أَقفَرَتِ الرَقَّتانِ فَالقَلَسُ

أَقفَرَتِ الرَقَّتانِ فَالقَلَسُ

فَهوَ كَأَن لَم يَكُن بِهِ أَنَسُ

فَهوَ كَأَن لَم يَكُن بِهِ أَنَسُ

The two Raqqas have fallen desolate, and al-Qalas;

The two plains became desolate, so it is as if it had no intimacy

so it is as though no human presence had ever been there.

Thus the monastery is stronger for the ruins, as the prayer niches of a nation strengthened, whose people perished

فَالدَيرُ أَقوى إِلى البَليخِ كَما

فَالدَيرُ أَقوى إِلى البَليخِ كَما

أَقوَت مَحاريبُ أُمَّةٍ دَرَسوا

أَقوَت مَحاريبُ أُمَّةٍ دَرَسوا

And al-Dayr lay deserted as far as the Balikh, just as

The enemy spent the night in its outskirts, and at the top of its highest fortresses is a guard

the sanctuaries of a vanished people lay deserted.

We could not attain it except with an assailant, naked of armor, while under him is a horse

أَمسى بِحَوماتِها العَدوُّ وَفي

أَمسى بِحَوماتِها العَدوُّ وَفي

أَعلى أَعالي حُصونِها حَرَسُ

أَعلى أَعالي حُصونِها حَرَسُ

By evening the enemy was in their precincts, and on

Seekers of the lute string as if its form is the crescent of a full moon shining or ember

the loftiest heights of their fortresses stood guards.

And youths like swords, settled on horses and corpses, while the night is dark

لَم نَستَطِعها إِلّا بِمُستَلِمٍ

لَم نَستَطِعها إِلّا بِمُستَلِمٍ

عاري الظَنابيبِ تَحتَهُ فَرَسُ

عاري الظَنابيبِ تَحتَهُ فَرَسُ

We could take them only with an armored warrior,

Seeking prey in Thul-Kala and in an old dog, while the prey is sought

bare-shinned, with a horse beneath him,

The lute string may be sought with bloodshed, and revenge may be attained and filth washed away

طَلّابُ وِترٍ كَأَنَّ صورَتَهُ

طَلّابُ وِترٍ كَأَنَّ صورَتَهُ

هِلالُ بَدرٍ أَضاءَ أَو قَبَسُ

هِلالُ بَدرٍ أَضاءَ أَو قَبَسُ

an ardent seeker of vengeance, as though his form were

So they spent the night alive, their women howling at their crime, like how a bell howled

a full moon’s shining crescent, or a firebrand,

وَفِتيَةٍ كَالسُيوفِ مُقتَعِدي ال

وَفِتيَةٍ كَالسُيوفِ مُقتَعِدي ال

خَيلِ وَجيفاً وَاللَيلُ مُدلَمِسُ

خَيلِ وَجيفاً وَاللَيلُ مُدلَمِسُ

and young men like swords, mounted on the

horses at a gallop, while the night was pitch-dark.

يَطلُبُ ذَحلاً في ذي الكَلاعِ وَفي

يَطلُبُ ذَحلاً في ذي الكَلاعِ وَفي

كَلبٍ قَديماً وَالذَحلُ مُلتَمَسُ

كَلبٍ قَديماً وَالذَحلُ مُلتَمَسُ

He seeks vengeance against Dhu al-Kalaʿ and against

Kalb for an ancient wrong—and vengeance is sought.

قَد يُطلَبُ الوِترُ بِالدِماءِ وَقَد

قَد يُطلَبُ الوِترُ بِالدِماءِ وَقَد

يُدرَكُ ثَأرٌ وَيُغسَلُ الدَنَسُ

يُدرَكُ ثَأرٌ وَيُغسَلُ الدَنَسُ

Blood-vengeance may be sought with blood, and

revenge may be attained, and the stain washed away.

فَباتَ حَيٌّ يَعوي نِساؤُهُمُ

فَباتَ حَيٌّ يَعوي نِساؤُهُمُ

بِجُرمِهِم مِثلَ ما عَوى جَرَسُ

بِجُرمِهِم مِثلَ ما عَوى جَرَسُ

So a tribe spent the night with its women howling

for their crime, just as Jaras howled.