جَدِّدrenew بُكاءًweeping لِبَينٍfor a parting جَديدِnew
جَدِّد بُكاءً لِبَينٍ جَديدِ
وَنَبِّهand awaken أَقاصيthe farthest reaches of الدُموعِthe tears الهُجودِslumbering
وَنَبِّه أَقاصي الدُموعِ الهُجودِ
Renew your weeping for a new parting,
and awaken the farthest reaches of slumbering tears.
فَسَوفَfor ... will تُحِلُّlodge الخَليطَthe companions القَريبَnearby
فَسَوفَ تُحِلُّ الخَليطَ القَريبَ
دَواعيthe calls of النَوىseparation فيin مَحَلٍّan abode بَعيدِdistant
دَواعي النَوى في مَحَلٍّ بَعيدِ
For your close companions will be lodged
by the calls of separation in a distant abode.
شَكَوناwe complained of الصُدودَrejection فَجاءَthen came الفِراparting (first part)
شَكَونا الصُدودَ فَجاءَ الفِرا
قُcompletion of 'parting' فَأَنسىand caused to forget الجَوانِحَthe inner ribs (hearts) وَقعَthe impact of الصُدودِrejection
قُ فَأَنسى الجَوانِحَ وَقعَ الصُدودِ
We complained of rejection; then came parting,
and made our hearts forget the sting of rejection.
لَئِنif indeed لَمnot تَكُنthere is سَلوَةٌsolace فَالحِماthen death (first part)
لَئِن لَم تَكُن سَلوَةٌ فَالحِما
مُcompletion of 'death' يَكونُwill be قِصارَthe ultimate end of المُحِبِّthe lover العَميدِthe love-stricken
مُ يَكونُ قِصارَ المُحِبِّ العَميدِ
If indeed there is no solace, then death
will be the love-stricken lover's ultimate end.
أَجيرانِناour neighbors? أَزمَعواresolved عَنfrom زَرودٍZarud
أَجيرانِنا أَزمَعوا عَن زَرودٍ
رَحيلاًa departure وَماand what رابَهُمtroubled them مِنabout زَرودِZarud
رَحيلاً وَما رابَهُم مِن زَرودِ
Have our neighbors resolved, from Zarud,
to depart? And what troubled them about Zarud?
تَوَلَّواthey departed بِبيضٍwith fair-skinned women كَمِثلِlike الظِباءِgazelles
تَوَلَّوا بِبيضٍ كَمِثلِ الظِباءِ
مِنَfrom among الآنِساتِthe companionable maidens الرَعابيبِthe soft, shapely women غيدِgraceful-necked
مِنَ الآنِساتِ الرَعابيبِ غيدِ
They departed with fair-skinned women, like gazelles,
from among the winsome, soft-bodied, graceful-necked maidens.
مَزَجناwe mingled كُؤوسَthe cups of الهَوىlove مَرَّةًonce
مَزَجنا كُؤوسَ الهَوى مَرَّةً
بِتِلكَwith those العُيونِeyes وَتِلكَand those الخُدودِcheeks
بِتِلكَ العُيونِ وَتِلكَ الخُدودِ
We once mingled the cups of love
with those eyes and those cheeks.
لَكَyours الفَضلُexcellence مُتَّصِلاًunbroken ياO مُحَمMuhammad (first part)
لَكَ الفَضلُ مُتَّصِلاً يا مُحَم
مَدَcompletion of 'Muhammad' بنِson of حَميدِHamid بنِson of عَبدِAbd (servant of) الحَميدِal-Hamid (the Praiseworthy)
مَدَ بنِ حَميدِ بنِ عَبدِ الحَميدِ
Yours is unbroken excellence, O Muhammad,
son of Hamid, son of Abd al-Hamid.
أَماindeed وَأَبيby the father of طَيِّئٍTayy إِنَّهاindeed she
أَما وَأَبي طَيِّئٍ إِنَّها
لَتَفخَرُsurely takes pride مِنكَfrom you بِمَجدٍin glory مَجيدِsplendid
لَتَفخَرُ مِنكَ بِمَجدٍ مَجيدِ
Indeed, by the father of Tayy, she
surely takes pride in the splendid glory she draws from you:
بِحَلٍّin unbinding وَعَقدٍand binding وَعَزمٍand resolve وَفَضلٍand excellence
بِحَلٍّ وَعَقدٍ وَعَزمٍ وَفَضلٍ
وَنَيلٍand bounty وَبَذلٍand giving وَبَأسٍand valor وَجودِand generosity
وَنَيلٍ وَبَذلٍ وَبَأسٍ وَجودِ
in unbinding and binding, in resolve and excellence,
and in bounty and giving, in valor and generosity.
عَطاؤُكَyour bounty فيهاin her (the tribe) وَفيand in غَيرِهاothers besides her
عَطاؤُكَ فيها وَفي غَيرِها
جَزيلُlavish in الطَريفِnewly acquired wealth جَزيلُlavish in التَليدِinherited wealth
جَزيلُ الطَريفِ جَزيلُ التَليدِ
Your bounty to her and to others
is lavish in newly acquired wealth, lavish in inherited wealth.
إِذاwhen قيلَit is said قَدalready فَنِيَhave run out السائِلونَthe petitioners
إِذا قيلَ قَد فَنِيَ السائِلونَ
قالَتsaid عَطاياكَyour gifts هَلare there مِنany مَزيدِmore
قالَت عَطاياكَ هَل مِن مَزيدِ
When it is said, 'The petitioners are all gone,'
your gifts reply, 'Are there any more?'
وَكَمand how many لَكَyou have فيamong الناسِpeople مِنof حاسِدٍan envier
وَكَم لَكَ في الناسِ مِن حاسِدٍ
وَفيand in الحَسَدِenvy النَزرِscant حَظُّthe share of الحَسودِthe envious man
وَفي الحَسَدِ النَزرِ حَظُّ الحَسودِ
And how many among men envy you!
Yet scant is the envier's share in envy.
يَوَدُّhe wishes الرَدىdeath لَكَfor you كانَmay it be الرَدىdeath
يَوَدُّ الرَدى لَكَ كانَ الرَدى
بِهِupon him وَوَقَيناكَand may we shield you فَقدَthe loss of الفَقيدِthe departed one
بِهِ وَوَقَيناكَ فَقدَ الفَقيدِ
He wishes death upon you—may death fall
upon him, and may we shield you from bereavement.
وَلَوand if تَمَّcame true لاmay it not تَمَّcome true تَأميلُهُhis hope
وَلَو تَمَّ لا تَمَّ تَأميلُهُ
لَكانَhe would be بِذَلِكَbecause of that غَيرَother than السَعيدِthe fortunate one
لَكانَ بِذَلِكَ غَيرَ السَعيدِ
And if his hope came true—may it never come true—
he would be anything but fortunate in that,
إِذاwhen طَأطَأَlowered الذُلُّhumiliation مِنfrom ناظِرَيهِhis two eyes
إِذا طَأطَأَ الذُلُّ مِن ناظِرَيهِ
وَكَلَّلَand dulled مِنfrom طَرفِthe gaze of بازٍa hawk حَديدِkeen
وَكَلَّلَ مِن طَرفِ بازٍ حَديدِ
when humiliation cast down his eyes
and blunted the keen gaze of a hawk,
وَمَدَّand spread الهَوانُdegradation عَلىover شَخصِهِhis person
وَمَدَّ الهَوانُ عَلى شَخصِهِ
حَواشيthe hems of ثِيابٍrobes مِنَmade of الذُلِّhumiliation سودِblack
حَواشي ثِيابٍ مِنَ الذُلِّ سودِ
and degradation spread over his person
the hems of black robes of humiliation,
وَحُلَّand was undone لَهُfor him عَقدُthe knot of أَمرٍan undertaking وَثيقٍfirm
وَحُلَّ لَهُ عَقدُ أَمرٍ وَثيقٍ
وَهُدَّand was toppled لَهُfor him رُكنُa pillar of عِزٍّhonor شَديدِmighty
وَهُدَّ لَهُ رُكنُ عِزٍّ شَديدِ
and the knot of a firm undertaking was undone for him,
and a mighty pillar of honor was toppled for him.
عَلَوتَyou rose عَلىabove خَمسَةٍfive أَمجَدينَmost illustrious men
عَلَوتَ عَلى خَمسَةٍ أَمجَدينَ
كِرامَnoble in الفِعالِdeeds كِرامِnoble in الجُدودِforefathers
كِرامَ الفِعالِ كِرامِ الجُدودِ
You have risen above five most illustrious men,
noble in deeds, noble in forefathers.
عَلَوتَyou rose عَلَيهِمabove them عَلىdespite أَنَّهُمthat they
عَلَوتَ عَلَيهِم عَلى أَنَّهُم
صَناديدُchieftains مِنfrom حَيِّthe clan of نَبهانَNabhan صيدِproud and high-headed
صَناديدُ مِن حَيِّ نَبهانَ صيدِ
You have risen above them, although they
are proud chieftains of the clan of Nabhan.
هُمُthey سادَةٌlords غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat النُجومَthe stars
هُمُ سادَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّ النُجومَ
لَيسَتare not تُقاسُcompared بِبَدرِwith the full moon of السُعودِgood fortune
لَيسَت تُقاسُ بِبَدرِ السُعودِ
They are lords, yet the stars
are not to be compared with the full moon of good fortune.
بَقيتَmay you remain لَناfor us ياO أَباAbu (father of) نَهشَلٍNahshal
بَقيتَ لَنا يا أَبا نَهشَلٍ
بَقاءَthe permanence of البَقاpermanence وَخُلودَand the eternity of الخُلودِeternity
بَقاءَ البَقا وَخُلودَ الخُلودِ
May you live on for us, O Abu Nahshal,
as long as permanence endures and eternity lasts.