ياO دارَabode of هِندٍHind عَفاهاeffaced it كُلُّevery هَطّالِpouring rain
يا دارَ هِندٍ عَفاها كُلُّ هَطّالِ
بِالجَوِّin al-Jaww مِثلَlike سَحيقِthe tattered remnant of اليُمنَةِa Yemeni cloak الباليworn-out
بِالجَوِّ مِثلَ سَحيقِ اليُمنَةِ البالي
O abode of Hind, effaced by every downpour,
O house of India, garlanded by all who come to it,
in al-Jaww, like the tattered remnant of a worn Yemeni cloak.
Like powdered mugwort as high as the clouds.
جَرَتswept عَلَيهاover it رِياحُwinds of الصَيفِsummer فَاِطَّرَدَتthen followed in succession
جَرَت عَلَيها رِياحُ الصَيفِ فَاِطَّرَدَت
وَالريحُand the wind فيهاwithin it تُعَفّيهاerases it بِأَذيالِwith trailing skirts
وَالريحُ فيها تُعَفّيها بِأَذيالِ
The summer winds swept over it, following one another,
The summer winds blew on it and swept it away,
and the wind there effaces it with trailing skirts.
And the wind within it perfumes it with its trails.
حَبَستُI detained فيهاthere صِحابيmy companions كَيso that أُسائِلَهاI might question it
حَبَستُ فيها صِحابي كَي أُسائِلَها
وَالدَمعُand tears قَدhad بَلَّsoaked مِنّيfrom me جَيبَthe neckline of سِرباليmy robe
وَالدَمعُ قَد بَلَّ مِنّي جَيبَ سِربالي
I held my companions there to question it,
I confined my friends there so I could ask it
while my tears had soaked the neckline of my robe,
While my tears soaked the pocket of my robe.
شَوقاًin longing إِلىfor الحَيِّthe tribe أَيّامَin the days when الجَميعُall the company بِهاin it
شَوقاً إِلى الحَيِّ أَيّامَ الجَميعُ بِها
وَكَيفَand how يَطرَبُfeels rapture أَوor يَشتاقُyearns أَمثاليmen like me
وَكَيفَ يَطرَبُ أَو يَشتاقُ أَمثالي
longing for the tribe, for the days when all were there.
Yearning for the days when all were alive in it
Yet how can men like me feel rapture or yearn,
And how the likes of me could be disturbed and yearn.
وَقَدand already عَلاoverspread لِمَّتيmy locks شَيبٌgray hair فَوَدَّعَنيso bade me farewell
وَقَد عَلا لِمَّتي شَيبٌ فَوَدَّعَني
مِنهاbecause of it الغَوانيthe fair women وَداعَthe farewell of الصارِمِone who severs ties القاليone who hates
مِنها الغَواني وَداعَ الصارِمِ القالي
when gray has overspread my locks, and I have been bidden farewell—
And my hair turned white, so the lovers bid me
by fair women because of it, with the farewell of one who severs ties in hatred?
Farewell, a farewell like an unsheathed sword.
وَقَدand sometimes أُسَلّيI soothe هُموميmy cares حينَwhen تَحضُرُنيthey beset me
وَقَد أُسَلّي هُمومي حينَ تَحضُرُني
بِجَسرَةٍwith a sturdy she-camel كَعَلاةِlike the anvil of القَينِthe smith شِملالِswift-footed
بِجَسرَةٍ كَعَلاةِ القَينِ شِملالِ
Yet sometimes I soothe my cares when they beset me,
And when my worries come upon me, I console them
with a sturdy, swift-footed she-camel, like a smith's anvil,
With a brave woman, like the thick clothing of winter.
زَيّافَةٍproud-stepping بِقُتودِwith the wooden frame of الرَحلِthe camel-saddle ناجِيَةٍfleet
زَيّافَةٍ بِقُتودِ الرَحلِ ناجِيَةٍ
تَفريshe cuts through الهَجيرَthe midday heat بِتَبغيلٍat a mule-like gait وَإِرقالِand a swift trot
تَفري الهَجيرَ بِتَبغيلٍ وَإِرقالِ
proud-stepping beneath the saddle's wooden frame, fleet of foot,
A coquette with the ends of her braids complaining,
cutting through the midday heat with a mule-like gait and a swift trot,
Who soils the departure with mascara and eyeliner.
مَقذوفَةٍladen بِلَكيكِwith compact اللَحمِflesh عَنon عُرُضٍevery side
مَقذوفَةٍ بِلَكيكِ اللَحمِ عَن عُرُضٍ
كَمُفرَدٍlike a solitary wild bull وَحَدٍall alone بِالجَوِّin al-Jaww ذَيّالِlong-tailed
كَمُفرَدٍ وَحَدٍ بِالجَوِّ ذَيّالِ
laden on every side with firm, compact flesh,
Cast out with torn clothes from honorable houses,
like a lone wild bull, solitary and long-tailed in al-Jaww.
Like an isolated, lonely one in the open air.
هَذاthis وَرُبَّتَand many a حَربٍwar قَدindeed سَمَوتُI rose لَهاto meet it
هَذا وَرُبَّتَ حَربٍ قَد سَمَوتُ لَها
حَتّىuntil شَبَبتُI kindled لَهاfor it ناراًa fire بِإِشعالِby setting it ablaze
حَتّى شَبَبتُ لَها ناراً بِإِشعالِ
This—and many a war have I risen to meet,
I have waged wars I climbed high for,
until I kindled a fire for it, setting it ablaze,
Until I kindled for them a fire with flames.
تَحتيbeneath me مُضَبَّرَةٌcompactly built جَرداءُsleek-coated عِجلِزَةٌsturdy
تَحتي مُضَبَّرَةٌ جَرداءُ عِجلِزَةٌ
كَالسَهمِlike an arrow أَرسَلَهُhe loosed it مِنfrom كَفِّهِhis hand الغاليthe far-shooting archer
كَالسَهمِ أَرسَلَهُ مِن كَفِّهِ الغالي
beneath me a compactly built, sleek-coated, sturdy mare,
Under me is a bare, old, wretched mare
like an arrow loosed from a far-shooting archer's hand.
Like an arrow loosed from his strong hand.
وَكَبشِand a champion (ram) of مَلمومَةٍa massed host بادٍshowing نَواجِذُهُhis molars
وَكَبشِ مَلمومَةٍ بادٍ نَواجِذُهُ
شَهباءَashen-gray ذاتِpossessing سَرابيلٍcoats of mail وَأَبطالِand heroes
شَهباءَ ذاتِ سَرابيلٍ وَأَبطالِ
And many a ram of a massed host, his molars bared—
And an afflicted ewe with snarling canines
ashen-gray, with coats of mail and heroes—
Of gray fur in pants and hero’s clothes.
أَوجَرتُI thrust into جُفرَتَهُhis chest cavity خُرصاًa spearhead فَمالَso he bent بِهِwith it
أَوجَرتُ جُفرَتَهُ خُرصاً فَمالَ بِهِ
كَماjust as اِنثَنىbent مُخضَدٌa broken bough مِنof ناعِمِsupple الضالِwild lote-trees
كَما اِنثَنى مُخضَدٌ مِن ناعِمِ الضالِ
I drove a spearhead into his chest, and he bent with it,
I broke its muzzle so it turned away,
as a broken bough of a supple wild lote-tree bends.
As a delicate gazelle bends over from the grazing flocks.
وَلَهوَةٍand a delight (wine) كَرُضابِlike the nectar of المِسكِmusk طالَlasted long بِهاover it
وَلَهوَةٍ كَرُضابِ المِسكِ طالَ بِها
فيin دَنِّهاits wine-jar كَرُّthe return of حَولٍa year بَعدَafter أَحوالِyears
في دَنِّها كَرُّ حَولٍ بَعدَ أَحوالِ
And many a delight, like musk's nectar, long aged
And it played around weakly and played with me,
in its wine-jar, through year after year,
Then it turned away while still on my mind.
باكَرتُهاI sought it early قَبلَbefore ماthat (clause marker) بَداappeared الصَباحُthe morning لَناto us
باكَرتُها قَبلَ ما بَدا الصَباحُ لَنا
فيin بَيتِthe house of مُنهَمِرِpouring freely الكَفَّينِboth hands مِفضالِlavishly generous
في بَيتِ مُنهَمِرِ الكَفَّينِ مِفضالِ
I sought it early, before dawn appeared to us,
Youth has passed, no longer suitable for us,
in the house of a lavish giver, whose two hands poured bounty.
And the gray hair of age has taken its place honorably.
وَعَبلَةٍand a full-figured woman كَمَهاةِlike an oryx of الجَوِّal-Jaww ناعِمَةٍsoft-skinned
وَعَبلَةٍ كَمَهاةِ الجَوِّ ناعِمَةٍ
كَأَنَّas though ريقَتَهاher saliva شيبَتwas mingled بِسَلسالِwith smooth, sweet wine
كَأَنَّ ريقَتَها شيبَت بِسَلسالِ
And many a full-figured, soft-skinned woman, like an oryx of al-Jaww—
Gray hair is disgraceful for one whose temple it adorns.
her saliva as though mingled with smooth, sweet wine—
By God, the black hair of youth is so much better!
قَدindeed بِتُّI spent the night أُلعِبُهاI amuse her وَهناًlate at night وَتُلعِبُنيand she amuses me
قَد بِتُّ أُلعِبُها وَهناً وَتُلعِبُني
ثُمَّthen اِنصَرَفتُI departed وَهِيwhile she مِنّيfrom me عَلىon بالِmind
ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتُ وَهِي مِنّي عَلى بالِ
I spent the night playing with her at a late hour, and she with me,
then departed, with her still on my mind.
بانَdeparted الشَبابُyouth فَآلىand swore لاnot يُلِمُّcomes calling بِناon us
بانَ الشَبابُ فَآلى لا يُلِمُّ بِنا
وَاِحتَلَّand settled بيwith me مِنfrom مُلِمِّthe visitor of الشَيبِgray hair مِحلالِa constant lodger
وَاِحتَلَّ بي مِن مُلِمِّ الشَيبِ مِحلالِ
Youth has departed and sworn never to visit us,
and gray has lodged with me, a visitor that stays.
وَالشَيبُand gray hair شَينٌa blemish لِمَنfor whomever يَحتَلُّit occupies ساحَتَهُhis courtyard
وَالشَيبُ شَينٌ لِمَن يَحتَلُّ ساحَتَهُ
لِلَّهِto God belongs دَرُّthe excellence of سَوادِthe blackness of اللِمَّةِthe locks الخاليnow past
لِلَّهِ دَرُّ سَوادِ اللِمَّةِ الخالي
And gray is a blemish upon anyone whose courtyard it occupies;
God bless that bygone blackness of my locks!
Partial English translation: 30 of 36 Arabic lines translated.