ياO اِبنَson of عَبدِAbd ('servant of') الكَريمِal-Karim ('the Generous') كَلَّفتَناyou burdened us المَشthe walk (first part)
يا اِبنَ عَبدِ الكَريمِ كَلَّفتَنا المَش
يَcompletion of 'walk' إِلىto مَوضِعٍa place بَعيدِdistant الطَريقِthe road
يَ إِلى مَوضِعٍ بَعيدِ الطَريقِ
O son of Abd al-Karim, you burdened us with walking
O son of Abdul Karim, you have led us on a journey,
to a place a long way off—
To a distant place far from the road,
مُقفِرٍbarren موحِشٍdreary; desolate تُسَمّيهِyou call it بُستاa garden (first part)
مُقفِرٍ موحِشٍ تُسَمّيهِ بُستا
ناًcompletion of 'garden' بِوَجهٍwith a face صُلبِhard; tough الأَديمِthe skin صَفيقِthick-skinned; brazen
ناً بِوَجهٍ صُلبِ الأَديمِ صَفيقِ
barren and dreary, which you call a garden
Desolate and gloomy you call it a home,
with a hard-skinned, brazen face.
With a face as hard as leather hardened.
لَمdid not يَصِحَّbe well; recover النَدمانُthe drinking companion فيهِin it مِنَfrom الراthe wine (first part)
لَم يَصِحَّ النَدمانُ فيهِ مِنَ الرا
حِcompletion of 'wine' وَلاnor الكَأسُthe cup مِنfrom فَمِthe mouth of الإِبريقِthe ewer
حِ وَلا الكَأسُ مِن فَمِ الإِبريقِ
No drinking companion was refreshed there by wine,
Neither pleasure there nor a cup from a pitcher,
nor the cup by the mouth of the ewer.
Water was dearer than syrup or wine.
عَزَّwas scarce فيهِin it الماءُthe water القُراحُpure; unmixed عَلىfor الشُرthe drinkers (first part)
عَزَّ فيهِ الماءُ القُراحُ عَلى الشُر
رابِcompletion of 'drinkers' فَضلاًmuch less عَنِapart from المُدامِthe wine الرَحيقِpure; unmixed
رابِ فَضلاً عَنِ المُدامِ الرَحيقِ
Pure water was scarce there for drinkers,
There is vegetation as if uprooted and displaced,
let alone unmixed wine.
Cast away longing for greenery and plants.
فيهِin it بَقٌّbugs كَأَنَّهُas though it were مِبضَعُthe lancet of الفاthe bloodletter (first part)
فيهِ بَقٌّ كَأَنَّهُ مِبضَعُ الفا
صِدِcompletion of 'bloodletter' أَهوىhe thrust downward بِهِwith it إِلىtoward الباسِليقِthe basilic vein
صِدِ أَهوى بِهِ إِلى الباسِليقِ
There are bugs there, like a bloodletter's lancet
Nothing there thrives except your smooth skin,
as he drives it toward the basilic vein.
Had we found pasture or a lovely sight,
لَيسَis not فيهِin it شَيءٌanything يَدورُturns عَلىupon الضِرthe molar (first part)
لَيسَ فيهِ شَيءٌ يَدورُ عَلى الضِر
سِcompletion of 'molar' سِوىexcept عِرضِكَyour honor الدَريسِthreadbare السَحيقِworn-out; worn thin
سِ سِوى عِرضِكَ الدَريسِ السَحيقِ
There is nothing there for the teeth to chew
We would have excused you instead of this fissured valley,
except your threadbare, worn-out honor.
As if we descended into a narrow crevice and gorge.
لَوif ظَفِرناwe had obtained فيهِin it بِمَرعىًa pasture (with) وَريقِleafy
لَو ظَفِرنا فيهِ بِمَرعىً وَريقِ
لَعَذَرناكَwe would have excused you أَوor بَمَرأىa view (with) أَنيقِlovely
لَعَذَرناكَ أَو بَمَرأى أَنيقِ
Had we found there a leafy pasture,
or a lovely view, we would have excused you.
فَكَأَنّاso, as though we فيat ذاتِDhat (in Dhat Irq) عِرقٍIrq (in Dhat Irq) نَزَلناwe stopped
فَكَأَنّا في ذاتِ عِرقٍ نَزَلنا
إِذwhen نَزَلناهُwe stopped at it أَوor بِواديin the valley of الشُقوقِal-Shuquq
إِذ نَزَلناهُ أَو بِوادي الشُقوقِ
So it was as though we had stopped at Dhat Irq
when we stopped there—or in Wadi al-Shuquq.
Partial English translation: 12 of 16 Arabic lines translated.