أَوحَشتhas grown desolate النَخلُal-Nakhl مِنfrom مَعاقِلِMaʿāqil فَالرَوand al-Raw- (continued)
أَوحَشت النَخلُ مِن مَعاقِلِ فَالرَو
ضاتِ-ḍāt (completing al-Rawḍāt) بَينَbetween الغَيساءِal-Ghaysāʾ فَالنُجُدِand al-Nujud
ضاتِ بَينَ الغَيساءِ فَالنُجُدِ
Al-Nakhl has grown desolate, from Maʿāqil to al-Raw-
The palms are desolate amid strongholds between the sands and the meadows,
ḍāt, between al-Ghaysāʾ and al-Nujud.
The wild replaced by the familiar from times gone by,
بُدِّلتِit was given in exchange الوَحشَwild beasts بِالأَنيسِin place of human company لِماbecause of what
بُدِّلتِ الوَحشَ بِالأَنيسِ لِما
مَرَّhas passed عَلَيهاover it مِنof سالِفِbygone الأَبَدِtime
مَرَّ عَلَيها مِن سالِفِ الأَبَدِ
It was given wild beasts in place of human company, because of
After years aloft its arenas
the bygone ages that have passed over it.
You hear within prizes of money,
بَعدَafter سَوامٍgrazing herds تَعلوrange over مَسارِحَهُits grazing grounds
بَعدَ سَوامٍ تَعلو مَسارِحَهُ
تَسمَعُyou hear فيهِin it جَوائِزَpassing flocks النَقَدِsmall, short-legged sheep
تَسمَعُ فيهِ جَوائِزَ النَقَدِ
After grazing herds that ranged over its pastures,
It guards its pack and protects them
you heard passing flocks of short-legged sheep there.
A gaze like a vigilant doe, unsheathed,
يَحرُسُhe guards أَكلاءَهُits herbage وَيَحفَظُهُand protects it
يَحرُسُ أَكلاءَهُ وَيَحفَظُهُ
طِرفٌa noble one كَتَيسِlike a buck الظِباءِof the gazelles مُنجَرِدِlean and sleek
طِرفٌ كَتَيسِ الظِباءِ مُنجَرِدِ
Its grazing lands were guarded and it was protected
And a swimmer, gathering, clawed by
by a noble guardian, lean as a gazelle buck.
Every unruly leader like a lion,
وَسابِحٍand a galloping steed مُدمِجٍcompactly built يَخرِشُهُgoads him
وَسابِحٍ مُدمِجٍ يَخرِشُهُ
كُلُّevery عُنودِwayward القِيادِrein كَالمَسَدِlike a twisted cord
كُلُّ عُنودِ القِيادِ كَالمَسَدِ
And a compactly built galloper, goaded
It has no prophecy, so it refused it
by every wayward rein, like a twisted cord.
On a day of wagering, from it no acceptance or rejection,
لَيسَتthere is not لَهُfor him نَبوَةٌa stumble فَنَكرَهُهاso that we dislike it
لَيسَت لَهُ نَبوَةٌ فَنَكرَهُها
يَومَon the day of رِهانٍa race مِنهُfrom him وَلاnor طَرَدِpursuit
يَومَ رِهانٍ مِنهُ وَلا طَرَدِ
He has no stumble that we would dislike
O can you see the lightning in the darkness of its knuckles
in him on race-day or in pursuit.
In a growling thunder, its temples clenched,
ياah هَلdo you تَرىsee البَرقَthe lightning بِتُّI spent the night أَرقَبُهُwatching it
يا هَل تَرى البَرقَ بِتُّ أَرقَبُهُ
فيin مُكفَهِرٍّa dark cloud نَشاصُهُits towering clouds قَرَدِmatted
في مُكفَهِرٍّ نَشاصُهُ قَرَدِ
Ah, do you see the lightning I spent the night watching
It leaned on the dome of ruins gloriously
in a dark cloud, its towering masses matted?
The pole glittering between the sands and the rocks,
مالَit leaned عَلىover قُبَّةِthe dome of البُثاءِal-Buthāʾ فعزand inten- (continued)
مالَ عَلى قُبَّةِ البُثاءِ فعز
زَ-sified (completing the preceding verb) المَترُthe rain (probable intended reading) بَينَbetween الرَجلاءِal-Rajlāʾ فَالجُمُدِand al-Jumud
زَ المَترُ بَينَ الرَجلاءِ فَالجُمُدِ
It leaned over the dome of al-Buthāʾ; then stronger grew
It leaves them, the endings, scattered,
the rain between al-Rajlāʾ and al-Jumud.
Like fresh, loosened headbands,
يَترُكُit leaves مِنهاfrom it النِهاءُthe pools مُفرِطَةًoverflowing
يَترُكُ مِنها النِهاءُ مُفرِطَةً
مِثلَlike الرِياطِthe cloths المَنشورَةِspread out الجُدُدِnew
مِثلَ الرِياطِ المَنشورَةِ الجُدُدِ
It leaves the pools there overflowing,
When a Yemeni wind passes it
like fresh cloths spread out.
It returns its banners to the textile,
إِذامَرَتهُwhen it milks it ريحٌa wind يَمانِيَّةٌYemeni
إِذامَرَتهُ ريحٌ يَمانِيَّةٌ
يَرُدُّit draws back رَيعانَهُits surging front إِلىinto نَضَدِpiled layers
يَرُدُّ رَيعانَهُ إِلى نَضَدِ
When a Yemeni wind milks it,
If yesterday I stroked the soil, could
it draws its surging front back into piled layers.
Death after me turn from anyone?
إِنif أَمسِI come to be رَمساًa grave تَحتَbeneath التُرابِthe earth فَهَلthen will
إِن أَمسِ رَمساً تَحتَ التُرابِ فَهَل
تَصرِفُturn away بَعديafter me المَنونُdeath عَنfrom أَحَدِanyone
تَصرِفُ بَعدي المَنونُ عَن أَحَدِ
If I become a grave beneath the earth, will
Every person has lost his loved ones
death turn away from anyone after me?
And a Muslim his face turned to the homeland,
كُلُّevery اِمرِئٍman فاقِدٌlosing أَحبَتهُhis loved ones
كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ فاقِدٌ أَحبَتهُ
وَمُسلِمٍand surrendering وَجهَهُhis face إِلىto البَلَدِthe earth
وَمُسلِمٍ وَجهَهُ إِلى البَلَدِ
Every man loses those he loves
I opened my shop spreading it
and surrenders his face to the earth.
With luggage atop the brilliant camels
وَقَدand often أُغاديI visit at dawn الحانوتthe wine-seller أَنشُرُهُI rouse him
وَقَد أُغادي الحانوت أَنشُرُهُ
بِالرَحلِwith the saddle فوقَon top of العَرانَةِthe sturdy she-camel الأُجُدِstrong-backed
بِالرَحلِ فوقَ العَرانَةِ الأُجُدِ
And often I would visit the wine-seller at dawn and rouse him,
My eyes pierce the cups yet I do not
with my saddle on a sturdy, strong-backed she-camel.
Get drunk from their scent and I do not flinch,
تَنفُذُpenetrates عَينيmy eye إِلىinto الكَياسِthe wine vessels (uncertain reading) وَلاand do not
تَنفُذُ عَيني إِلى الكَياسِ وَلا
أَسكَرُI become drunk مِنfrom ريحِهاtheir scent وَلَمand have not أَكَدِcome close to doing so
أَسكَرُ مِن ريحِها وَلَم أَكَدِ
My gaze penetrates the wine vessels, and I do not
I avoid the era of scheming, and I
grow drunk on their scent, nor even come close.
Slay the hunger of the wretched outcast
وَاِترُكand I leave القَرنَthe adversary مِنَthrough المَكرِguile وَقَدand often
وَاِترُك القَرنَ مِنَ المَكرِ وَقَد
أَقتُلُI kill جوعَthe hunger of المُحَوَّلِthe wasted man الصَرِدِshivering with cold
أَقتُلُ جوعَ المُحَوَّلِ الصَرِدِ
And I leave my adversary through guile; and often
And I bring down the fearful stranger with it
I kill the hunger of the wasted, shivering man.
I fold up the day with a slumbering wail
وَأَهبِطُand I descend into العازِبَthe remote country المَخوفَfeared بِهِin it
وَأَهبِطُ العازِبَ المَخوفَ بِهِ
أَطويI fold up النَهارَthe day بِسابِحٍon a galloping steed نَهِدِpowerfully built
أَطوي النَهارَ بِسابِحٍ نَهِدِ
And I descend into remote country, where danger is feared;
Barefoot, its vessels,
I fold up the day on a powerful galloper,
Clouds like frightened ewes, restless,
أَجرَدَsleek-coated مَدلوكَةٍrubbed smooth مَعاقِمُهُhis joints
أَجرَدَ مَدلوكَةٍ مَعاقِمُهُ
فُقمٌmassive كَشاةِlike a wild buck الصَريمَةِof the thicket العَتَدِsturdy
فُقمٌ كَشاةِ الصَريمَةِ العَتَدِ
sleek-coated, his joints rubbed smooth,
It did not contend with veils and its
massive, like the sturdy wild buck of the thicket.
Heat did not weary it, nor did it object
لَمhas not يَتَخاوَشِwasted away مِنَfrom النِقابِthe mountain passes وَلَمand has not
لَم يَتَخاوَشِ مِنَ النِقابِ وَلَم
يُزرِdiminished بِهِhim قَيظُهُhis summer heat وَلَمand has not يَرِدِcome to water
يُزرِ بِهِ قَيظُهُ وَلَم يَرِدِ
He has not wasted away from crossing mountain passes, nor
has his summer heat diminished him, and he has not come to water.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.