أمِنْis it from مرمًىa destination بعيدِdistant القفرِthe wilderness شاسعْfar-flung
أمِنْ مرمًى بعيدِ القفرِ شاسعْ
رَجَعْتَyou returned وأنتَwhile you are داميbleeding الجفنِthe eyelid دامعْweeping
رَجَعْتَ وأنتَ دامي الجفنِ دامعْ
Is it from a far-off goal in a vast wilderness
that you have returned with bleeding eyelids, in tears?
علامَwhy وأنتَwhile you are ذوpossessed of وجدٍlonging وحزمٍand resolve
علامَ وأنتَ ذو وجدٍ وحزمٍ
يراكَsees you الخرقُthe wilderness منهbecause of it وأنتwhile you are زامعْtrembling
يراكَ الخرقُ منه وأنت زامعْ
Why, though you possess longing and resolve,
does the wilderness see you trembling before it?
أَثِرْهاrouse them كالهِضابِlike hills هِضابِthe hills رضَوىRaḍwā
أَثِرْها كالهِضابِ هِضابِ رضَوى
تؤمُّthey head toward بكَwith you المنازلَthe dwellings والمرابعْand spring encampments
تؤمُّ بكَ المنازلَ والمرابعْ
Rouse them, like hills—the hills of Raḍwā—
to bear you toward the dwellings and spring encampments.
تَحِنُّthey yearn إذاwhen رأتْthey see بالغورِin the lowlands برقاًlightning
تَحِنُّ إذا رأتْ بالغورِ برقاً
بداappeared فيin حِندسِthe pitch-darkness الظلماءِthe darkness لامعْgleaming
بدا في حِندسِ الظلماءِ لامعْ
They yearn when they see lightning in the lowlands,
gleaming forth in the pitch-black darkness.
نجائبُchoice camels ترتميhurling themselves فيacross البيدِthe wastes بُدْناًstout-bodied
نجائبُ ترتمي في البيدِ بُدْناً
يَطِسْنَthey crush إلىtoward معالِمهاits landmarks اليرامِعْthe soft pebbles
يَطِسْنَ إلى معالِمها اليرامِعْ
Choice camels, stout-bodied, hurl themselves across the wastes,
crushing pebbles as they make for the desert's landmarks.
فَتُسْئدُthen they travel by night كالنَقانِقِlike ostriches فيthrough مَوامٍwaterless wastes
فَتُسْئدُ كالنَقانِقِ في مَوامٍ
ترىyou see فيهاin them ضليعَa sturdy one النُّجبِof the choice camels ظالعْlimping
ترى فيها ضليعَ النُّجبِ ظالعْ
Then they travel through the night like ostriches across wastes
where you see even a sturdy choice camel limping.
نجائبُchoice camels دأْبُهاtheir habit فيin كلَّevery مَرْتٍbarren tract
نجائبُ دأْبُها في كلَّ مَرْتٍ
تشقُّthey cleave طلائحاًexhausted بحرَthe sea اليلامعْthe mirages
تشقُّ طلائحاً بحرَ اليلامعْ
Choice camels whose habit, in every barren tract,
is to cleave, exhausted, a sea of mirages.
اِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رجَّعَtrills his chant الحاديthe camel-driver تهاوتْthey sway
اِذا ما رجَّعَ الحادي تهاوتْ
علىto ترجيعِهِhis refrain خُوصاًsunken-eyed خواضعْsubmissive
على ترجيعِهِ خُوصاً خواضعْ
When the camel-driver trills his song, they sway
to his refrain, sunken-eyed and submissive.
تُهَيَّمُهاentrance them الحداةُthe camel-drivers علىdespite وَجاهاtheir footsoreness
تُهَيَّمُها الحداةُ على وَجاها
فتنتهِبُso they devour الأباطحَthe gravel flats والأجارِعْand sandy tracts
فتنتهِبُ الأباطحَ والأجارِعْ
The drivers entrance them despite their sore feet,
so they devour the gravel flats and sandy tracts.
تجاذبُthey tug against أوor تجانبُthey avoid فيin مداهاtheir course
تجاذبُ أو تجانبُ في مداها
الىtoward المرمىthe goal الأزمَّةَthe reins والمشارِعْand watering places
الى المرمى الأزمَّةَ والمشارِعْ
They tug against or turn aside from—on their course
toward the goal—the reins and watering places.
تؤمُّthey make for منازلاًdwellings قدindeed كانَwas فيهاin them الشبابُyouth
تؤمُّ منازلاً قد كانَ فيها الشبابُ
الىto الحِسانِthe beautiful women البيضِthe fair-skinned شافعْan intercessor
الى الحِسانِ البيضِ شافعْ
They seek dwellings where youth once was
an intercessor with the beautiful, fair-skinned women.
لياليَon nights كانَwas برقُthe lightning الثغرِthe mouth يُبدىrevealing
لياليَ كانَ برقُ الثغرِ يُبدى
لشائمهِto its watcher مِنَof القُبَلِkisses المواقعْthe landing places
لشائمهِ مِنَ القُبَلِ المواقعْ
On nights when the mouth's lightning revealed
to its watcher the places where kisses would fall.
فياso, O ربعَdwelling الأحبَّةِthe loved ones طالَhas grown long عهديmy time apart
فيا ربعَ الأحبَّةِ طالَ عهدي
بظبيٍwith a gazelle كانَwas فيin مغناكَyour abode راتعْgrazing freely
بظبيٍ كانَ في مغناكَ راتعْ
O dwelling of my loved ones, long has it been
since I saw the gazelle that grazed within your grounds.
تناءىhe drew away بعدَafter ذاكَthat القربِcloseness عنّيfrom me
تناءى بعدَ ذاكَ القربِ عنّي
وأصبحَand he became بعدَafter ذاكَthat الوصلِunion قاطعْsevering ties
وأصبحَ بعدَ ذاكَ الوصلِ قاطعْ
He drew away from me after that closeness,
and after that union, he broke our bond.
سَقَىmay water أيامَهhis days الغرَّthe radiant المواضيthe bygone
سَقَى أيامَه الغرَّ المواضي
هزيمٌa rain-laden cloud مِنfrom جفونِthe eyelids الصبَّthe yearning lover هامعْpouring down
هزيمٌ مِن جفونِ الصبَّ هامعْ
May his radiant, bygone days be watered
by a rain-laden cloud pouring from the lover's eyelids.
فهلso, will مِنfrom بعدِماafter قدindeed بانَhe departed عنّيfrom me
فهل مِن بعدِما قد بانَ عنّي
أرىI see زمنَthe time التدانيof closeness وهوwhile it is راجعْreturning
أرى زمنَ التداني وهو راجعْ
So, after he has parted from me,
shall I see the time of closeness return?
يؤرَّقُis kept sleepless ناظريmy eye كَلَفاًwith ardent love ووَجْداًand longing
يؤرَّقُ ناظري كَلَفاً ووَجْداً
هديلٌa cooing dove باتَspent the night فيamong الباناتِthe bān trees ساجعْcooing
هديلٌ باتَ في الباناتِ ساجعْ
My eyes are kept sleepless with ardent love and longing
by a dove cooing all night among the bān trees.
تَوَقَّلَit climbed فوقهنَّabove them فناحَthen lamented شجواًin sorrow
تَوَقَّلَ فوقهنَّ فناحَ شجواً
وباحَand it spoke out فخِلْتُهنَّso I thought them لهfor it صوامِعْhermitages
وباحَ فخِلْتُهنَّ له صوامِعْ
It climbed to their tops and wailed in sorrow,
and poured out its grief; I thought them its hermitages.
وغرَّدَand it sang شاكياًcomplaining حتىuntil كأنّيas though I
وغرَّدَ شاكياً حتى كأنّي
شكوتُI complained اليهِto it ماwhat التفريقُseparation صانعْdoes
شكوتُ اليهِ ما التفريقُ صانعْ
And it sang, complaining, until it seemed that I
had complained to it of what separation does.
Translation model: Sol 6.1