لِمَنِbelonging to whom? الدارُthe dwelling كَعُنوانِlike the heading of الكِتابِthe book
لِمَنِ الدارُ كَعُنوانِ الكِتابِ
هاجِتِit stirred الشَوقَlonging وَعَيَّتand was unable بِالجَوابِto give an answer
هاجِتِ الشَوقَ وَعَيَّت بِالجَوابِ
Whose is this dwelling, like the heading of a book?
To whom does the house belong, like a book's title,
It stirred longing, yet could give no answer.
That stirred longing and responded with answers?
لَمdid not تَزِدكَadd to you الدارُthe dwelling إِلّاexcept طَرَباًyearning
لَم تَزِدكَ الدارُ إِلّا طَرَباً
وَالصِباand youthful passion غَيرُnot شَبيهٍresembling بِالصَوابِsound judgment
وَالصِبا غَيرُ شَبيهٍ بِالصَوابِ
The dwelling added nothing to you but yearning,
The house increased you in nothing but confusion,
And youthful passion is unlike sound judgment.
And youth is not akin to propriety.
مَوضِعُthe site of الأَنضادِpiled household goods لَأياًbarely ماemphatic particle يُرىis seen
مَوضِعُ الأَنضادِ لَأياً ما يُرى
وَرَمادٌand ashes مِثلَlike كُحلِthe kohl of العَينِthe eye هابِwind-scattered
وَرَمادٌ مِثلَ كُحلِ العَينِ هابِ
The site of their piled belongings can scarcely be seen,
A place for convening whatever is seen,
And wind-scattered ashes, like kohl for the eye.
And ashes like kohl of eyes gone.
صَدَّdiverted عَنهُaway from it السَيلَthe flood مَجرىthe channel of تَلعَةٍa gully
صَدَّ عَنهُ السَيلَ مَجرى تَلعَةٍ
خُدُدٌgrooves باقٍremaining كَأُخدودِlike the furrow of الكِرابِplowing
خُدُدٌ باقٍ كَأُخدودِ الكِرابِ
A gully's channel diverted the flood from it,
The torrent barred a valley's course,
Grooves remain, like a furrow made by plowing.
Leaving lasting gashes like scratches of parchments.
ضَرَبَتهُshe struck it سَلفَعُa brazen woman مَملوكَةٌenslaved
ضَرَبَتهُ سَلفَعُ مَملوكَةٌ
بِغُرابِwith the pointed beak of الفَأسِthe axe فيagainst وَجهِthe surface of التُرابِthe earth
بِغُرابِ الفَأسِ في وَجهِ التُرابِ
A brazen slavewoman struck it
A slave girl struck it with the crow of an axe in the earth's face,
With the axe's pointed beak against the earth's face,
Pushing back the torrent until it flowed
تَدفَعُshe diverts السَيلَthe flood بهwith it حَتّىuntil جَرىit flowed
تَدفَعُ السَيلَ به حَتّى جَرى
صَحصَحانِيُّof the broad open plains الصَحاريthe deserts وَالرِكابِand the riding camels
صَحصَحانِيُّ الصَحاري وَالرِكابِ
Turning the flood aside with it until it ran
Among the pebbly, desolate plains and hilltops.
Through the broad desert plains and among the riding camels.
With what used to dwell in it-
وَبِماand indeed قَدformerly كانَthere were فيهاin it ساكِناًdwelling
وَبِما قَد كانَ فيها ساكِناً
أَهلُpeople possessing أَنعامٍlivestock وَخَيلٍand horses وَقِبابِand domed tents
أَهلُ أَنعامٍ وَخَيلٍ وَقِبابِ
And once there had dwelt within it
People of livestock, horses, and tents,
People with livestock, horses, and domed tents,
And young girls beautifully pure
وَرَعابيبٌand tender women حِسانٌbeautiful كَالدُمىlike statues
وَرَعابيبٌ حِسانٌ كَالدُمى
لاnot يُنِلنَthey grant الشَيبَthe gray-haired لِذاتِthe pleasures of الشَبابِyouth
لا يُنِلنَ الشَيبَ لِذاتِ الشَبابِ
And beautiful, tender women, like statues,
Whom old age cannot touch in their youthfulness.
Who grant the gray-haired none of youth's pleasures.
So leave play to those who play with it
فَذَرِso leave اللَهوَdiversion لِمَنto whoever يَلهوamuses himself بِهِwith it
فَذَرِ اللَهوَ لِمَن يَلهو بِهِ
وَاِكسُand clothe أَقتادَكَyour saddle-frames جَوناًa dark camel ذاهِبابِfull of vigor
وَاِكسُ أَقتادَكَ جَوناً ذاهِبابِ
So leave diversion to whoever delights in it,
And saddle your riding camel, going away.
And clothe your saddle-frames with a dark camel full of vigor.
A female camel carried it, strong,
حَمَلَتهُshe carried him بازِلٌa mature she-camel كَودانَةٌthickset
حَمَلَتهُ بازِلٌ كَودانَةٌ
فيwithin مِلادٍa fetal membrane وَوِعاءِand a pouch كَالجِرابِlike a leather sack
في مِلادٍ وَوِعاءِ كَالجِرابِ
A mature, thickset she-camel carried him
In a birth and vessel like a saddlebag
Within a fetal membrane and a pouch like a leather sack,
For a year until when she found her bearing
سَنَةًa year حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَحوَلَتshe completed a year
سَنَةً حَتّى إِذا ما أَحوَلَت
وَضَعَتهُshe bore him بَعدَafter عَزفٍgroaning وَاِضطِرابِand writhing
وَضَعَتهُ بَعدَ عَزفٍ وَاِضطِرابِ
For a year, until, when her year was complete,
She laid it down after writhing and struggling.
She bore him after groaning and writhing.
A husk whose essence perfidy did not violate
جَلدَةًhardy لَمnot يَتَخَوَّنdeplete دَرَّهاher milk flow
جَلدَةً لَم يَتَخَوَّن دَرَّها
سوءُbad handling of تَصريمٍdrying off the milk وَلاnor جَهدُthe strain of اِحتِلابِmilking
سوءُ تَصريمٍ وَلا جَهدُ اِحتِلابِ
Hardy herself, her milk had not been depleted
Nor effort of gathering violate.
By faulty drying-off or the strain of milking.
So it shed its pearls until there emerged
فَفَلَتهُso she reared him دِرَراًabundant milk flows حَتّىuntil بَداhe appeared
فَفَلَتهُ دِرَراً حَتّى بَدا
سامِقاًtowering يَعلوhe overtops مَصاعيبَthe unbroken ones among السِقابِthe young male camels
سامِقاً يَعلو مَصاعيبَ السِقابِ
So she reared him on streams of milk until he appeared
Lofty, rising above water-drawing pulleys.
Tall, overtopping the unbroken young male camels.
A trunk the acacia is too short for,
جَذَعاًa young camel يَستَكبِرُshows pride الشَولُthe dry she-camels لَهُtoward him
جَذَعاً يَستَكبِرُ الشَولُ لَهُ
مُفنَقاًwell-fed and pampered كَالفَحلِlike a breeding male يَعميhe blinds بِاللُعابِwith saliva
مُفنَقاً كَالفَحلِ يَعمي بِاللُعابِ
A young camel before whom the dry she-camels show their pride,
Bristling like a stallion frothing at the mouth.
Well-fed, like a breeding male, spraying blinding foam.
Then it bent while a fierce, unyielding
ثُمَّthen أَثنىhe reached the two-toothed stage وَهوَwhile he was شَهمٌspirited مُصعَبٌunbroken
ثُمَّ أَثنى وَهوَ شَهمٌ مُصعَبٌ
فَرَدٌsolitary يُذعَرُhe is startled مِنby صَوتِthe sound of الذُبابِflies
فَرَدٌ يُذعَرُ مِن صَوتِ الذُبابِ
Then he reached the two-toothed stage, spirited and unbroken,
Colt startled by the buzzing of flies.
A solitary beast, startled by the sound of flies.
It remained six days within it
فَخَلاthen he stayed alone سَتَّةَsix أَيّامٍdays بِهِwith him
فَخَلا سَتَّةَ أَيّامٍ بِهِ
رابِضٌa crouching man يَعدِلُhe sets straight أَظعانَthe journeys of الصِعابِunruly camels
رابِضٌ يَعدِلُ أَظعانَ الصِعابِ
Then for six days there stayed alone with him
Crouching, equaling the heights of loftiest peaks
A crouching handler who set unruly camels' journeys straight,
In the wilderness's emptiness until it led him,
فيin خَلاءِthe emptiness of الأَرضِthe land حَتّىuntil قادَهُhe led him
في خَلاءِ الأَرضِ حَتّى قادَهُ
تَبَعَfollowing like المُهرِa colt بمَنحٍthrough gifts وَاِجتِلابِand coaxing
تَبَعَ المُهرِ بمَنحٍ وَاِجتِلابِ
In the emptiness of the land, until he led him
Following the expert guide in conferral and pleading.
Following like a colt, through gifts and coaxing.
Rarely did it carry of his belongings
قَلَّماseldom حَمَّلَهُhe loaded him مِنfrom رَحلِهِhis saddle gear
قَلَّما حَمَّلَهُ مِن رَحلِهِ
غَيرَother than أَقتادٍsaddle-frames وَقَطعٍand a saddlecloth وَقِرابِand a sword-sheath
غَيرَ أَقتادٍ وَقَطعٍ وَقِرابِ
He seldom loaded him with any of his gear
Other than tether, scraps, and waterskin.
Beyond saddle-frames, a saddlecloth, and a sword-sheath.
It watches the person with the rear of its eye
يَرقُبُhe watches الشَخصَthe figure بِتاليwith the rear corner of طَرفِهِhis eye
يَرقُبُ الشَخصَ بِتالي طَرفِهِ
بَعدَماafter يَنضواhe exhausts مَعانيقَthe fleet ones among الرِكابِriding camels
بَعدَما يَنضوا مَعانيقَ الرِكابِ
He watches a figure from the rear corner of his eye,
After the litters' curtains have been drawn.
After he has exhausted the fleet riding camels.
Good is the ringing of the caravan bells when
نِعمَexcellent is قُرقورُa great ship of المَرَوراتِthe barren wastes إِذاwhen
نِعمَ قُرقورُ المَرَوراتِ إِذا
غَرِقَdrowned الحِزّانُthe rugged ridges فيin آلِthe shimmer of السَرابِthe mirage
غَرِقَ الحِزّانُ في آلِ السَرابِ
What a fine ship of the barren wastes, when
The driver is engulfed in mirage.
The rugged ridges drown in the mirage's shimmer!
Like a wavering shadow, in its weakness
كَمُدِلٍّlike a proud wild ass ظَلَّhe spent the day فيamong عانَتِهِhis herd
كَمُدِلٍّ ظَلَّ في عانَتِهِ
بصُوىat the cairns of الرِجلَةِal-Rijlah شَرقِيَّeast of غُرابِGhurab
بصُوى الرِجلَةِ شَرقِيَّ غُرابِ
Like a proud wild ass spending the day among his herd,
It relied on the calluses of a barefoot easterner crow.
At the cairns of al-Rijlah, east of Ghurab.
Fasting, it breaks its slightest command
صائِمُfasting يَقصِمُcrushes أَدنىthe slightest of أَمرِهِhis actions
صائِمُ يَقصِمُ أَدنى أَمرِهِ
قَدhas بَرىworn away جَبلَتَهُhis frame عَسفَthe harsh bending of الرِقابِnecks
قَد بَرى جَبلَتَهُ عَسفَ الرِقابِ
Fasting, his slightest act has crushing force;
Having experienced the violence of servitude.
The harsh bending of necks has worn away his frame.
Does it water them from the spring of secrets or
أَبِماءِis it with the water of السِرِّal-Sirr يَسقيهِنَّhe waters them أَمor
أَبِماءِ السِرِّ يَسقيهِنَّ أَم
يَرِدُhe approaches for water الجِيَّal-Jiyy إِلىtoward وَجهِthe direction of الإِيابِthe return
يَرِدُ الجِيَّ إِلى وَجهِ الإِيابِ
Will he water them at the waters of al-Sirr, or
Return the troop to the water-gatherer?
Approach al-Jiyy along the way back?
Then it lined them up-fettered in passion-
ثُمَّthen قَفّاهُنَّhe followed behind them مَحبوكُtightly knit الشَوىin the limbs
ثُمَّ قَفّاهُنَّ مَحبوكُ الشَوى
أَصحَلُhoarse-voiced فيamong أَخدَرِيّاتٍAkhdari she-asses لِهابِthirsty
أَصحَلُ في أَخدَرِيّاتٍ لِهابِ
Then he followed them, tightly knit of limb,
Addled in intoxications, flame-engulfed.
Hoarse-voiced, amid thirsty Akhdari she-asses.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.