بانَdeparted الخَليطُthe companions فَعَينُهُso his eye لاnot تَهجَعُsleeps
بانَ الخَليطُ فَعَينُهُ لا تَهجَعُ
وَالقَلبُand the heart مِنfrom حَذَرِfear of الفِراقِseparation مُرَوَّعُterrified
وَالقَلبُ مِن حَذَرِ الفِراقِ مُرَوَّعُ
The companions have departed; his eye finds no sleep,
Sleep stays away as his eyes mix with tears,
and his heart is terrified by fear of parting.
His heart filled with the fear of parting, distressed.
وَدَّwished العَواذِلُthe reproachers يَومَon the day of رامَةَRāmah أَنَّهُمthat they
وَدَّ العَواذِلُ يَومَ رامَةَ أَنَّهُم
قَطَعواthey severed الحِبالَthe bonds وَلَيتَهاand would that they لاnot تَقطَعُbe severed
قَطَعوا الحِبالَ وَلَيتَها لا تَقطَعُ
On the day at Rāmah, the reproachers wished that they
The visiting women blamed the day of Rama,
had severed the bonds; would that those bonds were never severed!
When they cut the ropes, if only they weren't cut!
قالَsaid العَواذِلُthe reproachers غَيرَwithout جِدِّearnestness نَصاحَةٍsincere counsel
قالَ العَواذِلُ غَيرَ جِدِّ نَصاحَةٍ
أَعلىis it over الشَبابِyouth وَقَدalthough already بَليتَyou are worn out تَفَجَّعُyou lament
أَعلى الشَبابِ وَقَد بَليتَ تَفَجَّعُ
The reproachers said, with no earnest sincerity:
The visiting women said, not out of true advice:
“Do you mourn your youth, though you are worn with age?”
"You're still young, yet you've aged from crying."
ياoh لَيتَwould that لَوif رَفَعَتcarried onward بِناwith us عيدِيَّةٌan ʿĪdī she-camel
يا لَيتَ لَو رَفَعَت بِنا عيدِيَّةٌ
أَعناقُهُنَّtheir necks عَلىalong الطَريقِthe road تَزَعزَعُsway
أَعناقُهُنَّ عَلى الطَريقِ تَزَعزَعُ
Oh, would that ʿĪdī she-camels bore us onward,
If only they had raised Eidiyya's rope necklaces
their necks swaying along the road!
Swaying on the road, shaken.
صَبَّحنَthey reached in the morning دومَةَDūmah بَعدَafter خِمسٍa five-day watering interval جاهِدٍgrueling
صَبَّحنَ دومَةَ بَعدَ خِمسٍ جاهِدٍ
غَلَساًin predawn darkness وَفَضلُand the loose ends نُسوعِهاof their girth-straps يَتَنَوَّعُsway
غَلَساً وَفَضلُ نُسوعِها يَتَنَوَّعُ
They reached Dūmah in the morning, after five grueling days,
They left Duma at dawn, after five nights' journey
in the predawn gloom, their loose girth-straps swaying.
Riding all night, the remnants of their provisions diverse.
تَعلوcrosses السَماوَةُal-Samāwah تَلتَظيblazes حِزّانُهاits rugged heights
تَعلو السَماوَةُ تَلتَظي حِزّانُها
وَالآلُand the mirage فَوقَabove ذُرىthe summits of وُعالٍWuʿāl يَلمَعُgleams
وَالآلُ فَوقَ ذُرى وُعالٍ يَلمَعُ
They cross al-Samāwah, its rugged heights ablaze,
Clouds rise up, weeping over their misfortune,
and the mirage gleams above the summits of Wuʿāl.
While the family is atop scattered, shining sands.
يَكفيsuffices for الأَدِلَّةَthe guides بَعدَafter سوءِthe badness of ظُنونِهِمtheir conjectures
يَكفي الأَدِلَّةَ بَعدَ سوءِ ظُنونِهِم
مَرُّthe progress of المَطِيِّthe riding camels إِذاwhen الحُداةُthe camel-drivers تَشَنَّعواraise a clamor
مَرُّ المَطِيِّ إِذا الحُداةُ تَشَنَّعوا
After their dire misgivings, what suffices for the guides
The foal's galloping suffices as proof after their ill suspicions
is the mounts’ progress, when the camel-drivers raise their cries.
When the landmarks diminish and the shadows shrink
وَالأَرحَبِيُّand the Arḥabī camel إِذاwhen الظِلالُthe shadows تَقاصَرَتgrow short
وَالأَرحَبِيُّ إِذا الظِلالُ تَقاصَرَت
يُغريurges on الغَرِيَّthe eager one وَذاتُand a she-camel possessing غَربٍspirit مَيلَعُfleet
يُغري الغَرِيَّ وَذاتُ غَربٍ مَيلَعُ
And the Arḥabī camel, when the shadows shorten,
The spacious sands entice the lost soul
urges the eager one on; the spirited she-camel is fleet.
A letter you're wary of in depleted wine skins
حَرفٌa lean, hardy she-camel تُحاذِرُis wary فيthrough خِشاشٍa nose-peg ناشِبٍfirmly lodged
حَرفٌ تُحاذِرُ في خِشاشٍ ناشِبٍ
حَصِداًa sturdy man يَسورُlunges كَماas يَسورُlunges الأَشجَعُthe brave man
حَصِداً يَسورُ كَما يَسورُ الأَشجَعُ
Lean and hardy, she is wary, through her firmly lodged nose-peg,
Like a harvest that whirls as the bracelet whirls.
of a sturdy man who lunges as a brave man lunges;
Shrubbery from Samaja palm trunks
شَذِبُstripped of المَكارِبِfrond-stubs مِنfrom جُذوعِthe trunks of سُمَيحَةٍSumayḥah
شَذِبُ المَكارِبِ مِن جُذوعِ سُمَيحَةٍ
يَمطوstretches الجَديلَthe braided rein وَسُرطُمانٌand a tall fellow شَعشَعُslender
يَمطو الجَديلَ وَسُرطُمانٌ شَعشَعُ
a trunk from Sumayḥah’s palms, shorn of its frond-stubs,
Sweeping the smooth sands while twigs crackle.
he stretches the braided rein—a tall, lanky fellow.
Stirring the flint stones in the kindling
وَتُثيرُand she flushes مُظهِرَةًtraveling at midday وَقَدand already وَقَدَgrew burning-hot الحَصىthe gravel
وَتُثيرُ مُظهِرَةً وَقَد وَقَدَ الحَصى
شاةَthe gazelle الكِناسِof the covert إِذاwhen اِسمَأَلَّcontracted التُبَّعُthe shadow
شاةَ الكِناسِ إِذا اِسمَأَلَّ التُبَّعُ
And at midday, when the gravel burns, she flushes
A ewe bleats when smoke from twigs rises.
the gazelle from its covert, when the shadow shrinks.
You see the sparks flying from the flint
وَتَرىand you see الحَصىthe gravel زَجِلاًrattling يُطيرُsends flying نَفِيَّهُits scattered spray
وَتَرى الحَصى زَجِلاً يُطيرُ نَفِيَّهُ
قَبضُthe gripping المَناسِمِof the camel’s feet وَالحَصىand the gravel يَتَصَعصَعُscatters
قَبضُ المَناسِمِ وَالحَصى يَتَصَعصَعُ
And you see the gravel rattling, its spray sent flying
Clasped between flints colliding and sparking.
by the grip of her feet, while the pebbles scatter.
Doe gazelles wring out their slender bodies
وَالعيسُand the pale camels تَعتَصِرُwring الهَواجِرُthe midday heats بُدنَهاtheir bodies
وَالعيسُ تَعتَصِرُ الهَواجِرُ بُدنَها
عَصرَthe pressing of الصُنَوبَرِpine كُلُّevery غَرٍّskin-fold يَنبَعُoozes
عَصرَ الصُنَوبَرِ كُلُّ غَرٍّ يَنبَعُ
And the midday heats wring the pale camels’ bodies
Like sap drips from pine trees from every cleft.
as pine is pressed; every skin-fold oozes.
We travelled from Udhma sands and Mukhafeq sands
سِرناwe set out مِنَfrom الأُدَمىal-Udamā وَرَملِand the sands of مُخَفِّقٍMukhaffiq
سِرنا مِنَ الأُدَمى وَرَملِ مُخَفِّقٍ
نَرجوwe hope for الحَياlife-giving rain وَجَنابَand the domain of غَيثٍrain يُربَعُis grazed in spring
نَرجو الحَيا وَجَنابَ غَيثٍ يُربَعُ
We set out from al-Udamā and the sands of Mukhaffiq,
Seeking life, hoping for pouring rain.
hoping for rain and a rain-fed haven for spring pasture.
How much grace you've bestowed on us continuously
كَمhow many قَدindeed تَتابَعَfollowed in succession مِنكُمُfrom you مِنof أَنعُمٍfavors
كَم قَد تَتابَعَ مِنكُمُ مِن أَنعُمٍ
وَالمَحلُand drought يَذهَبُsweeps away أَنthat تَعودَreturn الأَمرُعُthe lush pastures
وَالمَحلُ يَذهَبُ أَن تَعودَ الأَمرُعُ
How many favors from you have followed one another,
Though it nearly ceased when ropes were cut.
while drought blights the prospect of lush pastures returning!
You've revived the fresh springs after
أَثبَتُّمُyou made firm زَلَلَthe slipping of المَراقيthe ascending steps بَعدَماafter
أَثبَتُّمُ زَلَلَ المَراقي بَعدَما
كادَتalmost قُوىthe strands of سَبَبِthe connecting cord of الحِبالِthe ropes تَقَطَّعُwere breaking
كادَت قُوى سَبَبِ الحِبالِ تَقَطَّعُ
You made the slippery steps firm, after
The rope pulleys were nearly severed.
the strands of the binding cords had almost snapped.
I complain to you - provide me children
أَشكوI complain of إِلَيكَto you فَأَشكِنيso relieve my complaint ذُرِّيَّةًoffspring
أَشكو إِلَيكَ فَأَشكِني ذُرِّيَّةً
لاnot يَشبَعونَthey get their fill وَأُمُّهُمand their mother لاnot تَشبَعُgets her fill
لا يَشبَعونَ وَأُمُّهُم لا تَشبَعُ
I complain to you of children—so relieve my distress—
Insatiable, and their mother no less so,
who never get their fill, nor does their mother.
Multiplying, neither eldest nor youngest die
كَثُرواthey grew numerous عَلَيَّupon me فَماso not يَموتُdies كَبيرُهُمtheir eldest
كَثُروا عَلَيَّ فَما يَموتُ كَبيرُهُم
حَتّىuntil الحِسابِthe Reckoning وَلاnor الصَغيرُthe little one المُرضَعُbeing suckled
حَتّى الحِسابِ وَلا الصَغيرُ المُرضَعُ
They have grown numerous on my hands; their eldest will not die
Until time ends, or the nursing babe grows up,
until the Reckoning, nor will the suckling child.
When I look at them, their mother makes me doubt
وَإِذاand when نَظَرتُI look يَريبُنيtroubles me مِنfrom أُمِّهِمtheir mother
وَإِذا نَظَرتُ يَريبُني مِن أُمِّهِم
عَينٌan eye مُهَجَّجَةٌsunken وَخَدٌّand a cheek أَسفَعُdarkened
عَينٌ مُهَجَّجَةٌ وَخَدٌّ أَسفَعُ
And when I look, I am troubled by their mother’s
Squinting eyes and a grimacing cheek.
sunken eye and darkened cheek.
When the children share their toys
وَإِذاand when تَقَسَّمَتِdivided among themselves العِيالُthe dependents غَبوقَهاher evening milk
وَإِذا تَقَسَّمَتِ العِيالُ غَبوقَها
كَثُرَincreased الأَنينُthe moaning وَفاضَand overflowed مِنهاfrom her المَدمَعُthe tears
كَثُرَ الأَنينُ وَفاضَ مِنها المَدمَعُ
And when the children divide her evening milk,
Crying rises, and tears flow from them.
the moaning swells, and tears pour from her.
Gift me, though neediness has befallen me
رِشنيenrich me فَقَدfor already دَخَلَتhas entered عَلَيَّupon me خَصاصَةٌdestitution
رِشني فَقَد دَخَلَت عَلَيَّ خَصاصَةٌ
مِمّاfrom what جَمَعتَyou gathered وَكُلُّand every خَيرٍgood thing تَجمَعُyou gather
مِمّا جَمَعتَ وَكُلُّ خَيرٍ تَجمَعُ
Feather me—for destitution has come upon me—
From what you've gathered, as you gather all good.
with some of what you have gathered; you gather every good thing.
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.