تعاليْنَcome, you women نعالجْlet us remedy نفbeginning of 'estrangement'
تعاليْنَ نعالجْ نف
رةَend of 'estrangement' الحيِّthe tribe تعاليْناcome, you women
رةَ الحيِّ تعاليْنا
Come, let us soothe the estrangement
Come let us treat the wounds of life, come let us
of the tribe; come.
Provide our ears with complaints, and bid our eyes farewell
نزوِّدlet us furnish أُذُناan ear شكوىcomplaint
نزوِّد أُذُنا شكوى
ونودعْand let us lodge نظرةًa glance عيْناan eye
ونودعْ نظرةً عيْنا
Let us furnish an ear with complaint
And weep over the hands of separation
and lodge a glance in an eye,
That we may soften the separation
ونبكىand let us weep منfrom يدِthe hand of البينparting
ونبكى من يدِ البين
عساناperhaps we نعطفُmay soften البيْناparting
عسانا نعطفُ البيْنا
and weep at the hand of parting;
Yet desire has only increased stubbornness
perhaps we may soften parting.
What good is our crying?
فماfor ... not زادincreased النوىdistance; separation إلاexcept; only
فما زاد النوى إلا
لجَاجاin obstinacy ماwhenever تباكيْناwe feigned tears
لجَاجا ما تباكيْنا
For distance only grew
We are followed by sorrowful sighs
more stubborn whenever we feigned tears.
Or is it the mother of Jesus lamenting?
أعِقبانٌwas it eagles? بهمwith them طرنthey flew
أعِقبانٌ بهم طرن
أمor العِيسُthe pale camels تباكيْناthey feigned tears
أم العِيسُ تباكيْنا
Was it eagles that flew off with them,
We have folded the distance to conceal
or pale camels, feigning tears?
Our faces until we bent over
طوينthey folded up; traversed البعدَthe distance يكتمنthey conceal الthe
طوين البعدَ يكتمن ال
وجيhoof-soreness حتىuntil تطَوَّيْناthey grew gaunt
وجي حتى تطَوَّيْنا
They folded up the distance, concealing
To where, oh, do you not suffer
their sore feet until they grew gaunt.
O you, its driver, where to?
إلىto أينwhere أماdo you not? تألyou feel pain (beginning)
إلى أين أما تأل
مُend of 'you feel pain' ياO سائقَهاtheir driver الأيْناfatigue
مُ يا سائقَها الأيْنا
Where to? Do you not feel
If you are saddened by sorrow in the midst between us
fatigue, you who drive them?
Then may God liven and change the sand dunes
إذاif; when عرَّستَyou halted for the night بالجرعاin the sandy hollow (beginning)
إذا عرَّستَ بالجرعا
ءend of 'sandy hollow' وسْطاًmidway بينَbetween ماwhat بيْناlies between us
ء وسْطاً بينَ ما بيْنا
If you halt for the night in the sandy hollow,
And what is it to me, my brother and the mosque
midway in the space between us,
May God return our prayers
فحيَّاthen may ... greet اللهُGod يَبرِينَYabrin
فحيَّا اللهُ يَبرِينَ
وغيرَand other than الرملthe sand حيَّيْناwe greeted
وغيرَ الرمل حيَّيْنا
may God greet Yabrin;
We stopped to request the attainment
and it was not the sand we greeted.
Of one who delays our debt
وماand what ليto me وأخيand my brother والمُسْعِand the consoler (beginning)
وما لي وأخي والمُسْعِ
دِend of 'consoler' ردَّmay ... restore اللهُGod لُبَّيْناour two minds
دِ ردَّ اللهُ لُبَّيْنا
What have I to do with my brother and the consoler?
And we complain of the coldness of the breast
May God restore our two minds.
When our hearts kindled
وقفناwe stood نقتضيwe demand النائِthe bounty (beginning)
وقفنا نقتضي النائِ
لend of 'bounty' منfrom يمطُلُناhe delays paying us الدَّيْناthe debt
ل من يمطُلُنا الدَّيْنا
We stood demanding bounty
Oh Arabs, is betrayal not disgraceful in your religion?
from one who delays paying his debt to us.
Do you truly ransom yourselves
ونشكوand we complain of باردَcold الصدرِthe breast; heart
ونشكو باردَ الصدرِ
إذاwhen استقدَحhe strikes sparks from قلبَيْناour two hearts
إذا استقدَح قلبَيْنا
And we complain of one cold of heart
With our souls from the Persians?
when he strikes sparks from our two hearts.
How much vengeance is forgotten
أياO عُرْبُArabs أليسis ... not? الغدthe treachery (beginning)
أيا عُرْبُ أليس الغد
رُend of 'treachery' فيin ديِنكُمُyour religion شَيْناa disgrace
رُ في ديِنكُمُ شَيْنا
O Arabs, is not treachery
Blood between our tribes
a disgrace in your religion?
And wickedness which we warned against
أحقًّاًis it truly so? تستقيدونَyou exact retribution
أحقًّاً تستقيدونَ
منfrom الفُرسِthe Persians بنفسيْناat the cost of our two lives
من الفُرسِ بنفسيْنا
Do you truly exact vengeance
Yet fate has led us to this state
on the Persians at the cost of our two lives?
So many hopes has the night embraced
كمhow much الثأرvengeance أماcan ... not? يُنْسَىbe forgotten
كم الثأر أما يُنْسَى
دمٌbloodshed بينbetween قبيليْناour two tribes
دمٌ بين قبيليْنا
How much vengeance! Can it not be forgotten—
Beneath our gowns
the bloodshed between our two tribes?
When dawn rises
ولمياءُand a dark-lipped woman حذِرناهاwe were wary of her
ولمياءُ حذِرناها
فساقthen brought القدَرُfate الحيْناdoom; death
فساق القدَرُ الحيْنا
And a dark-lipped woman—we were wary of her;
We reckon them stumbling
but fate brought doom.
We have made the stars’ eyes
فكمand how often ضمَّتْgathered يدُthe hand of الليلthe night الthe
فكم ضمَّتْ يدُ الليل ال
مُنَىwishes تحتbeneath إزاريْناour two waistcloths
مُنَى تحت إزاريْنا
And how often the hand of night gathered
Upon the sun of daylight, eyes
wishes beneath our two waistcloths!
Oh God, my honesty and passion
إذاwhen ماever; emphasis بَدرَappeared suddenly الصُّبحُthe dawn
إذا ما بَدرَ الصُّبحُ
حسِبناهنّwe thought them يسعَيْناthey were hurrying
حسِبناهنّ يسعَيْنا
Whenever dawn suddenly appeared,
Widen my scope
we thought those wishes were hurrying.
And my patience and brother Shauab
جَعلناwe made أعينَthe eyes of الشُّهبِthe shooting stars
جَعلنا أعينَ الشُّهبِ
علىover شمسthe sun of الضحىthe forenoon عيْناa watchful eye
على شمس الضحى عيْنا
We made the eyes of the shooting stars
When I say we have reconciled
a watchful eye upon the forenoon sun.
I launched an attack of the wolves
ألاAh!; behold! للهto God (in admiration) صدقيmy sincerity والand the
ألا لله صدقي وال
هوىlove; passion يوسعنيlavishes upon me مَيْناfalsehood
هوى يوسعني مَيْنا
Ah, God bless my sincerity, while
Eyes that do not guard us
love lavishes lies upon me!
And if loyalty were true
وصبريand my patience وأخيand with a companion of شَوبٍimpurity; mixed loyalties
وصبري وأخي شَوبٍ
إذاwhen قلتُI say تصافيْناwe became true friends
إذا قلتُ تصافيْنا
And my patience with a tainted companion,
The sword of strife would not wound our hearts
whenever I say, 'We have become true friends.'
By God, the son of Ayyub
أولِّيI entrust هَجمةَa large herd of camels السُّودthe black ones
أولِّي هَجمةَ السُّود
ذئاباwolves يتعاويْناthey howl to one another
ذئابا يتعاويْنا
I entrust the herd of black camels
When a brother adorns
to wolves howling to one another,
And the calamities of time crept up
وأرعَىand I watch over ساهراsleepless منهمof them
وأرعَى ساهرا منهم
عيوناeyes ليسnot يرعَيْناthey keep watch
عيونا ليس يرعَيْنا
and, sleepless, I watch over their
Snakes twisting around us
eyes, which do not watch over me.
And the years bit with the fangs of eternity
ولوand if صحَّwere genuine وفاءloyalty لمwould not
ولو صحَّ وفاء لم
يُصِبْstrike سيفُa sword وغىًof battle قَيْناa smith
يُصِبْ سيفُ وغىً قَيْنا
Were loyalty genuine, no
Passing one after another
sword of battle would strike a smith.
We sought for Abu Talib
وللهِand God bless ابنُIbn; son of أيُّوبAyyub
وللهِ ابنُ أيُّوب
إذاwhen عُدَّis counted أخٌa brother; friend زيْناan adornment
إذا عُدَّ أخٌ زيْنا
And God bless Ibn Ayyub,
A likeness, but we despaired
when a brother is counted an adornment,
And we united him, yet by God, we did not diverge
ودبَّتand crept نائباتُcalamities الدهTime (beginning)
ودبَّت نائباتُ الده
رِend of 'Time' حيَّاتٍsnakes تلوَّيْناthey writhed
رِ حيَّاتٍ تلوَّيْنا
and Time's calamities creep
O noble one, we did not coincide in nature or differ
as writhing snakes,
I saw the difficult side in him
وعضَّتْand bit بضروسwith the molars of الجدdrought (beginning)
وعضَّتْ بضروس الجد
بِend of 'drought' أعوامٌyears تواليْناthey followed one another
بِ أعوامٌ تواليْنا
and biting with drought's molars
And the gentle manner
are years that follow one another.
From the ambitious people
طلبناwe sought لأبيfor Abu طالِTalib (beginning)
طلبنا لأبي طالِ
بَend of 'Talib' مِثْلاa peer فتعنَّيْناand so we wearied ourselves
بَ مِثْلا فتعنَّيْنا
We sought for Abu Talib
When the clouds pour down upon us
a peer, and wore ourselves out.
They see their souls as reaching
ووحَّدناهand we counted him alone فيin العدّthe reckoning
ووحَّدناه في العدّ
فماand so ... not واللهby God ثَنَّيْناwe counted a second
فما والله ثَنَّيْنا
We counted him as one alone;
The pinnacle of glory, so we ran
and, by God, we counted no second.
By God, there are souls that
كريمgenerous ماwhether تَوَافقْناwe agreed in الthe
كريم ما تَوَافقْنا ال
سجاياtemperaments أوor تنافيْناwe were at odds
سجايا أو تنافيْنا
He is generous, whether we agree in
Whisper to each other to reach the heights
temperament or fall into discord.
The days of fate surpassed you
رأيتُI saw الجانبَthe side الصعبَthe unyielding
رأيتُ الجانبَ الصعبَ
بهin him والخُلُقَand the disposition اللَّيْناthe gentle
به والخُلُقَ اللَّيْنا
I saw the unyielding side
When events deafened us
in him, and a gentle nature.
And the long nights outlived
منof القومthe people المناجيزِthose prompt to fulfill promises
من القوم المناجيزِ
إذاwhen ماever; emphasis السُّحْبُthe clouds مَنَّيْناthey held out hopes
إذا ما السُّحْبُ مَنَّيْنا
He is of those who fulfill their promises
Your life while we vanish
when the clouds hold out hopes.
The days of celebration, do they not break
رأتsaw أنفسُهمtheir souls قاصِthe farthest reach (beginning)
رأت أنفسُهم قاصِ
يَةَend of 'farthest reach' المجدِof glory فأجريْناand so they raced
يَةَ المجدِ فأجريْنا
Their souls saw the farthest reaches
Fast or feast while we sacrifice?
of glory, and raced toward them.
In you we see the beautiful wishes
فللهso God bless نفوسٌsouls بالwith the
فلله نفوسٌ بال
معاليlofty deeds يتواصَيْناthey exhort one another
معالي يتواصَيْنا
God bless souls that
We wished but did not attain
exhort one another to lofty deeds!
تخطَّتكmay it pass you by يدُthe hand of الدهرِTime
تخطَّتك يدُ الدهرِ
إذاwhen الأحداثُmisfortunes أصمَيْناthey strike fatally
إذا الأحداثُ أصمَيْنا
May the hand of Time pass you by
when misfortunes strike fatally.
وطاولتَand may you rival اللياليthe nights العمlifespan (beginning)
وطاولتَ الليالي العم
رَend of 'lifespan' تبقَىyou remain ليfor me ويفنَيْناwhile they perish
رَ تبقَى لي ويفنَيْنا
And may you rival the nights in length of
life, remaining for me while they perish,
مدىfor the duration of الأعيادِthe feasts ماas long as يُفطَرthey break the fast (beginning)
مدى الأعيادِ ما يُفطَر
نend of 'they break the fast' عيداa feast-day ويُضَحَّيْناand they offer sacrifice
ن عيدا ويُضَحَّيْنا
through the span of feasts, as long as they break the fast
on a feast-day and offer sacrifice.
ترَىthey behold فيكin you الأمانيَّthe wishes الthe
ترَى فيك الأمانيَّ ال
حسانُbeautiful ماwhat تمنَّيْناthey wished for
حسانُ ما تمنَّيْنا
In you, all lovely wishes behold
everything they have wished for.
Partial English translation: 67 of 76 Arabic lines translated.