أَرِقتُI lay sleepless لِبَرقٍbecause of lightning لاnot يُفَتِّرُabates لامِعُهits gleam
أَرِقتُ لِبَرقٍ لا يُفَتِّرُ لامِعُه
بِشُهبِover the pale الرُّبىthe hilltops وَاللَيلُand the night قَدalready نامَhad fallen asleep هاجِعُهits sleeper
بِشُهبِ الرُّبى وَاللَيلُ قَد نامَ هاجِعُه
I lay sleepless because of lightning whose gleam never wanes,
I was kept awake by lightning whose glow knew no respite
over the pale hilltops, while night’s sleeper had fallen asleep.
With sparks that flew and a night whose lover lay sleeping
أَرِقتُI lay sleepless لَهُbecause of it مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماwhen نامَhad fallen asleep صُحبَتيmy companions
أَرِقتُ لَهُ مِن بَعدِ ما نامَ صُحبَتي
وَأَعجَبَنيand delighted me إيماضُهُits flashing وَتَتَابُعُهand its succession
وَأَعجَبَني إيماضُهُ وَتَتَابُعُه
I lay sleepless because of it after my companions had fallen asleep,
Kept awake was I though my companions slept
and its flashing and its steady succession delighted me.
Its flashes enthralled me, came one after another
يُضيءُit illuminates صَبيراًa piled mass مِنof سَحابٍclouds كَأَنَّهُas though it were
يُضيءُ صَبيراً مِن سَحابٍ كَأَنَّهُ
هِجانٌwhite camels أَرَنَّتcried aloud لِلحَنينِwith longing نَوازِعُهits homesick ones
هِجانٌ أَرَنَّت لِلحَنينِ نَوازِعُه
It lights up a mass of clouds, as though it were
Patiently lighting the clouds as if it were
a herd of white camels, its homesick ones crying aloud in longing.
A melody of yearning played by the nostalgic
هَنيئاًmay it be pleasant لِأُمِّfor Umm البَختَرِيِّal-Bakhtari الرِوىfull quenching بِهِfrom it
هَنيئاً لِأُمِّ البَختَرِيِّ الرِوى بِهِ
وَإِنand even though أَنهَجَhas frayed الحَبلُthe cord الَّذيwhich النَأيُdistance قاطِعُهُsevering it
وَإِن أَنهَجَ الحَبلُ الَّذي النَأيُ قاطِعُهُ
May the quenching it brings be sweet to Umm al-Bakhtari,
Happy is the mother of Bakhtari, quenched by it
even though the cord that distance severs has frayed.
Though distant is he, cut off by the rope of estrangement
لَقَدindeed جَعَلَhas placed المُستَبضِعُthe consignor الغُشَّdeceit بَينَناbetween us
لَقَد جَعَلَ المُستَبضِعُ الغُشَّ بَينَنا
لِيَصرِمَto sever حَبلَيناour two cords تَجُزُmay sell بِضائِعُهhis wares
لِيَصرِمَ حَبلَينا تَجُزُ بِضائِعُه
Indeed, the consignor has placed deceit between us,
The reviler has surely slandered to separate us
to sever our two cords, so his wares may sell.
That the rope binding us may be severed, lost its course
فَماfor no سَرحَةٌa spreading tree تَجريflow الجَداوِلthe streams تَحتَهاbeneath it
فَما سَرحَةٌ تَجري الجَداوِل تَحتَها
بِمُطَّرِدِin an unbroken expanse of القيعانِthe lowlands عَذبٍsweet يَنابِعُهits springs
بِمُطَّرِدِ القيعانِ عَذبٍ يَنابِعُه
For no spreading tree beneath which streams flow,
Not even a meadow with streams flowing under the trees
in an unbroken sweep of lowlands whose springs are sweet,
As sweet as the day she said: “Do you mend ties or break them?”
بِأَحسَنَany more beautiful مِنهاthan her يَومَthe day قالَتshe said بِذيat Dhu الغَضاal-Ghada
بِأَحسَنَ مِنها يَومَ قالَت بِذي الغَضا
أَتَرعىwill you guard جَديدَfresh الحَبلِthe cord أَمor أَنتَyou قاطِعُهsevering it
أَتَرعى جَديدَ الحَبلِ أَم أَنتَ قاطِعُه
is lovelier than she was the day she said at Dhu al-Ghada:
“Will you guard the fresh cord, or will you sever it?”
Partial English translation: 12 of 14 Arabic lines translated.