أَينَwhere بانوكِyour builders أَيُّهاO الحيرَةُHira البَيwhite (opening fragment)
أَينَ بانوكِ أَيُّها الحيرَةُ البَي
ضاءُwhite (closing fragment) وَالموطِئونَand those who prepared مِنكِwithin you الدِياراthe dwellings
ضاءُ وَالموطِئونَ مِنكِ الدِيارا
Where are your builders, O white Hira,
Where are your maidens, O abandoned white ruins,
and those who made ready the dwellings within you,
Whose dwellers have worn you down and channeled rivers through you?
وَالأولىand those who شَقَّقواsplit open ثَراكِyour soil مِنwith العُشgrass (opening fragment)
وَالأولى شَقَّقوا ثَراكِ مِن العُش
بِgrass (closing fragment) وَأَجرواand made flow خِلالَكِthrough you الأَنهاراthe rivers
بِ وَأَجروا خِلالَكِ الأَنهارا
and those who made your soil burst with grass
They who would host guests when the north winds blew
and sent rivers flowing through you—
And kindle fires when evening drew near.
المُهيبونَthose who summoned بِالضُيوفِto the guests إِذاwhen هَبَّblew (opening fragment)
المُهيبونَ بِالضُيوفِ إِذا هَبَّ
تfeminine ending of 'blew' شَمالاًfrom the north وَالموقِدونَand those who kindled الناراthe fire
ت شَمالاً وَالموقِدونَ النارا
those who summoned guests when the wind blew
Whenever its embers died down they revived it
from the north, and those who kindled the fire?
With bowls of dried butter and branches of thorn trees.
كُلَّماwhenever باخَfaded ضَوؤُهاits glow أَقضَموهاthey fed it
كُلَّما باخَ ضَوؤُها أَقضَموها
بِالقُبَيباتِin the little domed pavilions مَندَليّاًMandali aloeswood وَغاراand laurel
بِالقُبَيباتِ مَندَليّاً وَغارا
Whenever its glow faded, they fed it
Around you they tethered their steeds and marked out for you
in the little domed pavilions with Mandali aloeswood and laurel.
Trails from the highlands as gifts.
رَبَطواthey tethered حَولَكِaround you الجِيادَthe steeds وَخَطّواand traced
رَبَطوا حَولَكِ الجِيادَ وَخَطّوا
لَكِfor you مِنfrom مَركَزِthe planting of العَواليthe lances عِذاراa cheek-fringe
لَكِ مِن مَركَزِ العَوالي عِذارا
They tethered steeds around you and traced
Their horses' hooves trampled your soil until
for you a cheek-fringe of planted lances.
They named your land's cheeks the cheeks of maidens.
وَحَمواand they protected أَرضَكِyour land الحَوافِرَthe hooves حَتّىuntil
وَحَموا أَرضَكِ الحَوافِرَ حَتّى
لَقَّبواthey named أَرضَهاits earth خُدودَthe cheeks of العَذارىthe maidens
لَقَّبوا أَرضَها خُدودَ العَذارى
And they kept hooves from your soil until
Time has left you nothing but lessons for eyes
they called its earth the cheeks of maidens.
And matter to wonder about.
لَمnot يَدَعleave مِنكَof you حادِثُthe calamity of الدَهرِtime إِلّاexcept
لَم يَدَع مِنكَ حادِثُ الدَهرِ إِلّا
عِبراًlessons لِلعُيونِfor the eyes وَاِستِعباراand weeping
عِبراً لِلعُيونِ وَاِستِعبارا
Time's calamity has left of you nothing but
Remnants of palaces of long-departed nights
lessons for the eyes and weeping,
Have told us news of their people.
وَبَقاياand remnants مِنof دارِساتِeffaced طُلولٍruins
وَبَقايا مِن دارِساتِ طُلولٍ
خَبَّرَتناthey told us عَنabout أَهلِهاtheir inhabitants الأَخباراthe stories
خَبَّرَتنا عَن أَهلِها الأَخبارا
and remnants of effaced ruins
Scents of the land as if fluttering scent-sellers
that told us stories of their inhabitants—
Were shaking perfumes on it.
عَبِقاتِfragrant الثَرىthe soil كَأَنَّas though عَلَيهاupon them
عَبِقاتِ الثَرى كَأَنَّ عَلَيها
لَطمَيّينِperfume merchants يَنفُضونَshake out العِطاراthe perfumes
لَطمَيّينِ يَنفُضونَ العِطارا
their soil fragrant, as though upon them
Domes as though they had raised from it
perfume merchants were shaking out perfumes;
Lighthouses for the lost in darkness.
وَقِبابٍand domes كَأَنَّماas though رَفَعواthey raised مِنfrom
وَقِبابٍ كَأَنَّما رَفَعوا مِن
هاthem لِمُستَرشِدِfor one seeking guidance الظَلامِthe darkness مَناراa beacon
ها لِمُستَرشِدِ الظَلامِ مَنارا
and domes, as though they had raised from
They calculated between them and the stars of the horizon
them a beacon for one seeking a way in darkness.
A kinship from nights of yore.
عَقَدواthey forged بَينَهاbetween them وَبَينَand between نُجومِthe stars of الthe
عَقَدوا بَينَها وَبَينَ نُجومِ ال
أُفقِhorizon مِنfrom سالِفِbygone اللَياليthe nights جِواراa neighborly bond
أُفقِ مِن سالِفِ اللَيالي جِوارا
They forged between them and the stars of the
Where are your swooping eagles who lodged
horizon a neighborly bond in nights of old.
And made their nests their abode?
أَينَwhere عِقبانُكِyour eagles الخَواطِفُthe snatching ones حَلَّقsoared (opening fragment)
أَينَ عِقبانُكِ الخَواطِفُ حَلَّق
نَthey (feminine plural ending) وَأَبقَينَand they left عِندَكِwith you الأَوكاراthe nests
نَ وَأَبقَينَ عِندَكِ الأَوكارا
Where are your swooping eagles? They soared
Men, like lions, walked your ground,
and left their nests with you.
Summoning their pillars and comrades.
وَرِجالٌand men مِثلُlike الأُسودِthe lions مَشواthey walked فيin
وَرِجالٌ مِثلُ الأُسودِ مَشوا في
كِyou تَداعواthey crumbled قَوائِماًsword-hilts وَشِفاراand blades
كِ تَداعوا قَوائِماً وَشِفارا
And men like lions, who strode through
How fine, the day your people came into being!
you? They crumbled, hilts and blades alike.
How fine, the day your abode became a home!
حَبَّذاhow fine! أَهلُكِyour people المُحِلّونَthe residents أَهلاًas a people
حَبَّذا أَهلُكِ المُحِلّونَ أَهلاً
يَومَon the day بانواthey departed وَحَبَّذاand how fine! الدارُthe home داراas a home
يَومَ بانوا وَحَبَّذا الدارُ دارا
How fine a people were your resident folk
They were only like riders who lingered awhile
the day they departed; how fine a home was that home!
At their camp, then departed.
لَمnot يَكونواthey were إِلاexcept كَرَكبٍlike a caravan تَأَنّىlingered
لَم يَكونوا إِلا كَرَكبٍ تَأَنّى
بُرهَةًa while فيat مُناخِهِits halting-place ثُمَّthen ساراmoved on
بُرهَةً في مُناخِهِ ثُمَّ سارا
They were only like a caravan that lingered
a while at its halting-place, then moved on.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.