َشَاقَتْكَshe stirred your longing هِنْدٌHind أَمْor أَتَاكَcame to you سُؤَالُهَاher inquiry
َشَاقَتْكَ هِنْدٌ أَمْ أَتَاكَ سُؤَالُهَا
كَذَاكَthus النَّوَىseparation أَسْبَابُهَاits ties وَانْفِتَالُهَاand their unraveling
كَذَاكَ النَّوَى أَسْبَابُهَا وَانْفِتَالُهَا
Has Hind stirred your longing, or has her inquiry reached you?
Such is separation—its ties and their unraveling.
وَقَدْand indeed أَرَّقَتْshe caused sleeplessness فِيin رَأْسِthe top of حِصْنٍa fortress مُمَنَّعٍwell-fortified
وَقَدْ أَرَّقَتْ فِي رَأْسِ حِصْنٍ مُمَنَّعٍ
بِنَجْرَانَin Najran يُسْرِيtravels by night بَعْدَafter لَيْلٍnight خَيَالُهَاher phantom
بِنَجْرَانَ يُسْرِي بَعْدَ لَيْلٍ خَيَالُهَا
And she has kept me sleepless atop a well-fortified stronghold,
In Najran, where her phantom journeys after nightfall.
وَعَاذِلَةٍand a reproving woman هَبَّتْshe awoke بِلَيْلٍat night تَلُومُنِيshe blames me
وَعَاذِلَةٍ هَبَّتْ بِلَيْلٍ تَلُومُنِي
وَتَعْذِلُنِيand rebukes me بِاللَّيْلِat night ضَلَّmay it go astray ضَلَالُهَاher error
وَتَعْذِلُنِي بِاللَّيْلِ ضَلَّ ضَلَالُهَا
And a reproving woman awoke at night to blame me,
And rebuke me at night—may her error come to nothing!
وَتَزْعُمُand she claims أَنِّيthat I إنْif أَطَعْتُI obey عَشِيرَتِيmy clan
وَتَزْعُمُ أَنِّي إنْ أَطَعْتُ عَشِيرَتِي
سَأُرْدَىI shall perish وَهَلْand would يُرْدِينِdestroy me إلَّاexcept زِيَالُهَاseparation from it
سَأُرْدَى وَهَلْ يُرْدِينِ إلَّا زِيَالُهَا
She claims that if I obey my clan,
I shall perish; yet what could destroy me but separation from it?
فَإِنِّيfor I indeed لَمِنْsurely belong to قَوْمٍa people إذَاwhen جَدَّgrows serious جِدُّهُمْtheir earnest striving
فَإِنِّي لَمِنْ قَوْمٍ إذَا جَدَّ جِدُّهُمْ
عَلَىin أَيِّwhatever حَالٍcondition أَصْبَحَhas become الْيَوْمَtoday حَالُهَاits condition
عَلَى أَيِّ حَالٍ أَصْبَحَ الْيَوْمَ حَالُهَا
For I am truly one of my people when their struggle grows earnest,
Whatever their condition may be today.
وَإِنِّيand I indeed لَحَامٍsurely a defender مِنْfrom وَرَاءِbehind عَشِيرَتِيmy clan
وَإِنِّي لَحَامٍ مِنْ وَرَاءِ عَشِيرَتِي
إذَاwhen كَانَis مِنْfrom تَحْتِbeneath الْعَوَالِيthe long spears مَجَالُهَاits arena
إذَا كَانَ مِنْ تَحْتِ الْعَوَالِي مَجَالُهَا
And I am surely a defender at my clan’s back,
When their arena lies beneath the long spears,
وَصَارَتْand became بِأَيْدِيهَاin its hands السُّيُوفُthe swords كَأَنَّهَاas though they were
وَصَارَتْ بِأَيْدِيهَا السُّيُوفُ كَأَنَّهَا
مَخَارِيقُcloth whips وِلْدَانٍboys وَمِنْهَاand from them ظِلَالُهَاits shade
مَخَارِيقُ وِلْدَانٍ وَمِنْهَا ظِلَالُهَا
And the swords in their hands become as though they were
Boys’ cloth whips, and from them comes the clan’s shade.
وَإِنِّيand I indeed لَأَقْلَىI surely detest الْحَاسِدِينَthe envious وَفِعْلَهُمْand their conduct
وَإِنِّي لَأَقْلَى الْحَاسِدِينَ وَفِعْلَهُمْ
عَلَىupon اللَّهِGod رِزْقِيmy provision نَفْسُهَاits own self وَعِيَالُهَاand its dependents
عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقِي نَفْسُهَا وَعِيَالُهَا
And I truly detest the envious and their conduct.
My provision rests with God—for the clan itself and its dependents.
وَإِنَّand indeed كَلَامَspeech الْمَرْءِof a man فيَin غَيْرِother than كُنْهِهِhis depth of understanding
وَإِنَّ كَلَامَ الْمَرْءِ فيَ غَيْرِ كُنْهِهِ
لَكَالنَّبْلِsurely like arrows تَهْوِيfly لَيْسَthere are no فِيهَاin them نِصَالُهَاtheir arrowheads
لَكَالنَّبْلِ تَهْوِي لَيْسَ فِيهَا نِصَالُهَا
And a man’s words beyond his understanding
Are like arrows flying without their points.
فَإِنْso if كُنْتِyou were قَدْalready تَابَعْتُI followed (context suggests: you followed) دِينَthe religion of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
فَإِنْ كُنْتِ قَدْ تَابَعْتُ دِينَ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَعَطَّفَتْand bent الْأَرْحَامَkinship ties مِنْكَfrom you حِبَالُهَاits cords
وَعَطَّفَتْ الْأَرْحَامَ مِنْكَ حِبَالُهَا
So if you have followed Muhammad’s religion,
And kinship’s cords have drawn it away from you,
فَكُونِيthen be عَلَىon أَعْلَىthe summit of سَحِيقٍa remote height بِهَضْبَةٍupon a hill
فَكُونِي عَلَى أَعْلَى سَحِيقٍ بِهَضْبَةٍ
مُلَمْلَمَةٍrounded and compact غَبْرَاءَdust-grey يَبْسٍdry بِلَالُهَاits moisture
مُلَمْلَمَةٍ غَبْرَاءَ يَبْسٍ بِلَالُهَا
Then be at the summit of a remote height, upon a hill,
Rounded and dust-grey, its moisture dried up.