تَغَيَّرَتِhave changed الدِيارُthe dwellings بِذيat Dhu الدَفينِal-Dafin
تَغَيَّرَتِ الدِيارُ بِذي الدَفينِ
فَأَودِيَةِand the valleys اللِوىal-Liwa فَرِمالِand the sands لينِLin
فَأَودِيَةِ اللِوى فَرِمالِ لينِ
The dwellings at Dhu al-Dafin have changed,
The abodes have changed now that Dhū al-Dafīn has gone,
and the valleys of al-Liwa, and the sands of Lin,
And the valleys of Luwa and sandy hills of soft dunes,
فَحَرجَيand the two thickets ذِروَةٍDhirwa فَقَفاand the far side ذَيالٍDhayal
فَحَرجَي ذِروَةٍ فَقَفا ذَيالٍ
يُعَفّيeffaces آيَهُits traces سَلَفُthe passing السِنينِthe years
يُعَفّي آيَهُ سَلَفُ السِنينِ
and the two thickets of Dhirwa, and the far side of Dhayal;
And the crag of a summit marked by lingering clouds,
the years gone by efface its traces.
Its ancient vestiges worn away by the years.
تَبَصَّرَlook closely صاحِبيmy companion أَتَرىdo you see حُمولاًcamel-litters
تَبَصَّرَ صاحِبي أَتَرى حُمولاً
تُساقُare driven along كَأَنَّهاas though they were عَومُthe floating السَفينِships
تُساقُ كَأَنَّها عَومُ السَفينِ
Look closely, my companion: do you see camel-litters
My companion, look, can you see them being led along
being driven along like ships gliding afloat?
Like a line of ships floating on the sea?
جَعَلنَthey placed الفَجَّthe pass مِنof رَكَكٍRakak شِمالاًon the left
جَعَلنَ الفَجَّ مِن رَكَكٍ شِمالاً
وَنَكَّبنَand they skirted الطَوِيَّal-Tawiyy عَنِon اليَمينِthe right
وَنَكَّبنَ الطَوِيَّ عَنِ اليَمينِ
They kept the pass of Rakak to their left,
They made the lowland northward by Rakk's udder
and skirted al-Tawiyy, keeping it on their right.
And inclined the high ground away to the right.
أَلاah عَتَبَتshe reproached عَلَيَّagainst me اليَومَtoday عِرسيmy wife
أَلا عَتَبَت عَلَيَّ اليَومَ عِرسي
وَقَدand already هَبَّتshe rose بِلَيلٍat night تَشتَكينيshe complains of me
وَقَد هَبَّت بِلَيلٍ تَشتَكيني
Ah, my wife reproached me today,
My litter reproached me today and in the night complained bitterly,
having risen in the night to complain of me.
Saying, “You have grown old.” I said, “That is true,
فَقالَتthen she said ليto me كَبِرتَyou have grown old فَقُلتُso I said حَقّاًtruly
فَقالَت لي كَبِرتَ فَقُلتُ حَقّاً
لَقَدindeed أَخلَفتُI have declined حيناًa time بَعدَafter حينِa time
لَقَد أَخلَفتُ حيناً بَعدَ حينِ
She said to me, “You have grown old.” I replied, “Truly,
For I have outlived many days and years.”
I have indeed declined, time after time.”
It showed me signs of aversion though once gentle with me,
تُرينيshe shows me آيَةَa sign الإِعراضِturning away مِنهاfrom her
تُريني آيَةَ الإِعراضِ مِنها
وَفَظَّتand she grew harsh فيin المَقالَةِspeech بَعدَafter لينِgentleness
وَفَظَّت في المَقالَةِ بَعدَ لينِ
She shows me a sign of her aversion,
And spoke harshly though once soft in speech.
and grew harsh in speech after gentleness.
It knitted its brows when it saw
وَمَطَّتand she raised حاجِبَيهاher two eyebrows أَنbecause رَأَتنيshe saw me
وَمَطَّت حاجِبَيها أَن رَأَتني
كَبِرتُI have grown old وَأَنand that قَدِalready اِبيَضَّتturned white قُرونيmy locks
كَبِرتُ وَأَن قَدِ اِبيَضَّت قُروني
And she raised her brows, seeing that I
I had grown old and my temples turned white.
had grown old and that my locks had already turned white.
I said, “Gently, do not reproach me,
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her رُوَيدَكِrestrain yourself بَعضَsome of عَتبيreproaching me
فَقُلتُ لَها رُوَيدَكِ بَعضَ عَتبي
فَإِنّيfor indeed I لاnot أَرىthink أَنthat تَزدَهينيyou belittle me
فَإِنّي لا أَرى أَن تَزدَهيني
So I said to her, “Go easier with your reproaches of me;
For I want only what will please you until
for I do not think you should belittle me.
You wish to turn away, and then, leave me.
وَعيشيand live بِالَّذيon what يُغنِيكِsuffices you حَتّىuntil
وَعيشي بِالَّذي يُغنِيكِ حَتّى
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle شِئتِyou wish أَنto تَنأَيyou go far away فَبينيthen depart
إِذا ما شِئتِ أَن تَنأَي فَبيني
And live on what suffices you, until
If my youth has passed, bringing me sorrow,
you wish to go far away—then depart.
And my head has turned hoary,
فَإِنfor if يَكُit be فاتَنيhas passed me by أَسَفاًto my sorrow شَبابيmy youth
فَإِن يَكُ فاتَني أَسَفاً شَبابي
وَأَضحىand has become الرَأسُthe head مِنّيof mine كَاللُجَينِlike silver
وَأَضحى الرَأسُ مِنّي كَاللُجَينِ
For if, to my sorrow, my youth has passed me by,
Though revelry was my comrade for a time,
and my head has become like silver,
Today it is severed from me.
وَكانَand had been اللَهوُpleasure حالَفَنيallied itself with me زَماناًfor a time
وَكانَ اللَهوُ حالَفَني زَماناً
فَأَضحىso it became اليَومَtoday مُنقَطِعَcut off from القَرينِthe companion
فَأَضحى اليَومَ مُنقَطِعَ القَرينِ
and pleasure, once my ally for a time,
So I frequent the tents of maidens
is today cut off from its companion,
As though their eyes were those of wild cows.
فَقَدyet indeed أَلِجُI enter الخِباءَthe tent عَلىamong العَذارىthe maidens
فَقَد أَلِجُ الخِباءَ عَلى العَذارى
كَأَنَّas though عُيونَهُنَّtheir eyes عُيونُthe eyes of عينِwide-eyed wild cows
كَأَنَّ عُيونَهُنَّ عُيونُ عينِ
yet I do enter the tent among maidens,
They incline affectionately to me for a while
whose eyes are like those of wide-eyed wild cows.
And a season, like a guarded flock,
يَمِلنَthey lean عَلَيَّtoward me بِالأَقرابِwith their flanks طَوراًat times
يَمِلنَ عَلَيَّ بِالأَقرابِ طَوراً
وَبِالأَجيادِand with their necks كَالرَيطِlike fine cloth المَصونِkept pristine
وَبِالأَجيادِ كَالرَيطِ المَصونِ
At times they lean toward me with their flanks,
And I have erected a red canopy for one of delicate complexion
and with their necks, like fine cloth kept pristine.
Who perceives in me a guardian of faithfulness.
وَأَسمَرَand a brown spear قَدindeed نَصَبتُI raised لِذيagainst a man of سَناءٍeminence
وَأَسمَرَ قَد نَصَبتُ لِذي سَناءٍ
يَرىhe sees مِنّيfrom me مُحافَظَةَsteadfastness اليَقينِcertainty
يَرى مِنّي مُحافَظَةَ اليَقينِ
And a brown spear I have raised against a man of eminence,
He tries to get up though enfeebled
who sees in me the steadfastness of conviction.
By intimacies with a snub-nosed lad as companion.
يُحاوِلُhe tries أَنto يَقومَrise وَقَدand already مَضَتهُhas hurt him
يُحاوِلُ أَن يَقومَ وَقَد مَضَتهُ
مُغابِنَةٌa groin-thrust بِذيwith one bearing خُرصٍa spearhead قَتينِslender
مُغابِنَةٌ بِذي خُرصٍ قَتينِ
He tries to rise, though he has been sorely hurt
When some women visit him after a separation,
by a thrust in the groin with a slender-headed spear.
They let fall tears after their singing.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عادَهُvisited him مِنهاbecause of it نِساءٌwomen
إِذا ما عادَهُ مِنها نِساءٌ
صَفَحنَthey let flow الدَمعَtears مِنfrom بَعدِafter الرَنينِwailing
صَفَحنَ الدَمعَ مِن بَعدِ الرَنينِ
When women visit him because of that wound,
With him I have fretted my soul
they let their tears flow after the wailing.
Over fair ones wailing like moaning camels.”
وَخَرقٍand a vast waste قَدindeed ذَعَرتُI startled الجونَthe dark animals فيهِin it
وَخَرقٍ قَد ذَعَرتُ الجونَ فيهِ
عَلىon أَدماءَa pale she-camel كَالعيرِlike a wild ass الشَنونِlean
عَلى أَدماءَ كَالعيرِ الشَنونِ
And in many a vast waste I have startled the dark animals,
on a pale she-camel like a lean wild ass.”
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.