هَلquestion marker أَنتَyou ياO مِصلاتُMiṣlāt مُبsetting out early (first part)
هَل أَنتَ يا مِصلاتُ مُب
تَكِرٌsetting out early (last part) غَداةَon the morning of غَدٍtomorrow فَزاحِلthen departing
تَكِرٌ غَداةَ غَدٍ فَزاحِل
Will you, O Miṣlāt, set out
O you who prays at dawn persistently
early tomorrow morning, then move away?
Will you tomorrow morn be climbing hills?
إِنّاwe indeed لَدىin the presence of مَلِكٍa king بِشَبin Shabwa (first part)
إِنّا لَدى مَلِكٍ بِشَب
وَةَShabwa (last part) ماnot تَغِبَّcome intermittently لَهُfor him النَوافِلgifts
وَةَ ما تَغِبَّ لَهُ النَوافِل
We are with a king in Shabwa,
We live under a youthful king
whose gifts never cease;
Who never fails to perform supererogations
مُتَحَلِّبِflowing with bounty الكَفَّينِthe two palms مِثlike (first part)
مُتَحَلِّبِ الكَفَّينِ مِث
لِlike (last part) البَدرِthe full moon قَوّالٍone who speaks much وَفاعِلand one who acts
لِ البَدرِ قَوّالٍ وَفاعِل
whose two palms stream with bounty, like
With hands like the full moon
the full moon—a man of word and deed;
A speaker and a doer so influential
الواهِبِthe giver المِئَةَa hundred الصَفاthe choice milch-camels (first part)
الواهِبِ المِئَةَ الصَفا
ياchoice milch-camels (last part) بَينَbetween تالِيَةٍone followed by her calf وَحائِلand one not pregnant
يا بَينَ تالِيَةٍ وَحائِل
who gives a hundred choice
The giver of hundreds in charity
milch-camels, some followed by calves, others not pregnant.
O you amid successive mountains and defiles
وَلَقَدand indeed شَرِبتُI drank الخَمرَthe wine تَرrunning (first part)
وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الخَمرَ تَر
كُضُrunning (last part) حَولَناaround us تُركٌTurks وَكابُلand people of Kabul
كُضُ حَولَنا تُركٌ وَكابُل
And indeed I drank wine, while there ran
And indeed I have drunk wine that leaves
around us Turks and people of Kabul,
The Turks staggering around us, and the cables
كَدَمِlike the blood of الذَبيحِthe slaughtered beast غَريبَةًforeign
كَدَمِ الذَبيحِ غَريبَةً
مِمّاfrom what يُعَتِّقُage أَهلُthe people of بابِلBabylon
مِمّا يُعَتِّقُ أَهلُ بابِل
like the blood of a slaughtered beast, a foreign wine,
Like the blood of a slaughtered victim unlawfully
from what the people of Babylon age.
Of what the people of Babylon emancipate
باكَرتُهاI drank it early حَوليaround me ذَوُوpossessors of الthe
باكَرتُها حَولي ذَوُو ال
آكالِrevenues مِنfrom بَكرِBakr بنِson of وائِلWāʾil
آكالِ مِن بَكرِ بنِ وائِل
I drank it early, around me men drawing
I enjoyed it around those accustomed
revenues, from Bakr ibn Wāʾil;
To eating the firstborn of the tribe of Wail
أَهلُpeople of القِبابِthe pavilions الحُمرِred وَالand the
أَهلُ القِبابِ الحُمرِ وَال
نَعَمِcamel-stock المُؤَبَّلِgathered into herds وَالقَنابِلand cavalry bands
نَعَمِ المُؤَبَّلِ وَالقَنابِل
men of red pavilions and
The people of the red tents
great camel herds and bands of horsemen.
Of bliss, sweetmeats, and arsenals
كَمhow many فيهِمُamong them مِنof شَطبَةٍa tall, slender maiden
كَم فيهِمُ مِن شَطبَةٍ
وَمُقَلِّصٍand a lean, long-legged steed نَهدِpowerful المَراكِلthe flanks
وَمُقَلِّصٍ نَهدِ المَراكِل
How many a tall, slender maiden is among them,
How many smooth-cheeked ones among them
and a lean, long-legged steed with powerful flanks,
And clenchers of the breasts of the mares
ضَخمِmassive الجُزارَةِthe head and limbs سابِحٍswimming in gallop
ضَخمِ الجُزارَةِ سابِحٍ
عَبلٍstout-built يُضَمَّرُis trained lean بِالأَصائِلin the late afternoons
عَبلٍ يُضَمَّرُ بِالأَصائِل
massive of head and limb, swimming in his gallop,
Stout-armed swimmers
stout-built, trained lean in the late afternoons.
Bare, their coats tied with leashes
وَهُمُand they عَلىon جُردٍsleek, short-haired steeds مَغاraiding chargers (first part)
وَهُمُ عَلى جُردٍ مَغا
ويرٍraiding chargers (last part) عَلَيهِنَّupon them الرَحائِلthe saddles
ويرٍ عَلَيهِنَّ الرَحائِل
And they ride sleek, bold
Disheveled, their hair rivaling
chargers, with saddles upon them;
The flowing plumage of ostriches
شُعثٍdisheveled يُبارينَthey race with الأَسِنthe spearheads (first part)
شُعثٍ يُبارينَ الأَسِن
تَهspearheads (last part) كَالنَعاماتِlike ostriches الجَوافِلfleeing
تَه كَالنَعاماتِ الجَوافِل
disheveled, they race with spearheads,
They come out through the thickets
like fleeing ostriches.
Frowning, joined by nights-long shadows
يَخرُجنَthey emerge مِنfrom خَلَلِgaps in الغُباthe dust (first part)
يَخرُجنَ مِن خَلَلِ الغُبا
رِdust (last part) عَوابِساًgrim-faced لُحُقَtucked-up الأَياطِلthe flanks
رِ عَوابِساً لُحُقَ الأَياطِل
They emerge through gaps in the dust,
How many torn garments have they left
grim-faced, with tucked-up flanks.
Among ragged cloaks and mantles
كَمhow many قَدalready تَرَكنَthey have left مُجَدَّلاًlaid low
كَم قَد تَرَكنَ مُجَدَّلاً
مِنfrom بَينِamong مُنقَصِفٍone shattered وَجافِلand one fleeing
مِن بَينِ مُنقَصِفٍ وَجافِل
How many a man they have left laid low,
Like birds I strike them down
among the shattered and the fleeing!
At night, turning away the assemblies
زَيّافَةٌa swift, swaying she-camel أَرميI urge onward بِهاwith her
زَيّافَةٌ أَرمي بِها
بِاللَيلِby night مَعرِضَةَpassing by المَحافِلthe gathering-places
بِاللَيلِ مَعرِضَةَ المَحافِل
A swift, swaying she-camel—I urge her on
As if, after perfection
by night, past the gathering-places.
It is stained red, rational, mature
وَكَأَنَّهاand as if she were بَعدَafter الكَلاthe weariness (first part)
وَكَأَنَّها بَعدَ الكَلا
لِweariness (last part) مُكَدَّمٌbite-scarred مِنfrom حُمرِwild asses عاقِلʿĀqil
لِ مُكَدَّمٌ مِن حُمرِ عاقِل
And after weariness she is like
Spreading from it a meadow
a bite-scarred wild ass of ʿĀqil,
Which heavy dew has struck
مُتَرَبِّعٌpasturing in spring مِنهاof it رِياmeadows (first part)
مُتَرَبِّعٌ مِنها رِيا
ضاًmeadows (last part) صابَهاfell upon them وَدقُrain الهَواطِلthe downpouring clouds
ضاً صابَها وَدقُ الهَواطِل
taking spring pasture there in
Nay, many a star of ill fortune
meadows drenched by the rain of pouring clouds.
Does a smooth-skinned king tumble into
بَلnay رُبَّmany a مَجرٍmarching host جَحفَلٍvast
بَل رُبَّ مَجرٍ جَحفَلٍ
يَهويrushes headlong بِهِwith it مَلِكٌa king حُلاحِلmighty
يَهوي بِهِ مَلِكٌ حُلاحِل
Nay, many a vast marching host,
I left him sprawled
driven headlong by a mighty king:
In the dust, ripped by the claws
غادَرتُهُI left him مُتَجَدِّلاًsprawled
غادَرتُهُ مُتَجَدِّلاً
بِالقاعِon the flat plain تَنهَسُهُtear at him الفَراعِلyoung hyenas
بِالقاعِ تَنهَسُهُ الفَراعِل
I left him sprawled,
And indeed he tries to stand
on the plain, young hyenas tearing at him.
But strength has already deserted him
وَلَقَدand indeed يُحاوِلُhe tries أَنto يَقوhe rises (first part)
وَلَقَد يُحاوِلُ أَن يَقو
مَrises (last part) وَقَدand already مَضَتhave passed فيهِthrough him النَواهِلthe blood-drinking spears
مَ وَقَد مَضَت فيهِ النَواهِل
And indeed he tries to rise,
though the blood-drinking spears have already passed through him.
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1