أَصبَحَhas become مِنfrom أُمِّUmm (mother of) عَمروٍʿAmr بَطنُthe valley of مَرَّMarr فَأَجand bends (first fragment)
أَصبَحَ مِن أُمِّ عَمروٍ بَطنُ مَرَّ فَأَج
زاعُbends (final fragment) الرَجيعِal-Rajīʿ فَذوthen Dhū سِدرٍSidr (lote trees) فَأَملاحُthen Amlāḥ
زاعُ الرَجيعِ فَذو سِدرٍ فَأَملاحُ
Now, bereft of Umm ʿAmr, lie the valley of Marr and the bends
The camels of Umm 'Amr have become lean after a fertile season,
of al-Rajīʿ, then Dhū Sidr and Amlāḥ,
And the returning camels are distressed, with Sidr trees and salty grasslands,
وَحشاًdesolate سِوىexcept أَنَّthat فُرّادَsolitary ones of السِباعِthe wild beasts بِهاin it
وَحشاً سِوى أَنَّ فُرّادَ السِباعِ بِها
كَأَنَّهاas though they were مِنfrom تَبَغّىseeking الناسِpeople أَطلاحُexhausted
كَأَنَّها مِن تَبَغّى الناسِ أَطلاحُ
desolate, save for the solitary wild beasts there,
While the beasts are safe, the wolf packs prowl them
as though exhausted from searching for people.
As if the people's tobacco were untended and withered.
ياO هَلshall…? أُريكَI show you حُمولَthe laden camels of الحَيِّthe tribe غادِيَةًsetting out at dawn
يا هَل أُريكَ حُمولَ الحَيِّ غادِيَةً
كَالنَخلِlike palm trees زَيَّنَهُadorned it يَنعٌripeness وَإِفضاحُand reddening dates
كَالنَخلِ زَيَّنَهُ يَنعٌ وَإِفضاحُ
Ah, shall I show you the tribe’s laden camels setting out at dawn,
Shall I show you the live cargo heading out
like palms adorned with ripe fruit and reddening dates?
Like palm trees adorned with soft fruit and clusters?
هَبَطنَthey descended بَطنَthe valley of رُهاطٍRuhāṭ وَاِعتَصَبنَand clustered كَماas
هَبَطنَ بَطنَ رُهاطٍ وَاِعتَصَبنَ كَما
يَسقيwaters الجُذوعَthe palm trunks خِلالَamong الدورِthe houses نَضّاحُa water-drawer
يَسقي الجُذوعَ خِلالَ الدورِ نَضّاحُ
They descended into the valley of Ruhāṭ and clustered, as
The camels of Ruhat descended and girded up as though
a water-drawer waters palm trunks among the houses.
The water-drawers were irrigating the palm trunks.
ثُمthen شَرِبنَthey drank بِنَبطٍat Nabṭ والجِمالُand the camels كَأَنas though (first fragment)
ثُم شَرِبنَ بِنَبطٍ والجِمالُ كَأَن
نَas though (final fragment) الرَشحَthe sweat منهُنَّfrom them بِالآباطِat the armpits أَمساحُcoarse haircloths
نَ الرَشحَ منهُنَّ بِالآباطِ أَمساحُ
Then they drank at Nabṭ; on the camels it was as though
Then they drank at Nabat while the camels appeared
their sweat beneath the armpits were coarse haircloths.
As if the dripping from them at the watering troughs were crocodiles.
ثُمَّthen اِنتَهىended بَصَريmy sight عَنهُمaway from them وَقَدand already بَلَغواthey had reached
ثُمَّ اِنتَهى بَصَري عَنهُم وَقَد بَلَغوا
بَطنَthe valley of المَخيمِal-Makhīm فَقالواthen they rested at noon الجَوَّal-Jaww أَوor راحواthey traveled in the afternoon
بَطنَ المَخيمِ فَقالوا الجَوَّ أَو راحوا
Then they passed beyond my sight, having reached
Then my sight lost them as they reached
the valley of al-Makhīm; they rested at noon in al-Jaww, or traveled on that afternoon.
The outskirts of the encampment, and they cried "Let's rest!" or went on.
إِلّاif not تَكُنthey are ظُعُناًwomen traveling in litters تُبنىare built هَوادِجُهاtheir howdahs
إِلّا تَكُن ظُعُناً تُبنى هَوادِجُها
فَإِنَّهُنَّthen indeed they حِسانُbeautiful الزِيِّdress أَجلاحُwithout canopies
فَإِنَّهُنَّ حِسانُ الزِيِّ أَجلاحُ
If they are not women borne in built-up howdahs,
Unless you are does whose tents are built,
they are still finely dressed, riding without canopies.
For you are the adornment of travel, ever erect.
فيهِنَّamong them أُمُّthe mother of الصَبِيَّينِthe two boys الَّتيwho تَبَلَتravaged
فيهِنَّ أُمُّ الصَبِيَّينِ الَّتي تَبَلَت
قَلبيmy heart فَلَيسَso there is no لَهاfor her ماas long as عِشتُI live إِنجاحُgranting fulfilment
قَلبي فَلَيسَ لَها ما عِشتُ إِنجاحُ
Among them is the mother of the two boys, who has ravaged
Among them is the mother of the two boys who
my heart; no fulfilment will come from her while I live.
Has captivated my heart, so I cannot succeed while she lives.
كَأَنَّهاas though she were كاعِبٌa budding-breasted maiden حَسناءُbeautiful زَخرَفَهاadorned her
كَأَنَّها كاعِبٌ حَسناءُ زَخرَفَها
حَليٌjewelry وَأَترَفَهاand pampered her طُعمٌfood وَإِصلاحُand care
حَليٌ وَأَترَفَها طُعمٌ وَإِصلاحُ
She is like a lovely, budding-breasted maiden, adorned
She is like a lovely doll decorated with
by jewelry, pampered with food and care.
Jewelry, scent and fine clothes.
أَمِنكِis it from you? بَرقٌlightning أَبيتُI pass the night اللَيلَthe night أَرقُبُهُI watch it
أَمِنكِ بَرقٌ أَبيتُ اللَيلَ أَرقُبُهُ
كَأَنَّهُas though it were فيin عِراضِthe expanses of الشامِal-Shām مِصباحُa lamp
كَأَنَّهُ في عِراضِ الشامِ مِصباحُ
Is it from you—that lightning I watch all night,
From you is lightning whose night I stay awake watching
like a lamp in the expanses of al-Shām?
As if it were a lamp in the meadows of Syria,
يَجُشُّrumbles رَعداًthunder كَهَدرِlike the bellow of الفَحلِthe stallion تَتبَعُهُthey follow him
يَجُشُّ رَعداً كَهَدرِ الفَحلِ تَتبَعُهُ
أُدمٌpale she-camels تَعَطَّفُwheel حَولَaround الفَحلِthe stallion ضَحضاحُa spreading herd
أُدمٌ تَعَطَّفُ حَولَ الفَحلِ ضَحضاحُ
It rumbles thunder like the bellow of a stallion, followed
With thunder crashing like the zeal of a stallion pursued
by pale she-camels wheeling around the stallion, a spreading herd.
By docile, bleating ewes.
فَهُنَّso they صُعرٌwith necks inclined إِلىtoward هَدرِthe bellow of الفَنيقِthe pampered stallion وَلَمand not
فَهُنَّ صُعرٌ إِلى هَدرِ الفَنيقِ وَلَم
يَحفِزhurried وَلَمand not يُسلِهِmade him forget عَنهُنَّabout them إِلقاحُimpregnation
يَحفِز وَلَم يُسلِهِ عَنهُنَّ إِلقاحُ
Their necks incline toward the pampered stallion’s bellow; he has not
So they bristle at the stallion's zeal yet
hurried, nor has mating made him forget them.
No arousal or seminal emission comes over them.
فَمَرَّthen passed بِالطَيرِby al-Ṭayr مِنهُfrom it فاعِمٌa swollen torrent كَدِرٌmuddy
فَمَرَّ بِالطَيرِ مِنهُ فاعِمٌ كَدِرٌ
فيهِin it الظِباءُthe gazelles وَفيهِand in it العُصمُthe white-footed ibex أَجناحُtilted sideways
فيهِ الظِباءُ وَفيهِ العُصمُ أَجناحُ
Then a swollen, muddy torrent from it passed al-Ṭayr,
By them passed a swarming, murky bird
with gazelles in it, and white-footed ibex in it, swept sideways.
Bearing gazelles and ostriches in its wings.
لَولاhad it not been for تَنَكُّبُهُنَّtheir avoidance of الوَعثَthe loose sand دَمَّرَهاit would have destroyed them
لَولا تَنَكُّبُهُنَّ الوَعثَ دَمَّرَها
كَماas تَنَكَّبَsidestepped غَربَthe large bucket of البِئرِthe well مَتّاحُa water-drawer
كَما تَنَكَّبَ غَربَ البِئرِ مَتّاحُ
It would have destroyed them had they not skirted the loose sand,
Had they not recoiled from the stench it would have destroyed them
as a water-drawer sidesteps the well’s great bucket.
As the stench of the west wind destroys the cisterns.
هذاthis وَمَرقَبَةٍand many a lookout عَيطاءَlofty قُلَّتُهاits summit
هذا وَمَرقَبَةٍ عَيطاءَ قُلَّتُها
شَمّاءُhigh ضاحِيَةٌexposed لِلشَمسِto the sun قِرواحُbare and open
شَمّاءُ ضاحِيَةٌ لِلشَمسِ قِرواحُ
This—and many a lofty lookout, its summit
This while the bare hillock sheltering me
high, exposed to the sun, bare and open,
Is hot, sun-scorched, yet cooling for the sun.
قَدindeed ظَلتُI spent the day فيهاon it مَعيwith me شُعثٌunkempt men كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were
قَد ظَلتُ فيها مَعي شُعثٌ كَأَنَّهُمُ
إِذاwhen يُشَبُّis kindled سَعيرُthe blaze of الحَربِwar أَرماحُspears
إِذا يُشَبُّ سَعيرُ الحَربِ أَرماحُ
have I spent the day upon, with unkempt men who seem,
I remained in it with disheveled companions who,
when the blaze of war is kindled, like spears.
When the sparks of war flare up, are like spears.
لاnot يَستَظِلُّtakes shelter in shade أَخوهاits companion وَهُوَwhile he is مُعتَجِرٌhead-wrapped
لا يَستَظِلُّ أَخوها وَهُوَ مُعتَجِرٌ
لِرَيدِهاon its ridge مِنfrom سَمومِthe scorching wind of الصَيفِsummer مُلتاحُparched
لِرَيدِها مِن سَمومِ الصَيفِ مُلتاحُ
Its companion takes no shelter in shade, his head wrapped,
A brother finds no shade sharing her shelter
on its ridge, parched by summer’s scorching wind.
From the poisonous heat of summer, completely withered.
Sol 6.1