لابْنَةِfor the daughter of عَجْلانَAjlan بالجَوِّat al-Jaww رُسُومْtraces
لابْنَةِ عَجْلانَ بالجَوِّ رُسُومْ
لمnot يَتَعَفَّيْنَthey become effaced والعَهْدُand the time قَدِيمْlong past
لم يَتَعَفَّيْنَ والعَهْدُ قَدِيمْ
At al-Jaww lie traces of Ajlan's daughter,
The designs of Ibnat Ajlan's tent have long faded
Not effaced, though the time is long past.
without being patched, though the tent is old.
لابْنَةِfor the daughter of عَجْلانَAjlan إذْwhen نَحْنُwe معاًtogether
لابْنَةِ عَجْلانَ إذْ نَحْنُ معاً
وأيُّand what حالٍcondition منَof الدَّهْرِtime تَدُومْendures
وأيُّ حالٍ منَ الدَّهْرِ تَدُومْ
Of Ajlan's daughter, when we were together—
When I am with Ibnat Ajlan, which circumstances of fate remain?
And what condition in time endures?
Is it from the ruins of a land whose traces have faded,
أَمِنْis it because of دِيارٍdwellings تَعَفَّىbecame effaced رَسْمُهاtheir trace
أَمِنْ دِيارٍ تَعَفَّى رَسْمُها
عيْنُكَyour eye مِنْbecause of رَسْمِهاtheir trace بِسَجُومْstreaming with tears
عيْنُكَ مِنْ رَسْمِها بِسَجُومْ
Is it because of dwellings whose traces have faded
so that your eye is bleary from its traces?
That your eye streams with tears over their traces?
It has become desolate, though in days gone by
أَضْحَتْthey became قِفاراًdeserted wastes وقَدْand already كانَthere were بهاin them
أَضْحَتْ قِفاراً وقَدْ كانَ بها
فِيin سالِفِbygone الدَّهْرِtime أَرْبابُmasters of الهُجُومْgreat bowls
فِي سالِفِ الدَّهْرِ أَرْبابُ الهُجُومْ
They have become deserted wastes, though once there were
the people who attacked used to dwell there.
In bygone days, masters of great bowls.
They passed away and after them I thought
بادُواthey perished وأَصْبَحْتُand I came to be مِنْfrom بَعْدِهِمُafter them
بادُوا وأَصْبَحْتُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمُ
أَحْسَبُنِيI deem myself خالِداًimmortal ولاand not أَرِيمْI depart
أَحْسَبُنِي خالِداً ولا أَرِيمْ
They perished, and after them I came
I would remain immortal and suffer no decline.
To think myself immortal, never to depart.
O daughter of Ajlan, how patiently
ياO ابْنَةَdaughter of عَجْلانَAjlan ماhow أَصْبَرَنِيpatient I am
يا ابْنَةَ عَجْلانَ ما أَصْبَرَنِي
علىunder خُطُوبٍcalamities كَنَحْتٍlike hewing بالقَدُومْwith an adze
على خُطُوبٍ كَنَحْتٍ بالقَدُومْ
O daughter of Ajlan, how patient I am
I have borne the misfortunes that came unexpectedly!
Under calamities like an adze's hewing!
As if in them was a draught that was bitter
كأَنَّas though فيهاwithin her عُقاراًwine قَرْقَفاًshiver-inducing
كأَنَّ فيها عُقاراً قَرْقَفاً
نَشَّbubbled مِنَfrom الدَّنِّthe wine jar فالكأْسُso the cup رَذُومْoverflowing
نَشَّ مِنَ الدَّنِّ فالكأْسُ رَذُومْ
As though her mouth held wine that sends a shiver,
and removed me from baseness, so the cup was well-seasoned.
Bubbling from the wine jar, so that the cup overflows.
He poured on it some cool water,
شَنَّsprinkled عليهاover it بماءٍwith water باردٍcold
شَنَّ عليها بماءٍ باردٍ
شَنٌّan old waterskin مَنُوطٌsuspended بأَخْرابِby loops هَزِيمْsplit and leaking
شَنٌّ مَنُوطٌ بأَخْرابِ هَزِيمْ
Cold water was sprinkled over it
a continuous downpour on the ruins of the routed army.
From an old, leaking waterskin hung by its loops.
Every evening it has a few drops for it,
فيin كلِّeach مُمْسىًevening لَهاfor her مِقْطَرَةٌan incense burner
في كلِّ مُمْسىً لَها مِقْطَرَةٌ
فيهاin it كِباءٌincense مُعَدٌّprepared وحَمِيمْand hot water
فيها كِباءٌ مُعَدٌّ وحَمِيمْ
Each evening she has an incense burner,
in which there is signs of scum and pus.
With incense prepared in it, and hot water.
It kindles no fire at night, nor
لاnot تَصْطَلِيshe warms herself at النَّارَthe fire باللَّيْلِat night وَلاnor
لا تَصْطَلِي النَّارَ باللَّيْلِ وَلا
تُوقَظُshe is awakened لِلزَّادِfor provisions بَلْهاءُguileless نَؤُومْfond of sleep
تُوقَظُ لِلزَّادِ بَلْهاءُ نَؤُومْ
She does not warm herself by the fire at night, nor
is the confused sleepy one awakened for provisions.
Is she woken to prepare food—guileless, fond of sleep.
Insomnia distressed me in the night with constant flashing,
أَرَّقَنِيkept me awake اللَّيْلَat night بَرْقٌlightning ناصِبٌwearying
أَرَّقَنِي اللَّيْلَ بَرْقٌ ناصِبٌ
ولَمْand not يُعِنِّيhelp me علىwith ذاكَthat حَمِيمْa close friend
ولَمْ يُعِنِّي على ذاكَ حَمِيمْ
A wearying flash of lightning kept me awake all night,
and the fever did not help me in that.
And no close friend helped me with that.
When the phantom saddened and weakened me,
مَنْwho لِخَيالٍfor a phantom تَسَدَّىcame visiting مَوْهِناًlate at night
مَنْ لِخَيالٍ تَسَدَّى مَوْهِناً
أَشْعَرَنِيmade me feel الهمَّsorrow فالقَلْبُso the heart سقِيمْsick
أَشْعَرَنِي الهمَّ فالقَلْبُ سقِيمْ
Who can help against a phantom that came late at night,
anxiety made me heartsick and the heart frail.
Filling me with sorrow, so my heart is sick?
On a long sleepless night,
ولَيْلةٍand many a night بِتُّهاI spent it مُسْهِرَةٍkeeping one awake
ولَيْلةٍ بِتُّها مُسْهِرَةٍ
قدindeed كَرَّرَتْهاmade it recur عَلىupon عَيْنيmy eye الهُمُومْcares
قد كَرَّرَتْها عَلى عَيْني الهُمُومْ
And many a night I have spent sleepless,
which it repeated to my troubled eye,
Cares bringing it time and again before my eyes.
I did not nap until it ended,
لمnot أَغْتَمِضْI closed my eyes طُولَهاthroughout it حَتَّىuntil انْقَضَتْit passed
لم أَغْتَمِضْ طُولَها حَتَّى انْقَضَتْ
أكلؤُهاI watch over it بَعْدَماafter نامَslept السَّليِمْthe snake-bitten man
أكلؤُها بَعْدَما نامَ السَّليِمْ
I never closed my eyes throughout it, until it passed,
going sleepless after the healthy ones slept.
Keeping watch over it after the snake-bitten man had slept.
You cry over fate, and fate itself
تَبْكِيyou weep علىover الدَّهْرِtime والدَّهْرُand time الذيthat which
تَبْكِي على الدَّهْرِ والدَّهْرُ الذي
أَبكاكَmade you weep فالدَّمْعُso the tears كالشَّنِّlike an old waterskin الهَزِيمْsplit and leaking
أَبكاكَ فالدَّمْعُ كالشَّنِّ الهَزِيمْ
You weep over time, and time is what
made you cry, so tears are like the downpour on the routed.
Made you weep; tears stream like a split old waterskin.
By your life! Do you know, if
فَعَمْرَكَso I adjure you اللّهَby God هَلْwhether تَدْرِيyou know إذاwhen
فَعَمْرَكَ اللّهَ هَلْ تَدْرِي إذا
ماemphatic particle لُمْتَyou blamed فيfor حُبِّهاloving her فِيمَfor what تَلومْyou blame
ما لُمْتَ في حُبِّها فِيمَ تَلومْ
So I adjure you by God: do you know, when
you blame it for loving her, whom you blame?
You blame me for loving her, what you blame me for?
You hurt a friend and show suspicion.
تُؤْذِيyou hurt صَدِيقاًa friend وتُبْدِيand you reveal ظِنَّةًsuspicion
تُؤْذِي صَدِيقاً وتُبْدِي ظِنَّةً
تُحْرِزُyou secure سَهماًa share وسَهْماًand a share ماnot تَشِيمْyou discern
تُحْرِزُ سَهماً وسَهْماً ما تَشِيمْ
You hurt a friend and reveal suspicion;
You prepare an arrow and an arrow that is not proper.
You gain one share, but another you do not discern.
How many a brother I saw wealthy
كمhow many مِنْof أَخِيa possessor of ثَرْوَةٍwealth رأَيْتُهُI saw him
كم مِنْ أَخِي ثَرْوَةٍ رأَيْتُهُ
حَلَّdescended علىupon مالِهِhis wealth دَهْرٌtime غَشُومْruthless
حَلَّ على مالِهِ دَهْرٌ غَشُومْ
How many a wealthy man I have seen,
and fate descended oppressively upon his money!
Upon whose wealth ruthless time descended!
And many a protector, powerful,
ومنand of عزِيزinviolable الحِمىprotected domain ذِيpossessing مَنْعَةٍstrength
ومن عزِيز الحِمى ذِي مَنْعَةٍ
أَضْحىcame to be وقدand already أَثَّرتْleft marks فيهِupon him الكُلومْthe wounds
أَضْحى وقد أَثَّرتْ فيهِ الكُلومْ
And many a man of inviolable domain and strength
became frail after the ulcers had an effect on him!
Has come to bear the marks of wounds.
While a brother of bliss - when it departed
بَيْناwhile أَخُوa possessor of نِعْمَةٍprosperity إذْsuddenly ذَهَبتْit vanished
بَيْنا أَخُو نِعْمَةٍ إذْ ذَهَبتْ
وحُوِّلَتْand was transformed شِقْوَةٌmisery إلىinto نَعِيمْbliss
وحُوِّلَتْ شِقْوَةٌ إلى نَعِيمْ
While a man enjoys prosperity, suddenly it is gone,
and wretchedness was changed into comfort,
And misery is turned into bliss.
and while a suffering weakling -
وبَيْناand while ظاعِنٌa traveler ذُوhaving شُقَّةٍa long journey
وبَيْنا ظاعِنٌ ذُو شُقَّةٍ
إذْsuddenly حَلَّunfastened رَحْلاًa saddle وإِذْand suddenly خَفَّset off المُقِيمْthe settled man
إذْ حَلَّ رَحْلاً وإِذْ خَفَّ المُقِيمْ
And while a traveler has a long way to go,
when he packed up and left and the resident became light,
He suddenly unsaddles, and the settled man suddenly departs.
and for the youth a contagion contaminates him,
ولِلْفَتىand for the young man غائِلٌa destroyer يَغُولُهُdestroys him unexpectedly
ولِلْفَتى غائِلٌ يَغُولُهُ
ياO ابْنَةَdaughter of عَجْلانَAjlan مِنْfrom وَقْعِthe impact of الحُتُومْinevitable decrees
يا ابْنَةَ عَجْلانَ مِنْ وَقْعِ الحُتُومْ
And a young man has a destroyer that overtakes him,
O daughter of Ajlan, from the occurrence of misfortunes!
O daughter of Ajlan, from the blows of inexorable fate.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.