هاتِيكَthat woman there والِدَتيmy mother عَجُوزٌan old woman هِمَّةٌdecrepit
هاتِيكَ والِدَتي عَجُوزٌ هِمَّةٌ
مِثلُlike البليَّةِa she-camel left to starve دِرعُهاher shift فيon المِشجَبِthe clothes peg
مِثلُ البليَّةِ دِرعُها في المِشجَبِ
That woman there is my mother, old and decrepit,
My aged mother, her strength undiminished
Like a she-camel left to starve, her shift upon a clothes peg.
Like an armor against adversity's assault
مَهزُولَةُgaunt اللَّحيَينِin both jaws منwhoever يَرَهاsees her يَقُلsays
مَهزُولَةُ اللَّحيَينِ من يَرَها يَقُل
أبصَرتُI have seen غُولاًa ghoul أوor خَيَالَthe phantom of القُطرُبِthe qutrub (a goblin)
أبصَرتُ غُولاً أو خَيَالَ القُطرُبِ
Gaunt in both jaws, whoever sees her says:
Her cheeks sunken, and who sees her would say
“I have seen a ghoul, or the phantom of a qutrub!”
I've seen a ghoul or mirage in the desert sand
ماnot إنat all (emphasis) تَرَكتُI left لهاfor her ولاnor لابنٍfor a son لهاof hers
ما إن تَرَكتُ لها ولا لابنٍ لها
مالاًwealth يُؤَمَّلُto be hoped for غَيرَexcept بَكرٍa young male camel أجرَبِmangy
مالاً يُؤَمَّلُ غَيرَ بَكرٍ أجرَبِ
I left neither her nor a son of hers
I've left her and her son naught of wealth
Any wealth to count on, save a mangy young camel,
Save a maiden camel and five bleating ewes
ودَجَائجاًand hens خَمساًfive يَرُحنthey return at dusk إلَيهِمُto them
ودَجَائجاً خَمساً يَرُحن إلَيهِمُ
لمَاnot yet يَبِضنَthey lay eggs وغَيرَand except عَيرٍa donkey مُغرِبِalbino
لمَا يَبِضنَ وغَيرَ عَيرٍ مُغرِبِ
And five hens that return to them at dusk,
To sustain them when their udder milk runs dry
Not yet having laid eggs, and an albino donkey.
And some camels returning at dusk from the range
كَتَبُواthey wrote إلَيَّto me صَحِيفَةًa letter مَطبُوعَةًsealed
كَتَبُوا إلَيَّ صَحِيفَةً مَطبُوعَةً
جَعَلُواthey placed عَلَيهاupon it طِينَةًa lump of clay كالعَقرَبِlike a scorpion
جَعَلُوا عَلَيها طِينَةً كالعَقرَبِ
They wrote to me a sealed letter;
They sent me a letter sealed tight
They placed upon it a clay seal like a scorpion.
As if plastered over with a scorpion's clay
فَعَلِمتُso I knew أنَّthat الشَّرَّevil عِندَupon فكَاكِهاits unsealing
فَعَلِمتُ أنَّ الشَّرَّ عِندَ فكَاكِها
فَفَكَكتُهَاso I unsealed it عَنto reveal مِثلِsomething like رِيحِthe smell of الجَورَبِa sock
فَفَكَكتُهَا عَن مِثلِ رِيحِ الجَورَبِ
So I knew that evil lay in unsealing it;
I knew their plight was pressing and dire
So I unsealed it, revealing something like a sock's stench.
So I cracked it open like an old shoe's tongue
وإذاand behold شَبِيهٌsomething akin بالأفَاعيto vipers رُقِّشَتspeckled
وإذا شَبِيهٌ بالأفَاعي رُقِّشَت
يُوعِدنَنيthey threaten me بِتَلَمُّظٍwith lip-licking وَتَثَوُّبِand gaping
يُوعِدنَني بِتَلَمُّظٍ وَتَثَوُّبِ
And behold, something like speckled vipers,
And found a shriveled serpent on the page
Threatening me with lip-licking and gaping.
Who warned and hissed that they were famished
يَشكُونthey complain أنّthat الجُوعَhunger أهلَكَhas killed بَعضَهُمsome of them
يَشكُون أنّ الجُوعَ أهلَكَ بَعضَهُم
لَزَباًin dire want فَهَلso will لَكَyou فيconcerning عِيَالٍa household لُزَّبِhard-pressed
لَزَباً فَهَل لَكَ في عِيَالٍ لُزَّبِ
They complain that hunger has killed some of them
Complaining hunger had claimed some of their kin
In dire want—will you care for a hard-pressed household?
Asking: "Will you not aid your starving clansmen?"
لاnot يَسأَلُونَكَthey ask you غَيرَexcept طَلِّdrizzle from سَحَابَةٍa cloud
لا يَسأَلُونَكَ غَيرَ طَلِّ سَحَابَةٍ
تَغشَاهُمُit covers them مِنfrom سَيلِكَyour torrent المُتَحَلِّبِfreely flowing
تَغشَاهُمُ مِن سَيلِكَ المُتَحَلِّبِ
They ask you for nothing but a cloud's drizzle,
They begged nothing but a cloudburst's shower
That covers them with rain from your freely flowing torrent.
To pour from your clouds, soaked with generosity
ياO بَاذِلَgiver of الخَيرَاتِgood things ياO ابنَson of بَذُولِهاtheir lavish giver
يا بَاذِلَ الخَيرَاتِ يا ابنَ بَذُولِها
وَابنَand son of الكِرَامِthe noble وكُلَّand every قَومٍclan مُنجِبِproducing noble offspring
وَابنَ الكِرَامِ وكُلَّ قَومٍ مُنجِبِ
O giver of good things, O son of one who gave them lavishly,
O you who rain goodness, son of the generous!
And son of the noble and of every clan that breeds noble sons.
Scion of nobles, pillar of every great tribe!
أنتُمyou بَنُوsons of العَبَّاسِal-ʿAbbās يُعلَمُit is known أنّكُمthat you
أنتُم بَنُو العَبَّاسِ يُعلَمُ أنّكُم
قِدماًfrom of old فَوَارِسُhorsemen كُلِّevery يَومٍday أشهَبِashen-gray
قِدماً فَوَارِسُ كُلِّ يَومٍ أشهَبِ
You are the sons of al-ʿAbbās; it is known that you
You Abbassids, whose origin is known to be
Have long been the horsemen of every ashen day of battle,
The steeds who always raced at dawn's first light
أحلاسُsaddlecloths خَيلِthe horses of اللهِGod وَهيَwhile they مُغِيرَةٌare raiding
أحلاسُ خَيلِ اللهِ وَهيَ مُغِيرَةٌ
يَخرُجنَthey emerge مِنfrom خَلَلِthe gaps in الغُبَارِthe dust الأكهَبِdark-gray
يَخرُجنَ مِن خَلَلِ الغُبَارِ الأكهَبِ
The saddlecloths of God's horses as they raid,
God's cavalry, raiders emerging
They emerge through the gaps in the dark-gray dust.
From swirling clouds of dust raised by their charge
Sol 6.1