لا تئلُ العُصمُ في الهِضابِ وَلا

لا تئلُ العُصمُ في الهِضابِ وَلا

شَغواءُ تَغذو فَرخَينِ في لُجُفِ

شَغواءُ تَغذو فَرخَينِ في لُجُفِ

The white-footed ibex find no safety in the hills, nor

The pastures do not remain green in the hills,

The white-legged ibexes on the high peaks are not spared, nor

the hook-beaked eagle feeding two chicks in rocky hollows.

Nor does a singing bird nourish its chicks in a barren valley,

The crook-beaked eagle feeding two chicks in the hollows.

يُكِنُّها الجَوُّ في النَهارِ وَيُؤ

يُكِنُّها الجَوُّ في النَهارِ وَيُؤ

وِيها سَوادُ الدُجى إِلى شَرَفِ

وِيها سَوادُ الدُجى إِلى شَرَفِ

The sky shelters her by day, and

The air hides it in daytime and the darkness of night shelters it to the highest peak.

The sky conceals her by day, and she is sheltered

night's deep blackness gives her refuge upon a height.

It crouches with its fledglings on the ground

By the blackness of night upon a towering summit.

تَحنو بِجُؤشوشِها عَلى ضَرَمٍ

تَحنو بِجُؤشوشِها عَلى ضَرَمٍ

كَقَعدَةِ المُنحَني مِنَ الخَزَفِ

كَقَعدَةِ المُنحَني مِنَ الخَزَفِ

She bows her broad breast over a blaze,

Like a hunched over pottery vessel.

She bends her breast compassionately over the hungry young,

like a hunched, seated form made of earthenware.

Neither is there a youth kept awake by

Postured like a potter curving over his clay.

وَلا شُبوبٌ باتَت تُؤَرِّقُهُ ال

وَلا شُبوبٌ باتَت تُؤَرِّقُهُ ال

نَثرَةُ مِنها بِوابِلٍ قَصِفِ

نَثرَةُ مِنها بِوابِلٍ قَصِفِ

Nor a mature wild bull kept sleepless all night by

Its scattered downpour with heavy rain.

Nor is the young wild bull safe, kept awake all night

al-Nathrah, with a crashing downpour from her.

It took refuge in its land and found support in

By the star of Leo bringing thunderous, pouring rain.

دانٍ عَلى أَرضِهِ وَأُسنِدَ في

دانٍ عَلى أَرضِهِ وَأُسنِدَ في

بَهوِ أَمينِ الإِيادِ ذي هَدَفِ

بَهوِ أَمينِ الإِيادِ ذي هَدَفِ

Crouched low upon his ground, and braced within

The faithful bosom of the generous one with purpose.

Staying low to his ground, he takes shelter in

a roomy lair with firm sides and a shielding rise.

That was its habit the entire night

The hollow of a sturdy, high-ridged dune.

دَيدَنُهُ ذاكَ طولَ لَيلَتِهِ

دَيدَنُهُ ذاكَ طولَ لَيلَتِهِ

حَتّى إِذا اِنجابَ حاجِبُ السَدَفِ

حَتّى إِذا اِنجابَ حاجِبُ السَدَفِ

That is his habit throughout his night,

Until the eyebrows of dawn moved into action.

That remains his state throughout the long night,

until, when the veil of darkness parts,

It rose like the halting of a resolution and the

Until the brow of the darkness is lifted away.

غَدا كَوَقفِ الهَلوكِ يَنهَفِتُ ال

غَدا كَوَقفِ الهَلوكِ يَنهَفِتُ ال

قِطقِطُ عَن مَنبِتَيهِ وَالكَتِفِ

قِطقِطُ عَن مَنبِتَيهِ وَالكَتِفِ

he goes forth at dawn like a wanton's ivory bangle; down fall the

Chirping bird sheds its coat above its shoulders and chest.

He goes forth shaking like a woman's ivory bangle, shedding

tiny raindrops from his two horn-roots and shoulder.

As if its plumage was ruffled between its prayers and the

The sleet from the roots of his horns and his shoulders.

كَأَنَّ شَذراً وَهَت مَعاقِدُهُ

كَأَنَّ شَذراً وَهَت مَعاقِدُهُ

بَينَ صَلاهُ فَمَلعَبِ الشَنَفِ

بَينَ صَلاهُ فَمَلعَبِ الشَنَفِ

As though gold beads, their fastenings loosened,

Playing field of feathers.

As if they were gold beads whose knots had snapped,

were strewn between his rump and where an earring swings.

And like the firm pillar, the brown Syrian, faithful guard of treasures and supplies,

Scattering between his haunches and his neck.

وَأَخدَرِيٍّ صُلبِ النَواهِقِ صَل

وَأَخدَرِيٍّ صُلبِ النَواهِقِ صَل

صالٍ أَمينِ الفُصوصِ وَالوُظُفِ

صالٍ أَمينِ الفُصوصِ وَالوُظُفِ

And an Akhdari wild ass, hard-cheekboned, loud-

Alone in the wilderness, with ample pasture

Nor the wild ass, hard of cheek, with resonant bray,

braying, sound in joints and shanks,

And whatever grass it grazes.

Strong of joint and sturdy of hoof.

مُنفَرِدٌ في الفَلاةِ توسِعُهُ

مُنفَرِدٌ في الفَلاةِ توسِعُهُ

رَيّاً وَما يَختَليهِ مِن عَلَفِ

رَيّاً وَما يَختَليهِ مِن عَلَفِ

alone in the wilderness, which supplies him amply

Death left no ruins behind

Solitary in the wasteland, which grants him

with drink to his fill and whatever fodder he crops.

Among the barren hills and clefts.

Abundant drink and whatever fodder he gathers.

ما تَرَكَ المَوتُ بَعدَهُ شَبَحاً

ما تَرَكَ المَوتُ بَعدَهُ شَبَحاً

بادٍ بِتَلِّ القِلالِ وَالشَعَفِ

بادٍ بِتَلِّ القِلالِ وَالشَعَفِ

Death has left no figure in its wake,

When I saw death taking

Death has left no living figure behind him

visible on the hills' summits and mountain peaks.

Every strong and every weak one,

Visible upon the hill of peaks and summits.

لَمّا رَأَيتُ المَنونَ آخِذَةٌ

لَمّا رَأَيتُ المَنونَ آخِذَةٌ

كُلَّ شَديدٍ وَكُلَّ ذي ضَعَفِ

كُلَّ شَديدٍ وَكُلَّ ذي ضَعَفِ

When I saw Death carrying off

I spent the night consoling my heart about those who passed

When I saw that Death was seizing

everyone strong and everyone weak,

And my tears flowed abundantly if they did not suffice.

Every strong one and every weak one alike,

بِتُّ أُعَزّي الفُؤادَ عَن خَلَفٍ

بِتُّ أُعَزّي الفُؤادَ عَن خَلَفٍ

وَباتَ دَمعي إِن لا يَفِض يَكِفِ

وَباتَ دَمعي إِن لا يَفِض يَكِفِ

I spent the night consoling my heart for Khalaf,

I forgot my misfortunes - mourning for one who died

I spent the night consoling my heart over Khalaf,

and all night my tears, if they did not gush, dripped.

And spent the evening buried in dust inside the coffin.

And my tears, if not flooding, were unceasing.

أَنسى الرَزايا مَيتٌ فُجِعتُ بِهِ

أَنسى الرَزايا مَيتٌ فُجِعتُ بِهِ

أَمسى رَهينَ التُرابِ في جَدَفِ

أَمسى رَهينَ التُرابِ في جَدَفِ

A dead man whose loss bereaved me made me forget other calamities;

He used to make me happy with his gentle company

A dead man I mourn has made me forget all other sorrows;

he had become the earth's captive in a grave.

Without any harm or violence from him.

He has become a hostage of the dust within a grave.

كانَ يُسَنّي بِرِفقَةٍ عَلَقاً

كانَ يُسَنّي بِرِفقَةٍ عَلَقاً

في غَيرِ عِيٍّ مِنهُ وَلا عُنُفِ

في غَيرِ عِيٍّ مِنهُ وَلا عُنُفِ

He would gently ease tangled difficulties,

He would answer on your behalf she whom you spent time with

He used to unravel difficulties with gentle grace,

without faltering on his part or harshness.

Affectionately until he pleased you with kindness.

With neither incompetence nor harshness in his way.

يَجوبُ عَنكَ الَّتي عَشيتَ بِها

يَجوبُ عَنكَ الَّتي عَشيتَ بِها

مِن قَبلُ حَتّى يَشفيكَ في لُطُفِ

مِن قَبلُ حَتّى يَشفيكَ في لُطُفِ

He dispels for you what had clouded your sight

The “haa” in pronunciation does not pronounce the

Clearing away for you what had dimmed your sight

before, until he gently heals you.

“haa”, nor the “laam” with the “alif”.

Before, until he cured your ignorance with kindness.

لا يَهِمُ الحاءَ في القِراءَةِ بِال

لا يَهِمُ الحاءَ في القِراءَةِ بِال

حاءِ وَلا لامَها مَعَ الأَلِفِ

حاءِ وَلا لامَها مَعَ الأَلِفِ

He does not confuse ḥāʾ in recitation with

Nor does it blind the meaning of speech

He does not mistake the 'Ha' in reading for the 'Kha',

ḥāʾ, nor its lām with alif.

Nor would its recitation be from the scripture.

Nor confuse the 'Lam' entwined with the 'Alif'.

وَلا يُعَمّي مَعنى الكَلامِ وَلا

وَلا يُعَمّي مَعنى الكَلامِ وَلا

يَكونُ إِنشادُهُ عَنِ الصُحُفِ

يَكونُ إِنشادُهُ عَنِ الصُحُفِ

Nor does he obscure the meaning of speech, nor

And he was of those who passed away before us

He does not obscure the meaning of speech, nor

is his recitation taken from written pages.

So he is no longer there when he passed away after us.

Does his recitation rely solely on the scroll.

وَكانَ مِمَّن مَضى لَنا خَلَفاً

وَكانَ مِمَّن مَضى لَنا خَلَفاً

فَلَيسَ مِنهُ إِذ بانَ مِن خَلَفِ

فَلَيسَ مِنهُ إِذ بانَ مِن خَلَفِ

For us he was a successor to those who had passed away;

He was a successor to those who passed before us,

so, since he has departed, there is no successor to him.

But now that he is gone, he leaves no successor behind.