قَدsometimes أَغتَديI set out early قَبلَbefore طُلوعِthe rising of الشَمسِthe sun
قَد أَغتَدي قَبلَ طُلوعِ الشَمسِ
بِأَحجَنِwith one hooked of الخَطمِbeak كَمِيِّwarrior-like النَفسِspirit
بِأَحجَنِ الخَطمِ كَمِيِّ النَفسِ
At times I set out before the sun rises,
Before dawn's light I roamed
I venture forth before the rising sun,
With one hooked of beak, a warrior at heart,
With breaths short and restless
With a hook-beaked hawk, a valiant one,
غَرثانَfamished إِلّاexcept for أَكلَهُhis meal بِالأَمسِon the previous day
غَرثانَ إِلّا أَكلَهُ بِالأَمسِ
آنَسَhe perceived بِالطَمسِthrough the darkness وَماءِand the water of الطَمسِdarkness
آنَسَ بِالطَمسِ وَماءِ الطَمسِ
Famished, save for his meal of yesterday.
A lamb bleating save to be eaten yesterday
Famished, save for his meal of yesterday,
He saw through darkness and its waters,
It delighted in twilight and the twilight rain
He marks the traces and the liquid spray,
كَنَظَرِlike the gaze of المَجنونِthe madman أَوor ذيone with المَسِّpossession
كَنَظَرِ المَجنونِ أَو ذي المَسِّ
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen أَقصَدَhe killed outright بَعدَafter الحَبسِthe restraint
حَتّى إِذا أَقصَدَ بَعدَ الحَبسِ
With the gaze of a madman or one possessed.
Like a madman's gaze or one possessed
With a gaze like a madman, or one possessed,
Until, when he had struck dead after being held back,
Until when after confinement
Till, let loose, he strikes with fatal zest,
عِشرينَtwenty مِنof حُبارِياتٍhoubara bustards قُعسِwith jutting breasts
عِشرينَ مِن حُبارِياتٍ قُعسِ
مِثلَlike النَصارىthe Christians فيin ثِيابٍgarments طُلسِdusky
مِثلَ النَصارى في ثِيابٍ طُلسِ
Twenty jutting-breasted houbara bustards,
Twenty priestesses marched
Twenty bustards, with their backs arched high,
Like Christians in dusky garments,
Like Christians in yellow robes
Like Christian monks in robes of dusty dye,
فَهُنَّso they بَينَbetween أَربَعٍfour وَخَمسِand five
فَهُنَّ بَينَ أَربَعٍ وَخَمسِ
صَرعىslain وَمُستَدمٍand one bleeding أَميمِwounded to the brain الرَأسِin the head
صَرعى وَمُستَدمٍ أَميمِ الرَأسِ
There they lay, in fours and fives:
There they were between four and five
Thus they lie in groups of four and five,
Some slain, some bleeding, their heads wounded to the brain,
Slain and bloodied, heads shorn
Slain, or bleeding, scarcely left alive,
وَحَرِبٍand one enraged يَشفِنُlooks askance بَعدَafter التَعسِthe downfall
وَحَرِبٍ يَشفِنُ بَعدَ التَعسِ
كَأَنَّماas though صَبَغتَهاyou dyed them بِوَرسِwith wars, a yellow dye
كَأَنَّما صَبَغتَها بِوَرسِ
And some enraged, glaring after their downfall,
And wars that exhale anguish after misery
And the stricken glares after its demise,
As though you had dyed them with wars dye.
As though you dyed them with madder
As if you had dyed it with saffron dyes.
Sol 6.1