لِمَنwhose جِمالٌcamels قُبَيلَjust before الصُبحِdawn مَزمومَهnose-reined
لِمَن جِمالٌ قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ مَزمومَه
مُيَمِّماتٌheading toward بِلاداًlands غَيرَnot مَعلومَهknown
مُيَمِّماتٌ بِلاداً غَيرَ مَعلومَه
Whose camels are these, nose-reined just before dawn,
Heading toward unknown lands?
عالَينَthey bore aloft رَقماًpatterned cloth وَأَنماطاًand coverlets مُظاهَرَةًlayered together
عالَينَ رَقماً وَأَنماطاً مُظاهَرَةً
وَكِلَّةًand a canopy بِعَتيقِwith choice العَقلِembroidery مَقرومَهadorned
وَكِلَّةً بِعَتيقِ العَقلِ مَقرومَه
They bore patterned cloth and coverlets layered together,
And a canopy adorned with choice embroidery.
لِلعَبقَرِيِّfor the rich brocade عَلَيهاupon them إِذwhen غَدَواthey set out at dawn صَبَحٌa ruddy glow
لِلعَبقَرِيِّ عَلَيها إِذ غَدَوا صَبَحٌ
كَأَنَّهاas though they were مِنfrom نَجيعِdark blood الجَوفِof the belly مَدمومَهsmeared
كَأَنَّها مِن نَجيعِ الجَوفِ مَدمومَه
The rich brocade upon them glowed red as they set off at dawn,
As though they were smeared with dark blood from the belly.
كَأَنَّas though أَظعانَهُمtheir women's litters نَخلٌpalm trees مُوَسَّقَةٌladen with fruit
كَأَنَّ أَظعانَهُم نَخلٌ مُوَسَّقَةٌ
سودٌblack ذَوائِبُهاtheir crowns بِالحَملِwith fruit مَكمومَهenveloped
سودٌ ذَوائِبُها بِالحَملِ مَكمومَه
Their women's litters seemed like fruit-laden palms,
Dark-crowned and shrouded in fruit.
فيهِنَّamong them هِندُHind الَّتيwho هامَfell madly in love الفُؤادُthe heart بِهاwith her
فيهِنَّ هِندُ الَّتي هامَ الفُؤادُ بِها
بَيضاءُfair-skinned آنِسَةٌgracious بِالحُسنِby beauty مَوسومَهmarked
بَيضاءُ آنِسَةٌ بِالحُسنِ مَوسومَه
Among them is Hind, with whom my heart is madly in love,
Fair-skinned and gracious, marked by beauty.
وَإِنَّهاand indeed she كَمَهاةِlike an oryx cow الجَوِّof the open plain ناعِمَةٌdelicate
وَإِنَّها كَمَهاةِ الجَوِّ ناعِمَةٌ
تُدنيshe draws down النَصيفَthe veil بِكَفٍّwith a hand غَيرِnot مَوشومَهtattooed
تُدني النَصيفَ بِكَفٍّ غَيرِ مَوشومَه
And she is delicate as an oryx cow of the open plain,
Drawing down her veil with an untattooed hand.
كَأَنَّas though ريقَتَهاher saliva بَعدَafter الكَرىsleep اِغتَبَقَتshe had drunk at evening
كَأَنَّ ريقَتَها بَعدَ الكَرى اِغتَبَقَت
صَهباءَtawny wine صافِيَةًclear بِالمِسكِwith musk مَختومَهsealed
صَهباءَ صافِيَةً بِالمِسكِ مَختومَه
After sleep, her saliva tastes as though she had drunk at evening
Clear, tawny wine, sealed with musk,
مِمّاof the kind that يُغاليdemands a high price بِهاfor it البَيّاعُthe seller عَتَّقَهاhe aged it
مِمّا يُغالي بِها البَيّاعُ عَتَّقَها
ذوone with شارِبٍa mustache أَصهَبٌtawny-haired يُغلىis raised high بِهاfor it السيمَهthe asking price
ذو شارِبٍ أَصهَبٌ يُغلى بِها السيمَه
The kind the dealer prices high, aged by
A tawny-haired, mustached man; its asking price is raised high.
ياO مَنwho لِبَرقٍfor lightning أَبيتُI spend the night اللَيلَthe night أَرقُبُهُI watch it
يا مَن لِبَرقٍ أَبيتُ اللَيلَ أَرقُبُهُ
فيin مُكفَهِرٍّa glowering cloud وَفيand in سَوداءَa black cloud مَركومَهheaped up
في مُكفَهِرٍّ وَفي سَوداءَ مَركومَه
Ah, who will help me with the lightning I watch all night,
In a glowering cloud, and in a black cloud piled high?
فَبَرقُهاand its lightning حَرِقٌblazing وَماؤُهاand its water دَفِقٌgushing
فَبَرقُها حَرِقٌ وَماؤُها دَفِقٌ
وَتَحتَهاand beneath it رَيِّقٌthe first rain وَفَوقَهاand above it ديمَهsteady rain
وَتَحتَها رَيِّقٌ وَفَوقَها ديمَه
Its lightning blazes, and its water gushes,
And beneath it is the first rain, and above it steady rainfall.
فَذَلِكَthen that الماءُwater لَوif أَنّيthat I شَرِبتُdrank بِهِof it
فَذَلِكَ الماءُ لَو أَنّي شَرِبتُ بِهِ
إِذاًthen شَفىwould heal كَبِداًa liver شَكّاءَaching مَكلومَهwounded
إِذاً شَفى كَبِداً شَكّاءَ مَكلومَه
That water, if only I could drink of it,
Would then heal an aching, wounded liver.
هَذاthis وَداوِيَّةٍand many a wilderness يَعمىgo blind الهُداةُthe guides بِهاin it
هَذا وَداوِيَّةٍ يَعمى الهُداةُ بِها
ناءٍfar-reaching مَسافَتُهاits extent كَالبُردِlike a striped cloak دَيمومَهa vast waste
ناءٍ مَسافَتُها كَالبُردِ دَيمومَه
So much for that—and many a wilderness where guides go blind,
Far-reaching, like a striped cloak, a trackless waste,
جاوَزتُهاI crossed it بِعَلَنداةٍon a massive she-camel مُذَكَّرَةٍmale-like in strength
جاوَزتُها بِعَلَنداةٍ مُذَكَّرَةٍ
عَيرانَةٍvigorous as a wild ass كَعَلاةِlike the anvil القَينِof the smith مَلمومَهcompactly built
عَيرانَةٍ كَعَلاةِ القَينِ مَلمومَه
I have crossed on a massive she-camel, powerful as a male,
Vigorous as a wild ass, compact as the smith's anvil.
أَرميI drive onward بِهاwith her عُرُضَthe midst الدَوِّيُّof the wilderness ضامِزَةًsilent
أَرمي بِها عُرُضَ الدَوِّيُّ ضامِزَةً
فيin ساعَةٍan hour تَبعَثُrouses الحِرباءَthe chameleon مَسمومَهscorched by hot wind
في ساعَةٍ تَبعَثُ الحِرباءَ مَسمومَه
I drive her, silent, through the desert's midst,
At an hour that rouses the chameleon, scorched by hot wind.
Sol 6.1