أَلَمdid … not? تَرْبَعُyou linger فَتُخبِركَso they tell you المَغانيthe dwelling sites
أَلَم تَرْبَعُ فَتُخبِركَ المَغاني
فَكَيفَyet how? وَهُنَّwhile they مذْfor حججَyears ثَمانِeight
فَكَيفَ وَهُنَّ مذْ حججَ ثَمانِ
Did you not linger, so the dwelling sites might tell you?
Did you not spend time with them to let their songs inform you
Yet how could they, after eight years?
How then, since they left on the eighth pilgrimage
بَرِئتُI am free مِنَfrom المَنازِلِthe dwellings غَيرَexcept for شَوقٍlonging
بَرِئتُ مِنَ المَنازِلِ غَيرَ شَوقٍ
إِلىfor الدَّارِthe dwelling الَّتيwhich بلوىat the sandy bend of أَبانِAban
إِلى الدَّارِ الَّتي بلوى أَبانِ
I am free of the dwellings, save for longing
I am done with all dwellings but yearning
For the dwelling at the sandy bend of Aban,
For the abode where we shared joy in times long gone
وَمِنand from واديthe valley of القنانِal-Qanan وَأَينَand how far مِنّيfrom me
وَمِن وادي القنانِ وَأَينَ مِنّي
بداراتِamong the encircled tracts of الرُّهاal-Ruha واديthe valley of القَنانِal-Qanan
بداراتِ الرُّها وادي القَنانِ
And of the valley of al-Qanan—how far from me,
For the valley of lilies, how far am I from it
Among al-Ruha’s encircled tracts, lies the valley of al-Qanan!
The valley of lilies and the land of delight
وَأَصْحَرناand we entered the open desert وَلاand no عُطُفٌaffectionate turnings عَلَيناtoward us
وَأَصْحَرنا وَلا عُطُفٌ عَلَينا
لَهُمْon their part غَيرُexcept المحَامِلِthe camel-litters وَالجِنانِand the heart (reading al-janān)
لَهُمْ غَيرُ المحَامِلِ وَالجِنانِ
And we entered the open desert; no turning toward us
In our barren desert, no kindness comes our way
Came from them, save that of the camel-litters and the heart.
While they enjoy only bliss and gardens of paradise