وَحَيٍّand a tribe أَناخواthey encamped فيin المَنازِلِthe dwellings بِاللِوىat al-Liwa
وَحَيٍّ أَناخوا في المَنازِلِ بِاللِوى
فَصارواso they became بِهِin it بَعدَafter القَطينِthe former inhabitants قَطيناinhabitants
فَصاروا بِهِ بَعدَ القَطينِ قَطينا
And a tribe encamped in the dwellings at al-Liwa,
In places they pitched their tents, clustering together,
and became inhabitants there after the former dwellers.
And so after some time, they became two communities.
إِذاwhen اِختَلَفواthey go to and fro فيin الدارِthe house ظَلَّتit remained كَأَنَّهاas though it
إِذا اِختَلَفوا في الدارِ ظَلَّت كَأَنَّها
تُبَدِّدُscatters فيهاwithin it الريحُthe wind بَرزَseeds قُطوناpsyllium
تُبَدِّدُ فيها الريحُ بَرزَ قُطونا
When they go to and fro in the house, it looks as though
When they differed in the abode, it was as if
the wind were scattering psyllium seeds within it.
The wind scattered tatters of cloth about in it.
إِذاwhen طَرَقواthey visited by night قَدريmy pot مَعَwith اللَيلِthe night أَصبَحَتbecame by morning
إِذا طَرَقوا قَدري مَعَ اللَيلِ أَصبَحَت
بَواطِنُهاits inner surfaces مِثلَlike الظَواهِرِthe outer surfaces جوناblack
بَواطِنُها مِثلَ الظَواهِرِ جونا
When they visit my pot at night, by morning
If they knocked at my pot by night, in the morning
its insides are as black as its outsides.
Its inside became like its outside, ink.
لَهُمthey have نَظرَةُa glance يُمنىto the right وَيُسرىand to the left إِذاwhen مَشَواthey walk
لَهُم نَظرَةُ يُمنى وَيُسرى إِذا مَشَوا
كَماjust as مَرَّpassed مَرعوبٌsomeone terrified يَخافُfears كَميناan ambush
كَما مَرَّ مَرعوبٌ يَخافُ كَمينا
They look to right and left as they walk,
They have a glance to right and left when they walk
like someone passing in terror, fearing an ambush.
Like a frightened fugitive dreading an ambush.
وَيَمشونَand they walk صَفّاًin a row فيthrough الدِيارِthe dwellings كَأَنَّماas though
وَيَمشونَ صَفّاً في الدِيارِ كَأَنَّما
يَجُرّونَthey drag خَيطاًa thread فيin التُرابِthe dust مَنيناfrail
يَجُرّونَ خَيطاً في التُرابِ مَنينا
And they walk in a line through the dwellings, as though
And they walk in single file in the abodes as though
they were dragging a frail thread through the dust.
They were dragging a rope in the dust, extended.
فَفيfor in كُلِّeach بَيتٍhouse مِنof بُيوتِيَmy houses قَرِيَةٍa village
فَفي كُلِّ بَيتٍ مِن بُيوتِيَ قَرِيَةٍ
تَضُمُّcontains صُنوفاًkinds مِنهُمُof them وَفُنوناand varieties
تَضُمُّ صُنوفاً مِنهُمُ وَفُنونا
For in each of my houses there is a village,
So in each house of my village houses
housing different kinds and varieties of them.
Are sorts and kinds of them, diverse.
فَياso, O مَنwho رَأىhas seen بَيتاًa house يَضيقُis cramped بِخَمسَةٍwith five
فَيا مَن رَأى بَيتاً يَضيقُ بِخَمسَةٍ
وَفيهِand in it قُرَيّاتٍlittle villages يَسَعنَcan hold مِئيناhundreds
وَفيهِ قُرَيّاتٍ يَسَعنَ مِئينا
So who ever saw a house too cramped for five,
Oh, he who has seen a house straitened by five
while little villages within it have room for hundreds?
While villages could contain two hundred!
Sol 6.1