عاسِرَةrestive بِراكِبٍwith a rider مَحلُوقِshaven-headed
عاسِرَة بِراكِبٍ مَحلُوقِ
وَلَمand did not تُسَوِّغنِىlet me swallow بَقاياthe remnants of الرِّيقِsaliva
وَلَم تُسَوِّغنِى بَقايا الرِّيقِ
Restive beneath a shaven-headed rider,
A late night traveler on a tired mount
And she has not let me swallow the last of my saliva,
The remnants of its saliva could not justify me
خارِجَةcoming out مِنfrom الجِبالِthe mountains الرُّوقِlofty
خارِجَة مِن الجِبالِ الرُّوقِ
عامِدَةheading لِمَطلَعِtoward the rising-place of العَيُّوقِal-ʿAyyūq (Capella)
عامِدَة لِمَطلَعِ العَيُّوقِ
Coming out of the lofty mountains,
Coming out of the softly lit mountains
Heading toward the rising-place of al-ʿAyyūq.
Heading towards the rise of Al-Ayyouq
ماnot لَكِfor you بِالحَرَّةِin al-Ḥarra منany صَدِيقِfriend
ما لَكِ بِالحَرَّةِ من صَدِيقِ
وَلاnor بِمَرَانَin Marān وَلاnor العَقِيقِal-ʿAqīq
وَلا بِمَرَانَ وَلا العَقِيقِ
You have no friend in al-Ḥarra,
You have no friend in Al-Harrat or Maran or Al-Aqeeq
Nor in Marān, nor in al-ʿAqīq,
Except me, the clearly lit road
غَيرِىexcept me وَغَيرَand except وَضَحِthe bright stretch of الطَّرِيقِthe road
غَيرِى وَغَيرَ وَضَحِ الطَّرِيقِ
وَراجِفاتٍand quivering ones بُزَّلٍfull-grown camels وَنُوقِand she-camels
وَراجِفاتٍ بُزَّلٍ وَنُوقِ
Except me and the bright stretch of road,
And startled, peeled palms
And quivering, full-grown camels and she-camels.
That carry the howdah of a smitten lover
يَركَبنthey traverse نِيرَىthe two tracks of لاحِبٍa broad, clear road مَدغُوقِwell-trodden
يَركَبن نِيرَى لاحِبٍ مَدغُوقِ
ناءىdistant القَرادِيدِthe rugged heights مِنَfrom البُثُوقِwatercourses
ناءى القَرادِيدِ مِنَ البُثُوقِ
They traverse the two tracks of a broad, well-trodden road,
Whose neck is rubbed raw from the camel litter
Whose rugged heights are far from watercourses,
That ends its day with dry provisions
يُمسِىreaches evening قَطاهُits sandgrouse يَبِسَparched الحُلُوقِthe throats
يُمسِى قَطاهُ يَبِسَ الحُلُوقِ
حَنَّتmoaned with longing قَلُوصِىmy young she-camel وَهىَwhile she فىin مَضِيقِa narrow pass
حَنَّت قَلُوصِى وَهىَ فى مَضِيقِ
Whose sandgrouse reach evening with parched throats.
My heart sighed as it was in a strait
My young she-camel moaned while in a narrow pass,
Struck by the flashes of lightning
وَشاقَهاand stirred her longing لَوامِعُflashes of البُرُوقِlightning
وَشاقَها لَوامِعُ البُرُوقِ
كَاَنَّهاas though she فىon وَضَحِthe bright stretch of الطَّرِيقِthe road
كَاَنَّها فى وَضَحِ الطَّرِيقِ
And the lightning's flashes stirred her longing.
As if it were on the clearly lit road
As though, on the bright stretch of road,
A dove between swift companions
حَمامَةa dove بَينَbetween خِفافَىthe two flanks of نِيقِa mountain peak
حَمامَة بَينَ خِفافَى نِيقِ
تَنجُوruns swiftly نَجاءَwith the speed of الاَخرَجِthe pied ostrich المَزعُوقِdriven by shouts
تَنجُو نَجاءَ الاَخرَجِ المَزعُوقِ
She were a dove between the two flanks of a mountain peak,
It barely escapes the grip of the unsteady hands
Racing like a pied ostrich driven by shouts,
Slipping away from those same shaky hands
مَألُوقَةًfrenzied فىin خَطرِهانher swaying (uncertain reading) المَألُوقِfrenzied
مَألُوقَةً فى خَطرِهان المَألُوقِ
مَرَّتshe passed عَلَىby جَمائِلٍcamel herds وَنُوقِand she-camels
مَرَّت عَلَى جَمائِلٍ وَنُوقِ
Frenzied in her frenzied swaying,
Passing beautiful, graceful palm trees
She passed camel herds and she-camels,
With stems made firm by abundant water
شَوازِبٍgaunt مِنfrom شِدَّةِthe severity of الوَسيقِdriving
شَوازِبٍ مِن شِدَّةِ الوَسيقِ
تَنهَضُpresses onward فىthrough مُتَّسِعٍa broad space وَضِيقِand a narrow one
تَنهَضُ فى مُتَّسِعٍ وَضِيقِ
Gaunt from harsh driving,
Rising up in broad and narrow valleys
Pressing onward through broad spaces and narrow,
From the base of the date palm of Al-Maflouq
مِنfrom بَطنِthe bed of وادِىthe valley of نَخلَةَNakhla المَفلُوقِcleft
مِن بَطنِ وادِى نَخلَةَ المَفلُوقِ
From the bed of Nakhla's cleft valley.
Partial English translation: 20 of 21 Arabic lines translated.