تأوَّبَcame by night طّيفُthe phantom of رَايةَRaya منfrom بعيدِfar away
تأوَّبَ طّيفُ رَايةَ من بعيدِ
لنَاto us سَحَراًbefore dawn ونحنُand we بِبرّin a wilderness قَعيدِseated; encamped
لنَا سَحَراً ونحنُ بِبرّ قَعيدِ
Raya's phantom came by night from afar
A banner's phantom gleamed from afar
to us before dawn, while we sat in the wilderness.
As dawn's light filled our tent and awoke us there
سَرىjourneyed by night والَّليلُwhile the night قَدalready ألقىlaid down جِراناًa camel's lower neck
سَرى والَّليلُ قَد ألقى جِراناً
وباتَand spent the night يطوفُcircling بالرّكبaround the caravan الهُجودsleeping
وباتَ يطوفُ بالرّكب الهُجود
It journeyed by night, when night had laid its neck upon the ground,
The caravan marched on and night cast down its veils
and spent the night circling the sleeping caravan.
Wandering amidst the kneeling camels as they stood
ألمَّvisited فَلمَّthen mended صدعاًa rift فيin فؤاديmy heart
ألمَّ فَلمَّ صدعاً في فؤادي
وأطفأand extinguished لَوعتيmy burning anguish بَعدَafter الوَقُودthe kindling
وأطفأ لَوعتي بَعدَ الوَقُود
It visited and mended a rift in my heart,
My heart was cleft and my torment relieved
and quenched my anguish after it had blazed.
Once the fires inside were quelled for good
وإنَّيand indeed I ليto me اهتدَيتَyou found your way دُجيًin darkness ودُونيand before me
وإنَّي لي اهتدَيتَ دُجيً ودُوني
نعِافُmountain slopes مخارمٍmountain passes وقفافُand stony hills بيدِdeserts
نعِافُ مخارمٍ وقفافُ بيدِ
And indeed you found your way to me in darkness, though before me lay
Though in the dark I roamed, bereft of guide
the slopes of mountain passes and the stony hills of deserts.
With only hilltops and far meadows in my sight
وكيفand how رأيتَyou saw رَايةRaya يَاO خَيالاًphantom
وكيف رأيتَ رَاية يَا خَيالاً
أرانيshowed me وصلتهاunion with her بعدَafter الصُّدودthe turning away
أراني وصلتها بعدَ الصُّدود
And how did you find Raya, O phantom,
How did you glimpse that banner, O my soul?
you who showed me union with her after her turning away?
Beyond the barriers that impede my steps
أقامتdid she remain بالصُّفيحةِat al-Sufiha أمْor تولّتْshe departed
أقامت بالصُّفيحةِ أمْ تولّتْ
لنجدٍfor Najd أمor رِماحٍRimah أمor زَرُودِZarud
لنجدٍ أم رِماحٍ أم زَرُودِ
Did she remain at al-Sufiha, or depart
Does it still stand atop the hut, or has it gone
for Najd, or Rimah, or Zarud?
To Najd, or spears, or Dhu Ruwa's abode,
وبيتِand a house of خرآئدٍshy maidens حورٍdark-eyed حسانٍbeautiful
وبيتِ خرآئدٍ حورٍ حسانٍ
نواعمdelicate منamong بناتِdaughters of الصيدِproud nobles غيدِsupple and graceful
نواعم من بناتِ الصيدِ غيدِ
And a house of shy maidens, dark-eyed and lovely,
The home of lovely houri maids, most fair
delicate, graceful daughters of proud nobles—
Of desert girls, so elegant and proud?
إذاwhen أزْمَعنthey resolve قَتلَkilling عَميدِa chief of قَومٍa people
إذا أزْمَعن قَتلَ عَميدِ قَومٍ
كشَفْنَthey uncover عنfrom الترائبِthe upper chests والنُّهودِand the breasts
كشَفْنَ عن الترائبِ والنُّهودِ
when they resolve to kill a tribe's chief,
When they prepare to slay a chieftain bold
they bare their upper chests and breasts.
They bare their swords and raise the battle shout
يطُفنَthey circle بِرايةٍaround Raya شَغفاًwith passion وَحُباًand love
يطُفنَ بِرايةٍ شَغفاً وَحُباً
طوفَthe circling of الوفدthe visiting company بالبيتِaround the House المجيدِthe glorious
طوفَ الوفد بالبيتِ المجيدِ
They circle Raya in passion and love,
They circle round the flag infatuated, thrilled with love
as visitors circle the glorious House.
As pilgrims circle round the Sacred House
دَخلتُI entered فَقُمنَso they rose تَعظيماًin reverence لِعزّيfor my eminence
دَخلتُ فَقُمنَ تَعظيماً لِعزّي
كماjust as قَامَrose الإِماءُthe slave women إلىtoward العميدِthe master
كما قَامَ الإِماءُ إلى العميدِ
I entered, and they rose to honor my eminence,
I entered and they rose in reverence for my rank
as slave women rise before their master.
As handmaids rise before their lord and chief
وكاِئنْand many a ليلةٍnight مُتّعِتُI was granted delight فِيهاduring it
وكاِئنْ ليلةٍ مُتّعِتُ فِيها
بوصلthrough union with هضيمةِslender الكشْحينِthe two flanks رُودِsupple; soft
بوصل هضيمةِ الكشْحينِ رُودِ
And many a night I was granted delight
On such a night was I consoled and cheered
through union with a slim-waisted, supple woman,
By a slim-waisted beauty, fair of face and hair,
خَدلجّةٍplump-limbed خبرنجةٍfull-bodied رَداجٍheavy-hipped
خَدلجّةٍ خبرنجةٍ رَداجٍ
مُنعَّمةٍpampered مُمنَّعةٍwell-guarded مَيُودswaying
مُنعَّمةٍ مُمنَّعةٍ مَيُود
plump-limbed, full-bodied, heavy-hipped,
Rosy-cheeked, soft-skinned, plump and round
pampered, well-guarded, swaying,
A slender form whose radiant cheeks outshone
شموعٍplayful رَخصةِsoft الأطرافthe limbs خَودِa lovely young woman
شموعٍ رَخصةِ الأطراف خَودِ
تَمايلُshe sways فيin القلائدِthe necklaces والعُقودِand the bead-strands
تَمايلُ في القلائدِ والعُقودِ
playful, soft of limb, a lovely young woman,
Her necklaces and rings in graceful poise
swaying in necklaces and strings of beads,
When she arises she is gaily teased
بَخنداةfull-bodied إذاwhen نهضتْshe rose لأْمرٍfor a task
بَخنداة إذا نهضتْ لأْمرٍ
تُجاذبهاtug at her الرَّوادُِفthe buttocks للقُعودِtoward sitting down
تُجاذبها الرَّوادُِف للقُعودِ
full-bodied—when she rises for some task,
By the necklaces that grapple for her throat
her buttocks tug her back down to sit.
O banner mine, none other can compare
أرَايةُO Raya ماnot وحسنكِby your beauty رَاقَpleased طَرفيmy eye
أرَايةُ ما وحسنكِ رَاقَ طَرفي
سِواكِexcept you فلاthen no وذيby the Possessor of العرشِthe Throne المجيدِthe glorious
سِواكِ فلا وذي العرشِ المجيدِ
O Raya, by your beauty, none has pleased my eye
To you, except the Lord of Majesty Divine
but you—no, by the Lord of the glorious Throne!
For you I'll roam the wilderness, enthralled
أجُوبI traverse لكِfor you المفاوزَthe desert wastes والمَواميand the barren wildernesses
أجُوب لكِ المفاوزَ والمَوامي
وأقضيand I spend العُمرَlife بالهمّin anxiety الشَّديدsevere
وأقضي العُمرَ بالهمّ الشَّديد
For you I traverse desert wastes and barren wildernesses,
And live a life consumed by this torment of mine
and spend my life in grievous anxiety.
With just your phantom I'll find some content
بِطيفكِwith your phantom قَدْindeed قَنْعتI am content فإبعثيهso send it
بِطيفكِ قَدْ قَنْعت فإبعثيه
وَفقدُand the lack of الماءِwater يُقنعُmakes one content بالصَّعيدِwith bare earth
وَفقدُ الماءِ يُقنعُ بالصَّعيدِ
I am content with your phantom, so send it;
As thirsty men are sated by the desert sand
and lack of water makes one content with bare earth.
When racks of thirst allow no satiety
وفيand in المُرِّthe bitter water الأجاجِthe briny غنيsufficiency لصادٍfor one athirst
وفي المُرِّ الأجاجِ غني لصادٍ
إذاwhen كانَis الظّماءthirst إلىtoward مَزيدِincrease
إذا كانَ الظّماء إلى مَزيدِ
And bitter, briny water is enough for one athirst,
Your mirage still nourishes this dream of mine
when thirst keeps increasing.
Partial English translation: 35 of 36 Arabic lines translated.