وِكناسَand the covert of كلِّevery غزالةٍgazelle اِنسيَّةٍhuman
وِكناسَ كلِّ غزالةٍ اِنسيَّةٍ
ماnot وعدُهاher promise إلاexcept كلمعِlike the gleam of سرابِa mirage
ما وعدُها إلا كلمعِ سرابِ
And the covert of every gazelle in human form,
The promise of every gentle gazelle is but a mirage's glimmer.
Her promise is but like the gleam of a mirage.
You promised, O oft returning friend, but gained naught from it, not even an echo.
وعدتكَshe promised you ياO حارِHarith الاِيابَa return فلمbut did not تَفُزْyou attain
وعدتكَ يا حارِ الاِيابَ فلم تَفُزْ
منهاfrom her ولاnor مِنfrom طيفِهاher phantom باِيابِa return
منها ولا مِن طيفِها باِيابِ
She promised you a return, O Harith, but you gained no
Rather, I denied you, though I granted you unease, when the moment was ripe for deception and piercing cold.
Return from her, nor from her phantom.
She left, and her encampment was replaced after her by a na'im ostrich or a raven's croak.
منعتكَshe denied you بلnay منحتكَshe granted you حرَّجوًىlove's burning heat وقدand she had
منعتكَ بل منحتكَ حرَّجوًى وقد
سنحتْshe appeared علىin غِرَرٍunguarded moments وبردَand the coolness of رُضابِsweet saliva
سنحتْ على غِرَرٍ وبردَ رُضابِ
She denied you—nay, gave you love's burning heat, having
After her departure and separation I was left with the breeze of a howdah and the scraping of stirrups.
Appeared in an unguarded moment, and the coolness of her sweet saliva.
Sadness steals through me in the desolate wilderness, its paths obscured to friends.
رحلتْshe departed وبُدَّلَand was changed ربعُهاher dwelling مِنfrom بعدِهاafter her departure
رحلتْ وبُدَّلَ ربعُها مِن بعدِها
بنئيمِwith the hooting of بومٍowls أوor نعيقِthe cawing of غرابِa crow
بنئيمِ بومٍ أو نعيقِ غرابِ
She departed, and after her departure her dwelling was given over
It seeks the home's proximity after its remoteness, but alas the seekers are exhausted.
To the hooting of owls or the cawing of a crow.
Where is the home when its people are so far removed, after intimacy and the lengthening of eras?
ومُنيتُand I was afflicted بعدَafter ذَهابِهاher departure وفراقِهاand parting from her
ومُنيتُ بعدَ ذَهابِها وفراقِها
برسيمِwith the swift gait of دِعْلِبَةٍa sturdy she-camel وحَثَّand urging onward رِكابِriding camels
برسيمِ دِعْلِبَةٍ وحَثَّ رِكابِ
And after her departure and parting, I was beset
O rider of the camel litter, beneath you are honey bees, builders of bellies, wolves.
By a sturdy she-camel's swift gait and the urging of riding camels onward.
The sword of resolve has been drawn, its edge in the far goal has no bound.
تسريtravels by night بيَwith me الوجناءُthe stout-cheeked she-camel بينَamong بسابسٍlevel wastelands
تسري بيَ الوجناءُ بينَ بسابسٍ
طَمَسَتْbecame obscured مسالِكُهاtheir paths علىto الأصحابِthe companions
طَمَسَتْ مسالِكُها على الأصحابِ
The stout-cheeked she-camel carries me by night through wastes
When you reach the palm trees, convey my greetings to the people of the palms, and describe my condition to them.
Whose paths have become obscure to my companions.
For there the shade of the litter awaits me, its hospitality, and the dwellings of loved ones.
تبغيshe seeks دنوَّnearness to الدارِthe dwelling بعدَafter بِعادِهاits remoteness
تبغي دنوَّ الدارِ بعدَ بِعادِها
هيهاتَfar beyond reach قدindeed أعيتْhas proved elusive علىfor الطُّلاّبِthe seekers
هيهاتَ قد أعيتْ على الطُّلاّبِ
She seeks nearness to the dwelling after its remoteness;
The broad valleys slake thirst, the whinny of hobbled mares, the expanse of open space.
Far beyond reach! It has eluded those who seek it.
The horses prance in the meadow, knees exposed, kinsmen racing.
أينwhere الدنوُّnearness وقدand already تباعدَhave gone far away أهلُهاits people
أين الدنوُّ وقد تباعدَ أهلُها
بعدَafter النوىseparation وتطاولِand the lengthening of الأحقابِthe ages
بعدَ النوى وتطاولِ الأحقابِ
Where is nearness, when its people have gone far away,
This is what you know, a formidable trust that duty to progeny demands you keep.
After separation and the lengthening of the ages?
If you do not uphold the covenants of allegiance with them
ياO راكبَrider of الوكماءِthe stout she-camel تعسِلُshe lopes تحتَهbeneath him
يا راكبَ الوكماءِ تعسِلُ تحتَه
عَسَلانَthe loping of طاويةِshrunken البطونِbellies ذِئابِwolves
عَسَلانَ طاويةِ البطونِ ذِئابِ
O rider of the stout she-camel that lopes beneath him,
Then where are the covenants of the Bedouins?
With the loping gait of wolves with shrunken bellies,
For trustworthiness in these times and its people
قدindeed شامَhe drew سيفَa sword عزيمةٍof resolve ماnot حَدُّهُits edge
قد شامَ سيفَ عزيمةٍ ما حَدُّهُ
فيin البيدِthe wastelands والغرضِand the goal البعيدِdistant بنابِfailing to cut
في البيدِ والغرضِ البعيدِ بنابِ
Who has drawn a sword of resolve whose edge
Is of the noblest tools and lineages.
Never fails in the wastes or before the distant goal:
بلَّغْconvey إذاwhen جئتَyou reach النُخيلَal-Nukhayl تحيَّتيmy greeting
بلَّغْ إذا جئتَ النُخيلَ تحيَّتي
أهلَthe people of النُخيلِal-Nukhayl وصِفْand describe لهمto them أطرابيmy yearnings
أهلَ النُخيلِ وصِفْ لهم أطرابي
When you reach al-Nukhayl, convey my greeting
To the people of al-Nukhayl, and describe my yearnings to them.
فهناكَfor there أظلالُthe shadows of الأراكِthe arak trees تشوقُنيstir my longing
فهناكَ أظلالُ الأراكِ تشوقُني
افياؤهاtheir shade ومرابعُand the haunts of الأحبابِloved ones
افياؤها ومرابعُ الأحبابِ
For there are the arak trees' shadows that stir my longing:
Their shade, and the haunts of loved ones,
وفسيحُand spacious أنديةٍgathering places يروقُdelights رُواؤهاtheir appearance
وفسيحُ أنديةٍ يروقُ رُواؤها
وصهيلُand the neighing of مُقْرَبَةٍfavored steeds وفَيْحُand the spaciousness of رِحابِcourtyards
وصهيلُ مُقْرَبَةٍ وفَيْحُ رِحابِ
And spacious gathering places whose beauty delights,
And the neighing of favored steeds, and the breadth of courtyards.
والخيلُand the horses تمزعُgallop swiftly فيin الأعنَّةِthe reins شُزَّباlean
والخيلُ تمزعُ في الأعنَّةِ شُزَّبا
قُبَّslender البطونِbellies لواحقَdrawn-in الأقرابِflanks
قُبَّ البطونِ لواحقَ الأقرابِ
And the horses gallop under rein, lean,
Slender-bellied, with drawn-in flanks.
هيit ماas علمتَyou know أمانةٌa trust مرعبّةٌdaunting
هي ما علمتَ أمانةٌ مرعبّةٌ
وجبتْhas become obligatory رعايتُهاits care علىupon الأنجابِthe noble
وجبتْ رعايتُها على الأنجابِ
It is, as you know, a daunting trust,
Whose care is incumbent on the noble.
اِنْif كنتَyou are لاnot ترعىyou honor مواثقَthe pledges of عهدِهاits covenant
اِنْ كنتَ لا ترعى مواثقَ عهدِها
فيهاconcerning it فأينthen where مواثقُthe pledges of الأعرابِthe Bedouins
فيها فأين مواثقُ الأعرابِ
If you do not honor the pledges of its covenant
Concerning it, then where are the pledges of the Bedouins?
اِنَّindeed الأمانةَtrustworthiness فيin الزمانِthe age وأهلِهand its people
اِنَّ الأمانةَ في الزمانِ وأهلِه
منamong أشرفِthe noblest الأدواتِassets والأنسابِand lineages
من أشرفِ الأدواتِ والأنسابِ
Indeed, trustworthiness, in this age and among its people,
Is among the noblest assets and lineages.
Partial English translation: 19 of 34 Arabic lines translated.