خَليلَيَّmy two dear friends عوجاturn aside, you two مِنكُماfrom you both ساعَةًa while مَعيwith me
خَليلَيَّ عوجا مِنكُما ساعَةً مَعي
عَلىat الرَبعِthe old campsite نَقضِlet us fulfill حاجَةًa need وَنُوَدِّعُand bid farewell
عَلى الرَبعِ نَقضِ حاجَةً وَنُوَدِّعُ
My two dear friends, turn aside, both of you, a while with me
My two friends, spare me an hour with you
at the old campsite, to fulfill a need and bid farewell.
At the open country, to fulfill a need and bid farewell,
وَلاand do not تَعجَلانيhurry me, you two أَنto أُلِمَّpause بِدمنةٍat ruined camp traces
وَلا تَعجَلاني أَن أُلِمَّ بِدمنةٍ
لِعَزَّةَbelonging to ʿAzza لاحَتcame into view ليto me بِبَيداءَin a wilderness بَلقَعِdesolate
لِعَزَّةَ لاحَت لي بِبَيداءَ بَلقَعِ
Do not hurry me; let me pause at the ruined traces
Do not hurry me to mount a thin she-camel,
of ʿAzza, which appeared to me in a desolate wilderness.
For the dignity that appeared to me in the white desert plain.
وَقولاand say, you two لِقَلبٍto a heart قَدalready سَلاhas ceased yearning راجِعِreturn to الهَوىlove
وَقولا لِقَلبٍ قَد سَلا راجِعِ الهَوى
وَلِلعَينِand to the eye أَذريshed مِنsome of دُموعِكِyour tears أَوor دَعيrefrain
وَلِلعَينِ أَذري مِن دُموعِكِ أَو دَعي
And tell a heart that has ceased yearning: 'Return to love';
And say to a heart that asked love to return
and tell the eye: 'Shed some of your tears, or refrain.'
And to an eye, "Shed for me your tears or hold them back!"
فَلاfor no عَيشَlife إِلّاexcept مِثلُlike عَيشٍa life مَضىpassed لَناfor us
فَلا عَيشَ إِلّا مِثلُ عَيشٍ مَضى لَنا
مَصيفاًa summer stay أَقَمناwe stayed فيهِin it مِنfrom بَعِafter مَربَعِa springtime camp
مَصيفاً أَقَمنا فيهِ مِن بَعِ مَربَعِ
For there is no life but a life like the one we once lived,
For there is no life except a life like one we had-
a summer stay we spent there after a springtime camp.
A summer we spent after the square building.
تَفَرَّقَparted أُلّافُclose companions الحَجيجِthe pilgrims عَلىat مِنىًMina
تَفَرَّقَ أُلّافُ الحَجيجِ عَلى مِنىً
وَشَتَّتَهُمand scattered them شَحطُremoteness النَوىseparation مَشيَa march of أَربَعِfour
وَشَتَّتَهُم شَحطُ النَوى مَشيَ أَربَعِ
The pilgrims' close companions parted at Mina,
The thousands of pilgrims dispersed over Mina
and distant separation scattered them over a four-night march.
And were scattered by the pebbles thrown at the pillars.
فَلَمso did not أَرَI see داراًa dwelling مِثلَهاlike it دارَa home of غِبطَةٍdelight
فَلَم أَرَ داراً مِثلَها دارَ غِبطَةٍ
وَمَلقىًand a meeting-place إِذاwhen التَفَّthronged الحَجيجُthe pilgrims بِمَجمَعِat a gathering-place
وَمَلقىً إِذا التَفَّ الحَجيجُ بِمَجمَعِ
I have seen no dwelling like it—a home of delight
So I did not see a house like it, the house of happiness,
and a meeting-place when the pilgrims throng together—
Or a place of meeting when the pilgrims gather at the mosque.
أَقَلَّfewer مُقيماًresidents راضِياًcontent بِمَكانِهِwith his place
أَقَلَّ مُقيماً راضِياً بِمَكانِهِ
وَأَكثَرَand more جاراًneighbors ظاعِناًdeparting لَمnot يُوَدَّعِbid farewell
وَأَكثَرَ جاراً ظاعِناً لَم يُوَدَّعِ
with so few residents content with their place,
Staying there made one content in his place,
and so many neighbors departing without a farewell.
While most neighbors, not having said farewell, moved away.
فَأَصبَحَso by morning لاnot تَلقىyou find خِباءa tent عَهِدتَهُyou knew it
فَأَصبَحَ لا تَلقى خِباء عَهِدتَهُ
بِمَضرِبِهِat its pitching-place أَوتادُهُits pegs لَمnot تُنَزَّعِpulled out
بِمَضرِبِهِ أَوتادُهُ لَم تُنَزَّعِ
So by morning you find no familiar tent
In the morning one cannot find a tent that was pitched
at its pitching-place with its pegs still unpulled.
With its pegs and ropes still fixed.
فَشاقوكَso they stirred your longing لَمّاwhen وَجَّهواthey headed كُلَّevery وِجهَةٍdirection
فَشاقوكَ لَمّا وَجَّهوا كُلَّ وِجهَةٍ
سِراعاًswiftly وَخَلّواand vacated عَنaway from مَنازِلَcampsites بَلقَعِdesolate
سِراعاً وَخَلّوا عَن مَنازِلَ بَلقَعِ
They stirred your longing when they headed every way,
They were hard on you when they all traveled separate ways
hurrying away and leaving the campsites bare.
Hastily, and left the dwellings of Balqa'.
فَريقانِtwo groups مِنهُمof them سالِكٌone traveling بَطنَthe valley floor نَخلَةٍNakhla
فَريقانِ مِنهُم سالِكٌ بَطنَ نَخلَةٍ
وَآخَرُand another مِنهُمof them جازِعٌcrossing ظَهرَthe ridge تَضرُعِTaḍruʿ
وَآخَرُ مِنهُم جازِعٌ ظَهرَ تَضرُعِ
They formed two groups: one took the valley floor of Nakhla,
Some of them journeying through a palm tree valley
and another crossed the ridge of Taḍruʿ.
Others traversing the back of an interceding mount,
كَأَنَّas though حُمولَladen camels الحَيِّthe tribe حينَwhen تَحَمَّلواthey departed
كَأَنَّ حُمولَ الحَيِّ حينَ تَحَمَّلوا
صَريمَةُa grove نَخلٍpalm trees أَوor صَريمَةُa grove إيدَعِdragon's-blood trees
صَريمَةُ نَخلٍ أَو صَريمَةُ إيدَعِ
The tribe's laden camels, as they departed, seemed
Like the camel litters of the living tribe when they moved on,
a grove of palms or a grove of dragon's-blood trees.
The cry of a palm tree or the cry of a howdah.
فَإِنَّكَfor you are indeed عُمريmy life هَلshall أُريكَI show you ظَعائِناًwomen in howdahs
فَإِنَّكَ عُمري هَل أُريكَ ظَعائِناً
غَدَونَthey set out at dawn اِفتِراقاًin separation بِالخَليطِwith the company المُوَدَّعِbade farewell
غَدَونَ اِفتِراقاً بِالخَليطِ المُوَدَّعِ
For you are my life; shall I show you women in howdahs
My life, shall I show you those who departed
who set out at dawn, parting with the company we bade farewell?
Going their ways early yesterday morning?
رَكِبنَthey mounted اِتِّضاعاًmounting kneeling camels فَوقَatop كُلِّeach عُذافِرٍsturdy camel
رَكِبنَ اِتِّضاعاً فَوقَ كُلِّ عُذافِرٍ
مِنَamong العيسِthe pale camels نَضّاحِstreaming with sweat المَعَدَّينِthe two flanks مُرفِعِhigh-stepping
مِنَ العيسِ نَضّاحِ المَعَدَّينِ مُرفِعِ
They mounted the kneeling beasts, atop each sturdy camel,
They rode submissively on nimble camels,
one of the pale camels, its flanks streaming sweat, high-stepping.
White, running, with outstretched necks.
تُواهِقُthey match strides وَاِحتَثَّand urged onward الحُداةُthe camel-drivers بِطاءَهاtheir slower ones
تُواهِقُ وَاِحتَثَّ الحُداةُ بِطاءَها
عَلىalong لاحِبٍa beaten track يَعلواrises over الصَياهِبَthe desert wastes مَهيَعِwide and open
عَلى لاحِبٍ يَعلوا الصَياهِبَ مَهيَعِ
They matched strides, while the drivers urged their slower beasts
Their howdahs swaying on a lover who scales the hills,
along a wide, beaten track rising over the desert wastes.
Who made the open spaces of Buḥayrah their place,
جَعَلنَthey set أَراخِيَّlowlands البُحَيرِal-Buḥayr مكانَهُin its place
جَعَلنَ أَراخِيَّ البُحَيرِ مكانَهُ
إِلىtoward كُلِّeach قَرٍّhowdah مُستَطيلٍlong مُقَنَّعِveiled
إِلى كُلِّ قَرٍّ مُستَطيلٍ مُقَنَّعِ
They left al-Buḥayr's lowlands where they lay,
And in them are does, who pasture at night,
turning toward each long, veiled howdah.
Gentle, white, without any sign of being restricted.
وَفيهِنَّand among them أَشباهُlikenesses المَهاthe oryx رَعَتِgrazed المَلاal-Malā
وَفيهِنَّ أَشباهُ المَها رَعَتِ المَلا
نَواعِمُsoft and delicate بيضٌfair فيin الهَوىlove غَيرُnot خُرَّعِweak and yielding
نَواعِمُ بيضٌ في الهَوى غَيرُ خُرَّعِ
And among them were women like oryx grazing al-Malā,
The daughter of Ḍumayrī ‛Izzah shot at me when
soft and fair, yet unyielding in love.
The boy finished with what the feathers shooter shoots.
رَمَتكَshot you اِبنَةُdaughter الضَمرِيِّal-Ḍamrī عَزَّةُʿAzza بِعدَماafter
رَمَتكَ اِبنَةُ الضَمرِيِّ عَزَّةُ بِعدَما
أَمَتَّyou killed الصَبِيَّthe boy مِمّاfrom what تَريشُshe feathers بِأَقَطعِwith a headless arrow
أَمَتَّ الصَبِيَّ مِمّا تَريشُ بِأَقَطعِ
ʿAzza, al-Ḍamrī's daughter, shot you, after
She bandies words with me, yet does not understand
you had slain the boy in you—with a headless shaft from those she feathers.
Along with miserliness, conversation that twists and turns.
تَغاطَشُshe feigns blindness شَكواناour complaint إليهاto her وَلاand does not تَعيheed
تَغاطَشُ شَكوانا إليها وَلا تَعي
مَعَwith البُخلِstinginess أَحناءَthe nuances الحَديثِspeech المُرَجَّعِrepeated
مَعَ البُخلِ أَحناءَ الحَديثِ المُرَجَّعِ
She turns a blind eye to our complaint to her and does not heed,
She can be recognized if she gets lost, and guided to her Lord
in her stinginess, the nuances of our repeated words.
By a sign of four teats from which she gives milk.
وَتُعرَفُand is recognized إِنif ضَلَّتshe strays فَتُهدىand so is led back لِرَبِّهاto her owner
وَتُعرَفُ إِن ضَلَّت فَتُهدى لِرَبِّها
لِمَوضِعِby the placement of آلاتٍbranding marks مِنَfrom الطَلعِpalm shoots أَربَعِfour
لِمَوضِعِ آلاتٍ مِنَ الطَلعِ أَربَعِ
She is recognizable if she strays, and can be returned to her owner,
She is praised at the resting places of the outgoers and dawn visitors
by the placement of four palm-shoot brands.
With two drinking bowls which she obtained from the purified drinking bowls.
وَتُؤبَنُand is suspected of wear مِنfrom نَصِّhard driving الهَواجِرِscorching noons وَالضُحىand midmorning
وَتُؤبَنُ مِن نَصِّ الهَواجِرِ وَالضُحى
بِقِدحَينِby two lottery shafts فازاboth won مِنamong قِداحِlottery shafts المُقَعقِعِthe arrow-rattler
بِقِدحَينِ فازا مِن قِداحِ المُقَعقِعِ
And she is deemed worn from hard driving at scorching noon and midmorning,
When they both reached the utmost extent of their ability
by two shafts that won among the arrow-rattler's lots
And caused her hair to flow down in tangles and tears...
عَلَيهاagainst her وَلَمّاthough not yet يَبلُغاthe two reach كُلَّall جَهدِهاher strength
عَلَيها وَلَمّا يَبلُغا كُلَّ جَهدِها
وَقَدand already أَشعَراهاboth made her bleed فيat أَظَلَّa camel's foot-pad وَمَدمَعِand a tear-duct
وَقَد أَشعَراها في أَظَلَّ وَمَدمَعِ
against her, though they have not yet exhausted all her strength,
having already bloodied her foot-pad and tear-duct.
Partial English translation: 40 of 42 Arabic lines translated.