ياO رُبَّmany a غَيثٍrain-fed pasture آمِنِsafe السُروبِthe flocks
يا رُبَّ غَيثٍ آمِنِ السُروبِ
حُبارِياتِhoubara bustards جَلهَتَيthe two sides of مَلحوبِMalhub
حُبارِياتِ جَلهَتَي مَلحوبِ
Ah, many a rain-fed pasture, its flocks secure—
Oh, how many a rain-blessed meadow with secure flocks,
The houbara bustards of Malhub's two sides,
Bustards dwelling on the two banks of Malhub,
فَالقَطَّبِيّاتِand then al-Qattabiyyat إِلىas far as الذُنوبِal-Dhunub
فَالقَطَّبِيّاتِ إِلى الذُنوبِ
يَرفُلنَthey strut فيin بَرانِسٍhooded cloaks قُشوبِfresh
يَرفُلنَ في بَرانِسٍ قُشوبِ
And al-Qattabiyyat, as far as al-Dhunub—
And in al-Qatabiyyat, stretching to al-Dhunub,
They strut in fresh hooded cloaks
Strutting in clean, hooded cloaks,
مِنof حِبَرٍpatterned cloth عولينَthey were embellished بِالتَهذيبِwith fine trimming
مِن حِبَرٍ عولينَ بِالتَهذيبِ
فَهُنَّso they أَمثالُlikenesses of النَصارىthe Christians الشيبِgray-haired
فَهُنَّ أَمثالُ النَصارى الشيبِ
Of patterned cloth, embellished with fine trimming.
Of striped silk, crafted with refinement,
So they resemble gray-haired Christians
As though they were grey-haired Christians,
فيon يَومِa day عيدٍof festival مَبرَزِthe bringing forth of الصَليبِthe cross
في يَومِ عيدٍ مَبرَزِ الصَليبِ
ذَعَرتُهاI startled them بِمُلهَبِwith a fiery one الشُؤبوبِthe shower-like onrush
ذَعَرتُها بِمُلهَبِ الشُؤبوبِ
On a feast day when the cross is brought out.
On a feast day, bringing forth the cross;
I startled them with one whose rush was a blazing shower,
I startled them with a falcon, fiery in its assault,
مُفَهَّمٌtaught to understand إِهابَةَthe urging cry المُهيبِof the caller
مُفَهَّمٌ إِهابَةَ المُهيبِ
وَكَلِماتِand the words كُلِّevery مُستَجيبِone who responds
وَكَلِماتِ كُلِّ مُستَجيبِ
Taught to understand the caller's urging cry
Who understands the call of his master,
And the words of every answering voice;
And the commands of all who summon him.
أَقنىhook-beaked إِلىtoward سائِسَةٍa female handler جَنيبِdocile
أَقنى إِلى سائِسَةٍ جَنيبِ
وَقَدand already جَرىproceeded مِنهُfrom him عَلىaccording to تَأديبِtraining
وَقَد جَرى مِنهُ عَلى تَأديبِ
Hook-beaked, docile toward a female handler,
Hook-beaked, obedient to his keeper's lead,
His conduct already shaped by training.
Behaving exactly as his training dictates.
يوفيstands aloft عَلىupon قَفّازِهِhis gauntlet المَجوبِcut open
يوفي عَلى قَفّازِهِ المَجوبِ
مِنهُof his بِكَفِّwith a palm سَبطَةِlong and supple التَرحيبِin its spread
مِنهُ بِكَفِّ سَبطَةِ التَرحيبِ
He stands aloft upon the keeper's cut-out gauntlet
He stands high upon his stitched gauntlet,
With his long, broadly spreading palm,
Held by a hand generous in its welcome,
كَأَنَّهاas though it were بَراثِنٌclawed paws مِنof ذيبِa wolf
كَأَنَّها بَراثِنٌ مِن ذيبِ
يَضبِثُهُنَّhe presses them firmly فيinto ثَرىmoist earth مَصوبِrain-drenched
يَضبِثُهُنَّ في ثَرى مَصوبِ
As though it were the clawed paws of a wolf
His talons appearing like the claws of a wolf,
Pressing them into rain-soaked earth;
Which he sinks into rain-soaked earth.
إِلىup to وَظيفٍa shank فائِقِexcellent in الظُنبوبِthe shinbone
إِلى وَظيفٍ فائِقِ الظُنبوبِ
وَجُؤجُؤٍand a breast مِثلَlike مَداكِa grinding stone الطيبِfor perfume
وَجُؤجُؤٍ مِثلَ مَداكِ الطيبِ
Leading up to a shank with a splendid shinbone,
Rising to a shank of superior bone,
And a breast like a perfume-grinding stone,
And a breast smooth like a perfume-grinding stone,
تَحتَbeneath جَناحٍa wing موجَدِstrong التَنكيبِat the shoulder
تَحتَ جَناحٍ موجَدِ التَنكيبِ
ذيhaving قَصَبٍquill-shafts مُستَوفِرِfully developed in الكُعوبِthe joints
ذي قَصَبٍ مُستَوفِرِ الكُعوبِ
Beneath a wing strongly set at the shoulder,
Beneath a wing strongly jointed at the shoulder,
With quill-shafts whose joints are fully formed,
With quills possessing thick, sturdy nodes,
وَحفِdense الظَهارِthe outer plumage عَصِلِcurved الأُنبوبِthe quill-shaft
وَحفِ الظَهارِ عَصِلِ الأُنبوبِ
آنَسَhe spotted بَينَbetween صَردَحٍa broad, level plain وَلوبِand lava beds
آنَسَ بَينَ صَردَحٍ وَلوبِ
Dense in outer plumage, with curved quill-shafts.
Thick-feathered on the back, with curved shafts.
He spied, between a level plain and lava beds,
He spotted prey between Sardah and Lub,
بِمُقلَةٍwith an eye قَليلَةِlittle prone to التَكذيبِdeception
بِمُقلَةٍ قَليلَةِ التَكذيبِ
طَرّاحَةٍcasting its gaze far خَلفَbeyond لَقىcast-off things الغُيوبِof hidden places
طَرّاحَةٍ خَلفَ لَقى الغُيوبِ
With an eye that seldom lied,
With an eye that rarely deceives,
Casting its gaze beyond things cast off in hidden places.
Casting glances beyond what is hidden from view.
فَانقَضَّthen he swooped مِثلَlike الحَجَرِthe stone المَندوبِhurled
فَانقَضَّ مِثلَ الحَجَرِ المَندوبِ
مُنكَفِتاًhurtling swiftly تَكَفُّتَwith the dash الحَنيبِof a curved-legged horse
مُنكَفِتاً تَكَفُّتَ الحَنيبِ
Then he swooped like a hurled stone,
Then he swooped down like a hurled stone,
Hurtling with the dash of a curved-legged steed,
Folding his wings tight like a rushing torrent,
فيin الشَطرِhalf مِنof حِملاقِهِhis inner eyelid المَقلوبِturned back
في الشَطرِ مِن حِملاقِهِ المَقلوبِ
عَلىupon رَفَلٍّa long-plumed bird بِالضُحىin the forenoon ضَغوبِcrying repeatedly
عَلى رَفَلٍّ بِالضُحى ضَغوبِ
In half a blink of his turned-back inner eyelid,
Aiming toward the target of his upturned gaze,
Upon a long-plumed bird, crying in the forenoon.
Upon a trailing bustard crying out in the forenoon,
بِذيwith one having نُواسٍa drooping tip مُرهَفِsharpened الكَلّوبِthe hook
بِذي نُواسٍ مُرهَفِ الكَلّوبِ
غادَرَhe left فيin جُؤشوشِهِits breast المَثقوبِpierced
غادَرَ في جُؤشوشِهِ المَثقوبِ
With a drooping beak, its hook honed keen,
Striking with dangling, hook-sharp talons,
He left in its pierced breast
That left within its pierced breast,
جَيّاشَةًa gushing wound تَذهَبُrunning فيalong أُسلوبِa channel
جَيّاشَةً تَذهَبُ في أُسلوبِ
بِصائِكٍwith sticky fluid مِنof عَلَقٍthick blood صَبيبِfreely pouring
بِصائِكٍ مِن عَلَقٍ صَبيبِ
A gushing wound, its flow running along a channel,
A gushing wound flowing in a stream,
With sticky, thick blood pouring out.
Of sticky, pouring blood.
فَصطادَso he caught قَبلَbefore ساعَةِthe hour التَأويبِof returning
فَصطادَ قَبلَ ساعَةِ التَأويبِ
خَمسينَfifty فيin حِسابِهِhis tally المَحسوبِreckoned
خَمسينَ في حِسابِهِ المَحسوبِ
So he caught, before the hour of return,
Thus he hunted before the hour of return,
Fifty, by his tally, duly counted.
Fifty birds by his calculated count;
فَالقَومُso the men مِنincluded مُقتَدِرٍone cooking in a pot مُصيبِdoing it rightly
فَالقَومُ مِن مُقتَدِرٍ مُصيبِ
وَمُعجَلِand one hurried in النَشلِlifting out meat عَنِaway from التَضهيبِlight roasting
وَمُعجَلِ النَشلِ عَنِ التَضهيبِ
So some of the men cooked deftly in pots,
The hunting party was split between the capable marksman,
And others hurried to snatch meat away from its light roasting.
And the one hurrying to pluck, too hungry to roast.
Sol 6.1