from afar and galloped away.
وَخاليand one empty of الجَباcollected water أَورَدتُهُI brought to it القَومَthe men فَاِستَقَواand they drew water
وَخالي الجَبا أَورَدتُهُ القَومَ فَاِستَقَوا
بِسُفرَتِهِمwith their leather food-mat مِنfrom آجِنِstagnant الماءِthe water أَصفَراyellow
بِسُفرَتِهِم مِن آجِنِ الماءِ أَصفَرا
And a well with an empty basin—I led the men to it, and they drew
with their leather food-mat some yellow, stagnant water.
رَأَواthey thought لَبَثاًa delay مِنّاon our part عَلَيهِat it اِستَقاؤُناour drawing water
رَأَوا لَبَثاً مِنّا عَلَيهِ اِستَقاؤُنا
وَرِيُّand the quenching of مَطاياناour mounts بِهِat it أَنthat تُغَمَّراthey be given scant draughts
وَرِيُّ مَطايانا بِهِ أَن تُغَمَّرا
They thought we lingered there; our drawing water
and quenching our mounts there meant only scant draughts.
وَخَرقٍand a vast waste يَعِجُّbellows العَودُthe old camel أَنat يَستَبينَهُperceiving it clearly
وَخَرقٍ يَعِجُّ العَودُ أَن يَستَبينَهُ
إِذاwhenever أَورَدَentered المَجهولَةِthe unknown tract القَومُthe company أَصدَراturned back
إِذا أَورَدَ المَجهولَةِ القَومُ أَصدَرا
And many a waste at whose sight the old camel bellows:
whenever the men entered its unknown reaches, they turned back.
تَرىyou see بِحِفافَيهِalong its two edges الرَذاياthe exhausted camels وَمَتنِهِand across its back
تَرى بِحِفافَيهِ الرَذايا وَمَتنِهِ
قِياماًstanding يُقَطِّعنَuttering in broken bursts الصَريفَtooth-grinding المُفَتَّراfaltering
قِياماً يُقَطِّعنَ الصَريفَ المُفَتَّرا
Along its two edges and across its back you see exhausted camels
standing, their faltering tooth-grinding sounding in broken bursts.
تَرَكتُI left بِهِthere مِنtoward آخِرِthe end of اللَيلِthe night مَوضِعيthe two places of
تَرَكتُ بِهِ مِن آخِرِ اللَيلِ مَوضِعي
فِراشيmy bed وَمُلقايَand my laying down النَقيشَthe decorated whip المُشَمَّراtrimmed
فِراشي وَمُلقايَ النَقيشَ المُشَمَّرا
Late in the night I left there the two places
of my bed and where I laid my trimmed, decorated whip,
وَمَثنىand the kneeling-place of نَواجٍswift she-camels ضُمَّرٍlean جَدَلِيَّةٍsturdily built
وَمَثنى نَواجٍ ضُمَّرٍ جَدَلِيَّةٍ
كَجَفنِlike the sheath of اليَمانِيa Yemeni blade نَيُّهاtheir fat قَدalready تَحَسَّراhad fallen away
كَجَفنِ اليَمانِي نَيُّها قَد تَحَسَّرا
and the kneeling-place of swift, lean, sturdy she-camels,
like a Yemeni blade's sheath, their fat worn away.
وَمَرقَبَةٍand a lookout height عَرفاءَhigh-crested أَوفَيتُI climbed مَقصِراًat evening
وَمَرقَبَةٍ عَرفاءَ أَوفَيتُ مَقصِراً
لَأَستَأنِسَto make out الأَشباحَthe figures فيهاthere وَأَنظُراand look
لَأَستَأنِسَ الأَشباحَ فيها وَأَنظُرا
And many a high-crested lookout I climbed at evening,
to discern figures there and look about,
عَلىin عَجَلٍhaste مِنّيon my part غِشاشاًfleetingly وَقَدwhile already دَناdrew near
عَلى عَجَلٍ مِنّي غِشاشاً وَقَد دَنا
ذُرىthe crests of اللَيلِnight وَاِحمَرَّand reddened النَهارُthe day وَأَدبَراand withdrew
ذُرى اللَيلِ وَاِحمَرَّ النَهارُ وَأَدبَرا
hurriedly, with a fleeting glance, as there drew near
the crests of night, and day reddened and withdrew.
Sol 6.1