أَدارٌO dwelling بِأَكنافِat the fringes of الحِمىthe protected pasture جادَهاwatered it generously الحَياlife-giving rain
أَدارٌ بِأَكنافِ الحِمى جادَها الحَيا
وَأَلقَتْand spread بِهاover it أَرواقَهُنَّtheir awnings سَحائِبُهْits clouds
وَأَلقَتْ بِها أَرواقَهُنَّ سَحائِبُهْ
O dwelling on the preserve’s fringes, lavishly watered by rain,
where its clouds have spread their awnings.
أَجيبيanswer مُحِبّاًa lover إِنif تَوَهَّمَenvisioned مَنزِلاًa dwelling
أَجيبي مُحِبّاً إِن تَوَهَّمَ مَنزِلاً
عَفاbecame effaced بَلَّsoaked رُدْنَيْهِboth his sleeves مِنَfrom الدَّمعِthe tears ساكِبُهْtheir flowing stream
عَفا بَلَّ رُدْنَيْهِ مِنَ الدَّمعِ ساكِبُهْ
Answer a lover: if he imagines a dwelling
now effaced, his streaming tears soak both his sleeves.
فَأَينَwhere, then الظِّباءُthe gazelles العِينُwide-eyed وَالرَّشأُand the fawn الَّذيwho
فَأَينَ الظِّباءُ العِينُ وَالرَّشأُ الَّذي
يُلاعِبُهاhe plays with them طَوراًat times وَطوراًand at times تُلاعِبُهْthey play with him
يُلاعِبُها طَوراً وَطوراً تُلاعِبُهْ
Where, then, are the wide-eyed gazelles and the fawn who
plays with them at times, while at others they play with him?
وَماnor أَمُّthe mother of ذَيَّالِa wearer of trailing السَّرابيلِrobes باسِلٍvaliant
وَما أَمُّ ذَيَّالِ السَّرابيلِ باسِلٍ
طَويلِlong نِجادِbaldric of السَيفِthe sword عَبلٍmassive مَناكِبُهْhis shoulders
طَويلِ نِجادِ السَيفِ عَبلٍ مَناكِبُهْ
Nor is the mother of a valiant man in trailing robes,
with a long sword-baldric and massive shoulders—
غَداset out in the morning يَبتَغِيseeking نَهباًplunder يَشِفُّglimmers وَراءَهُbeyond it
غَدا يَبتَغِي نَهباً يَشِفُّ وَراءَهُ
ثَراءٌwealth لَعَلَّperhaps العَيشَlife تَصفوgrow clear مَشارِبُهْits drinking waters
ثَراءٌ لَعَلَّ العَيشَ تَصفو مَشارِبُهْ
he set out seeking plunder, beyond which glimmered
wealth, hoping life’s drinking waters might run clear;
فَلاقاهُthen met him فُرسانٌhorsemen تَلوحُflash سيوفُهُمtheir swords
فَلاقاهُ فُرسانٌ تَلوحُ سيوفُهُم
صَباحاًin the morning وَلَيلُand the night of النَّقعِdust تَجثوcrouches غياهِبُهْits depths of darkness
صَباحاً وَلَيلُ النَّقعِ تَجثو غياهِبُهْ
then horsemen met him, their swords flashing
in the morning, while the darkness of dust’s night crouched low;
وَماصَعَهُمand fought them حَتّىuntil تَحَطَّمَshattered سَيفُهُhis sword
وَماصَعَهُم حَتّى تَحَطَّمَ سَيفُهُ
وَمَجَّتْand spewed نَجيعاًgore فيin المَكَرِّthe charge ذوائِبُهْhis locks
وَمَجَّتْ نَجيعاً في المَكَرِّ ذوائِبُهْ
and he fought them until his sword shattered,
and his locks spurted gore amid the charge;
وَغودِرَand was left أَكلاًfood لِلضِّباعِfor the hyenas وَطُعمَةًand a morsel
وَغودِرَ أَكلاً لِلضِّباعِ وَطُعمَةً
لأَفتَخَfor a broad-winged raptor مِنfrom لَحمِthe flesh of القَتيلِthe slain man مَكاسِبُهْits gains
لأَفتَخَ مِن لَحمِ القَتيلِ مَكاسِبُهْ
and he was left as food for hyenas and a morsel
for a broad-winged bird whose gains came from the slain man’s flesh;
فَعادَthen returned إِلَيهاto her بِالنَعِيِّwith the death announcement رَفيقُهُhis companion
فَعادَ إِلَيها بِالنَعِيِّ رَفيقُهُ
يَشُقُّtearing دَريسيْهِhis two worn garments أَسىًin grief وَهوَwhile he نادِبُهْlaments him
يَشُقُّ دَريسيْهِ أَسىً وَهوَ نادِبُهْ
his companion returned to her with news of his death,
tearing his two worn garments in grief as he lamented him;
فَظَلَّتْso she passed بيَومٍa day دَعْleave عَدوِّيmy enemy بِمِثلِهِto its like
فَظَلَّتْ بيَومٍ دَعْ عَدوِّي بِمِثلِهِ
طَويلٍlong عَلىfor مَنone whose ضُمِّنَwas enclosed in اللَّحدَthe grave غائِبُهْhis absent one
طَويلٍ عَلى مَن ضُمِّنَ اللَّحدَ غائِبُهْ
she passed a day—leave my enemy to its like—
long for one whose absent loved one was enclosed in the grave,
وَباتَتْand spent the night بِلَيلٍin a night وَهوَand it أَخفىmore concealing لِوَيلِهاof her woe
وَباتَتْ بِلَيلٍ وَهوَ أَخفى لِوَيلِها
سَريعاًswift تَبَكِّيهاher weeping بَطِيءٍslow كَواكِبُهْits stars
سَريعاً تَبَكِّيها بَطِيءٍ كَواكِبُهْ
and spent a night, which better concealed her woe,
her weeping swift, its stars slow to move—
بِأَوجَدَmore anguished مِنّيthan I يَومَon the day وَدَّعتُI bade farewell to غادَةًa graceful maiden
بِأَوجَدَ مِنّي يَومَ وَدَّعتُ غادَةً
هِلاليَّةًHilali والصُّبحُwhile dawn يَلمَعُgleams حاجِبُهْits brow
هِلاليَّةً والصُّبحُ يَلمَعُ حاجِبُهْ
more anguished than I the day I bade farewell to a graceful maiden,
a Hilali, while dawn’s brow gleamed.
وَواشٍand a slanderer يُسِرُّconceals الحِقدَhatred وَاللَّحظُwhile the glance ناطِقٌspeaks
وَواشٍ يُسِرُّ الحِقدَ وَاللَّحظُ ناطِقٌ
بِهِof it وَعَلىand over الشَّحناءِenmity تُطوىare folded تَرائِبُهْhis upper ribs
بِهِ وَعَلى الشَّحناءِ تُطوى تَرائِبُهْ
And a slanderer concealed his hatred, though his glance spoke
of it, while his ribs closed over enmity.
وَشىslandered بِسُليمَىabout Sulayma مُظهِراًoutwardly offering ليto me نَصيحَةًadvice
وَشى بِسُليمَى مُظهِراً لي نَصيحَةً
وَمِنand among نُصَحاءِthe advisers of المَرءِa man مَنone who هُوَhe كاذِبُهْlies to him
وَمِن نُصَحاءِ المَرءِ مَن هُوَ كاذِبُهْ
He slandered Sulayma, outwardly offering me advice,
and among a man’s advisers is one who lies to him.
وَرَشَّحَand refined مِنfrom هَنَّاhere وَهَنَّاand there حَديثَهُhis tale
وَرَشَّحَ مِن هَنَّا وَهَنَّا حَديثَهُ
لِيَخدَعَنيto deceive me وَاللَّيلُand the night يُغتالُis slain unawares حاطِبُهْits wood-gatherer
لِيَخدَعَني وَاللَّيلُ يُغتالُ حاطِبُهْ
And he pieced together his tale from here and there,
to deceive me; night’s wood-gatherer is slain unawares.
فَقَرَّبتُهُso I drew him close مِنّيto me وَلَمand did not يَدرِknow أَنَّهُthat he
فَقَرَّبتُهُ مِنّي وَلَم يَدرِ أَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen عُدَّis reckoned مَجدٌnoble rank لَيسَhe is not مِمَّنamong those whom أُقارِبُهْI draw close to
إِذا عُدَّ مَجدٌ لَيسَ مِمَّن أُقارِبُهْ
So I drew him close to me, and he did not know that,
when noble rank is reckoned, he is not among those I draw close to.
وَأَرعَيتُهُand I lent him سَمعيmy ear ليَحسَبَso he might think أَنَّنيthat I
وَأَرعَيتُهُ سَمعي ليَحسَبَ أَنَّني
سَريعٌquick إِلىtoward الأَمرِthe matter الَّذيwhich هُوَhe طالِبُهْseeks it
سَريعٌ إِلى الأَمرِ الَّذي هُوَ طالِبُهْ
And I lent him my ear so that he might think I was
quick to pursue the thing he sought.
وَلَوeven if رامَsought عَمروٌʿAmr وَالمُغيرَةُand al-Mughira غِرَّتيmy heedlessness
وَلَو رامَ عَمروٌ وَالمُغيرَةُ غِرَّتي
لأَعيَتهُماit would baffle them both فَليَحذَرِso let beware الشَرَّevil جالِبُهْits bringer
لأَعيَتهُما فَليَحذَرِ الشَرَّ جالِبُهْ
Even if ʿAmr and al-Mughira sought a lapse in my vigilance,
it would elude them both; let the bringer of evil beware.
وَماand not الصَّقرُthe falcon مِثليmy equal حينَwhen يُرسِلُcasts نَظرَةًa glance
وَما الصَّقرُ مِثلي حينَ يُرسِلُ نَظرَةً
وَتَصدُقُهُand tell it the truth عَيناهُits two eyes فيماabout what يُراقِبُهْit watches it
وَتَصدُقُهُ عَيناهُ فيما يُراقِبُهْ
The falcon is not my equal when it casts a glance
and its eyes tell it the truth about what it watches.
وَلاnor الأَسَدُthe lion الضَّاريravening يَرُدُّcurbs شَكيمَتِيmy resolve
وَلا الأَسَدُ الضَّاري يَرُدُّ شَكيمَتِي
وَإِنeven if دَمِيَتْare bloodied عِندَduring الوِقاعِbattle مَخالِبُهْits claws
وَإِن دَمِيَتْ عِندَ الوِقاعِ مَخالِبُهْ
Nor can the ravening lion curb my resolve,
even if its claws are bloodied in battle.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him لَمّاwhen تَبَيَّنَbecame clear أَنَّنيthat I
فَقُلتُ لَهُ لَمّا تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّني
فَتَىthe young champion of الحَيِّthe clan لاnot يَشقىcomes to grief بِهِthrough him مَنwhoever يُصاحِبُهْkeeps him company
فَتَى الحَيِّ لا يَشقى بِهِ مَن يُصاحِبُهْ
So I said to him, when it became clear that I was
the clan’s champion, through whom no companion comes to grief:
أَتَعذِلُنيdo you reproach me فاهاًits mouth (calamity’s) لفيكَto your mouth عَلىfor الهَوىlove
أَتَعذِلُني فاهاً لفيكَ عَلى الهَوى
لأَرمِيَso I may cast away بِالحَبلِthe cord الَّذيwhich أَنتَyou قاضِبُهْare severing it
لأَرمِيَ بِالحَبلِ الَّذي أَنتَ قاضِبُهْ
Do you chide me for love—may calamity’s mouth meet yours—
so that I cast away the cord you are severing,
وَأَهجُرَand forsake مَنone whom أُغرىI become enamored إِذاwhenever عِبتَهُyou fault him بِهِof him
وَأَهجُرَ مَن أُغرى إِذا عِبتَهُ بِهِ
جُعِلتُmay I be made فِداءًa ransom لِلَّذيfor the one whom أَنتَyou عائِبُهْare disparaging him
جُعِلتُ فِداءً لِلَّذي أَنتَ عائِبُهْ
and forsake one I grow enamored of whenever you fault him?
May I be a ransom for the one you disparage!
يَهيمُis madly in love بِهِwith him والرَّاقِصاتِby the dancing she-camels إِلىtoward مِنىًMina
يَهيمُ بِهِ والرَّاقِصاتِ إِلى مِنىً
فُؤادٌa heart يُجِنُّconceals الحُبَّlove وَالوَجدُand longing غالِبُهْoverpowers it
فُؤادٌ يُجِنُّ الحُبَّ وَالوَجدُ غالِبُهْ
Mad with love for him—by the she-camels dancing toward Mina!—
is a heart that conceals love, though longing overpowers it.
كَأَنّيas though I نَزيفٌone stupefied by drink خامَرَpervaded السُّكرُintoxication لُبَّهُhis mind
كَأَنّي نَزيفٌ خامَرَ السُّكرُ لُبَّهُ
عَشيَّةَon the evening شَطَّتْwent far away بِالحَبيبِwith the beloved رَكائِبُهْhis riding camels
عَشيَّةَ شَطَّتْ بِالحَبيبِ رَكائِبُهْ
As though I were a drunkard whose mind intoxication had seized,
the evening the beloved’s riding camels bore him far away.
تُمَثِّلُهُdepicts him الذِّكرىmemory وَهَيهاتَand how far away! نازِحٌone far away
تُمَثِّلُهُ الذِّكرى وَهَيهاتَ نازِحٌ
نأَتhas grown distant دارُهُhis dwelling حَتّىuntil كَأَنّيas though I أُخاطِبُهْam speaking to him
نأَت دارُهُ حَتّى كَأَنّي أُخاطِبُهْ
Memory conjures him—yet how far away he is,
his dwelling distant—until it is as though I am speaking to him.
Translation model: Sol 6.1