إِربَعtarry فَحَيِّthen greet مَعارِفَthe familiar traces of الأَطلالِthe ruined campsites
إِربَع فَحَيِّ مَعارِفَ الأَطلالِ
بِالجَزعِat the valley-bend مِنof حُرُصٍHurus فَهُنَّfor they are بَوالِworn away
بِالجَزعِ مِن حُرُصٍ فَهُنَّ بَوالِ
Tarry, and greet the familiar traces of the ruined campsites
Four acquaintances surveying the ruins
At the valley-bend of Hurus, for they are worn away.
Grieving with worry, so they are despondent
فَشِراجَand the watercourses of ريمَةَRima قَدindeed تَقادَمَhas grown remote عَهدُهاtheir remembered past
فَشِراجَ ريمَةَ قَد تَقادَمَ عَهدُها
بِالسَفحِon the slope بَينَbetween أُثَيِّلٍUthayyil فَبِعالِand Bi'al
بِالسَفحِ بَينَ أُثَيِّلٍ فَبِعالِ
And Rima's watercourses, whose days have grown remote,
The lamps of Reema have faded with time
On the slope between Uthayyil and Bi'al.
On the foothills between prominent peaks
وَحشاًdesolate تَعاوَرَهاswept them in turn الرِياحُthe winds كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَحشاً تَعاوَرَها الرِياحُ كَأَنَّها
تَوشيحُthe ornamenting of عَصبِtie-dyed cloth مُسَهَّمِarrow-patterned الأَغيالِthe decorative bands
تَوشيحُ عَصبِ مُسَهَّمِ الأَغيالِ
Desolate, swept in turn by winds, as though they were
Desolate, winds batter them as if they are
The ornamenting of tie-dyed cloth with arrow-patterned bands.
The banners of a courageous army
لَمّاwhen وَقَفتُI halted بِهاat them القَلوصَthe young she-camel تَبادَرَتrushed forth
لَمّا وَقَفتُ بِها القَلوصَ تَبادَرَت
حَبَبُbeads of الدُموعِthe tears كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were عَزاليwaterskin spouts
حَبَبُ الدُموعِ كَأَنَّهُنَّ عَزالي
When I halted my young she-camel there, there rushed forth
When I stopped with them, tears welled up
Beads of tears, as though they were waterskin spouts.
As if they were migrant birds
وَذَكَرتُand I remembered عَزَّةَ'Azza إِذwhen تُصاقِبُlay nearby دارُهاher dwelling
وَذَكَرتُ عَزَّةَ إِذ تُصاقِبُ دارُها
بِرُحَيِّبٍat Ruhayyib فَأُرابِنٍand Urabin فَنُخالِand Nukhal
بِرُحَيِّبٍ فَأُرابِنٍ فَنُخالِ
And I remembered 'Azza, when her dwelling lay nearby,
And I remembered Aziza as her abode
At Ruhayyib, and Urabin, and Nukhal.
Rebukes with a pasture, an open plain, and palm trees
أَيّامَin the days when أَهلوناour people جَميعاًall together جيرَةٌneighbors
أَيّامَ أَهلونا جَميعاً جيرَةٌ
بِكُتانَةٍat Kutana فَفُراقِدٍand Furaqid فَثُعالِand Thu'al
بِكُتانَةٍ فَفُراقِدٍ فَثُعالِ
In the days when all our people were neighbors,
Days when we all neighbored
At Kutana, and Furaqid, and Thu'al.
In Al-Kutanah, Furaid, and Tha’al
سَقياًblessings of rain لِعَزَّةَfor 'Azza خُلَّةًa beloved companion سَقياًblessings of rain لَهاfor her
سَقياً لِعَزَّةَ خُلَّةً سَقياً لَها
إِذwhen نَحنُwe بِالهَضَباتِon the hills مِنof أَملالِAmlal
إِذ نَحنُ بِالهَضَباتِ مِن أَملالِ
Blessings of rain upon 'Azza, my beloved; blessings upon her,
Watering for Aziza a special group, watering for her
When we were on the hills of Amlal.
As we are in the meadows, from water springs
إِذwhen لاnot تُكَلِّمُناshe speaks to us وَكانَand was كَلامُهاher speech
إِذ لا تُكَلِّمُنا وَكانَ كَلامُها
نَفلاًa boon نُؤَمِّلُهُwe hope for it مِنَamong الأَنفالِthe boons
نَفلاً نُؤَمِّلُهُ مِنَ الأَنفالِ
When she would not speak to us, and her speech was
When she does not talk to us, and her talk
A boon we hoped for among all boons.
Was a bonus we hoped for from the spoils of war
وَبِجيدِand with the neck of مُغزِلَةٍa doe with a fawn تَرودُshe roams بِوَجرَةٍat Wajra
وَبِجيدِ مُغزِلَةٍ تَرودُ بِوَجرَةٍ
بَجَلاتِgreat trees of طَلعٍpalm fruit قَدalready خُرِفنَhad their fruit gathered وَضالِand wild lote trees
بَجَلاتِ طَلعٍ قَد خُرِفنَ وَضالِ
And with the neck of a doe with a fawn, roaming at Wajra,
With the spinning wheel of Mughzilah she returns with a waterskin
Among great date palms whose fruit was gathered, and wild lote trees.
Made of old palm fronds, meager
إِذwhen هُنَّthey فيin غَلَسِthe pre-dawn gloom of الظَلامِthe darkness قَوارِبٌnearing water
إِذ هُنَّ في غَلَسِ الظَلامِ قَوارِبٌ
أَعدادَthe perennial waters of عَينٍa spring مِنamong عُيونِthe springs of أَثالِAthal
أَعدادَ عَينٍ مِن عُيونِ أَثالِ
When, in the darkness before dawn, they approached
As they, in the darkness of night, were ships
The unfailing waters of a spring among Athal's springs.
The number of which is countless
يَجتَزنَthey cross أَودِيَةَthe valleys of البُضَيعِal-Buday' جَوازِعاًpassing across
يَجتَزنَ أَودِيَةَ البُضَيعِ جَوازِعاً
أَجوازَthe central stretches of عَينونا'Aynuna فَنَعفَthen the mountain-spur of قِبالِQibal
أَجوازَ عَينونا فَنَعفَ قِبالِ
Crossing the valleys of al-Buday', passing through
Crossing the valleys of AL-Budai’ courageously
The central stretches of 'Aynuna, then Qibal's mountain spur.
Our eyes overflowing with tears
تَرميyou press through الفِجاجَthe mountain passes إِذاwhen الفِجاجُthe mountain passes تَشابَهَتresemble one another
تَرمي الفِجاجَ إِذا الفِجاجُ تَشابَهَت
أَعلامُهاtheir landmarks بِمَهامِهٍamid wildernesses أَغفالِunmarked
أَعلامُها بِمَهامِهٍ أَغفالِ
You press through the passes when the passes grow alike
It throws spears when the spears resemble
In their landmarks, amid unmarked wildernesses,
Their symbols with oblivion
بِرَكائِبٍon riding camels مِنfrom بَينِamong كُلِّevery ثَنِيَّةٍa sixth-year she-camel
بِرَكائِبٍ مِن بَينِ كُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ
سُرُحِfree-striding اليَدَينِin both forelegs وَبازِلٍand a mature camel شِملالِnimble
سُرُحِ اليَدَينِ وَبازِلٍ شِملالِ
On mounts chosen among young adult she-camels,
With she-camels among every pass
Free-striding in both forelegs, and nimble mature camels.
The hands (she-camels) are set loose and unrestricted
ناجٍfleet-footed إِذاwhen زُجِرَare urged on الرَكائِبُthe riding camels خَلفَهُbehind him
ناجٍ إِذا زُجِرَ الرَكائِبُ خَلفَهُ
فَلَحِقنَهُthen they catch him وَثُنينَand they are turned aside بِالحَلحالِwith cries of 'hal-hal!'
فَلَحِقنَهُ وَثُنينَ بِالحَلحالِ
A fleet one, when the mounts behind him are urged on,
Walking easily, when the she-camels are driven behind him
Then catch him and are turned aside with cries of 'hal-hal!'
They catch up with him, stomping in the wet terrain
يَهديhe leads مَطاياriding camels كَالحَنِيِّlike bows ضَوامِراًlean
يَهدي مَطايا كَالحَنِيِّ ضَوامِراً
بِنِياطِthrough the reaches of أَغبَرَa dust-colored waste شاخِصِtowering in الأَميالِthe waymarks
بِنِياطِ أَغبَرَ شاخِصِ الأَميالِ
He leads mounts, lean as bows,
Guiding steeds like the hissing snakes
Through the reaches of a dusty waste with towering waymarks.
With a gray loincloth, prominent milestones
تَمطوthey strain at الجَديلَthe braided rein إِذاwhen المَكاكيthe larks بادَرَتrace
تَمطو الجَديلَ إِذا المَكاكي بادَرَت
جُحلَthe large ones of الضِبابِthe spiny-tailed lizards مَحافِرَthe dug-out recesses of الأَدحالِthe underground cavities
جُحلَ الضِبابِ مَحافِرَ الأَدحالِ
They strain at the braided rein when the larks race
They stomp the ground when the small insects initiate
The great spiny-tailed lizards to the hollows of underground caves,
Digging holes in the accumulated darkness
وَتَعانَقَتand huddled together أُدمُthe pale ones of الظِبّاءِthe gazelles وَباشَرَتand pressed against
وَتَعانَقَت أُدمُ الظِبّاءِ وَباشَرَت
أَكنافَthe sheltered sides of كُلِّevery ظَليلَةٍa shady tree مِقيالِa midday resting-place
أَكنافَ كُلِّ ظَليلَةٍ مِقيالِ
And the pale gazelles huddle together and press against
And the shades of dusk gathered and probed
The shelter of every shady tree, their midday resting-place.
The sides of every shady tree, a shelter
فَكَأَنَّهُso he seems like إِذwhen يَغتَديhe sets out at dawn مُتَسَنَّماًsurmounting
فَكَأَنَّهُ إِذ يَغتَدي مُتَسَنَّماً
وَهداًa hollow فَوَهداًthen another hollow ناعِقٌone calling بِرِئالِto ostrich chicks
وَهداً فَوَهداً ناعِقٌ بِرِئالِ
So he seems, when he goes forth at dawn, surmounting
So it is as if when it attacks ferociously
Hollow after hollow, a male ostrich calling to its chicks.
And gently, a roaring camel
كَالمِضرَحِيَّlike a great eagle عَداhe sped away فَأَصبَحَthen became واقِعاًperched
كَالمِضرَحِيَّ عَدا فَأَصبَحَ واقِعاً
مِنfrom قُدسQuds فَوقَabove مَعاقِلِthe strongholds of الأَوعالِthe ibexes
مِن قُدس فَوقَ مَعاقِلِ الأَوعالِ
Like a great eagle, he sped away, then alighted
Like an acrobat it ran and fell
On Quds, above the ibexes' strongholds.
From Jerusalem, above the mountain dens
فَنَبَذتُthen I offered ثَمَّthere تَحِيَّةًa greeting فَأَعادَهاand he returned it
فَنَبَذتُ ثَمَّ تَحِيَّةً فَأَعادَها
غَمرُample الرِداءِthe cloak مُفَضفَضُloose-fitting السِربالِthe tunic
غَمرُ الرِداءِ مُفَضفَضُ السِربالِ
Then I offered a greeting there, and he returned it—
So I bid farewell, and he returned it
A man of ample cloak and loose-fitting tunic.
The flowing robe and cloak fluttering
يُعطيhe grants العَشيرَةَthe clan سُؤلَهاits wish وَيَسودُهاand leads it
يُعطي العَشيرَةَ سُؤلَها وَيَسودُها
يَومَon the day of الفَخارboasting وَيَومَand on the day of كُلِّevery نبالِarchery contest
يَومَ الفَخار وَيَومَ كُلِّ نبالِ
He grants the clan its wishes and leads it
It gives the clan their request and makes them wealthy
On the day of boasting and each day of contests with arrows.
On the day of pride and the day of any fortune
وَبَثَثتَand you dispensed مَكرُمَةًa noble kindness فَقَدso indeed أَعدَدتَهاyou have prepared it
وَبَثَثتَ مَكرُمَةً فَقَد أَعدَدتَها
رَصَداًas a reserve ليَومِfor a day of تَفاخُرٍvying in glory وَنِضالِand contest
رَصَداً ليَومِ تَفاخُرٍ وَنِضالِ
And you have bestowed a noble kindness, thereby laying it up
And you have prepared generosity, so you made it
As a reserve for a day of vying in glory and contest.
A provision for the day of boasting and struggle
غَمرُample الرِداءِthe cloak إِذاwhen تَبَسَّمَhe smiles ضاحِكاًlaughing
غَمرُ الرِداءِ إِذا تَبَسَّمَ ضاحِكاً
غَلِقَتbecome forfeit لِضَحكَتِهِat his laughter رِقابُthe necks of المالِthe wealth
غَلِقَت لِضَحكَتِهِ رِقابُ المالِ
The man of ample cloak—when he smiles in laughter,
The flowing robe, when he smiles laughing
The necks of wealth become forfeit at his laughter.
For his laughter, necks are humbled