أَأَطلالُthe ruins of (question) سَلمىSalma بِاللَوىat al-Liwa تَتَعَهَّدُyou revisit
أَأَطلالُ سَلمى بِاللَوى تَتَعَهَّدُ
Do you revisit Salma's ruins at al-Liwa?
Does the ruins of Salma revive with yearning?
When we stopped, hearts writhing,
وَلَمّاand when وَقَفناwe halted والقُلوبُand the hearts عَلىupon الغَضاghada wood
وَلَمّا وَقَفنا والقُلوبُ عَلى الغَضا
وَلِلدَّمعِand for the tears سَحٌّa downpour وَالفَرائِصُand the flanks تُرعَدُtremble
وَلِلدَّمعِ سَحٌّ وَالفَرائِصُ تُرعَدُ
And when we halted, our hearts upon burning ghada wood,
Tears pouring, ribs trembling,
tears poured down, and our flanks trembled;
Between sobbing and wailing, a burning sensation,
وَبَينَand between التَراقيthe collarbones وَاللَهاةِand the uvula حَرارَةٌa burning heat
وَبَينَ التَراقي وَاللَهاةِ حَرارَةٌ
مَكانَat the place of الشَجاchoking grief ماnot إِنat all (emphasis) تَبوحُbreaks forth فَتُبرَدُand so is cooled
مَكانَ الشَجا ما إِن تَبوحُ فَتُبرَدُ
and between the collarbones and uvula burned a heat,
Where the wounds are, if they speak they cool down
where choking grief lodges, never released and so never cooled.
I tell the tears, flow more, perhaps
أَقولُI say لِماءِto the water of العينِthe eye أَمعِنflow freely لَعَلَّهso that perhaps it
أَقولُ لِماءِ العينِ أَمعِن لَعَلَّه
بِماto what لاnot يُرىis seen مِنof غائِبِthe hidden part of الوَجدِlove's anguish يَشهَدُit bears witness
بِما لا يُرى مِن غائِبِ الوَجدِ يَشهَدُ
I tell the water of my eye, 'Flow freely, that perhaps it
With the unseen of the absent love it will witness
may bear witness to the hidden anguish of love that cannot be seen.'
I did not know the eye before parting
فَلَمbut did not أَدرِI know أَنَّthat العَينthe eye قَبلَbefore فِراقِهاparting from her
فَلَم أَدرِ أَنَّ العَين قَبلَ فِراقِها
غَداةَon the morning at الشَباal-Shaba مِنfrom لاعِجِthe searing pain of الوَجدِlove's anguish تَجمدُit dries up
غَداةَ الشَبا مِن لاعِجِ الوَجدِ تَجمدُ
But I did not know that my eye, before parting from her,
The day after passion from the intensity of love freeze
on the morning at al-Shaba, would dry up from love's searing anguish.
I have not seen an eye more stingy with its tears about me
وَلَمand did not أَرَI see مِثلَthe like of العَينِthe eye ضَنَّتit grudged بِمائِهاwith its water
وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ العَينِ ضَنَّت بِمائِها
عَليَّfrom me وَلاnor مِثليanyone like me عَلىover الدَمعِtears يَحسُدُenvies
عَليَّ وَلا مِثلي عَلى الدَمعِ يَحسُدُ
Nor have I seen the like of an eye that grudges its water
Nor anyone envying me more about tears
to me, nor anyone like me, envying tears.
Separation equalized on me, that it did not see me
وَساوىand made it all the same عَليَّto me البَينُparting أَنthat لَمnot يَرينَنيthey saw me
وَساوى عَليَّ البَينُ أَن لَم يَرينَني
بَكيتُI wept وَلَمand not يُترَكwas left لِذيfor one with الشَجوِsorrow مَقعَدُa resting-place
بَكيتُ وَلَم يُترَك لِذي الشَجوِ مَقعَدُ
Parting made it all one to me that they had not seen me
I cried but no place was left for the woeful
weep; no resting-place remained for one in grief.
When dawn approached they called to depart
وَلَمَاand when تَدانىdrew near الصُبحُthe dawn نادواthey called out بِرحلَةٍfor departure
وَلَمَا تَدانى الصُبحُ نادوا بِرحلَةٍ
فَقُمنَthen they rose كَسالىlanguidly مَشيُهُنَّtheir walk تأَوُّدُa graceful sway
فَقُمنَ كَسالى مَشيُهُنَّ تأَوُّدُ
And when dawn drew near, they called for departure;
So we got up miserable, their walking loving
then they rose languidly, their gait a graceful swaying,
To a group like the hump, no longer
إِلىtoward جِلَّةٍlarge mature camels كَالهُضبِlike hills لَمnot تَعدُthey exceeded أَنَّهاtheir being
إِلى جِلَّةٍ كَالهُضبِ لَم تَعدُ أَنَّها
بِوازِلُfang-grown camels عامٍone year thereafter وَالسَديسُand the six-toothed camel المعبَّدُbroken-in
بِوازِلُ عامٍ وَالسَديسُ المعبَّدُ
toward great camels like hills, which were no more than
A dwelling from past years, and the paved courtyard
camels a year past fang-cutting and broken-in six-toothed ones.
To every neighing of the winds as if
إلىtoward كُلِّeach هَجهاجِloudly bellowing camel الرَواحِat afternoon departure كَأَنَّهُas though it
إلى كُلِّ هَجهاجِ الرَواحِ كَأَنَّهُ
شَكجٍchoking (uncertain form) بِلَهاةِat the uvula of الحَلقِthe throat أَوor مُتَكَيِّدُstraining to vomit
شَكجٍ بِلَهاةِ الحَلقِ أَو مُتَكَيِّدُ
Toward each camel bellowing at afternoon departure, as though
It is complaining of throat dryness or conspiring
it choked at the throat's uvula, or strained to vomit.
Their snouts leak water as if it
تَمُجُّpour forth ذَقاريهُنَّtheir neck-points (uncertain reading) ماءَwater كَأَنَّهُas though it
تَمُجُّ ذَقاريهُنَّ ماءَ كَأَنَّهُ
عَصيمٌdried sweat عَلىupon جارِthe adjoining part of السَوَالِفِthe neck's sides مُعقَدُcaked
عَصيمٌ عَلى جارِ السَوَالِفِ مُعقَدُ
Their neck-points pour out water, as though it were
Is knotted to the drinking bowl's rim
dried sweat, caked along the sides of their necks.
And they are saddled, adorned with finery
وَهُنَّand they مُناخاتٌkneeling يُجَلَّلنَare draped with زينَةًfinery
وَهُنَّ مُناخاتٌ يُجَلَّلنَ زينَةً
كَماas اِقتانَbecame adorned بِالنَّبتِwith plants العَهادُrain-refreshed ground المُجَوَّدُabundantly watered
كَما اِقتانَ بِالنَّبتِ العَهادُ المُجَوَّدُ
And, kneeling, they are draped in finery,
As vegetation adorned with necklaces intertwined
as rain-refreshed, well-watered ground is clad in plants.
They trotted until I said they are not organisms
تَأطّرنَthey bent and swayed حَتّىuntil قُلتُI said لَسنَthey are not بَوارِحًاdeparting
تَأطّرنَ حَتّى قُلتُ لَسنَ بَوارِحًا
وَذُبنَand they melted كَماas ذابَmelted السَديفُcamel-hump fat المَسَرهَدُrich and plump
وَذُبنَ كَما ذابَ السَديفُ المَسَرهَدُ
They bent and swayed until I said, 'They are not departing,'
And melted like heated copper
and melted as rich camel-hump fat melts,
Scattering perfume and musk holding back
عَبيرًاinto perfume وَمِسكًاand musk مانَهsupplied it الرَشحُsweat رادِعًاstaining
عَبيرًا وَمِسكًا مانَه الرَشحُ رادِعًا
بِهِwith it مِحجَرٌan eye's rim أَوor عارِضٌa cheek يَتَفَصَّدُstreams
بِهِ مِحجَرٌ أَو عارِضٌ يَتَفَصَّدُ
into perfume and musk, fed by sweat that leaves its stain
With it a menstruating woman or a pregnant one
around an eye, or on a cheek streaming with it.
And they gathered hastily and left me
وَأَجمَعنَand they resolved on بَينًاparting عاجِلاًswift وَتَرَكنَنيand left me
وَأَجمَعنَ بَينًا عاجِلاً وَتَرَكنَني
بِفيفاat Fayfa (the plain of) خُرَيمٍKhuraym قائِمًاstanding أَتَلَدَّدُI look this way and that
بِفيفا خُرَيمٍ قائِمًا أَتَلَدَّدُ
And they resolved on a swift parting and left me
With the uproar of ruination standing confused
at Fayfa Khuraym, standing and looking this way and that,
As passion excited them in the evening
كَماas هاجَgrew restless إِلفٌa companion of صابِحاتٍdawn-waterers عَشيةًone evening
كَما هاجَ إِلفٌ صابِحاتٍ عَشيةً
لَهُfor him وَهوَwhile he مَصفودُshackled اليَدَينِby both hands مُقَيَّدُbound
لَهُ وَهوَ مَصفودُ اليَدَينِ مُقَيَّدُ
like a companion of morning-waterers, stirred one evening,
For it while it has shackled hands tied
while both his hands were fettered and he was bound.
So I was infatuated when they arrived at our ruin
فَقَدfor indeed فُتنَنيthey bewitched me لَمّاwhen وَرَدنthey came to water at خَفينَناKhufaynan
فَقَد فُتنَني لَمّا وَرَدن خَفينَنا
وَهُنَّand they عَلىat ماءٍthe water of حراضةHarada أبعدfarther away
وَهُنَّ عَلى ماءٍ حراضة أبعد
For they bewitched me when they came to water at Khufaynan,
While they were at fervid water even farther
though they were farther off at Harada's water.
By Allah I do not know if it was muddy they agreed on
فوso, by اللهGod ماnot أَدريI know أَطيَخًاwas it Taykh تَواعدواthey agreed to meet
فو الله ما أَدري أَطيَخًا تَواعدوا
لِتِمِّfor the end of ظَمٍa watering interval أَمor ماءَthe water of حَدَةَHadda أَورَدواthey led the beasts to water
لِتِمِّ ظَمٍ أَم ماءَ حَدَةَ أَورَدوا
So, by God, I do not know: did they agree on Taykh
Or fresh sharp water they went down to
for the end of their watering interval, or bring their beasts to Hadda's water?
Just yesterday they did not return the like of their beauty to a dale
وَبِالأَمسِand yesterday ماemphatic particle رَدُّواthey brought back لِبينٍfor parting جِمالَهُمtheir camels
وَبِالأَمسِ ما رَدُّوا لِبينٍ جِمالَهُم
لَعَمريby my life فَعيلَso was worn down الصَّبَthe lovesick man مَنwho يَتَجَلَّدُstrives to endure
لَعَمري فَعيلَ الصَّبَ مَن يَتَجَلَّدُ
And it was yesterday that they brought back their camels for parting;
By my life, the morning is rough on the youth who endures
by my life, the lover who strives to endure was worn down.
And that she-camel knew that you
وَقَدand already عَلِمَتhas learned تِلكَthat المَطِيَّةُriding-camel أَنَّكُمthat you
وَقَد عَلِمَت تِلكَ المَطِيَّةُ أَنَّكُم
مَتىwhenever تَسلُكواyou travel through فَيفاFayfa (the open plain of) رَشادٍRashad تَخوَّدواyou hasten on
مَتى تَسلُكوا فَيفا رَشادٍ تَخوَّدوا
And that riding-camel has already learned that you,
Whenever you tread the path of guidance become ardent
whenever you cross Fayfa Rashad, hasten on.
Partial English translation: 38 of 39 Arabic lines translated.