أَتَصرِمُwill you forsake رَيّاRayya أَمor تُديمُyou maintain وِصالَهاunion with her
أَتَصرِمُ رَيّا أَم تُديمُ وِصالَها
بَلِrather الصَرمَseverance إِذsince زَمَّتshe haltered بِلَيلٍby night جِمالَهاher camels
بَلِ الصَرمَ إِذ زَمَّت بِلَيلٍ جِمالَها
Will you forsake Rayya, or keep your bond with her?
Rather, break with her, since she haltered her camels by night.
كَأَنَّas though حُدوجَthe howdahs المالِكِيَّةِthe Malikite woman's غُدوَةًat daybreak
كَأَنَّ حُدوجَ المالِكِيَّةِ غُدوَةً
نَواعِمُluxuriant palms يَجريflows الماءُthe water رَفهاًfreely خِلالَهاamong them
نَواعِمُ يَجري الماءُ رَفهاً خِلالَها
At daybreak, the Malikite woman's howdahs seemed like
luxuriant palms, with water flowing freely among them.
وَماnor is أُمُّa mother of خِشفٍa fawn جَأبَةُthick القَرنِof horn فاقِدٌbereft
وَما أُمُّ خِشفٍ جَأبَةُ القَرنِ فاقِدٌ
عَلىon جانِبَيboth sides of تَثليثَTathlith تَبغيshe seeks غَزالَهاher fawn
عَلى جانِبَي تَثليثَ تَبغي غَزالَها
Nor is a thick-horned doe, bereft of her fawn,
seeking her young on either side of Tathlith,
بِأَحسَنَany fairer مِنهَthan her يَومَon the day قامَrose نَواعِمٌpampered women
بِأَحسَنَ مِنهَ يَومَ قامَ نَواعِمٌ
فَأَنكَرنَand they found strange لَمّاwhen واجَهَتهُنَّshe faced them حالَهاher condition
فَأَنكَرنَ لَمّا واجَهَتهُنَّ حالَها
fairer than her, on the day pampered women rose
and found her condition strange when she faced them.
فَياso, O أَخَوَيناour two brothers مِنfrom أَبيناour father وَأُمِّناand our mother
فَيا أَخَوَينا مِن أَبينا وَأُمِّنا
أَلَمdid ... not? تَعلَماyou two know أَنthat كُلُّall مَنwhoever فَوقَهاupon her لَهاbelong to her
أَلَم تَعلَما أَن كُلُّ مَن فَوقَها لَها
So, O our two brothers, of our father and our mother,
did you two not know that all upon the earth belong to her?
فَتَستَيقِناso be certain, you two أَنّاthat we أَخوكُمyour brother وَأَنَّناand that we
فَتَستَيقِنا أَنّا أَخوكُم وَأَنَّنا
إِذاwhen نُتِجَتis brought forth شَهباءُa gray war يَخشَونَthey dread فالَهاits omen
إِذا نُتِجَت شَهباءُ يَخشَونَ فالَها
So be certain, both of you, that we are your brothers, and that we,
when a gray war is born whose omen they dread,
نُقيمُwe establish لَهاfor it سوقَa market الضِرابِof blows وَنَعتَصيand we take refuge
نُقيمُ لَها سوقَ الضِرابِ وَنَعتَصي
بِأَسيافِناwith our swords حَتّىuntil نُوَجِّهَwe turn خالَهاits standard
بِأَسيافِنا حَتّى نُوَجِّهَ خالَها
set up for it a market of blows, and take refuge
in our swords, until we turn its standard.
وَكائِنand how many دَفَعناwe warded off عَنكُمُfrom you مِنof عَظيمَةٍa great calamity
وَكائِن دَفَعنا عَنكُمُ مِن عَظيمَةٍ
وَكُربَةِand an anguish مَوتٍof death قَدindeed بَتَتناwe severed عِقالَهاits tether
وَكُربَةِ مَوتٍ قَد بَتَتنا عِقالَها
And how many a great calamity have we warded off from you,
and mortal anguish whose tether we have severed!
وَأَرمَلَةٍand a widow تَسعىshe hastens بِشُعثٍwith unkempt children كَأَنَّهاas though she
وَأَرمَلَةٍ تَسعى بِشُعثٍ كَأَنَّها
وَإِيّاهُمُand they رَبداءُa gray-brown ostrich حَثَّتshe urged on رِئالَهاher ostrich chicks
وَإِيّاهُمُ رَبداءُ حَثَّت رِئالَها
And many a widow hurrying with unkempt children—as though she,
with them, were a gray-brown ostrich urging her chicks along—
هَنَأناwe provided sustenance وَلَمand did not نَمنُنwe vaunt favors عَلَيهاupon her فَأَصبَحَتso she became
هَنَأنا وَلَم نَمنُن عَلَيها فَأَصبَحَت
رَخِيَّةَat ease بالٍof mind قَدalready أَزَحناwe banished هُزالَهاher emaciation
رَخِيَّةَ بالٍ قَد أَزَحنا هُزالَها
we fed without reminding her of our favor, and she became
at ease in mind, for we had banished her gauntness.
وَفيand in كُلِّevery عامٍyear بَيضَةٌan egg تَفقَهونَهاyou understand it
وَفي كُلِّ عامٍ بَيضَةٌ تَفقَهونَها
فَتَعنىthen it suffers وَتَبقىand remains بَيضَةٌan egg لاno أَخاbrother لَهاfor it
فَتَعنى وَتَبقى بَيضَةٌ لا أَخا لَها
And every year there is an egg you know well;
then it suffers, while an egg remains without a brother.
Sol 6.1