ياO دارُdwelling أَينَwhere تَرَحَّلَdeparted السُكّانُthe inhabitants
يا دارُ أَينَ تَرَحَّلَ السُكّانُ
وَغَدَتand set out بِهِمwith them مِنfrom بَعدِناafter us الأَظعانُthe caravans
وَغَدَت بِهِم مِن بَعدِنا الأَظعانُ
O dwelling, where have the inhabitants gone?
O abode, where have the dwellers gone
And where have the caravans carried them since we left?
And after us, the ruins have become their home
بِالأَمسِyesterday كانَwere بِكِwithin you الظِباءُthe gazelles أَوانِساًfriendly companions
بِالأَمسِ كانَ بِكِ الظِباءُ أَوانِساً
وَاليَومَand today فيin عَرَصاتِكِyour open grounds الغِربانُthe ravens
وَاليَومَ في عَرَصاتِكِ الغِربانُ
Yesterday, gazelles were friendly companions within you;
Yesterday, the antelopes were your friends
And today there are ravens in your open grounds.
And today, the crows are in your yards
ياO دارَdwelling عَبلَةَAbla أَينَwhere خَيَّمَpitched tents قَومُهاher people
يا دارَ عَبلَةَ أَينَ خَيَّمَ قَومُها
لَمّاwhen سَرَتjourneyed by night بِهِمُwith them المَطيُّthe riding camels وَبانواand they departed
لَمّا سَرَت بِهِمُ المَطيُّ وَبانوا
O dwelling of Abla, where did her people pitch their tents
O Abila's abode, where did its people camp
When the riding camels carried them off by night and they departed?
When they departed on their camels and were gone
ناحَتwailed خَميلاتُthickets الأَراكِthe arak trees وَقَدand indeed بَكىwept
ناحَت خَميلاتُ الأَراكِ وَقَد بَكى
مِنfrom وَحشَةٍdesolation نَزَلَتdescended عَلَيهِupon it البانُthe ban tree
مِن وَحشَةٍ نَزَلَت عَلَيهِ البانُ
The arak thickets wailed, and tears were shed
The sandy plains weep, and so do the thickets
By the ban tree, from the desolation that descended upon it.
For the solitude that befell these ruins
ياO دارُdwelling أَرواحُsouls المَنازِلِthe homes أَهلُهاtheir inhabitants
يا دارُ أَرواحُ المَنازِلِ أَهلُها
فَإِذاso when نَأَواthey went far away تَبكيهِمُweep for them الأَبدانُthe bodies
فَإِذا نَأَوا تَبكيهِمُ الأَبدانُ
O dwelling, the souls of homes are their inhabitants;
O abode, the souls of homes are their people
So when they go far away, the bodies weep for them.
So when they leave, their bodies weep and moan
ياO صاحِبيmy companion سَلask رَبعَcampsite عَبلَةَAbla وَاِجتَهِدand strive
يا صاحِبي سَل رَبعَ عَبلَةَ وَاِجتَهِد
إِنif كانَis لِلرَبعِfor the campsite المُحيلِdesolate لِسانُa tongue
إِن كانَ لِلرَبعِ المُحيلِ لِسانُ
O my companion, question Abla's campsite, and try your utmost,
My friend, ask the quarter of Abila, and try hard
If the desolate campsite has a tongue.
If that abandoned neighborhood still has a tongue
ياO عَبلَAbla ماnot دامَlasted الوِصالُthe union لَيالِياًnights
يا عَبلَ ما دامَ الوِصالُ لَيالِياً
حَتّىuntil دَهاناstruck us بَعدَهُafter it الهِجرانُestrangement
حَتّى دَهانا بَعدَهُ الهِجرانُ
O Abla, our union lasted but a few nights,
O Abila, the union lasted through nights
Until estrangement struck us afterward.
Until, after it, separation befell us
لَيتَif only المَنازِلَthe dwellings أَخبَرَتtold مُستَخبِراًan inquirer
لَيتَ المَنازِلَ أَخبَرَت مُستَخبِراً
أَينَwhere اِستَقَرَّsettled بِأَهلِهاwith their inhabitants الأَوطانُthe homes
أَينَ اِستَقَرَّ بِأَهلِها الأَوطانُ
If only the dwellings would tell an inquirer
I wish the homes would tell someone who asks
Where homes have settled with their inhabitants.
Where their people have settled with their clans
ياO طائِراًbird قَدindeed باتَspent the night يَندُبُlamenting إِلفَهُits mate
يا طائِراً قَد باتَ يَندُبُ إِلفَهُ
وَيَنوحُand wailing وَهوَwhile it is مُوَلَّهٌdistraught حَيرانُbewildered
وَيَنوحُ وَهوَ مُوَلَّهٌ حَيرانُ
O bird that has spent the night lamenting its mate,
O bird, you stay up grieving for your friends
And wailing, distraught and bewildered,
Crying in bewilderment and all alone
لَوif كُنتَyou were مِثليlike me ماnot لَبِستَyou wore مُلَوَّناًcolored
لَو كُنتَ مِثلي ما لَبِستَ مُلَوَّناً
حُسناًbeauty وَلاand not مالَتswayed بِكَwith you الأَغصانُthe branches
حُسناً وَلا مالَت بِكَ الأَغصانُ
If you were like me, you would not wear colored plumage
Had you been like me, you wouldn't wear motley
As adornment, nor would the branches sway beneath you.
Of beauty, nor would branches sway with you
أَينَhow far الخَلِيُّthe carefree one القَلبِthe heart مِمَّنfrom one who قَلبُهُhis heart
أَينَ الخَلِيُّ القَلبِ مِمَّن قَلبُهُ
مِنof حَرِّthe heat نيرانِthe fires الجَوىlove's anguish مَلآنُfull
مِن حَرِّ نيرانِ الجَوى مَلآنُ
How far is the carefree one from one whose heart
Where is the sincere, whose heart is filled
Is full of the heat of longing's fires?
With the blazing fires of love and passion?
عِرنيlend me جَناحَكَyour wing وَاِستَعِرand borrow دَمعيmy tears الَّذيwhich
عِرني جَناحَكَ وَاِستَعِر دَمعي الَّذي
أَفنىI perish وَلاand not يَفنىperishes لَهُfor it جَرَيانُflowing
أَفنى وَلا يَفنى لَهُ جَرَيانُ
Lend me your wing, and borrow my tears, whose
Show me your wing, and borrow my ever-flowing
Flow never ends, though I perish,
Tears, so you can fly, asking of Abila
حَتّىso that أَطيرَI may fly مُسائِلاًasking عَنabout عَبلَةٍAbla
حَتّى أَطيرَ مُسائِلاً عَن عَبلَةٍ
إِنif كانَis يُمكِنُis possible for مِثلِيَone like me الطَيَرانُflight
إِن كانَ يُمكِنُ مِثلِيَ الطَيَرانُ
So that I may fly, asking after Abla,
If one like me can ever take to flight
If flight is possible for one like me.
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.