هَلcan مُخطِئٌescaping حَتفَهُits doom عُفرٌa tawny wild goat بِشاهِقَةٍon a lofty peak
هَل مُخطِئٌ حَتفَهُ عُفرٌ بِشاهِقَةٍ
رَعىit grazed بِأَخيافِهاon its slopes شَثّاًshath shrubs وَطُبّاقاand tubbaq shrubs
رَعى بِأَخيافِها شَثّاً وَطُبّاقا
Can a tawny wild goat on a lofty peak elude its doom,
Can the young ibex on a soaring peak evade his death?
grazing on shath and tubbaq along its slopes,
Grazing in its ravines on bitter wormwood and mountain-tobacco,
مُسَوَّرٌadorned with bracelets مِنfrom حَباءِthe bounty of اللَهِGod أَسوِرَةًbracelets
مُسَوَّرٌ مِن حَباءِ اللَهِ أَسوِرَةً
يَركَبنَthey encircle مِنهاsome of them وَظيفَthe cannon bone of القَينِthe foreleg وَالساقاand the shank
يَركَبنَ مِنها وَظيفَ القَينِ وَالساقا
adorned with bracelets bestowed by God,
Adorned with ringed bracelets, a gift from God upon his horns,
some encircling its foreleg's cannon bone and its shank?
Which reach down to cover the pastern of the hoof and the shank?
أَوor لَقوَةٍa she-eagle أُمِّmother of اِنهيمَينِtwo eaglets فيin لُجُفٍrock clefts
أَو لَقوَةٍ أُمِّ اِنهيمَينِ في لُجُفٍ
شَبيهَتَيهاboth resembling her شَفاthe edge of خَطمٍa beak وَآماقاand eye corners
شَبيهَتَيها شَفا خَطمٍ وَآماقا
Or a she-eagle, mother of two eaglets in rock clefts,
Or an eagle, mother to two chicks in a rocky hollow,
both resembling her in beak-tip and eye corners—
Who resemble her in the sharp edge of the beak and the corners of the eyes?
مُهَبَّلٌdoomed دينُهاone under her power يَوماًone day إِذاif قَلَبَتshe turns
مُهَبَّلٌ دينُها يَوماً إِذا قَلَبَت
إِلَيهِtoward him مِنfrom مُستَكَفِّthe vault of الجَوِّthe sky حِملاقاan inner eyelid
إِلَيهِ مِن مُستَكَفِّ الجَوِّ حِملاقا
doomed is her quarry, if one day she turns
Bereft is her nature on the day she turns
a glaring eye upon him from the sky's vault?
Towards him, from the high breadth of the sky, a piercing stare.
أَوor ذوone possessing شِياهٍa herd of females أَغَنِّnasal in الصَوتِvoice أَرَّقَهُkept him sleepless
أَو ذو شِياهٍ أَغَنِّ الصَوتِ أَرَّقَهُ
وَبلٌa downpour سَرىpassed by night ماخِضَpregnant with الوَدقَينِthe two showers غَيداقاabundantly pouring
وَبلٌ سَرى ماخِضَ الوَدقَينِ غَيداقا
Or a nasal-voiced lord of a herd, kept sleepless
Or the lord of ewes, with a nasal cry, kept sleepless
by a copious downpour passing at night, pregnant with twin showers—
By a night-traveling storm, churning with abundant rain?
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen جَعَلَbegan الإِظلامُthe darkness يَعرِضُهُto show him
حَتّى إِذا جَعَلَ الإِظلامُ يَعرِضُهُ
شَمائِلاًflanks وَرَأىand he saw لِلصُبحِof dawn إيلاقاa glimmer
شَمائِلاً وَرَأى لِلصُبحِ إيلاقا
at last, when darkness began to show him
Until, when the darkness began to expose him
its flanks and he saw a glimmer of dawn,
To the north winds, and he saw the lightning-flash of dawn,
غَداhe went forth at dawn كَأَنَّas though عَلَيهِupon him مِنfrom قَواطِرِهِits drippings
غَدا كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ مِن قَواطِرِهِ
بِحَيثُwhere يَستَودِعُhe stores الأَسرارَsecrets أَخلاقاworn-out clothes
بِحَيثُ يَستَودِعُ الأَسرارَ أَخلاقا
he went forth, as though its drippings had laid upon him
He went forth as if bearing the weight of the dripping rain
tattered clothes where he keeps his secrets?
Upon his chest—where secrets are kept—like worn-out rags.
أَوor ذوone possessing نَحائِصَwild she-asses أَشباهٍalike إِذاwhen نَسَقَتthey aligned
أَو ذو نَحائِصَ أَشباهٍ إِذا نَسَقَت
مَناسِجاًwithers وَثَنَتand bent مَلطاًsmooth flanks وَأَطباقاand spinal plates
مَناسِجاً وَثَنَت مَلطاً وَأَطباقا
Or the lord of matching wild she-asses, when they aligned
Or the leader of wild she-asses, alike in form when they line up,
their withers and bent smooth flanks and spinal plates—
Shoulder to shoulder, folding their smooth coats and layers of fat?
شَتَونَthey wintered حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) صِفنَthey entered summer ذَكَّرَهاhe reminded them
شَتَونَ حَتّى إِذا ما صِفنَ ذَكَّرَها
مِنof مَنهَلٍa watering place مَورِداًa drinking spot فَاِشتَقنَso they yearned وَاِختاقاand he yearned
مِن مَنهَلٍ مَورِداً فَاِشتَقنَ وَاِختاقا
they wintered; when summer came, he reminded them
They wintered there, until the summer winds blew, and he reminded them
of a watering-place's drinking pool; they yearned, and he yearned too;
Of a watering place to descend to, so they yearned, and he yearned too.
يَؤُمُّhe makes for عَيناًa spring بِهاin it زَرقاءَblue طامِيَةًbrimming
يَؤُمُّ عَيناً بِها زَرقاءَ طامِيَةً
يَرىhe sees عَلَيهاupon it لُجَينَthe silver of الماءِthe water أَطراقاin layers
يَرى عَلَيها لُجَينَ الماءِ أَطراقا
he makes for a spring there, blue and brimming,
He leads them toward a spring, blue and brimming,
upon which he sees the water's silver spread in sheets?
Seeing upon its surface the liquid silver of water in still layers.
زارَvisited الحَمامُdeath أَباAbu البَيداءِal-Bayda مُختَرِماًsnatching away
زارَ الحَمامُ أَبا البَيداءِ مُختَرِماً
وَلَمand did not يُغادِرleave لَهُfor him فيamong الناسِpeople مِطراقاa peer
وَلَم يُغادِر لَهُ في الناسِ مِطراقا
Death visited Abu al-Bayda, snatching him away,
Death visited Abu al-Baida, snatching him away,
and left among men no peer for him.
And left no equal for him among all mankind.
وَيلُمِّهِwoe to his mother! (admiration) صِلُّan asp أَصلالٍof asps إِذاwhen جَفَلواthey thronged
وَيلُمِّهِ صِلُّ أَصلالٍ إِذا جَفَلوا
يَرَونَthey regard كُلَّevery مُعَيِّhalting in القَولِspeech مِغلاقاa masterful disputant
يَرَونَ كُلَّ مُعَيِّ القَولِ مِغلاقا
What a man—an asp of asps! When they thronged,
Woe to his mother! What a viper among vipers he was when men fled in panic,
they deemed every halting speaker a master of debate.
When they found every difficult matter locked tight.
ياO رُبَّmany a عَوراءَshameful utterance ذيof one with قُربىkinship كَتَمتُI concealed وَلَوand had it
يا رُبَّ عَوراءَ ذي قُربى كَتَمتُ وَلَو
فَشَتspread لَأَلقَتit would have cast عَلىupon الأَعناقِnecks أَطواقاcollars
فَشَت لَأَلقَت عَلى الأَعناقِ أَطواقا
How many a kinsman's shameful word I concealed! Had it
How many a shameful slip of a kinsman have I concealed—though if
spread, it would have cast collars upon necks.
It had spread, it would have cast collars of disgrace upon their necks.
وَمِنand of قَوارِعَcrushing utterances قَدindeed أَخرَستَyou silenced ناطِقَهاtheir speaker
وَمِن قَوارِعَ قَد أَخرَستَ ناطِقَها
يَحمِلنَthey carry مِنof مُخطَفاتِsnatched-up sayings القَومِthe people أَوساقاloads
يَحمِلنَ مِن مُخطَفاتِ القَومِ أَوساقا
And many a crushing utterance whose speaker you silenced,
And how many striking calamities whose speakers you silenced,
bearing loads of the people's snatched-up sayings.
While they bore the heavy burdens of the people's snatched rights.
وَمِنand of قَلائِدَnecklaces قَدindeed قَلَّدتَyou hung as necklaces باقِيَهاtheir enduring ones
وَمِن قَلائِدَ قَد قَلَّدتَ باقِيَها
مِنamong أَهلِthe masters of فَنِّكَyour art أَجياداًnecks وَأَعلاقاand precious ornaments
مِن أَهلِ فَنِّكَ أَجياداً وَأَعلاقا
And many lasting necklaces you hung,
And how many necklaces of praise you have bestowed upon the survivors
precious ornaments on the necks of masters of your art.
Of your peers, adorning their necks and precious possessions.
فَقُلتُso I said لاnot حَصِراًtongue-tied بِماabout what وَعَتretained أُذُناthe two ears of
فَقُلتُ لا حَصِراً بِما وَعَت أُذُنا
داعٍa caller وَلاnor نَدُساًcunning لِلإِفكِin falsehood خَلّاقاa fabricator
داعٍ وَلا نَدُساً لِلإِفكِ خَلّاقا
So I spoke, not faltering over what was stored in the ears
So I spoke, not stumbling over what the ear of a caller
of a caller, nor a cunning fabricator of lies:
Has retained, nor skilled in fabricating lies.
صِلٌّan asp إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) رَآهُsaw him القَومُthe people عامِدَهُمadvancing upon them
صِلٌّ إِذا ما رَآهُ القَومُ عامِدَهُم
أَزاحَhe drove aside ناطِقَهُمtheir spokesman صَمتاًinto silence وَإِطراقاand head-bowing
أَزاحَ ناطِقَهُم صَمتاً وَإِطراقا
An asp—when men saw him advancing upon them,
A viper he was—when the people saw him making for them,
he drove their spokesman into silence, his head bowed.
He struck their speaker dumb, silencing him into submission.
فَلَيسَso there is no لِلعِلمِfor learning فيamong الأَقوامِthe peoples باقِيَةٌremnant
فَلَيسَ لِلعِلمِ في الأَقوامِ باقِيَةٌ
عاقَchecked العَواقيthe thwarting calamities أَباAbu البَيداءِal-Bayda فَاِنعاقاand so he was checked
عاقَ العَواقي أَبا البَيداءِ فَاِنعاقا
So no remnant of learning is left among men;
So there is no remnant of knowledge left among the tribes;
calamities checked Abu al-Bayda, and he was checked.
The hinderers of fate hindered Abu al-Baida, and he was held back.
Sol 6.1