وَلَمand not يَكُنwas there مَلكٌa water supply لِلقَومِfor the people يُنزِلُهُمto make them encamp
وَلَم يَكُن مَلكٌ لِلقَومِ يُنزِلُهُم
إِلّاexcept صَلاصِلُscant pools لاnot تُلوىturned aside toward عَلىon account of حَسَبِworth
إِلّا صَلاصِلُ لا تُلوى عَلى حَسَبِ
And there was no water to make the people encamp,
No ruler possessed a people, lowering them,
save scant pools, not worth turning aside for.
Except for unrelenting chains, by any means.
تَحَسَّرَreceded الماءُthe water عَنهُfrom it وَاِستَجَنَّand took shelter بِهِin it
تَحَسَّرَ الماءُ عَنهُ وَاِستَجَنَّ بِهِ
إِلفانِtwo close companions جُنّاwere concealed مِنَamong المكنانِmuknān pasture-herbs وَالقُطَبِand caltrop
إِلفانِ جُنّا مِنَ المكنانِ وَالقُطَبِ
The water had receded from it, and there took shelter
The water recoiled from him, and he sought refuge in it—
two close companions, screened by muknān and caltrop,
Two cold Jinn from the planets and celestial poles.
جُماديَينthe two Jumādā months حُسوماًuninterrupted لاnot يُعايِنُهُbeholds it
جُماديَين حُسوماً لا يُعايِنُهُ
وَعيٌa company مِنَof الناسِpeople فيamong أَهلٍkinsfolk وَلاnor غَرَبِstrangers
وَعيٌ مِنَ الناسِ في أَهلٍ وَلا غَرَبِ
for two unbroken Jumādā months; it was never seen
Deaf and blind to people, kith or kin,
by any company of men, kinsfolk or strangers.
With neither family nor foreign ties.
تَبيتُspends the night جارَتهُits neighbor الأَفعىthe viper وَسامِرُهُand its night companions
تَبيتُ جارَتهُ الأَفعى وَسامِرُهُ
رُمدash-gray creatures بِهِupon it عاذِرٌdung-marks مِنهُنَّfrom them كَالجَرَبِlike mange
رُمد بِهِ عاذِرٌ مِنهُنَّ كَالجَرَبِ
The viper spends the night as its neighbor; its night companions
The viper slept alongside him, his nighttime companion,
are ash-gray creatures, their dung upon it like mange.
And he had scabies that excused him from them, like mange.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen جَنَّenveloped أَغواءُbewildering reaches الظَلامِof darkness لَهُaround him
حَتّى إِذا جَنَّ أَغواءُ الظَلامِ لَهُ
مِنwith فَوزِthe setting of نَجمٍa star مِنَof الجَوزاءِal-Jawzāʾ مُلتَهِبِblazing
مِن فَوزِ نَجمٍ مِنَ الجَوزاءِ مُلتَهِبِ
Until, when the bewildering darkness enfolded him,
Until when the darkness enveloped its coves around him
with the setting of a blazing star of al-Jawzāʾ,
With the rising of a star in the Crab’s glow.
أَخلىhe vacated بِلينَةَat Līnah وَالرَنقاءand al-Ranqāʾ مَرتَعهُhis pasture
أَخلى بِلينَةَ وَالرَنقاء مَرتَعهُ
يَقروhe traces مَزاحِفَthe creeping paths of جَونٍa dark cloud ساقِطِwith drooping الرَبَبِfringes
يَقرو مَزاحِفَ جَونٍ ساقِطِ الرَبَبِ
he left his pasture at Līnah and al-Ranqāʾ,
He emptied the pasture of Leanah and Raunaqaa’
tracing the creeping paths of a dark cloud with drooping fringes.
Who grazed the fallen branches of tender Jawan.
كَأَنَّas though زُجلَةَa draught of صَوبٍrain صابَpoured down مِنfrom بَرَدٍhail
كَأَنَّ زُجلَةَ صَوبٍ صابَ مِن بَرَدٍ
شُنَّتwere poured out شَآبيبهُits showers مِنfrom رائِحٍan evening cloud لجبِthundering
شُنَّت شَآبيبهُ مِن رائِحٍ لجبِ
As though a draught of rain, poured down from hail,
As if the singing of a loved one, touched by the cold,
its showers loosed from a thundering evening cloud,
Her braids dripping from the scent of aloeswood.
نَواصِحpure drops of saliva مِنfrom حَمّاوَينtwo dark lips أُحصِنَتاthe two had enclosed
نَواصِح مِن حَمّاوَين أُحصِنَتا
مُمَنَّعاًa closely guarded draught كَهُمامِlike the melt of الثَلجِsnow بِالضَرَبِmixed with white honey
مُمَنَّعاً كَهُمامِ الثَلجِ بِالضَرَبِ
were pure drops from two dark lips that had enclosed
Sincere advice from censors fortified
a guarded draught, like snowmelt mixed with white honey.
Like ice crystals in the pounding rain.
مَجنوبَةُsouth-wind-warmed الأُنسِin friendliness مَشمولٌnorth-wind-chilled مَواعِدُهاher promises
مَجنوبَةُ الأُنسِ مَشمولٌ مَواعِدُها
مِنَamong الهِجانِthe fair, noble-bred ones الجِمالِthe lovely ones الشطبِthe tall, shapely ones وَالقَصَبِand the slender ones
مِنَ الهِجانِ الجِمالِ الشطبِ وَالقَصَبِ
Her welcome south-wind-warm, her promises north-wind-cold,
The intimacy's habitat, its dwellings disrupted
one of the fair, lovely women, tall and slender.
By quarreling, reed, boxwood, and bamboo stalks.
Sol 6.1