تزورُshe visits بيَwith me القَرمَthe noble chief الحَوارِيَّthe pure-hearted one إِنَّهُمindeed, they
تزورُ بيَ القَرمَ الحَوارِيَّ إِنَّهُم
مَناهِلُwatering places أَعدادinexhaustible springs إِذاwhen القَومُthe people أَقطَعواrun out of water
مَناهِلُ أَعداد إِذا القَومُ أَقطَعوا
She bears me to visit the noble, pure-bred lord; for they are
She takes me to visit the pure-hearted chief; indeed, they are
perennial watering places when the people's water is spent.
inexhaustible watering places when others run out of water.
وَإِنand if لَبِسواthey wear العَصبَstriped cloth اليَمانِيَّYemeni واِنتَدواand gather in council
وَإِن لَبِسوا العَصبَ اليَمانِيَّ واِنتَدوا
فَبِالجودِthen, in generosity أَيديهِمtheir hands سِباطopen and outstretched تَرَيَّعُreach out eagerly
فَبِالجودِ أَيديهِم سِباط تَرَيَّعُ
And when they don Yemeni striped cloth and assemble in council,
And if they wear Yemeni striped cloth and gather in council,
their hands open wide in generosity and overflow.
their hands are open, reaching eagerly out in generosity.
نَشيعٌsteeped بِماءِin the water of البَقلherbage بَينَamong طَرائِقٍstrips
نَشيعٌ بِماءِ البَقل بَينَ طَرائِقٍ
مِنَof الخَلقِworn cloth ماnot مِنهُنَّof them شَيءٌanything مُضَيَّعُneglected
مِنَ الخَلقِ ما مِنهُنَّ شَيءٌ مُضَيَّعُ
The sap-green spreads among patterns
Steeped in the sap of herbage, amid strips
drawn from creation, not one of them neglected.
of worn cloth, not one of them neglected.
تَوَسَّطَهاlay amid them غالٍprecious عَتيقٌaged وَزانَهاand adorned them
تَوَسَّطَها غالٍ عَتيقٌ وَزانَها
مُعَرَّسُa resting-place مَهريّa Mehri camel بِهِin it الذَيلُthe trailing hem يَلمَعُgleams
مُعَرَّسُ مَهريّ بِهِ الذَيلُ يَلمَعُ
At their center is something costly and time-honored; and they are graced by
Something precious and aged lay amid them, and they were adorned by
a Mahri camel halted at the night-rest, its tail gleaming upon them.
a Mehri camel's resting-place, where the trailing hem gleams.
فَقُلتُso I said أَتَبكيdo you weep? ذاتpossessor of طَوقٍa neck-ring تذكَّرتyou remembered
فَقُلتُ أَتَبكي ذات طَوقٍ تذكَّرت
هَديلاًHadil وَقَدand already أَودىhe perished وَماand not كانَexisted تُبَّعُTubbaʿ
هَديلاً وَقَد أَودى وَما كانَ تُبَّعُ
I said, “Do you weep, collared dove, remembering
So I said, 'Do you weep, collared one, remembering
Hadīl, though he has perished and was no King Tubbaʿ?”
Hadil, who perished before Tubbaʿ ever lived?'
عُيونٌeyes تَرامَتspurted forth بِالرُعافِwith bleeding كَأَنَّهاas though they were
عُيونٌ تَرامَت بِالرُعافِ كَأَنَّها
مِنَfrom السوقِthe shanks صِردانٌshrikes تَدِفُّflutter وَتَلمَعُand flash
مِنَ السوقِ صِردانٌ تَدِفُّ وَتَلمَعُ
Eyes stretch wide toward their nasal corners, as though they were
Eyes spurted blood, as though they were
two shrikes among the tree trunks, fluttering and flashing.
shrikes from the shanks, fluttering and flashing.
وَفيand in الرَكبِthe caravan إِلّاexcept أَنthat عَيناًa glance وَرقبَةًand watchful waiting
وَفي الرَكبِ إِلّا أَن عَيناً وَرقبَةً
عَقائِلُnoblewomen قَومٍof a people لَيسَthere is no فيهِنَّin them مَطمَعُhope of winning
عَقائِلُ قَومٍ لَيسَ فيهِنَّ مَطمَعُ
And in the caravan nothing can be seen but an eye and a neck—
And in the caravan—save for a glance and watchful waiting—
guarded noblewomen of a people beyond all hope of winning.
are a people's noblewomen, beyond all hope of winning them.
تَعَلَّقَbecame attached هذاthis القَلبُheart مِنّيof mine علاقَةًan attachment
تَعَلَّقَ هذا القَلبُ مِنّي علاقَةً
تَضُرُّdoes harm فَلَوso, if only كانَتit were مَعalongside الضُرِّthe harm تَنفَعُdoing good
تَضُرُّ فَلَو كانَت مَع الضُرِّ تَنفَعُ
This heart of mine has fastened upon an attachment
This heart of mine has formed an attachment
that harms—if only, along with the harm, it did some good!
that harms—if only it brought good along with the harm!
