طافَvisited الخَيالُthe phantom عَلَيناupon us لَيلَةَon the night of الواديthe valley
طافَ الخَيالُ عَلَينا لَيلَةَ الوادي
لِآلِof the household of أَسماءَAsma لَمdid not يُلمِمpay a brief visit لِميعادِat an appointed time
لِآلِ أَسماءَ لَم يُلمِم لِميعادِ
The phantom visited us that night in the valley,
The imagination roamed over us the night of the valley
Of Asma's household, it came without an appointment.
For the family of Asma, no tryst has been fixed
أَنّىhow اِهتَدَيتَyou found your way لِرَكبٍto a caravan طالَgrew long سَيرُهُمُtheir journey
أَنّى اِهتَدَيتَ لِرَكبٍ طالَ سَيرُهُمُ
فيin سَبسَبٍa vast, level waste بَينَbetween دَكداكٍlow, flattened sand وَأَعقادِand piled-up dunes
في سَبسَبٍ بَينَ دَكداكٍ وَأَعقادِ
How did you find your way to a caravan whose journey was long,
Whence did you find guidance to a caravan whose journey was prolonged
In a vast waste, between low sands and piled-up dunes?
In the twisting of a valley between pounding and knots
يُكَلِّفونَthey burden سُراهاher night journey كُلَّevery يَعمَلَةٍhardy she-camel
يُكَلِّفونَ سُراها كُلَّ يَعمَلَةٍ
مِثلَlike المَهاةِthe oryx cow إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle اِحتَثَّهاurged her on الحاديthe chanting camel-driver
مِثلَ المَهاةِ إِذا ما اِحتَثَّها الحادي
They make every hardy she-camel undertake her night journey,
They task the saddlebags, each saddle they put to work
Like an oryx when the chanting camel-driver urges her on.
Like the bellows when the blower kindles it
أَبلِغconvey to أَباAbu (father of) كَرِبٍKarib عَنّيon my behalf وَأُسرَتَهُand his family
أَبلِغ أَبا كَرِبٍ عَنّي وَأُسرَتَهُ
قَولاًa message سَيَذهَبُwill travel غَوراًto the lowlands بَعدَafter إِنجادِgoing to the uplands
قَولاً سَيَذهَبُ غَوراً بَعدَ إِنجادِ
Convey to Abu Karib and his family, on my behalf,
Take word to Abū Karib and his family
A message that will reach the lowlands after reaching the uplands:
A saying that will fade into the wilderness after being transmitted
ياO عَمروُAmr ماnot راحَset out in the evening مِنany (emphatic) قَومٍpeople وَلاnor اِبتَكَرواthey set out at dawn
يا عَمروُ ما راحَ مِن قَومٍ وَلا اِبتَكَروا
إِلّاexcept وَلِلمَوتِwhile death has فيin آثارِهِمtheir tracks حاديa chanting camel-driver
إِلّا وَلِلمَوتِ في آثارِهِم حادي
O Amr, no people ever set out at evening or departed at dawn
O Amr, no people have departed nor migrated
Without death's chanting camel-driver following in their tracks.
Except that to their traces the guide of death leads
فَإِنso if رَأَيتَyou see بِوادٍin a valley حَيَّةًa serpent ذَكَراًmale
فَإِن رَأَيتَ بِوادٍ حَيَّةً ذَكَراً
فَاِمضِthen go on وَدَعنيand leave me أُمارِسI grapple with حَيَّةَthe serpent of الواديthe valley
فَاِمضِ وَدَعني أُمارِس حَيَّةَ الوادي
So if you see a male serpent in a valley,
So if you see in a valley a male serpent
Go on, and leave me to grapple with the valley's serpent.
Then go, and leave me to contend with the valley’s serpent
لَأَعرِفَنَّكَI shall surely know you بَعدَafter المَوتِdeath تَندُبُنيyou lament me
لَأَعرِفَنَّكَ بَعدَ المَوتِ تَندُبُني
وَفيyet during حَياتِيَmy lifetime ماnot زَوَّدتَنيyou supplied me زاديmy provisions
وَفي حَياتِيَ ما زَوَّدتَني زادي
I know full well you will lament me after my death,
I will recognize you after death mourning me
Yet in my lifetime you did not give me my provisions.
And in my life you did not provision me
إِنَّsurely أَمامَكَahead of you يَوماًa day أَنتَyou مُدرِكُهُwill reach it
إِنَّ أَمامَكَ يَوماً أَنتَ مُدرِكُهُ
لاno حاضِرٌtown-dweller مُفلِتٌescaping مِنهُfrom it وَلاnor باديdesert-dweller
لا حاضِرٌ مُفلِتٌ مِنهُ وَلا بادي
Surely a day lies ahead of you that you will meet,
Before you is a day you will attain
From which neither townsman nor nomad can escape.
Neither present nor absent can escape it
فَاِنظُرso look إِلىat فيءِthe shade of مُلكٍa kingdom أَنتَyou تارِكُهُwill leave it
فَاِنظُر إِلى فيءِ مُلكٍ أَنتَ تارِكُهُ
هَلa question particle تُرسَيَنَّbe firmly anchored أَواخيهِits tethering loops بِأَوتادِwith stakes
هَل تُرسَيَنَّ أَواخيهِ بِأَوتادِ
So look at the shade of a kingdom you will leave:
Look to the shade of a kingdom you are leaving
Can its tethering loops be secured with stakes?
Can you peg down its tent poles?
إِذهَبgo إِلَيكَyour own way فَإِنّيfor I am مِنof بَنيthe sons of أَسَدٍAsad
إِذهَب إِلَيكَ فَإِنّي مِن بَني أَسَدٍ
أَهلِthe people of القِبابِdomed tents وَأَهلِand the people of الجُردِsleek steeds وَالناديand the assembly
أَهلِ القِبابِ وَأَهلِ الجُردِ وَالنادي
Go your own way, for I am of Banu Asad,
Go away from me, for I am of the Banū Asad
People of domed tents, and people of sleek steeds and the assembly.
People of tents and open country and pasture
قَدindeed أَترُكُI leave القِرنَthe opponent مُصفَرّاًyellowed أَنامِلُهُhis fingertips
قَد أَترُكُ القِرنَ مُصفَرّاً أَنامِلُهُ
كَأَنَّas though أَثوابَهُhis garments مُجَّتwere spattered بِفِرصادِwith mulberry juice
كَأَنَّ أَثوابَهُ مُجَّت بِفِرصادِ
Indeed, I leave my opponent with yellowed fingertips,
I leave the bow yellowed, its strings discolored
As though his garments were spattered with mulberry juice.
As if its wrappings were steeped in weld
أَوجَرتُهُI made him swallow وَنَواصيwhile the forelocks of الخَيلِthe horses شاحِبَةٌpale
أَوجَرتُهُ وَنَواصي الخَيلِ شاحِبَةٌ
سَمراءَa brown spear عامِلُهاits shaft below the spearhead مِنfrom خَلفِهِbehind him باديvisible
سَمراءَ عامِلُها مِن خَلفِهِ بادي
I made him swallow—while the horses' forelocks were pale—
I strung it while the horses' forelocks were bleached
A brown spear, its upper shaft visible behind him.
Dun is their groom behind them, visible
Sol 6.1