سَقىmay He water اللَهُGod بِالأَجرَعَينِat al-Ajra'ayn الدِياراthe dwellings
سَقى اللَهُ بِالأَجرَعَينِ الدِيارا
مُلِثّاًunceasing (rain) يُرَوّيdrenching العِراصَthe courtyards القِفاراdeserted
مُلِثّاً يُرَوّي العِراصَ القِفارا
May God water the dwellings at al-Ajra'ayn
with unceasing rain that drenches the deserted courtyards.
تَرىyou see مُومِضَthe flash of البَرقِlightning فيon جانِبَيْboth sides of
تَرى مُومِضَ البَرقِ في جانِبَيْ
هِit يَبدُوit appears مِراراًrepeatedly وَيَخبُوand fades مِراراrepeatedly
هِ يَبدُو مِراراً وَيَخبُو مِرارا
You see the lightning's flash on either side
of it, appearing time and again and fading time and again.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle سَرىit travels by night مُنجِداًascending to high ground فيthrough الرَبابِthe clouds
إِذا ما سَرى مُنجِداً في الرَبابِ
رَبابِclouds of الأَعاصِيرِwhirlwinds ثَنّىit turns back فَغاراthen descends
رَبابِ الأَعاصِيرِ ثَنّى فَغارا
Whenever it travels by night, rising through the clouds—
the clouds of whirlwinds—it turns back and descends.
تَظُنَّyou would think سَناهُits radiance إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِستَطارَit spreads
تَظُنَّ سَناهُ إِذا ما اِستَطارَ
عَلىover كُلِّevery صَمدٍrise مِنَof الأَرضِthe land ناراa fire
عَلى كُلِّ صَمدٍ مِنَ الأَرضِ نارا
You would take its radiance, when it spreads
over every rise in the land, for fire.
تَبَوَّجَit blazes مُستَشرِياًspreading fiercely فيin الظَلامِthe darkness
تَبَوَّجَ مُستَشرِياً في الظَلامِ
إِذاwhen اِبتَدَرَrushes toward الأُفعُوانُthe great male viper الوِجاراthe den
إِذا اِبتَدَرَ الأُفعُوانُ الوِجارا
It blazes, spreading fiercely through the darkness,
as the great serpent darts toward its den.
كَأَنَّas though رَواعِدَهُits thunderclaps فيin الصَبِيرِthe massed cloud
كَأَنَّ رَواعِدَهُ في الصَبِيرِ
حَنينُthe yearning cries of العِشارِpregnant she-camels تلاقيmeeting العِشاراpregnant she-camels
حَنينُ العِشارِ تلاقي العِشارا
As though its thunderclaps within the massed cloud
were the yearning cries of pregnant she-camels meeting their kind.
وَطَيفٍand a dream-vision أَتىcame زائِراًvisiting فيin الظَلامِthe darkness
وَطَيفٍ أَتى زائِراً في الظَلامِ
فَهَيَّجَso it stirred ليin me لَوعَةًa burning anguish حينَwhen زاراit visited
فَهَيَّجَ لي لَوعَةً حينَ زارا
And a dream-vision came visiting in the darkness,
stirring a burning anguish in me when it visited.
وَفارَقَنيand it left me حينَwhen وافىarrived الصَباحُthe morning
وَفارَقَني حينَ وافى الصَباحُ
فَخِلتُso I thought النَهارَdaylight تَلَقّىhad met نَهاراanother daylight
فَخِلتُ النَهارَ تَلَقّى نَهارا
It left me when morning arrived,
so I thought daylight had met another daylight.
وَكَمand many a لَيلَةٍnight بِتُّI spent the night مِمّاbecause of how أَحِنْI yearn (continued)
وَكَم لَيلَةٍ بِتُّ مِمّا أَحِنْ
نُcompletes 'I yearn' لاnot أَطعَمُI taste النَومَsleep إِلّاexcept غِراراbrief snatches
نُ لا أَطعَمُ النَومَ إِلّا غِرارا
And many a night I have spent, because of my longing,
tasting sleep only in fleeting snatches.
وَكُنتُand I used to أُحِبُّlove اللَياليthe nights الطِوالَlong
وَكُنتُ أُحِبُّ اللَيالي الطِوالَ
فَصِرتُthen I came to أُحِبُّlove اللَياليthe nights القِصاراshort
فَصِرتُ أُحِبُّ اللَيالي القِصارا
I once loved the long nights,
but came to love the short nights.
وَدَيمُومَةٍand many a trackless waste مِثلِlike ظَهرِthe back of المِجَنِّa shield
وَدَيمُومَةٍ مِثلِ ظَهرِ المِجَنِّ
سَقاناgave us to drink سُرىnight travel اللَيلِthe night فِيهاin it عُقاراwine
سَقانا سُرى اللَيلِ فِيها عُقارا
And many a trackless waste, like the back of a shield,
where night travel gave us wine to drink.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle جَذَبناwe pulled بُرىthe nose-rings of اليَعمَلاتِthe hardy she-camels
إِذا ما جَذَبنا بُرى اليَعمَلاتِ
بَينَamong المَخارِمِthe mountain passes ظَلَّتthey kept تَبارىracing one another
بَينَ المَخارِمِ ظَلَّت تَبارى
Whenever we pulled the nose-rings of the hardy she-camels
among the mountain passes, they kept racing one another.
يَطَأنَthey tread الحَصىthe pebbles فيin شِهابِthe blaze of الهَجيرِthe midday heat
يَطَأنَ الحَصى في شِهابِ الهَجيرِ
فَتَحسَبُso you would think فيon كُلِّevery عُودٍold camel هِجاراa hobble
فَتَحسَبُ في كُلِّ عُودٍ هِجارا
They tread the pebbles in the blaze of midday heat,
so you would think each old camel wore a hobble.
تَوَخَّينَthey headed toward their goal شَهرَينِtwo months حَتّىuntil أَتَينَthey came
تَوَخَّينَ شَهرَينِ حَتّى أَتَينَ
إِلىto الرَقَتَينِal-Raqqatayn رَذاياworn down حِساراexhausted
إِلى الرَقَتَينِ رَذايا حِسارا
They traveled toward their goal for two months until they came
to al-Raqqatayn, worn down and exhausted.
وَأَمَّمنَand they headed for بَحراًa sea إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle شَرَعنَthey came down to drink
وَأَمَّمنَ بَحراً إِذا ما شَرَعنَ
إِلىto مائِهِits water العَذبِsweet عِفنَthey spurned البِحاراthe seas
إِلى مائِهِ العَذبِ عِفنَ البِحارا
And they sought a sea; whenever they came down
to its sweet water, they spurned all other seas.
أَقُولُI say لِصَحبيto my companions بِجَوِّin the open country of الغُمَيرِal-Ghumayr
أَقُولُ لِصَحبي بِجَوِّ الغُمَيرِ
وَقَدand already ضَلَّhad lost his way حادِيthe driver of المَطاياthe riding camels وَحاراand was bewildered
وَقَد ضَلَّ حادِي المَطايا وَحارا
I say to my companions in the open country of al-Ghumayr,
when the camels' driver had lost his way and was bewildered:
تَيامَنتُمُyou have veered right عَنaway from بِلادِthe lands of المُعِزِّal-Mu'izz
تَيامَنتُمُ عَن بِلادِ المُعِزِّ
فَعُوجُواso turn يَساراًleftward تُصِيبُواyou will find يَساراprosperity
فَعُوجُوا يَساراً تُصِيبُوا يَسارا
You have veered right, away from al-Mu'izz's lands;
so turn left, and you will find prosperity.
وَلاقُواand meet أَمِيراًa prince قَليلَfew النَظيرِequals
وَلاقُوا أَمِيراً قَليلَ النَظيرِ
يُحِبُّhe loves الثَناءَpraise وَيَشناand hates النُضاراgold
يُحِبُّ الثَناءَ وَيَشنا النُضارا
And meet a prince with few equals,
who loves praise and hates gold.
كَرِيمُnoble النِجارِin lineage عَفيفُchaste الإِزارِthe waistcloth
كَرِيمُ النِجارِ عَفيفُ الإِزارِ
حَوىhe has gathered المَكرُماتِnoble deeds وَشادَand built up الفَخاراglory
حَوى المَكرُماتِ وَشادَ الفَخارا
Noble of stock, his waistcloth unsullied,
he has gathered noble deeds and built up glory.
أَعادَhe gave again وَأَبداand gave anew وَلِلفَضلِand in generosity أَسدىhe bestowed
أَعادَ وَأَبدا وَلِلفَضلِ أَسدى
وَلِلقِرنِand against the rival أَردىhe dealt death وَلِلرِيحِand with the wind بارىhe vied
وَلِلقِرنِ أَردى وَلِلرِيحِ بارى
He has given again and anew, and bestowed bounty,
and laid his rival low, and vied with the wind.
كَريمُgenerous الصَنيعَةِin beneficence ضَخمُabundant الدَسِيعَةِin largesse
كَريمُ الصَنيعَةِ ضَخمُ الدَسِيعَةِ
سَهلُeasy to reach الشَريعَةِthe watering-place لَمnot يَأتِhe has committed عاراa shameful deed
سَهلُ الشَريعَةِ لَم يَأتِ عارا
He is generous in kindness, abundant in largesse;
his watering-place is easy to reach; he has done nothing shameful.
غَناءُsupport الفَقيرِfor the poor man وَنِعمَand excellent is النَصيرُthe defender
غَناءُ الفَقيرِ وَنِعمَ النَصيرُ
إِذاwhen المُستَجِيرُthe seeker of refuge إِلَيهِwith him اِستَجاراseeks protection
إِذا المُستَجِيرُ إِلَيهِ اِستَجارا
The poor man's support, and an excellent defender
when a seeker of refuge seeks his protection.
يَفُكُّhe frees الأَسارىthe captives وَيَحميand protects العَذارىthe maidens
يَفُكُّ الأَسارى وَيَحمي العَذارى
وَيُعطِيand gives المَهارىMahri camels وَيُفنيand wears out المِهاراthe colts
وَيُعطِي المَهارى وَيُفني المِهارا
He frees the captives and protects the maidens,
and gives away Mahri camels and wears out colts.
إِذاwhen حَلَّhe settles فيin البَدوِnomad country زانَhe graces العَمُودَthe tent-pole
إِذا حَلَّ في البَدوِ زانَ العَمُودَ
وَإِنand if حَلَّhe settles فيin الحَضرِthe towns زانَhe graces الجِداراthe wall
وَإِن حَلَّ في الحَضرِ زانَ الجِدارا
When he settles in the desert, he graces the tent-pole;
and if he settles in town, he graces the wall.
أَباO Abu صالِحٍSalih قَدindeed فَضَلتَyou have surpassed المُلُوكَthe kings
أَبا صالِحٍ قَد فَضَلتَ المُلُوكَ
فَعُدتَso you became يَميناًthe right hand وَعادُواand they became يَساراthe left
فَعُدتَ يَميناً وَعادُوا يَسارا
O Abu Salih, you have surpassed kings,
so you became the right hand, and they the left.
وَأَلبَسَكَand has clothed you اللَهُGod ثَوبَthe robe of الوَقارِdignity
وَأَلبَسَكَ اللَهُ ثَوبَ الوَقارِ
فَلاso may not نَزَعَremove اللَهُGod عَنكَfrom you الوَقاراdignity
فَلا نَزَعَ اللَهُ عَنكَ الوَقارا
And God has clothed you in the robe of dignity;
may God never strip dignity from you.
تَحَوَّلتَyou moved away بِالأَمسِyesterday عَنfrom مَوضِعٍa place
تَحَوَّلتَ بِالأَمسِ عَن مَوضِعٍ
فَآنَستَso you gladdened داراًone dwelling وَأَوحَشتَand left desolate داراanother dwelling
فَآنَستَ داراً وَأَوحَشتَ دارا
You moved yesterday from one place,
gladdening one dwelling and leaving another desolate.
فَبُورِكَso may blessings be فيupon أَيِّwhatever أَرضٍland حَلَلتَyou settle in
فَبُورِكَ في أَيِّ أَرضٍ حَلَلتَ
وَسَقىand may He water الإِلهُGod ثَراهاits soil القِطاراwith showers
وَسَقى الإِلهُ ثَراها القِطارا
So blessed be whatever land you settle in,
and may God water its soil with showers.
وَلاand may not عَدِمَتthey lack مِنكَfrom you هَذىthese الدُسُوتُseats of honor
وَلا عَدِمَت مِنكَ هَذى الدُسُوتُ
رَواحاًevening visits إِلىto أَهلِهاtheir people وَاِبتِكاراand early-morning visits
رَواحاً إِلى أَهلِها وَاِبتِكارا
And may these seats of honor never be deprived of your
evening and early-morning visits to their people.
فَإِنَّكَfor you are أَعلىhighest of مُلوكthe kings of الزَمانِthe age
فَإِنَّكَ أَعلى مُلوك الزَمانِ
مَحَلّاًin station وَأَزكىand purest of البَراياhumankind نِجاراin lineage
مَحَلّاً وَأَزكى البَرايا نِجارا
For you are the highest of the kings of the age
in station, and the purest of mankind in lineage.
جَميلُكَyour kindness طَوَّلَraised قَدريmy standing فَطالَso it rose
جَميلُكَ طَوَّلَ قَدري فَطالَ
وَذِكرُكَand your renown سَيَّرَset traveling ذِكريmy renown فَساراso it traveled
وَذِكرُكَ سَيَّرَ ذِكري فَسارا
Your kindness raised my standing, and high it rose;
and your renown set my renown traveling, and it traveled.