أَضرَّafflicted بغادةٍa maiden هيفاءَslender-waisted رودtender
أَضرَّ بغادةٍ هيفاءَ رود
طوىًhunger بحياتِهاto her life قَدْindeed كادَalmost يوديbring an end
طوىً بحياتِها قَدْ كادَ يودي
A slender, tender maiden was afflicted
The grievous war brought misery to Bughada's fair maid,
by hunger that had almost claimed her life.
Nearly destroying her life completely.
فباتتْso she spent the night تحتَbeneath جنحِcover الليلِthe night تذريshedding
فباتتْ تحتَ جنحِ الليلِ تذري
منfrom الآماقِthe inner eye-corners كالدرِّlike pearls النضيدstrung together
من الآماقِ كالدرِّ النضيد
So beneath the cover of night she kept shedding
At night she weeps bitterly
from her eyes tears like strung pearls.
Like scattered pearls, from the depths of her pain.
وتندبُand she cries out for منone who يعولprovides support بهاfor her بصوتٍin a voice
وتندبُ من يعول بها بصوتٍ
يلينsoftens لسمعهِat hearing it القلبthe heart الحديديiron-hard
يلين لسمعهِ القلب الحديدي
And she cried out for someone to sustain her, in a voice
She laments to whoever will listen, in a voice
whose sound would soften a heart of iron.
That softens even the iron heart.
وزادand increased شجونَهاher sorrows إِعوالُthe wailing طفلٍa child
وزاد شجونَها إِعوالُ طفلٍ
لهاof hers دانيclose العهودِin time مِنَfrom المهودthe cradles
لها داني العهودِ مِنَ المهود
And her sorrows deepened at the wailing of a child
Her anguish grew with her suckling babe
of hers, only lately out of the cradle.
Who had known her bosom since his birth.
خوتْbecame empty أَحشاؤهhis entrails مماfrom what يقاسيhe suffers
خوتْ أَحشاؤه مما يقاسي
بعاديunder the onslaught of الجوعِhunger منof أَلمٍpain شديدsevere
بعادي الجوعِ من أَلمٍ شديد
His belly lay empty from the suffering he endured
His gut writhed with the agony
under hunger's onslaught, a grievous pain.
Of terrible, gnawing hunger.
فضمتَّهso she embraced him تعلِّلهsoothing him وَأَمستْand became
فضمتَّه تعلِّله وَأَمستْ
لظىthe blaze أَحشائهاher entrails ذاتpossessed of الوقودfuel
لظى أَحشائها ذات الوقود
She embraced him, soothing him, and
She held him close to comfort him, and her breasts
the blaze within her found its fuel.
Became like firewood furnaces.
وَلماand when ذَرَّappeared قرنُthe horn or rim الشمسِof the sun أَنشاhe began
وَلما ذَرَّ قرنُ الشمسِ أَنشا
يطالبهاhe demands from her بإِنجازِthe fulfillment of الوعودthe promises
يطالبها بإِنجازِ الوعود
And when the sun's rim appeared, he began
When the light of dawn pressed her
to demand that she fulfill her promises.
To fulfill her promises,
فظلتْso she remained فيamid خواطرthoughts مزعجاتٍdistressing
فظلتْ في خواطر مزعجاتٍ
يضيقُis constricted بوصفهاby describing them صدرُthe breast القصيدof poetry
يضيقُ بوصفها صدرُ القصيد
So she remained amid distressing thoughts
She lingered anxiously, with thoughts
whose telling would strain the breast of verse:
Too narrow for poetry to contain.
أَأَهرقshall I spill ماءَthe water وَجهيof my face فيin سؤالٍbegging
أَأَهرق ماءَ وَجهي في سؤالٍ
وَماand there is no فيin الحيِّthe neighborhood منany رجلٍman رشيدright-minded
وَما في الحيِّ من رجلٍ رشيد
'Shall I spill my face's water—my dignity—by begging,
Shall I beg, tears staining my face, from someone
when no right-minded man is in the neighborhood?
With no honor or wisdom?
أَمor اهتكshall I violate عفةًchastity بسبيلِfor the sake of قوتٍsustenance
أَم اهتك عفةً بسبيلِ قوتٍ
إِذاًthen إنيindeed I لفيam surely in غيٍّerror بعيدfar-reaching
إِذاً إني لفي غيٍّ بعيد
Or violate my chastity for sustenance?
Or compromise my virtue for food,
Then I would indeed be far astray.
Wandering astray?
وَماand not عنديin my possession منof الأَموالِwealth شيءٌanything
وَما عندي من الأَموالِ شيءٌ
سواءًwhether منof طريفٍnewly acquired wealth أَوor تليدinherited wealth
سواءً من طريفٍ أَو تليد
And I have no wealth at all,
I have no money, neither new nor old coin,
whether newly acquired or inherited.
And no help from my aunt.
وَإِنْand if يكit be ليسthere is not بدّan escape منfrom سؤالٍbegging
وَإِنْ يك ليس بدّ من سؤالٍ
فماthen there is no عنaway from خالتيmy maternal aunt ليfor me منany محيدway to turn aside
فما عن خالتي لي من محيد
And if there is no escape from begging,
She rose, limbs shaking, barely able to walk,
I have no recourse but my maternal aunt.'
And grudgingly gave her a trifling sum.
فقامتْso she rose ترجفُtremble الأوصالُthe limbs منهاof hers
فقامتْ ترجفُ الأوصالُ منها
وَقدand indeed عجزتْshe was unable عنto المشيِwalk الوثيدsteadily
وَقد عجزتْ عن المشيِ الوثيد
So she rose, her limbs trembling,
She wrote her a promissory note, with four witnesses,
unable now to walk with steady steps.
To be paid back in days.
وَأَمَّنهاand reassured her عَلَىwith كرهٍreluctance وَآبتْand she returned
وَأَمَّنها عَلَى كرهٍ وَآبتْ
بنزْرٍwith a scant amount منof دراهماdirhams زهيدpaltry
بنزْرٍ من دراهما زهيد
She was grudgingly reassured, and returned
She brought the news to her starving son,
with a paltry few dirhams.
Sweet as honey on his tongue.
وَقدand indeed كتبتْshe had written لهاfor her صكاًa promissory note بِدَيْنٍfor a debt
وَقد كتبتْ لها صكاً بِدَيْنٍ
لأَيامfor a term of days بأَربعةٍwith four شهودwitnesses
لأَيام بأَربعةٍ شهود
She had written her a promissory note for a debt
When the debt came due, drawing close
due in days, before four witnesses.
As a noose tightens on the neck,
وَعادتْand she returned لابنهاto her son الطاويthe famished بخبرْwith news
وَعادتْ لابنها الطاوي بخبرْ
يلذّtastes sweet أَمامَهcompared with it طعمُthe taste الهبيدof colocynth seeds
يلذّ أَمامَه طعمُ الهبيد
And she returned to her famished son with news
Her savings were gone, which she had used
beside which colocynth seeds would taste sweet.
To sustain her strong child,
وَلماand when باتbecame دفعُrepayment الدَيْنِof the debt أَدنىnearer
وَلما بات دفعُ الدَيْنِ أَدنى
وَقيتmay you be spared الدينdebt منthan حبلِthe cord الوريدof the jugular vein
وَقيت الدين من حبلِ الوريد
And when repayment of the debt drew nearer—
And of what she borrowed, only a hundred
may you be spared debt!—than the jugular vein,
Of the new coins remained.
وَقَدْand indeed نفِدwas exhausted الذيwhat ادخرتْshe had saved وَكانتand she had been
وَقَدْ نفِد الذي ادخرتْ وَكانت
تقيمkeeps upright ببعضِهwith some of it صلبthe backbone الوليدof the little child
تقيم ببعضِه صلب الوليد
and what she had saved was spent—she had been
She went to the market and bought with the rest
keeping the little one's back upright with some of it—
A loaded pistol, eager for blood.
وَلمّاand not يبقremain مماof what استقرضتهshe had borrowed it
وَلمّا يبق مما استقرضته
سوىexcept مائةٍa hundred منof المالthe money الجديدnewly acquired
سوى مائةٍ من المال الجديد
and nothing remained of what she had borrowed
She shut the windows, steeled herself,
but a hundred of the newly acquired money,
To erase her soul from existence.
غدتْshe went للسوقِto the market وابتاعتand bought ببقياwith the remainder of الthe
غدتْ للسوقِ وابتاعت ببقيا ال
فلوسِcoins مسدساًa pistol واريfire-kindling الزنودthe fire-strikers
فلوسِ مسدساً واري الزنود
she went to market and bought, with the remaining
The child rushed to her, terrified,
coins, a pistol with fire-sparking strikers.
His lids marked by years of prostration.
وَأوصدتِand she shut النوافذَthe windows ثمthen همَّتْshe resolved
وَأوصدتِ النوافذَ ثم همَّتْ
بمحوِto erase النفسِthe soul منfrom طرسِthe parchment الوجودof existence
بمحوِ النفسِ من طرسِ الوجود
And she shut the windows, then resolved
Had you but seen him clinging and crying
to erase her soul from the parchment of existence.
Like cool pearls streaming down her.
فقامso rose الطفلُthe child مذعوراًterrified إليهاtoward her
فقام الطفلُ مذعوراً إليها
وَفيand in أَجفانِهhis eyelids سنةُdrowsiness الهجودof sleep
وَفي أَجفانِه سنةُ الهجود
The child rose in alarm and came to her,
She kissed him farewell three times
with sleep's drowsiness still in his eyelids.
On cheek, gaze, and brow,
فلوthen if ترyou had seen إِذْwhen تعلَّقَhe clung وَهوwhile he يذريwas shedding
فلو تر إِذْ تعلَّقَ وَهو يذري
شَبيهَthe likeness of الدرِّpearls منهاof hers بالبرودto the robes
شَبيهَ الدرِّ منها بالبرود
Had you seen him as he clung—shedding
Saying: Though I act now to end the disgrace
tears like pearls—to her robes,
Inscribed through the years,
تقبلهshe kisses him مودعةًbidding farewell ثلاثاًthree times
تقبله مودعةً ثلاثاً
فمنso on خدٍa cheek وَناظرةٍand an eye وَجيدand a neck
فمن خدٍ وَناظرةٍ وَجيد
and her kissing him farewell three times:
I've entrusted you to the Lord, for deposits
on cheek, on eye, and on neck,
Are safe with the Trustworthy.
تقولshe says لئنْif indeed سأُقضيI shall perish خوفَfor fear of عارٍshame
تقول لئنْ سأُقضي خوفَ عارٍ
يسجلهrecords it الطوىhunger أَبدَfor eternity الأَبيدeverlasting
يسجله الطوى أَبدَ الأَبيد
saying: 'Though I shall die for fear of shame
She brought her pistol to her brow,
that hunger would inscribe for all eternity,
On which prayers were etched.
قَدِindeed استودعتكI have entrusted you المولىto the Lord وَليستْand do not
قَدِ استودعتك المولى وَليستْ
تضيعperish وَدائعٌentrusted charges عندin the care of الودودthe All-Loving
تضيع وَدائعٌ عند الودود
I have entrusted you to the Lord, and no
It was done as she said, without question,
charge is lost in the care of the All-Loving,'
For the martyr's death is sublime.
وَأَدنتْand she brought near مِنْto مسدسِهاher pistol جبيناًa brow
وَأَدنتْ مِنْ مسدسِها جبيناً
تلوحُshine عليهupon it آياتُmarks السجودof prostration
تلوحُ عليه آياتُ السجود
and her bringing her brow close to her pistol,
My heart melts for you, though it be
the marks of prostration shining upon it,
Of granite rock or hardened steel.
وتمَّand was completed الأَمرُthe deed وهيwhile she تقولwas saying دونrather than الthe
وتمَّ الأَمرُ وهي تقول دون ال
سؤالِbegging وذلّهand its humiliation موتُthe death الشهيدof a martyr
سؤالِ وذلّه موتُ الشهيد
and the deed done, while she said: 'Rather than
begging and its humiliation, a martyr's death!'—
لذابwould surely melt القلبُthe heart منكof yours وإنْand even if يكنْit were منof
لذاب القلبُ منك وإنْ يكنْ من
صليبِsolid الصخرِrock أَوor قاسيunyielding الحديدiron
صليبِ الصخرِ أَو قاسي الحديد
your heart would surely have melted, even were it made of
solid rock or unyielding iron.
Partial English translation: 54 of 58 Arabic lines translated.