ياO حادِيَdriver of الأظعانِthe caravans عرّجْturn aside
يا حادِيَ الأظعانِ عرّجْ
بِيwith me هُديتَmay you be guided إلىto الطُّفُوفِal-Tufuf
بِي هُديتَ إلى الطُّفُوفِ
O driver of the caravans, turn aside
O guide of sorrows, turn
with me—may you be guided—to al-Tufuf.
Towards me, you were guided to Al-Tufouf
عرّجْturn aside إلىto ذاكthat المحلthe abode (first part)
عرّجْ إلى ذاك المحل
لِ(completes 'the abode') الفَخمِsplendid والعطَنِand the resting place الشّريفِnoble
لِ الفَخمِ والعطَنِ الشّريفِ
Turn aside to that abode,
Turn towards that place
splendid, and to that noble resting place,
Of spaciousness and noble hospitality
حيثwhere الثّرىthe dust مُلقىًlaid هناthere (first part)
حيث الثّرى مُلقىً هنا
ك(completes 'there') علىon قَراthe back of جبلٍa mountain مُنيفِlofty
ك على قَرا جبلٍ مُنيفِ
where the dust is laid
Where soil lies here
there on the back of a lofty mountain;
As if on the ridge of a lofty mountain
حيثwhere القِرىhospitality عفوpardon الإلَGod (first part)
حيث القِرى عفو الإلَ
هِ(completes 'God') عنof القبائحِshameful deeds للضّيوفِfor the guests
هِ عن القبائحِ للضّيوفِ
where the welcome is God's pardon
Where villages pardon a guest's
of shameful deeds, granted to the guests.
Shortcomings
ماذاwhat يريبُكtroubles you ريبmay be troubled غيsomeone other than you (first part)
ماذا يريبُك ريب غي
رُك(completes 'someone other than you') منabout عكوفيmy lingering أوor وقوفيmy standing still
رُك من عكوفي أو وقوفي
What troubles you—may another be troubled instead—
What doubts you have, other than mine
about my lingering or standing still?
Of my staying or leaving
فَلَقَلَّماfor very seldom نَفِسَbegrudged الرّفيthe companion (first part)
فَلَقَلَّما نَفِسَ الرّفي
قُ(completes 'the companion') عليَّtoward me بالنَّزْرِwith the scant amount الطّفيفِtrifling
قُ عليَّ بالنَّزْرِ الطّفيفِ
For seldom has a companion begrudged
Rarely does the gentle soul
me so tiny a pittance.
Blame me for my slight error
ومتىand whenever رأيتَyou see مدامِعيmy tear ducts
ومتى رأيتَ مدامِعي
تنهلُّstream بالدّمعِwith tears الوكيفِpouring
تنهلُّ بالدّمعِ الوكيفِ
And whenever you see my eyes
And when you see my tears
streaming with pouring tears,
Flowing abundantly
فعلَىthen for الّتيher whom ولّتْdeparted بهاwith her
فعلَى الّتي ولّتْ بها
عنfrom ساحتيmy courtyard أيديthe hands of الحتُوفِdeathly fates
عن ساحتي أيدي الحتُوفِ
they are for her whom
Over her who turned away
the hands of death bore away from my courtyard.
From my court the hands of separation
وسَقَينَنِيand they made me drink بفراقهاthrough separation from her
وسَقَينَنِي بفراقها
كأساًa cup منof السُّمِّpoison المدوفِmixed
كأساً من السُّمِّ المدوفِ
And through separation from her they made me drink
And made me drink after parting with her
a cup of mingled poison.
A cup of pure poison
وكأنّنيand it was as though I لمّاwhen سمعheard (first part)
وكأنّني لمّا سمع
تُI (verb ending) نَعِيَّهاnews of her death مثلُlike النَّزيفِone drained of blood
تُ نَعِيَّها مثلُ النَّزيفِ
And when I heard
As if when I heard
her death announced, I seemed like one drained of blood,
News of her death, I was like copious bleeding
أوor مُعْجَلٌone hard-pressed داميbloodied القَراthe back
أو مُعْجَلٌ دامي القَرا
والصّدرِand the chest منفصمُbroken الوَظيفِthe shank-bone
والصّدرِ منفصمُ الوَظيفِ
or one hard-pressed, with bleeding back
Or a wounded man whose chest
and chest, and a broken shank-bone,
And ribs were torn
أوor أعزَلٌone unarmed نبذcast away الزّماtime (first part)
أو أعزَلٌ نبذ الزّما
نُ(completes 'time') بهhim إلىinto الشَّقّthe cleft المخوفِfearsome
نُ به إلى الشَّقّ المخوفِ
or one unarmed, whom time cast
Or a helpless man who abandoned his time
into a fearsome cleft.
And retreated into fearful solitude
ياO موتُDeath كمhow many لكyours فيin فؤاmy heart (first part)
يا موتُ كم لك في فؤا
دي(completes 'my heart') منof نُدوبٍscars أوor قروفِabrasions
دي من نُدوبٍ أو قروفِ
O Death, how many are yours within my heart—
Oh death, how many scars
scars or abrasions!
And wounds you have caused me
ألّاwhy did you not أخذتَyou took بمنinstead of whom أخذtook (first part)
ألّا أخذتَ بمن أخذ
تَyou (verb ending) تَليدَthe inherited portion of ماليmy wealth أوor طريفيmy newly acquired wealth
تَ تَليدَ مالي أو طريفي
Why did you not take, instead of the one you took,
If only you had taken those
my inherited wealth or my newly acquired gains,
Who took my money and fine clothes
وعدلتَand you turned aside عنfrom كهفيmy sheltering cave ودوand take for yourself (first part)
وعدلتَ عن كهفي ودو
نَكَ(completes 'take for yourself') ماwhatever أردتَyou desired منof الكهوفِthe caves
نَكَ ما أردتَ من الكهوفِ
and spare my sheltering cave? Take
And avoided my cave and shunned
whatever caves you wish.
Whatever you wanted of caves
كمhow many ذاindeed أَصابتْstruck مُصمِياdeadly shafts (first part)
كم ذا أَصابتْ مُصمِيا
تُكَ(completes 'your deadly shafts') منamong خليلٍa close friend أوor أَليفِa beloved companion
تُكَ من خليلٍ أو أَليفِ
How many have your deadly shafts struck—
How many intimate friends
close friends or beloved companions!
Have your arrows struck down
أضحىwas معيwith me زَمَنَthe season of الرّبيspring (first part)
أضحى معي زَمَنَ الرّبي
عِ(completes 'spring') وراحand departed عنّيfrom me فيin المصيفِsummer
عِ وراح عنّي في المصيفِ
He was with me in the season of spring
Who stayed with me in days of prosperity
and departed from me in the summer.
And left me in summer
فاتَescaped القويَّthe severe منamong الخطوcalamities (first part)
فاتَ القويَّ من الخطو
بِ(completes 'calamities') وماتand died بالخطْبِfrom the calamity الضَّعيفِslight
بِ ومات بالخطْبِ الضَّعيفِ
He escaped the great calamities
The strong have passed
yet died from a minor one.
And died amidst weak troubles
ياO مُخرجَone who brings out الآسادِthe lions خاbowed (first part)
يا مُخرجَ الآسادِ خا
شعَةَ(completes 'bowed') الرؤوسthe heads منfrom الغَريفِthe thicket
شعَةَ الرؤوس من الغَريفِ
O you who bring the lions out,
O revealer of diseases
heads bowed, from the thicket!
That humble proud heads
ياO قانصاًhunter of نفسَthe soul of الشُجاthe brave man (first part)
يا قانصاً نفسَ الشُجا
عِ(completes 'the brave man') يكرّhe charges ماwhat lies بينbetween الصّفوفِthe ranks
عِ يكرّ ما بين الصّفوفِ
O hunter of the brave man's soul,
O harvester of noble souls
as he charges between the ranks!
From among curtains and veils
ياO مُبرِزَone who brings forth الغِيدِthe graceful women الحِساbeautiful (first part)
يا مُبرِزَ الغِيدِ الحِسا
نِ(completes 'beautiful') منfrom السّتائرِthe curtains والسُّجوفِand the draperies
نِ من السّتائرِ والسُّجوفِ
O you who bring forth the graceful beauties
And disrober of bodies
from behind curtains and draperies!
Of garments and coverings
ومُعَرِّيَand one who strips الأجسادِthe bodies مِنْof
ومُعَرِّيَ الأجسادِ مِنْ
سَرَقِsilk السّبائبِthe robes والشُّفُوفِand sheer fabrics
سَرَقِ السّبائبِ والشُّفُوفِ
And strip the bodies of
O doer of what you desire
silken robes and sheer fabrics!
By force despite unwillingness
ياO فاعلاًone who does ماwhatever يشتهيhe desires
يا فاعلاً ما يشتهي
قهراًby force علىin رغمspite of الأُنوفِthe noses
قهراً على رغم الأُنوفِ
O you who do whatever you desire,
How can I escape misfortune
by force, humbling every nose!
And its paths when my grave is near
كيفhow الفِرارُflight منfrom الرّدىdeath
كيف الفِرارُ من الرّدى
وعلىand on مسالكِهِits paths وجيفيmy hurried pace
وعلى مسالكِهِ وجيفي
How can I flee from death,
Or how can I be saved from one
when my swift pace follows its paths?
Closer to me than my saddle's back
أمor كيفhow أنجوI escape منfrom يَدَيْthe two hands of
أم كيف أنجو من يَدَيْ
أدنىone nearer إليّto me منthan الرّديفِthe rider at one's back
أدنى إليّ من الرّديفِ
Or how can I escape the hands of one
If I try to escape, my slowness
nearer to me than the rider at my back?
Will not let you know of my light step
وإذاand if سعيتُI hurry أفوتُهُI outstrip him
وإذا سعيتُ أفوتُهُ
لمdid not تدرِyou discern بُطْئيmy slowness منfrom خُفوفيmy swiftness
لم تدرِ بُطْئي من خُفوفي
And if I hurry to outstrip him,
You cannot be avoided with spears
you cannot tell my slowness from my haste.
Or swords
لاnot تُتّقىcan be warded off منهfrom him البَلِيthe calamity (first part)
لا تُتّقى منه البَلِي
يةُ(completes 'the calamity') بالرّماحwith spears أوor السّيوفِswords
يةُ بالرّماح أو السّيوفِ
The calamity he brings cannot be warded off
Humiliation is our lot
with spears or swords.
And love of the aloof, our banner
ذلٌّhumiliation لناfor us وشِعارناand our emblem
ذلٌّ لنا وشِعارنا
حبٌّlove لنافرةٍfor one who flees صَدوفِever turning away
حبٌّ لنافرةٍ صَدوفِ
Humiliation is ours, and our emblem
Like the deceitful, you hid
is love for one who flees and turns away.
Idle and sprang with claws
مثلُlike البَغِيِّa harlot تبطّنَتْshe harbors within
مثلُ البَغِيِّ تبطّنَتْ
عَطَلاًbareness ولاحتْand gleams بالشُّنوفِwith earrings
عَطَلاً ولاحتْ بالشُّنوفِ
Like a harlot, she is inwardly
You strip the devout of piety
bare, yet gleams with earrings.
And make the upright man stumble
تُعرِيshe strips التقيَّthe pious man منof التُّقىpiety
تُعرِي التقيَّ من التُّقى
وتَزِلُّand makes stumble بالرّجلِthe man العفيفِchaste
وتَزِلُّ بالرّجلِ العفيفِ
She strips the pious man of piety
And how many pure intimacies
and makes the chaste man stumble.
Have you corrupted and defiled
وَلَكَمْand how many بهاin her مِنof مَخْبَرٍan inner nature
وَلَكَمْ بها مِن مَخْبَرٍ
صَدئٍrusty ومنand of مرأىًoutward appearance مَشوفِpolished
صَدئٍ ومن مرأىً مَشوفِ
And how often her inner nature
And I had grown accustomed to her love
is rusty, while her outward look is polished bright!
But returned deprived of the beloved
ولقدand indeed ألِفتُI grew accustomed to وصالهاunion with her
ولقد ألِفتُ وصالها
فرجعتُso I returned مستلفَseeking a loan from الأليفِa close companion
فرجعتُ مستلفَ الأليفِ
Indeed, I grew accustomed to union with her,
Empty-handed of fighting
then returned seeking a loan from a close companion,
And virtue and aloofness
صِفْرَempty اليدينboth hands منof القناcontentment (first part)
صِفْرَ اليدين من القنا
عةِ(completes 'contentment') والنّزاهةِand integrity والعُزوفِand detachment
عةِ والنّزاهةِ والعُزوفِ
empty-handed of contentment,
All glory in life is for
integrity, and detachment.
The fickle and frivolous
والعزُّand dignity كلُّall العزِّdignity فيin الدthe world (first part)
والعزُّ كلُّ العزِّ في الد
دُنيا(completes 'the world') لطَيّانٍfor one empty-bellied خفيفِlightly burdened
دُنيا لطَيّانٍ خفيفِ
And dignity—all dignity—in this world
Who forsake pleasures
belongs to one empty-bellied and light of load,
And heed the loud call of inevitable death
تركhe abandoned المُنىwishes وأَقامand remained يرhe awaits (first part)
ترك المُنى وأَقام ير
قُبُ(completes 'he awaits') هَتْفَةَthe cry of الأجلِthe appointed end الهتوفِloudly calling
قُبُ هَتْفَةَ الأجلِ الهتوفِ
who abandoned wishes and remained awaiting
the cry of death, calling aloud.
Partial English translation: 68 of 70 Arabic lines translated.