تُؤَمِّلُyou hope أَنthat تُلاقِيَyou meet أُمَّUmm (mother of) وَهبٍWahb
تُؤَمِّلُ أَن تُلاقِيَ أُمَّ وَهبٍ
بِمَخلَفَةٍat Makhlafah إِذاwhen اِجتَمَعَتgathers ثَقيفُThaqif
بِمَخلَفَةٍ إِذا اِجتَمَعَت ثَقيفُ
You hope to meet Umm Wahb
You hope to meet Umm Wahb
at Makhlafah, when Thaqif gathers,
In Ukaz when Thaqif gathers,
إِذاwhen بُنِيَare erected القِبابُthe pavilions عَلىat عُكاظٍUkaz
إِذا بُنِيَ القِبابُ عَلى عُكاظٍ
وَقامَand begins البَيعُtrading وَاِجتَمَعand gather الأُلوفُthe thousands
وَقامَ البَيعُ وَاِجتَمَع الأُلوفُ
when the pavilions are erected at Ukaz,
When the tents are pitched in Ukaz
and trading begins and thousands gather.
And trade commences as thousands converge.
تُواعِدُناshe promises to meet us عُكاظَUkaz لَنَنزِلَنهُwe shall surely camp there
تُواعِدُنا عُكاظَ لَنَنزِلَنهُ
وَلَمand did not تَعلَمknow إِذاًthen أَنّيthat I am خَليفُone who stays behind
وَلَم تَعلَم إِذاً أَنّي خَليفُ
She promises to meet us at Ukaz; we shall surely camp there,
Ukaz calls us for a visit, we shall indeed alight,
but she did not know then that I would stay behind.
Yet you know not that I am the caliph.
فَسَوفَso, will تَقولُshe says إِنif هِيَshe لَمdid not تَجِدنيfind me
فَسَوفَ تَقولُ إِن هِيَ لَم تَجِدني
أَخانَhas he betrayed? العَهدَthe pledge أَمor أَثِمَhas sinned الحَليفُthe sworn ally
أَخانَ العَهدَ أَم أَثِمَ الحَليفُ
So she will say, if she does not find me,
So you will say, if you do not find me,
“Has he betrayed the pledge, or has the sworn ally sinned?”
Did he break his vow or sin, the ally?
وَماand not إِنemphatic particle وَجدُgrief مُعوِلَةٍa wailing woman رَقوبٍa bereaved mother
وَما إِن وَجدُ مُعوِلَةٍ رَقوبٍ
بِواحِدِهاfor her only son إِذاwhen يَغزوhe raids تُضيفُshe fears
بِواحِدِها إِذا يَغزو تُضيفُ
Nor even the grief of a wailing, bereaved mother,
I take no heed of a watchful spy
for her only son, for whom she fears when he goes raiding—
With evil in his heart, if he arrives to blame.
تُنَفِّضُshe shakes out مَهدَهُhis cradle وَتَذُبُّand she wards off عَنهُfrom him
تُنَفِّضُ مَهدَهُ وَتَذُبُّ عَنهُ
وَماand not تُغنيavail التَمائِمُthe amulets وَالعُكوفُand constant attendance
وَما تُغني التَمائِمُ وَالعُكوفُ
she shakes out his cradle and wards harm away from him,
I shake his cot and ward him off,
yet amulets and constant attendance avail nothing.
Amulets and seclusion are of no avail.
تَقولُshe says لَهُto him كَفَيتُكَI have spared you كُلَّevery شَيءٍthing
تَقولُ لَهُ كَفَيتُكَ كُلَّ شَيءٍ
أَهَمَّكَtroubled you ماas long as تَخَطَّتنيhave passed me by الحُتوفُthe fates of death
أَهَمَّكَ ما تَخَطَّتني الحُتوفُ
She says to him, “I have spared you everything
I say to him, “I’ve had my fill of all things.
that troubled you, so long as death has passed me by.”
Does it trouble you that I’m free of worry and fear?”
أُتيحَwas allotted لَهُto him مِنَfrom among الفِتيانِthe young men خِرقٌa daring youth
أُتيحَ لَهُ مِنَ الفِتيانِ خِرقٌ
أَخوa man of ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness وَخِرّيقٌand a bold rover خَشوفُdaring by night
أَخو ثِقَةٍ وَخِرّيقٌ خَشوفُ
From among the young men, a daring youth was sent his way,
Among the youths he finds a fool,
a man to trust, a bold rover, daring by night.
A stupid, rash, dimwitted lout.
فَبَيناthen, while يَمشِيانِthe two walked جَرَتflew past عُقابٌan eagle
فَبَينا يَمشِيانِ جَرَت عُقابٌ
مِنَamong العِقبانِthe eagles خائِتَةٌswooping دَفوفُflying low
مِنَ العِقبانِ خائِتَةٌ دَفوفُ
Then, as the two walked, an eagle flew past,
As they walk, a raven swoops down
one of the eagles, swooping and flying low.
Of ill-omened ravens, clucking aloud.
فَقالَthen he said لَهُto him وَقَدand already أَوحَتit gave a sign إِلَيهِto him
فَقالَ لَهُ وَقَد أَوحَت إِلَيهِ
أَلاlisten! لِلَّهِto God أُمُّكَyour mother ماwhat تَعيفُdo you augur
أَلا لِلَّهِ أُمُّكَ ما تَعيفُ
He said to him, after it had given him a sign,
It suggests to the dimwit, whispering in his ear,
“Listen, God bless your mother! What omen do you read
“Woe to you! May your mother be bereaved!
بِأَرضٍin a land لاno أَنيسَcompanion بِهاin it يَبابٍdesolate
بِأَرضٍ لا أَنيسَ بِها يَبابٍ
وَأَمسِلَةٍand streambeds مَدافِعُهاtheir outlets خَليفُa mountain pass
وَأَمسِلَةٍ مَدافِعُها خَليفُ
in a desolate land with not a soul in it,
“In a land with no friend to give you comfort,
and streambeds whose outlets form a mountain pass?”
With rulers whose kinsman is the caliph.”
فَقالَthen he said لَهُto him أَرىI see طَيراًbirds ثِقالاًheavy
فَقالَ لَهُ أَرى طَيراً ثِقالاً
تُبَشِّرُthey bring tidings بِالغَنيمَةِof booty أَوor تُخيفُthey inspire fear
تُبَشِّرُ بِالغَنيمَةِ أَو تُخيفُ
He said to him, “I see heavy birds
The fool says, “I see a bird heavy with tidings,
that herald booty, or inspire dread.”
Bearing news of bounty or stirring up fear.”
فَأَلفىthen he found القَومَthe men قَدalready شَرِبواthey had drunk فَضَمّواthen they closed ranks
فَأَلفى القَومَ قَد شَرِبوا فَضَمّوا
أَمامَin front of الماءِthe water مَنطِقُهُمtheir speech نَسيفُa low murmur
أَمامَ الماءِ مَنطِقُهُم نَسيفُ
He found the men had drunk and closed ranks
But he found the people had drunk their fill,
before the water, their speech a low murmur.
Their talk blurred, tongues slow with wine.
فَلَمthen did not يَرَsee غَيرَother than عادِيَةٍan assault لِزاماًinescapable
فَلَم يَرَ غَيرَ عادِيَةٍ لِزاماً
كَماas يَتَهَدَّمُcrumbles الحَوضُthe trough اللَقيفُstone-lined
كَما يَتَهَدَّمُ الحَوضُ اللَقيفُ
He saw nothing but an unrelenting assault,
He saw none but the guards, as ordained,
like a stone-lined trough crumbling.
Like a bowl with cracks, ripe to leak.
فَراغَthen he swerved وَزَوَّدوهُand they furnished him ذاتَhaving فَرغٍa wide opening
فَراغَ وَزَوَّدوهُ ذاتَ فَرغٍ
لَهاit has نَفَذٌa through-hole كَماas قُدَّwas slit الحَشيفُthe worn waterskin
لَها نَفَذٌ كَما قُدَّ الحَشيفُ
He swerved, and they furnished him with a gaping wound,
So he left, taking waterskins full of emptiness,
piercing clean through, like a worn waterskin slit open.
With outlets like plaited palm-leaves.
وَغادَرَand he left فيin رَئيسِthe chief of القَومِthe men أُخرىanother wound
وَغادَرَ في رَئيسِ القَومِ أُخرى
مُشَلشِلَةًstreaming with blood كَماas قُدَّwas slit النَصيفُthe veil
مُشَلشِلَةً كَما قُدَّ النَصيفُ
And he left another in the chief of the men,
And he left in the chief of the clan another
streaming with blood, like a veil slit open.
That sagged like a sack without a stitch.
فَلَمّاthen when خَرَّhe fell عِندَbeside الحَوضِthe trough طافواthey circled
فَلَمّا خَرَّ عِندَ الحَوضِ طافوا
بِهِaround him وَأَبانَهُand recognized him مِنهُمamong them عَريفُa headman
بِهِ وَأَبانَهُ مِنهُم عَريفُ
When he fell beside the trough, they gathered
But when he fell at the basin, they encircled him
around him, and a headman among them recognized him.
And their leader distinguished him from the rest,
فَقالَthen he said أَماdid you not? خَشيتَfear وَلِلمَناياand death has
فَقالَ أَما خَشيتَ وَلِلمَنايا
مَصارِعُplaces of death أَنthat تُخَرِّقَكَpierce you السُيوفُthe swords
مَصارِعُ أَن تُخَرِّقَكَ السُيوفُ
He said, “Did you not fear—for death has
Saying, “Did you not fear the strokes of death
its killing grounds—that swords would pierce you?”
That swords may pierce and shred you through?”
فَقالَthen he said لَقَدindeed خَشيتُI feared وَأَنبَأَتنيand informed me
فَقالَ لَقَد خَشيتُ وَأَنبَأَتني
بِهِof it العِقبانُthe eagles لَوif only أَنّيthat I أَعيفُread bird-omens
بِهِ العِقبانُ لَو أَنّي أَعيفُ
He said, “Indeed I feared, and I was warned
He said, “Yes I feared, and the ravens warned me
of it by the eagles—if only I knew how to read omens.”
Had I been faint of heart or frail.”
وَقالَand he said بِعَهدِهِby his pledge فيamong القَومِthe men إِنّيindeed I
وَقالَ بِعَهدِهِ في القَومِ إِنّي
شَفَيتُI have healed النَفسَthe soul لَوif يُشفىis healed اللَهيفُthe anguished one
شَفَيتُ النَفسَ لَو يُشفى اللَهيفُ
And he said, by his pledge among the men, “I
And he said, upholding his vow to the tribe, “I
have healed my soul—if the anguished can be healed.”
Quenched my soul’s thirst, though the wounded perish.”
Sol 6.1