أَبعدَafter? مُقاميmy stay فيin دَباوَندِDabavand أَبتَغيI seek
أَبعدَ مُقامي في دَباوَندِ أَبتَغي
دِمَشقَDamascus لَقَدindeed حاوَلتُI sought عَنقاءَthe phoenix مُغرِبِelusive
دِمَشقَ لَقَد حاوَلتُ عَنقاءَ مُغرِبِ
After my stay in Dabavand, do I seek
After staying in Debwand, I longed
Damascus? I have indeed sought the elusive phoenix.
For Damascus, though the eagle never grasped my hand,
وَماand not قَبَضَتclasped كَفُّthe hand of الخَضيبِal-Khadib (the dyed one) عَلىonto يَديmy hand
وَما قَبَضَت كَفُّ الخَضيبِ عَلى يَدي
وَلاnor حَطَّalighted فَوقَabove الطائِرِthe flying one النسرِthe eagle مَركبيmy mount
وَلا حَطَّ فَوقَ الطائِرِ النسرِ مَركبي
And the hand of al-Khadib has not clasped my hand,
Nor did my steed alight atop the high-flying bird.
nor has my mount alighted above the Flying Eagle.
So well for those people there, so well
فَياso, oh حَبَّذاhow dear قَومٌpeople هُناكَthere وَحَبَّذاand how dear
فَيا حَبَّذا قَومٌ هُناكَ وَحَبَّذا
مِنَof الأَرضِthe land غَربِيُّthe western part of الحَدالىal-Hadala وَغُرَّبِand Ghurrab
مِنَ الأَرضِ غَربِيُّ الحَدالى وَغُرَّبِ
Ah, how dear are the people there, and how dear
For the Arab in the west with dusk and gray hair.
the western lands of al-Hadala and Ghurrab!
If a pass overlooking Damascus appears to me,
لَئِنif indeed أَشرَفَتrises high بيwith me فيin الشَآمِSyria ثَنيَةٌa mountain pass
لَئِن أَشرَفَت بي في الشَآمِ ثَنيَةٌ
أَرىI see كَوكَباًKawkab مِنfrom فَوقِهاabove it مِثلlike كَوكَبِa star
أَرى كَوكَباً مِن فَوقِها مِثل كَوكَبِ
If a mountain pass in Syria lifts me high,
I will see a star above it like a shining star.
where I see Kawkab from its heights, like a star,
To my right loomed a brilliance as though
وَلاحَand appeared سَنيرٌSanir عَنon يَمينيmy right كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَلاحَ سَنيرٌ عَن يَميني كَأَنَّهُ
سَنامٌa hump رَعيبٌtowering فَوقَabove غارِبِthe withers of مُصعَبِan untamed camel
سَنامٌ رَعيبٌ فَوقَ غارِبِ مُصعَبِ
and Sanir appears on my right, as though it were
It were a terrifying lion above a dusky mountain.
a towering hump above an untamed camel's withers,
The snowy mountains shone like flowers, as if
وَلاحَتand appeared جِبالُmountains of الثَلجِsnow زُهراًgleaming white كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَلاحَت جِبالُ الثَلجِ زُهراً كَأَنَّها
ضِياءُthe radiance of صَباحٍmorning أَوor مَفارِقُthe hair-partings of أَشيَبِa gray-haired man
ضِياءُ صَباحٍ أَو مَفارِقُ أَشيَبِ
and the snow mountains appear gleaming, as though they were
They were the glow of dawn or the departure of elders.
morning's radiance, or a gray-haired man's parted hair,
My heart took delight in the meadows of Tel Rahit
وَشامَتand sighted قَلوصيmy young she-camel مِنfrom حِمىthe protected pasture of تلthe hill of راهِطٍRahit
وَشامَت قَلوصي مِن حِمى تل راهِطٍ
رِياضاًmeadows حَكَتresembled وَشيَthe patterns of اليَمانيthe Yemeni cloak المُعَصَّبِstriped
رِياضاً حَكَت وَشيَ اليَماني المُعَصَّبِ
and my young she-camel spies, in Tell Rahit's protected pastures,
Which the Yemeni shepherd had depicted and adorned.
meadows that mimic the patterns of a striped Yemeni cloak,
I let them graze in the shade of Al-Ahwa, overflowing
وَسَرَّحتُهاand I let her graze فيin ظِلِّthe shade of أَحوىa dark-green grove تَدَفَّقَتflowed abundantly
وَسَرَّحتُها في ظِلِّ أَحوى تَدَفَّقَت
بِأَرجائِهِthrough its reaches الأَمواهُwaters مِنfrom كُلِّevery مَشرَبِwater source
بِأَرجائِهِ الأَمواهُ مِن كُلِّ مَشرَبِ
and I let her graze in a dark-green grove's shade, where flow
With water from every spring.
waters through its reaches from every source—
When their shepherd was lost, his birds
إِذاwhen ضاعَwafted رَيّاهُits fragrance أَذاعَتspread abroad طُيورُهُits birds الـthe
إِذا ضاعَ رَيّاهُ أَذاعَت طُيورُهُ الـ
ـحَديثَtidings فَتَغنيso they suffice عَنinstead of قِيانٍsinging slave-girls وَمشحبِand a perfuming stand
ـحَديثَ فَتَغني عَن قِيانٍ وَمشحبِ
when its fragrance wafts, its birds proclaim the
Chattered, singing of Qian and Mashhab.
tidings, dispensing with singing-girls and a perfuming stand;
Honor to Dafir, when its fire blazed
لِعزَّةَfor Azza دَفرٌa rank smell حينَwhen توقَدُis kindled نارُهاher fire
لِعزَّةَ دَفرٌ حينَ توقَدُ نارُها
لَدَيهِbeside it وَمِتفالٌand unperfumed بِهِin it أُمUmm (mother of) جُندَبِJundab
لَدَيهِ وَمِتفالٌ بِهِ أُم جُندَبِ
Azza smells rank when her fire is kindled
Near him, and Umm Jundab glorified him!
beside it, and Umm Jundab is unperfumed there—
I forgave time its sins
غَفَرتُI shall forgive لِدَهريto my fate ماwhat جَنىit committed مِنof ذُنوبِهِits sins
غَفَرتُ لِدَهري ما جَنى مِن ذُنوبِهِ
وَأَصبَحتُand I shall become راضيcontent القَلبِat heart عَنwith كُلِّevery مُذنِبِoffender
وَأَصبَحتُ راضي القَلبِ عَن كُلِّ مُذنِبِ
I shall forgive my fate the sins it has committed,
And my heart was pleased with every sinner.
and become content at heart with every offender.
I yearn for honored people there
أَحِنُّI yearn إِلىfor قَومٍpeople هُناكَthere أَعِزَّةٍdear
أَحِنُّ إِلى قَومٍ هُناكَ أَعِزَّةٍ
عَلَيَّto me وَقَومٍand people فيin عِراصِthe precincts of المُقَطَّبِal-Muqattab
عَلَيَّ وَقَومٍ في عِراصِ المُقَطَّبِ
I yearn for people there who are dear
And people in the thickets of Al-Muqattab.
to me, and people in the precincts of al-Muqattab.
Can I hope, after trying in India, to return
أَأَرجوdo I hope? وَقَدthough already حاوَلتُI sought فيin الهِندِIndia عَودَةًa return
أَأَرجو وَقَد حاوَلتُ في الهِندِ عَودَةً
إِلَيهِمto them لَقَدindeed حاوَلتُI sought أَطماعَthe greedy hopes of أَشعَبِAsh'ab
إِلَيهِم لَقَد حاوَلتُ أَطماعَ أَشعَبِ
Can I hope, though in India I sought a return
To them? Indeed I tried, desiring the slopes of Ash'ab.
to them? I have indeed pursued Ash'ab's greedy hopes.
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.