أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَنَّthat الحَيَّthe tribe فَرَّقَseparated بَينَهُمthem from one another
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الحَيَّ فَرَّقَ بَينَهُم
نَوىseparation يَومَon the day of صَحراءِthe desert of الغُمَيمِal-Ghumaym لَجوجِrelentless
نَوى يَومَ صَحراءِ الغُمَيمِ لَجوجِ
Have you not seen how the tribe were divided
Did you not see how life has divided them,
by relentless separation, that day in the desert of al-Ghumaym?
With resolve, one day on the gloomy desert?
نَوىًa destination شَطَنَتهُمcarried them far away عَنfrom نَواناour destination وَهَيَّجَتand stirred
نَوىً شَطَنَتهُم عَن نَوانا وَهَيَّجَت
لَناin us طَرَباًlonging إِنَّindeed الخُطوبَmisfortunes تَهيجُrouse
لَنا طَرَباً إِنَّ الخُطوبَ تَهيجُ
A destination that carried them far from ours, and stirred
Its whims distracted them from pastureland while it stirred
longing in us—misfortunes do arouse it.
For us a passion—worries do impassion!
فَلَمand did not تَذرِفِshed tears العَينانِthe two eyes حَتّىuntil تَحَمَّلَتdeparted
فَلَم تَذرِفِ العَينانِ حَتّى تَحَمَّلَت
مَعَwith الصُبحِthe dawn أَحفاضٌhousehold baggage لَهُمof theirs وَحُدوجُand camel litters
مَعَ الصُبحِ أَحفاضٌ لَهُم وَحُدوجُ
My eyes shed no tears until they moved away—
My eyes did not spill tears until they bore
their household baggage and camel litters, at dawn.
At dawn burdens for them, and yearnings too.
وَحَتّىand until رَأَيتُI saw الحَيَّthe tribe تُذريsweeps عِراصَهُمtheir camping grounds
وَحَتّى رَأَيتُ الحَيَّ تُذري عِراصَهُم
يَمانِيَةٌa wind from Yemen تَزهىlifts الرَغامَthe dust دَروجُpassing along
يَمانِيَةٌ تَزهى الرَغامَ دَروجُ
And until I saw the tribe's camping grounds swept
Until I saw life scattering their bones—
by a passing wind from Yemen that lifted the dust.
A Yemeni mare prances, adorned in silk.
فَأَصبَحَso became مَسرورٌa delighted man بِبَينِكِat your departure مُعجَبٌelated
فَأَصبَحَ مَسرورٌ بِبَينِكِ مُعجَبٌ
وَباكٍand a weeper لَهُwho has عِندَbeside الدِيارِthe dwellings نَشيجُsobbing
وَباكٍ لَهُ عِندَ الدِيارِ نَشيجُ
Then one was happy, elated at your departure,
So one rejoices, enamored of your separation,
while another wept, sobbing beside the dwellings.
While for his home he weeps when far away.
فَإِنso if تَكُis هِندٌHind جَنَّةًa paradise حيلَwas barred دونَهاbefore her
فَإِن تَكُ هِندٌ جَنَّةً حيلَ دونَها
فَقَدthen indeed يَعزِفُturns aside اليَأسُdespair الفَتىthe young man فَيَعيجُand so he turns away
فَقَد يَعزِفُ اليَأسُ الفَتى فَيَعيجُ
So if Hind is a paradise whose way is barred,
For if India were a walled paradise,
despair may turn a young man aside, and he turns away.
Then despair might make the youth disconsolate.
إِذاwhen اِحتَلَّتِsettled in الرَنقاءَal-Ranqa هِندٌHind مُقيمَةًstaying
إِذا اِحتَلَّتِ الرَنقاءَ هِندٌ مُقيمَةً
وَقَدand already حانَthe time has come مِنّيfor me مِنfrom دِمَشقَDamascus بُروجُdeparture
وَقَد حانَ مِنّي مِن دِمَشقَ بُروجُ
When Hind has settled in al-Ranqa to stay,
When the graceful one settled in India,
and the time has come for me to leave Damascus,
The time for my departure from Damascus was nigh.
وَبُدِّلتُand I was given in exchange أَرضَland of الشَيحِwormwood مِنهاin its place وَبُدِّلَتand were exchanged
وَبُدِّلتُ أَرضَ الشَيحِ مِنها وَبُدِّلَت
تِلاعَthe gullies of المَطاليal-Matali سَخبَرٌsakhbar plants وَوَشيجُand reeds
تِلاعَ المَطالي سَخبَرٌ وَوَشيجُ
and I was given wormwood country in its place; and in place of
I exchanged the land of Sheeha for it and bartered
sakhbar plants and reeds came the gullies of al-Matali;
Meadows of wishful thinking for desolate wastes.
وَأَعرَضَand stretched across مِنfrom حَورانَHawran وَالقُنُّand al-Qunn دونَهاbetween us and her
وَأَعرَضَ مِن حَورانَ وَالقُنُّ دونَها
تِلالٌhills وَخَلّاتٌand sandy hollows لَهُنَّin them أَجيجُblazing heat
تِلالٌ وَخَلّاتٌ لَهُنَّ أَجيجُ
and from Hawran—with al-Qunn between us and her—there stretched
And I paid no heed to Hawran or to Coon downstream,
hills and sandy hollows, blazing with heat,
Where for them are ridges and formations echoing.
فَلاso no وَصلَreunion إِلّاexcept أَنthat تُقَرِّبَbring closer بَينَناthe distance between us
فَلا وَصلَ إِلّا أَن تُقَرِّبَ بَينَنا
قَلائِصُyoung she-camels يَجذِبنَtug المَثانِيَthe doubled reins عوجُlean
قَلائِصُ يَجذِبنَ المَثانِيَ عوجُ
there is no reunion unless the distance between us is closed by
No joining will occur unless brought closer by
lean young she-camels tugging their doubled reins,
Light horses pulling at the tent ropes insistently.
وَمُخلِفَةٌand fully mature أَنيابَهاher canine teeth جَدَلِيَّةٌsturdily built
وَمُخلِفَةٌ أَنيابَها جَدَلِيَّةٌ
تَشُدُّbinds حَشاهاher belly نِسعَةٌa girth strap وَنَسيجُand a woven band
تَشُدُّ حَشاها نِسعَةٌ وَنَسيجُ
and a sturdily built she-camel, past the age of growing her canines,
And a train of them, their fetlocks plaited,
her belly bound by a girth strap and woven band.
Gird themselves, brisk, harnessed, and braided.
لَهاshe has رَبِذاتٌnimble legs بِالنَجاءِat speed كَأَنَّهاas though they were
لَها رَبِذاتٌ بِالنَجاءِ كَأَنَّها
دَعائِمُpillars أَرزٍcedar بَينَهُنَّbetween them فُروجُgaps
دَعائِمُ أَرزٍ بَينَهُنَّ فُروجُ
Her legs are nimble at speed, as though they were
Some have carved poles on their litters that seem
cedar pillars, with spaces between them.
Like the trunks of a cedar wood thicket between.
إِذاwhen هَبَطَتshe descends أَرضاًground عِزازاًhard تَحامَلَتbear the strain
إِذا هَبَطَت أَرضاً عِزازاً تَحامَلَت
مَناسِمُfoot-pads مِنهاamong them راعِفٌbleeding وَشَجيجُand split
مَناسِمُ مِنها راعِفٌ وَشَجيجُ
When she descends onto hard ground, they bear the strain—
When they descend on honored terrain they bear
her foot-pads, some bleeding, others split.
Burdens from them, quaking and clamoring.
وَمُغبَرَّةِand dust-darkened الآفاقِthe horizons يَجريflows سَرابُهاits mirage
وَمُغبَرَّةِ الآفاقِ يَجري سَرابُها
عَلىover أُكمِهاits hillocks قَبلَbefore الضُحىmidmorning فَيَموجُand so it surges
عَلى أُكمِها قَبلَ الضُحى فَيَموجُ
And many a desert with dust-darkened horizons, its mirage flowing
And in the horizon's dust their mirage flows
over its hillocks before midmorning, surging in waves,
Along their dunes before the dawn, rippling.
قَطَعتُI crossed إِذاwhen الأَرطىthe arta shrubs اِرتَدىdonned فيin ظِلالِهِits shade
قَطَعتُ إِذا الأَرطى اِرتَدى في ظِلالِهِ
حَوازيءُsquat beasts يَرعَينَgraze الفَلاةَthe wilderness دُموجُcompact-bodied
حَوازيءُ يَرعَينَ الفَلاةَ دُموجُ
I crossed when the arta shrubs' shade clothed
When I traverse the wilderness, there wanders in its shadows
squat, compact-bodied beasts grazing the wilderness.
A herd grazing the wasteland, docile and obedient.
لَعَمرُby the life of اِبنَةِthe daughter of المُرِّيِّal-Murri ماnot أَناI بِالَّذيone who
لَعَمرُ اِبنَةِ المُرِّيِّ ما أَنا بِالَّذي
لَهُfor him أَنwhen تَنوبَbefall النائِباتُmisfortunes ضَجيجُan outcry
لَهُ أَن تَنوبَ النائِباتُ ضَجيجُ
By the life of al-Murri's daughter, I am not one
By the life of Murri's daughter, it is not I
who cries out when misfortunes befall him.
For whom the substitute women wail sorrowfully!
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَتshe knows أُمُّthe mother of الصَبِيَّينِthe two boys أَنَّنيthat I
وَقَد عَلِمَت أُمُّ الصَبِيَّينِ أَنَّني
إِلىto الضَيفِthe guest قَوّامُever rising السِناتِdrowsy spells خَروجُoften going out
إِلى الضَيفِ قَوّامُ السِناتِ خَروجُ
And the mother of the two boys knows that I
And the mother of the two boys knows I am
am ever rising from drowsiness and going out to a guest.
To the guest assiduous, of long-standing habit.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَأَغليsurely hold dear اللَحمَmeat نيئاًraw وَإِنَّنيand indeed I
وَإِنّي لَأَغلي اللَحمَ نيئاً وَإِنَّني
لَمِمَّنsurely among those who يُهينُholds cheap اللَحمَmeat وَهوَwhile it is نَضيجُcooked
لَمِمَّن يُهينُ اللَحمَ وَهوَ نَضيجُ
And I indeed hold meat dear while raw, and indeed I
For I boil the meat raw, and I am one
am among those who hold meat cheap when it is cooked.
Who spoils the meat, and it still undercooked.
إِذاwhen المُرضِعُthe nursing mother العَوجاءُthe lean one بِاللَيلِat night عَزَّهاoverpowered her
إِذا المُرضِعُ العَوجاءُ بِاللَيلِ عَزَّها
عَلىat ثَديِهاher breast ذوone with وَرعَتَينِtwo hair-tufts لَهوجُgreedy for milk
عَلى ثَديِها ذو وَرعَتَينِ لَهوجُ
When the lean nursing mother, at night, is overpowered
When the hungry nursing maid in the night demands
at her breast by a milk-hungry little one with two hair-tufts,
Her nursing breast—a possession of two teats—
إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis اِبتَغىseek الأَضيافُthe guests مَنsomeone who يَبذُلُfreely offers القِرىhospitality
إِذا ما اِبتَغى الأَضيافُ مَن يَبذُلُ القِرى
قَرَتprovided hospitality لِيَfor me مِقلاتُone that loses her young الشِتاءِwinter خَدوجُcalving prematurely
قَرَت لِيَ مِقلاتُ الشِتاءِ خَدوجُ
whenever guests seek someone who offers hospitality,
If the guests seek one who gives hospitality,
a she-camel that loses her winter young, calving too soon, feeds them for me.
My cooking pots in winter thaw for them.
جُمالِيَّةٌbuilt like a male camel بِالسَيفِby the sword مِنfrom عَظمِthe bone of ساقِهاher shank
جُمالِيَّةٌ بِالسَيفِ مِن عَظمِ ساقِها
دَمٌblood جاسِدٌclotted لَمdid not أَجلُهُI wipe it away وَسُحوجُand abrasions
دَمٌ جاسِدٌ لَم أَجلُهُ وَسُحوجُ
A she-camel as big as a male, bearing at her shinbone, from the sword,
A thoroughbred—from the bone of her cannon, blood—
clotted blood I had not wiped away, and abrasions.
Clotted, undrained. But I did not find it revolting.
كَأَنَّas though رِحالَcamel saddles المَيسٍhackberry wood فيat كُلِّevery مَوقِفٍhalt
كَأَنَّ رِحالَ المَيسٍ في كُلِّ مَوقِفٍ
عَلَيهاupon her بِأَجوازِin the middle reaches of الفَلاةِthe wilderness سُروجُhorse saddles
عَلَيها بِأَجوازِ الفَلاةِ سُروجُ
As though the hackberry-wood camel saddles, at every halt,
It is as if the baggage camels at every halt
upon her in the desert's midst, were horse saddles.
Dripped on her, in the wasteland's passes, broth.
وَماand whatever غاضَdwindles مِنof شَيءٍanything فَإِنَّthen indeed سَماحَتيmy generosity
وَما غاضَ مِن شَيءٍ فَإِنَّ سَماحَتي
وَوَجهيand my face بِهِthrough it أُمُّmother of الصَبِيِّthe boy بَليجُradiant
وَوَجهي بِهِ أُمُّ الصَبِيِّ بَليجُ
Whatever may dwindle, my generosity
If I am angered by anything, my forbearance
and my face, mother of the boy, remain radiant through it.
And my face thereby the mother of the boy made smooth.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.