إِنَّindeed الحَوادِثَcalamities قَدmay يَجيءُcome بِهاwith them الغَدُtomorrow
إِنَّ الحَوادِثَ قَد يَجيءُ بِها الغَدُ
وَالصُبحُand morning وَالإِمساءُand evening مِنهاfor them مَوعِدُan appointed time
وَالصُبحُ وَالإِمساءُ مِنها مَوعِدُ
Indeed, tomorrow may bring calamities,
and morning and evening are their appointed times.
وَالناسُand people يَلحَونَreproach الأَميرَthe ruler إِذاwhen غَوىhe strays
وَالناسُ يَلحَونَ الأَميرَ إِذا غَوى
خَطبَthe matter of الصَوابِright judgment وَلاand not يُلامُis blamed المُرشَدُthe rightly guided
خَطبَ الصَوابِ وَلا يُلامُ المُرشَدُ
And people reproach the ruler when he strays
in matters of right judgment; the well-guided is not blamed.
وَالمَرءُand a man مِنagainst رَيبِthe vicissitudes of المَنونِdeath بِغِرَّةٍoff guard
وَالمَرءُ مِن رَيبِ المَنونِ بِغِرَّةٍ
وَعَداand intervened العَداءُthe hindrance وَلاand not تُوَدَّعُis bidden farewell مَهدَدُMahdad
وَعَدا العَداءُ وَلا تُوَدَّعُ مَهدَدُ
And a man is off guard against death's vicissitudes;
a hindrance intervenes, and Mahdad receives no farewell.
أُدمانَةٌa pale gazelle تَرِدُcomes to البَريرَarak berries بِغيلِهاin her thicket
أُدمانَةٌ تَرِدُ البَريرَ بِغيلِها
تَقروtraces مَسارِبَpathways of أَيكَةٍa grove وَتَرَدَّدُand wanders to and fro
تَقرو مَسارِبَ أَيكَةٍ وَتَرَدَّدُ
A pale gazelle comes to the arak berries in her thicket,
tracing a grove's pathways and wandering to and fro.
وَخَلاand was absent عَلَيهاfrom around her ماwhatever يُفَزِّعُstartles وِردَهاher coming to water
وَخَلا عَلَيها ما يُفَزِّعُ وِردَها
إِلّاexcept الحَمامُthe doves دَعاcalled بِهِthere وَالهُدهُدُand the hoopoe
إِلّا الحَمامُ دَعا بِهِ وَالهُدهُدُ
Nothing remains around her to startle her at the water,
save the doves calling there and the hoopoe.
فَدَعاthen called هَديلاًa male dove ساقُsāq (part of the ringdove's name) حُرٍّḥurr (completing the ringdove's name) ضَحوَةًat forenoon
فَدَعا هَديلاً ساقُ حُرٍّ ضَحوَةً
فَدَناthen drew near الهَديلُthe male dove لَهُto him يَصُبُّswooping down وَيَصعَدُand soaring up
فَدَنا الهَديلُ لَهُ يَصُبُّ وَيَصعَدُ
Then a ringdove called to a male dove at forenoon,
and the male dove drew near, swooping down and soaring up.
زَعَمَsaid الأَحِبَّةُthe loved ones أَنَّthat رِحلَتَناour departure غَداًtomorrow
زَعَمَ الأَحِبَّةُ أَنَّ رِحلَتَنا غَداً
وَبِذاكَand of that خَبَّرَناinformed us الغُدافُthe raven الأَسوَدُblack
وَبِذاكَ خَبَّرَنا الغُدافُ الأَسوَدُ
The loved ones say that our departure is tomorrow,
and the black raven has told us so.
فَاِقطَعthen sever لُبانَتَهُمlonging for them بِذاتِwith a she-camel possessing بُرايَةٍreserves of strength
فَاِقطَع لُبانَتَهُم بِذاتِ بُرايَةٍ
أُجُدٍstoutly built إِذاwhen وَنَتِflag الرِكابُthe riding camels تَزَيَّدُshe quickens
أُجُدٍ إِذا وَنَتِ الرِكابُ تَزَيَّدُ
Then sever your longing for them on a camel with strength to spare,
stoutly built, who quickens when the riding camels flag.
وَكَأَنَّand as though أَقتاديmy saddle-pieces تَضَمَّنَbore نِسعَهاtheir girth
وَكَأَنَّ أَقتادي تَضَمَّنَ نِسعَها
مِنfrom among وَحشِthe wild beasts of أورالٍAwral هَبيطٌdescended to low ground مُفرَدُsolitary
مِن وَحشِ أورالٍ هَبيطٌ مُفرَدُ
And it is as though my saddle-frame's girth were borne
by a lone wild bull of Awral, come down to low ground.
باتَتspent the night عَلَيهِover him لَيلَةٌa night رَجَبِيَّةٌof Rajab
باتَت عَلَيهِ لَيلَةٌ رَجَبِيَّةٌ
نَصباًwearisome تَسُحُّpours down الماءَwater أَوor هِيَit أَسوَدُdarker
نَصباً تَسُحُّ الماءَ أَو هِيَ أَسوَدُ
A night of Rajab settled over him,
wearisome, pouring down water—or darker still.
يَنفيwards off بِأَطرافِwith the branches of الأَلاءِalāʾ shrubs شَفيفَهاits piercing cold
يَنفي بِأَطرافِ الأَلاءِ شَفيفَها
فَغَداthen went forth at dawn وَكُلُّand every خَصيلِmuscle of عُضوٍa limb يُرعَدُtrembles
فَغَدا وَكُلُّ خَصيلِ عُضوٍ يُرعَدُ
He wards off its piercing chill with the branches of alāʾ shrubs,
then sets out at dawn, every muscle in his limbs trembling.
كَالكَوكَبِlike a star الدِرّيءِbrilliant يَشرَقُshines مَتنُهُhis back
كَالكَوكَبِ الدِرّيءِ يَشرَقُ مَتنُهُ
خَرِصاًcold and hungry خَميصاًhollow-bellied صُلبُهُhis spine يَتَأَوَّدُflexes
خَرِصاً خَميصاً صُلبُهُ يَتَأَوَّدُ
Like a brilliant star, his back shines,
cold and hungry, hollow-bellied, his spine flexing,
فيin رَوضَةٍa meadow ثَلَجَcooled الرَبيعُspring rain قَرارَهاits ground
في رَوضَةٍ ثَلَجَ الرَبيعُ قَرارَها
مَولِيَّةٍwatered by later rains لَمnot يَستَطِعهاcould reach it الرُوَّدُthe pasture-scouts
مَولِيَّةٍ لَم يَستَطِعها الرُوَّدُ
in a meadow whose ground the spring rain has cooled,
watered by later rains, beyond the reach of pasture-scouts.
وَبَداand appeared لِكَوكَبِهاamid its blossoms صَعيدٌground مِثلَlike ماwhat
وَبَدا لِكَوكَبِها صَعيدٌ مِثلَ ما
ريحَwas wafted العَبيرُthe ʿabīr perfume عَلىover المَلابِmilāb perfume الأَصفَدُcompounded
ريحَ العَبيرُ عَلى المَلابِ الأَصفَدُ
And the ground amid its blossoms appeared as though
compounded ʿabīr perfume had been wafted over milāb.
وَإِذاand when سَرَيتَyou travel by night سَرَتshe travels by night أَموناًreliable رَسلَةًeasy-paced
وَإِذا سَرَيتَ سَرَت أَموناً رَسلَةً
وَإِذاand when تُكَلِّفُهاyou task her with الهَواجِرَmidday heats تُصخِدُshe travels in the blazing heat
وَإِذا تُكَلِّفُها الهَواجِرَ تُصخِدُ
And when you journey by night, she goes on, reliable and easy-paced;
and when you task her with the midday heats, she travels through their blaze.
وَإِلىand toward شَراحيلَSharahil الهُمامِthe magnanimous بِنَصرِهِwith his aid
وَإِلى شَراحيلَ الهُمامِ بِنَصرِهِ
نَصرَwatered الأَشاءَthe palms سَرِيُّهُhis stream مُستَرغَدُplentiful
نَصرَ الأَشاءَ سَرِيُّهُ مُستَرغَدُ
And on to Sharahil the magnanimous, with his succor;
his plentiful stream has watered the palms.
مَنhe whose سَيبُهُhis bounty سَحُّthe outpouring of الفُراتِthe Euphrates وَحَملُهُand his burden
مَن سَيبُهُ سَحُّ الفُراتِ وَحَملُهُ
يَزِنُweighs as much as الجِبالَmountains وَنَيلُهُand his giving لاnot يَنفَدُruns out
يَزِنُ الجِبالَ وَنَيلُهُ لا يَنفَدُ
He whose bounty is the Euphrates' torrent, and whose burden
weighs as much as mountains; his giving never runs dry.
Sol 6.1