عَلىon جَنابيهِits two sides مِنof مَظلومَةٍnewly broken earth قِيَمٌstanding men
عَلى جَنابيهِ مِن مَظلومَةٍ قِيَمٌ
تَبادَرَتهاthey rushed upon it مِساحٍspades كَالمَناسيفِlike winnowing scoops
تَبادَرَتها مِساحٍ كَالمَناسيفِ
Along its two sides of newly broken earth stood men;
spades like winnowing scoops rushed upon it.
لَناwe have صَواهِلٌneighing tools فيamong صُمِّsolid السِلامthe stones كَماas
لَنا صَواهِلٌ في صُمِّ السِلام كَما
صاحَrang out القَسِيّاتُthe base coins فيin أَيديthe hands of الصَياريفِthe moneychangers
صاحَ القَسِيّاتُ في أَيدي الصَياريفِ
We had neighing tools amid the solid stones, as
base coins ring in the moneychangers' hands.
كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they بِأَيديin the hands of القَومِthe men فيamid كَبِدٍhard ground
كَأَنَّهُنَّ بِأَيدي القَومِ في كَبِدٍ
طَيرٌbirds تَكَشَّفَscattered عَنfrom جونِdark ones مَزاحيفِslowly crawling
طَيرٌ تَكَشَّفَ عَن جونِ مَزاحيفِ
In the men's hands amid hard ground, they seemed
birds scattering from dark, crawling shapes.
مُقرمدbrick-lined ماwhat عَلواthey raised مِنهُof it بِقَنطَرَةٍwith an arch
مُقرمد ما عَلوا مِنهُ بِقَنطَرَةٍ
زادَgained مِنsome of الزادِthe provisions غَثّاًlean fare غَيرَnot مَظلوفِwithheld
زادَ مِن الزادِ غَثّاً غَيرَ مَظلوفِ
What they built up of it was brick-lined, with an arch;
it gained some sustenance—lean fare, grudged by none.
ثَمَّتَthen زَكواthey piled بِماwith what عَلّواthey raised وَماand what حَفِرواthey dug out
ثَمَّتَ زَكوا بِما عَلّوا وَما حَفِروا
حَملاًa load عَلىupon الكَومِthe great-humped one حَمّالِbearer of التَكاليفِheavy burdens
حَملاً عَلى الكَومِ حَمّالِ التَكاليفِ
Then, with what they raised and what they dug, they piled
a load upon the great-humped one, bearer of heavy burdens.
يالَهفَoh, the grief of نَفسيmy soul إِنif كانَwas الَّذيwhat زَعَمواthey reported
يالَهفَ نَفسي إِن كانَ الَّذي زَعَموا
حَقّاًtrue وَماذاand what يَرُدُّcan restore اليَومَtoday تَلهيفيmy lamenting
حَقّاً وَماذا يَرُدُّ اليَومَ تَلهيفي
Alas for my soul, if what they reported
is true! And what can my lamenting restore today?
إِنif كانَwas مَأوىthe refuge of وُفودِthe delegations of الناسِthe people راحَwent away بِهِwith him
إِن كانَ مَأوى وُفودِ الناسِ راحَ بِهِ
رَهطٌa band of men إِلىto جَدَثٍa grave كَالغارِlike a cave مَنجوفِhollowed out
رَهطٌ إِلى جَدَثٍ كَالغارِ مَنجوفِ
If the refuge of the people's delegations was carried away
by a band of men to a grave hollowed like a cave;
إِنif كانَwas عُثمانُUthman أَمسىcame to be فَوقَهُabove him أَمرٌa cairn
إِن كانَ عُثمانُ أَمسى فَوقَهُ أَمرٌ
كَراقِبِlike the lookout of العونِthe wild-ass herds فَوقَabove القُنَّةِthe summit الموفيstanding aloft
كَراقِبِ العونِ فَوقَ القُنَّةِ الموفي
if Uthman now has a cairn above him,
like the wild-ass herds' lookout, standing high upon the peak—
مَأوىrefuge of اليَتيمِthe orphan وَمَأوىand refuge of كُلِّevery نَهبَلَةٍaged woman
مَأوى اليَتيمِ وَمَأوى كُلِّ نَهبَلَةٍ
تَأويshe shelters إِلىwith نَهبِلٍan aged man كِالنَسرِlike a vulture عُلفوفِshaggy
تَأوي إِلى نَهبِلٍ كِالنَسرِ عُلفوفِ
refuge of the orphan, and refuge of every aged woman
who shelters with an old man, shaggy as a vulture.
أعثمَO Uthman قَدalready حَذَرَتfeared نَفسيmy soul فَماyet not مَلَكَتhad power
أعثمَ قَد حَذَرَت نَفسي فَما مَلَكَت
أَصفاقُthe walls of دارٍthe home of بَعيدِone far from الأُلفِcompanionship مَألوفِbeloved
أَصفاقُ دارٍ بَعيدِ الأُلفِ مَألوفِ
O Uthman, my soul had feared; yet powerless were
the walls of the home of one far from his companions, yet beloved.
Sol 6.1