وَكَأَنَّand as though فاهاًher mouth باتَspent the night مُغتَبِقاًhaving drunk in the evening
وَكَأَنَّ فاهاً باتَ مُغتَبِقاً
بَعدَafter الكَرىsleep مِنof طيِّبِfine الخَمرِwine
بَعدَ الكَرى مِن طيِّبِ الخَمرِ
And her mouth seemed to have taken a night-time draught,
His mouth seemed as if it were swollen
after slumber, of fine wine,
From the dregs of good wine
شَرِقاًbrimming بِماءِwith the liquid of الذَوبِpure honey أَسلَمَهُleft it
شَرِقاً بِماءِ الذَوبِ أَسلَمَهُ
بِالطودِon the mountain أَيمنُto the right مِنof قُرَىthe nesting places of النَسرِthe vulture
بِالطودِ أَيمنُ مِن قُرَى النَسرِ
brimming with liquid honey left
It surrendered to the melting water
on the mountain, right of the vulture's nests,
To the right of the mountain where eagles nest
قُرعُbald الرُؤُوسِheads لِصوتِهاfor their buzzing زَجَلٌa loud din
قُرعُ الرُؤُوسِ لِصوتِها زَجَلٌ
فِيamong النَبعِnabʿ trees والكَحلاَءِand kahla plants وَالسِدرِand lote trees
فِي النَبعِ والكَحلاَءِ وَالسِدرِ
by bald-headed bees, whose buzzing resounds
The knocking of heads to her voice is wailing
among nabʿ trees, kahla plants, and lote trees.
In the spring, the meadow, and the lote-trees
بَكَرَتthey set out early تُبَغِّيseeking الخَيرَgood things فِيalong سُبُلٍpaths
بَكَرَت تُبَغِّي الخَيرَ فِي سُبُلٍ
مَخرُوفَةٍwell-trodden وَمَسارِبٍand passageways خُضرِgreen
مَخرُوفَةٍ وَمَسارِبٍ خُضرِ
They set out early, seeking good things along paths
She wandered seeking good in trails
well-trodden, and green passageways,
Winding and green valleys
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen غَفَلَتthey were heedless وَخَالَفَهاand he approached them unseen
حَتّى إِذا غَفَلَت وَخَالَفَها
مُتَسَرِبلٌclad أَدَماًhides عَلىover الصَدرِthe chest
مُتَسَرِبلٌ أَدَماً عَلى الصَدرِ
until, when they were heedless, there approached them unseen
Until an adorned knight in red surprised her
a man clad in hides over his chest,
If she had known, she'd have frowned at him in displeasure and aloofness
صَدَعٌwiry أُسَيِّدُa dark little man مِنof شَنُوءَةَShanu'ah مَشfrequent walker (first fragment)
صَدَعٌ أُسَيِّدُ مِن شَنُوءَةَ مَش
اءٌfrequent walker (final fragment) قَتَلنَthey killed أَباهhis father فِيin الدَهرِtimes past
اءٌ قَتَلنَ أَباه فِي الدَهرِ
a wiry, dark little man of Shanu'ah, a tireless
Until she descended from her dwellings
walker; they had killed his father in times past.
With seven rooms and yards
يَمشِيhe walks بِمِحجَمِهِwith his knife وَقِربَتِهِand his waterskin
يَمشِي بِمِحجَمِهِ وَقِربَتِهِ
مُتَلَطِّفاًmoving cautiously كَتَلَطُّفِlike the cautious movement of الوَبرِthe hyrax
مُتَلَطِّفاً كَتَلَطُّفِ الوَبرِ
He walks with his knife and his waterskin,
It did not enrich Abu Karib
moving cautiously, like a hyrax.
Nor what Abu Al-Jabr had amassed
فَأَصابَso he caught غِرَّتَهاtheir unguarded moment وَلَوand if شَعَرَتthey noticed
فَأَصابَ غِرَّتَها وَلَو شَعَرَت
حَدِبَتthey would swarm عَلَيهِupon him بضيّقٍin a narrow place وَعرِrugged
حَدِبَت عَلَيهِ بضيّقٍ وَعرِ
So he caught them unawares—had they noticed,
From the raid of rosy-cheeked Duhum
they would have swarmed upon him in a narrow, rugged place—
Red-faced, with a virgin nose
حَتّىuntil تَحَدَّرَhe descended مِنfrom مَنَازِلِهاtheir dwellings
حَتّى تَحَدَّرَ مِن مَنَازِلِها
أُصُلاًlate in the afternoon بِسَبعِwith seven ضَوَائنٍsheepskin bags وَُفرِfull
أُصُلاً بِسَبعِ ضَوَائنٍ وَُفرِ
until he descended from their dwellings
It revealed the swords of a resolute warrior
late in the afternoon, with seven full sheepskin bags.
Forged like glowing embers
ماnot كانَhad أَغنىavailed عَنfor أَبِيAbu كَرِبٍKarib
ما كانَ أَغنى عَن أَبِي كَرِبٍ
ماwhat كانَhe had جَمَّعَamassed أَوor أَبِيAbu الجَبرِal-Jabr
ما كانَ جَمَّعَ أَو أَبِي الجَبرِ
Nothing had availed Abu Karib,
The polished swords of the valiant were unsheathed without
of what he had amassed—or Abu al-Jabr:
The weight of Khawlid's eternal concealment
مِنof هَجمَةِa large herd دُهمٍِdark-colored مُزَنَّمَةٍear-marked
مِن هَجمَةِ دُهمٍِ مُزَنَّمَةٍ
حُمرِred الخُدُودِcheeks وقَينَةٍand a singing slave-girl بِكرِvirgin
حُمرِ الخُدُودِ وقَينَةٍ بِكرِ
a great herd of dark, ear-marked camels,
I see camels which Dar Al-Hifaz distressed
red-cheeked, and a virgin singing-girl,
And the prison of commerce confined
وَأَبَحَّand a hoarse-voiced one جُندِيٍّJundi, of Jund وَثَاقِبَةٍand a gleaming piece
وَأَبَحَّ جُندِيٍّ وَثَاقِبَةٍ
سُبِكَتِwas cast كَثَاقِبَةٍlike a glowing spark مِنَfrom الجَمرِembers
سُبِكَتِ كَثَاقِبَةٍ مِنَ الجَمرِ
and a hoarse-voiced Jundi lute, and a gleaming piece,
Asadiyya camels that graze on Sirad
cast like a glowing ember,
When narrow, they come near my hair
وَجَدِيدِand fresh gold حُرِّpure الوَجهِof surface حُودِثَwas newly worked بِالby the
وَجَدِيدِ حُرِّ الوَجهِ حُودِثَ بِال
مِثقَالِmithqal-weight خَبءِa hidden hoard خَوالِدِenduring ages of الدَهرِtime
مِثقَالِ خَبءِ خَوالِدِ الدَهرِ
and fresh, pure-faced gold, newly worked to the
mithqal's weight, a treasure hoarded through the ages.
إِنِّيindeed I أَرىsee إِبلاًcamels أضَرَّcaused harm بِهاto them
إِنِّي أَرى إِبلاً أضَرَّ بِها
دارُthe abode of الحِفاظِprotective defense وَمَحبِسُand the confinement of التَجرِthe traders
دارُ الحِفاظِ وَمَحبِسُ التَجرِ
Indeed, I see camels harmed
by the abode of protection and the traders' confinement:
أَسَدِيَّةٌof Asad تَرعَىthey graze الصِرَادَal-Sirad إِذاwhen
أَسَدِيَّةٌ تَرعَى الصِرَادَ إِذا
ضاقَتthey were pressed for space وَتَحضُرُand they frequent جانَبيboth sides of شَعرِShaʿr
ضاقَت وَتَحضُرُ جانَبي شَعرِ
camels of Asad, grazing al-Sirad when
pressed for space, and frequenting both sides of Shaʿr.
Partial English translation: 24 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1