أشجَتْكَhave they grieved you? أطلالruined traces لخوof Khawlah (word begins)
أشجَتْكَ أطلال لخو
لةَending of the name Khawlah كالمَهَارِقlike sheets of parchment دُرَّسُworn away
لةَ كالمَهَارِق دُرَّسُ
Have Khawlah’s ruined traces grieved you,
Your ruins have saddened me, O Lakhaw
like worn-out sheets of parchment?
Like tents patched up and repaired
أودتbrought ruin بهنَّupon them الباكياthe weeping clouds (word begins)
أودت بهنَّ الباكيا
تُending of ‘the weeping’ الضاحكاتthe laughing clouds الرُجَّسُthe thunderous clouds
تُ الضاحكات الرُجَّسُ
They were laid waste by the weeping,
In them the laughing ones have become crying
laughing, thunderous clouds,
And the pure ones unclean
والعاصفاتُand the raging ones القاصفاthe shattering ones (word begins)
والعاصفاتُ القاصفا
تُending of ‘the shattering’ المُعصراتُthe rain-bearing ones الرمَّسُthe obliterating ones
تُ المُعصراتُ الرمَّسُ
and the raging, shattering,
The stormy winds and the reaping winds
rain-bearing, obliterating storms.
And the twisted and trampled winds
ماnot إنemphasizes the negation بهاin them إلاexcept الجآthe wild-ox calves (word begins)
ما إن بها إلا الجآ
ذرُending of ‘wild-ox calves’ والظباءand the gazelles الكُنَّسُsheltering in their cover
ذرُ والظباء الكُنَّسُ
Nothing is there but wild-ox calves
Nothing in them except the streams and the gathered dust
and gazelles sheltering in their cover.
And the beautiful ones, truncated and truncated
ولقدand indeed تحلused to dwell بهاin them الحساthe beautiful women (word begins)
ولقد تحل بها الحسا
نending of ‘the beautiful women’ القاصراتthe modest ones الأنَّسُthe companionable ones
ن القاصرات الأنَّسُ
And indeed, fair women once dwelt here,
From every thin rod that grew from it a knotty or brittle palm
modest and companionable,
It has a face upon which the harshness of time has put on its dress
منof كلeach رودٍa supple young woman كالقضيlike a branch (word begins)
من كل رودٍ كالقضي
بending of ‘branch’ نَماهُnurtured it دِعصٌa sandhill أوعسُsoft and yielding
ب نَماهُ دِعصٌ أوعسُ
each a supple woman, like a branch
Like the moon surrounded by bliss and absent from it are the unlucky
nurtured by a soft sandhill:
It has soft braids above the litters combed
خَوْدa tender young woman لهاshe has وجهa face عليupon
خَوْد لها وجه علي
هit (completes ‘upon it’) منof القسامةloveliness ملبسُa garment
ه من القسامة ملبسُ
a tender young woman, her face clothed
And it has a hanging muffler, rough and silent
in a garment of loveliness,
As if its tilt were coveting a frightened young gazelle
كالبدرlike the full moon حفتهsurrounded it السعوthe auspicious stars (word begins)
كالبدر حفته السعو
دending of ‘auspicious stars’ وغابand was absent عنهfrom it الأنْحسُthe most ill-omened star
د وغاب عنه الأنْحسُ
like the full moon, encircled by auspicious stars,
Startled by the news of an ardent lover so for that it was suspicious
with the most ill-omened star absent from it.
Until when will the ruins cry and the branch of your head be ripe
ولهاand she has غدائرُbraids حُلَّكٌjet-black
ولها غدائرُ حُلَّكٌ
فوقabove الرَّوادفِthe hips مُيَّسُswaying
فوق الرَّوادفِ مُيَّسُ
And she has jet-black braids,
Will the tears that the guards have taken from you return
swaying above her hips.
ولهاand she has وشاحٌa jeweled sash جائلٌmoving freely
ولها وشاحٌ جائلٌ
زَجْلٌjingling وحِجلٌand an anklet أخرسmute
زَجْلٌ وحِجلٌ أخرس
And she has a freely swaying sash,
jingling, and an anklet that is mute.
وكأنماand as though يرنوgazes بمقwith her eye (word begins)
وكأنما يرنو بمق
لتهاending of ‘her eye’ غزالa gazelle أعيسwhitish with a tawny tinge
لتها غزال أعيس
And it is as though through her eye gazes
a pale, tawny-white gazelle,
ذَعَرتْهstartled it نَبأةُa faint sound قانصٍa hunter
ذَعَرتْه نَبأةُ قانصٍ
فلهُso it has لِذاكbecause of that توجُّسapprehension
فلهُ لِذاك توجُّس
startled by a hunter’s faint sound,
and therefore filled with apprehension.
حتىuntil متىwhen تبكيyou weep for الدياthe dwellings (word begins)
حتى متى تبكي الديا
رَending of ‘the dwellings’ وفرعُand the hair رأسكof your head مُخلِسstreaked with gray
رَ وفرعُ رأسك مُخلِس
How long will you weep for the dwellings,
while the hair of your head is streaked with gray?
هلwill? (question particle) يرجعُrestore الدمعtears الذيthat which
هل يرجعُ الدمع الذي
سَلَبتْهُtook it away عنكfrom you الأحرُسthe ages
سَلَبتْهُ عنك الأحرُس
Will tears restore what
the ages have taken from you?
Partial English translation: 17 of 28 Arabic lines translated.