وَدارٍ يَقولُ لَها الرائِدو

وَدارٍ يَقولُ لَها الرائِدو

نَ وَيلُ اِمِّ دارِ الحُذاقِيِّ دارا

نَ وَيلُ اِمِّ دارِ الحُذاقِيِّ دارا

And a land of which the scouts say:

A house, the guide says: Alas for Umm House of Al-Huthaqi, house!

And an abode of which the scouts exclaim:

“What a dwelling al-Ḥudhāqī’s dwelling is!”

When we set up our tent there

"Woe to the mother of this skilled one's home, what a place!"

فَلَمّا وَضَعنا بِها بَيتَنا

فَلَمّا وَضَعنا بِها بَيتَنا

نَتَجنا حُواراً وَصِدنا حِمارا

نَتَجنا حُواراً وَصِدنا حِمارا

Then, when we pitched our tent there,

We struck up a dialogue and bought a donkey,

When we pitched our tent within its bounds,

we delivered a camel calf and hunted a wild ass.

And the oppressed one slept where the cat slept -

We delivered a camel-calf and hunted a wild ass.

وَباتَ الظَليمُ مَكانَ المِجَ

وَباتَ الظَليمُ مَكانَ المِجَ

نَ تَسمَعُ بِاللَيلِ مِنهُ عِرارا

نَ تَسمَعُ بِاللَيلِ مِنهُ عِرارا

And the male ostrich spent the night in the shield’s place;

You hear him meowing at night,

The male ostrich spent the night where the shield lay,

at night you could hear his cry.

Shepherds came upon us, they said: We saw a beautiful woman,

And through the night you could hear its shrill cry.

وَراحَ عَلَينا رِعاءٌ لَنا

وَراحَ عَلَينا رِعاءٌ لَنا

فَقالوا رَأَينا بِهَجلٍ صُوارا

فَقالوا رَأَينا بِهَجلٍ صُوارا

And our herdsmen returned to us at evening,

We spent the night naked by our tent poles,

Then our shepherds returned to us at evening,

and said, “We saw a herd of wild cattle in a hollow.”

Taking off her veil's tassels,

Saying, "We saw a herd in the valley lowlands."

فَبِتنا عُراةٌ لَدى مُهرِنا

فَبِتنا عُراةٌ لَدى مُهرِنا

نُنَزِّعُ مِن شَفَتَيهِ الصُفارا

نُنَزِّعُ مِن شَفَتَيهِ الصُفارا

So we spent the night naked beside our colt,

We spent the night bridling him with the halter,

So we passed the night sleepless beside our colt,

picking the fodder scraps from his lips.

Wanting to hunt or raid with him,

Plucking the dry fodder from his lips,

وَبِتنا نُغَرِّثُهُ بِاللِجامِ

وَبِتنا نُغَرِّثُهُ بِاللِجامِ

نُريدُ بِهِ قَنَصاً أَو غِوارا

نُريدُ بِهِ قَنَصاً أَو غِوارا

And we spent the night keeping him hungry with the bridle,

When a cooking pot shone for us,

Keeping him hungry while bridled through the night,

wanting him for hunting or raiding.

And a thread of dawn's light appeared,

Intending him for the hunt or a raid.

فَلَمّا أَضاءَت لَنا سُدفَةٌ

فَلَمّا أَضاءَت لَنا سُدفَةٌ

وَلاحَ مِنَ الصُبحِ خَيطٌ أَنارا

وَلاحَ مِنَ الصُبحِ خَيطٌ أَنارا

Then, when the predawn gloom brightened for us,

We walked him briskly like bangles of halouh,

And when the darkness brightened for us,

and a thread of dawn appeared, shining,

Silently milking him,

And a thread of morning appeared and shone,

غَدَونا بِهِ كِسوارِ الهَلو

غَدَونا بِهِ كِسوارِ الهَلو

كِ مُضطَمِراً حالِباهُ اِضطِمارا

كِ مُضطَمِراً حالِباهُ اِضطِمارا

we set out at dawn with him, like a wanton woman’s bracelet,

Prancing, competing with us in leading,

We set out early with him, sleek as a coquette's bracelet,

his two flanks tightly drawn in.

You'd think, from his spirit in him, he winged,

Lean and gaunt, his flanks drawn tight.

مَروحاً يُجاذِبنُا في القِيادِ

مَروحاً يُجاذِبنُا في القِيادِ

تَخالُ مِنَ الفُؤادِ فيهِ اِقوِرارا

تَخالُ مِنَ الفُؤادِ فيهِ اِقوِرارا

Spirited, tugging against us on the lead,

A mount, sublime hilted, a garment, when the expert looked at it, a brocade,

Spirited, pulling against us on the lead rope,

you would think his heart was shrinking within him.

When the boy mounted his back,

You would think his heart contained a wild madness.

ضَروحَ الحَماتَينِ سامي التَليلُ

ضَروحَ الحَماتَينِ سامي التَليلُ

وَثَوباً إِذا ما اِنتَحاهُ الخَبارا

وَثَوباً إِذا ما اِنتَحاهُ الخَبارا

Thrusting with both hind legs, his neck held high,

And calmed him from bucking him off,

Propelling his legs, with a towering neck,

a mighty leaper whenever he encountered soft, broken ground.

And was let loose like an Arabian mare

Leaping swiftly even when the soft earth gives way.

فَلَمّا عَلا مَتنتَيهِ الغُلامُ

فَلَمّا عَلا مَتنتَيهِ الغُلامُ

وَسَكَّنَ مِن آلِهِ أَن يُطارا

وَسَكَّنَ مِن آلِهِ أَن يُطارا

Then, when the youth mounted his back,

In the trail of a flock, he sped fast as an eagle,

And when the lad mounted upon his back,

and steadied his frame lest he be startled into flight,

He hunted for us Kahlan of curved eyebrow, one mature, the other a gazelle,

And soothed his spirit lest he fly away,

وَسُرِّحَ كَالأَجدَلِ الفارِسي

وَسُرِّحَ كَالأَجدَلِ الفارِسي

يِ في إِثرِ سِربٍ أَجَدَّ النِقارا

يِ في إِثرِ سِربٍ أَجَدَّ النِقارا

he was loosed like the Persian falcon,

And challenged three, so the spear points

He was unleashed like a Persian falcon,

in pursuit of a herd, pressing the contest hard.

Either pierced or broke,

Pursuing a flock, renewing the attack.

فَصادَ لَنا أَكحَلَ المُقلَتَ

فَصادَ لَنا أَكحَلَ المُقلَتَ

ينِ فَحلاً وَأُخرى مَهاةً نَوارا

ينِ فَحلاً وَأُخرى مَهاةً نَوارا

So he caught for us one with kohl-dark eyes,

Is any man you think a man?

He hunted for us a dark-eyed buck,

a male, and another—a shy oryx cow.

A fire kindled in the night, fire!

And another, a wild doe, shy and fleeing.

وَعادى ثَلاثاً فَخَرَّ السِنا

وَعادى ثَلاثاً فَخَرَّ السِنا

نُ إِمّا نُصولا وَإِمّا اِنكِسارا

نُ إِمّا نُصولا وَإِمّا اِنكِسارا

And he hunted down three in succession; then the spearhead fell,

He ran down three in succession until the spearhead fell,

either coming loose or breaking.

Either slipping from its shaft or shattering apart.

أَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ تَحسَبينَ اِمرأً

أَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ تَحسَبينَ اِمرأً

وَنارٍ تَوَقَّدُ بِاللَيلِ نارا

وَنارٍ تَوَقَّدُ بِاللَيلِ نارا

Do you take every man for a true man,

Is every man you consider to be a true man?

and every fire blazing at night for a true fire?

And is every fire that burns at night a true fire?