لِمَنِbelonging to whom الدَيارُthe dwellings عَفَونَwere effaced بِالتهطالِby pouring rain
لِمَنِ الدَيارُ عَفَونَ بِالتهطالِ
بَقِيَتthey remained عَلىthrough حِجَجٍyears خَلَونَthat passed طِوالِlong
بَقِيَت عَلى حِجَجٍ خَلَونَ طِوالِ
Whose are the dwellings, effaced by pouring rain?
For whom has the abode become desolate with downpours
They have remained through long years gone by.
Remaining upon traces of those departed long ago
بَكَرَتshe came early تَلُومُreproaching وَأَمسِand yesterday ماnot كلَّلتُهاI wearied her
بَكَرَت تَلُومُ وَأَمسِ ما كلَّلتُها
وَلقدand indeed ضَلَلتُI went astray بِذاكَin that أيَّutter ضَلالِerror
وَلقد ضَلَلتُ بِذاكَ أيَّ ضَلالِ
She came early to reproach me; yesterday I had not wearied her.
It laments in the morning, though I adorned it yesterday
And indeed, in that I went utterly astray.
And indeed I strayed with that, what a straying!
وَكَأَنَّand as though عِيرَهُمُtheir caravan تُحَثُّis urged onward غُدَيَّةًin the early morning
وَكَأَنَّ عِيرَهُمُ تُحَثُّ غُدَيَّةً
دَومٌdoum palms يَنُوءُbends under weight بِيانِعِbeneath ripe الأَوقالِdoum fruits
دَومٌ يَنُوءُ بِيانِعِ الأَوقالِ
Their caravan, urged onward in the early morning, seemed
It is as if their camels set out early in the morning
like doum palms bowed beneath ripe fruit.
A continuous caravan groaning with the loads
أَرَأَيتَhave you considered إِنif بَكَرَتsets out early بِلَيلٍby night هامَتِيmy death-owl
أَرَأَيتَ إِن بَكَرَت بِلَيلٍ هامَتِي
وَخَرَجتُand I departed مِنهاfrom them بالِياًdecayed أَوصالِيmy limbs
وَخَرَجتُ مِنها بالِياً أَوصالِي
Tell me: if my death-owl sets out by night,
Have you seen, if my she-camel knelt in the dark night
and I leave them behind, my limbs decayed,
And I set out from it, my limbs weak
هَلwill تَخمِشَنsurely scratch إِبليmy camels عَليَّin mourning for me وجُوهَهاtheir faces
هَل تَخمِشَن إِبلي عَليَّ وجُوهَها
أَوor تَضرِبَنَّsurely beat نُخُورَهاtheir snouts بِمآلِيwith mourning cloths
أَو تَضرِبَنَّ نُخُورَها بِمآلِي
will my camels scratch their faces in mourning for me,
Would my camels scratch their faces at me
or beat their snouts with mourning cloths?
Or strike their hooves at my situation?
وَإِذاand when رأَيتُI see السَّيلَحِينَal-Saylahin وَبارِقاًand Bariq
وَإِذا رأَيتُ السَّيلَحِينَ وَبارِقاً
أَغنَينَthey sufficed عَنin place of عَمرٍوAmr وَأُمٍّand Umm قتالِQital
أَغنَينَ عَن عَمرٍو وَأُمٍّ قتالِ
And when I see al-Saylahin and Bariq,
And when I see the swords flash and lightning
they spare me the need for Amr and Umm Qital.
They avail not ‘Amr and Umm of fighting
مَلَكَhe ruled الخَوَرنَقَal-Khawarnaq والسَدِيرَand al-Sadir ودانَهُand obeyed him
مَلَكَ الخَوَرنَقَ والسَدِيرَ ودانَهُ
ماall that بَينَbetween حِميَرَHimyar أَهلِهاits people وَأُوالِand Uwal
ما بَينَ حِميَرَ أَهلِها وَأُوالِ
He ruled al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir; subject to him was
He ruled Khawarnaq, Sadir and subjugated it
all between the people of Himyar and Uwal.
What is between the donkeys of its people and their cattle
حَلاَّthe two settled بأُبليٍّat Ubli وَراحَand came at evening عَلَيهِماtoward them both
حَلاَّ بأُبليٍّ وَراحَ عَلَيهِما
نَعَمُlivestock القَطِينِthe residents وَعازِبُand far-ranging stock الخَوّالِthe herdsmen
نَعَمُ القَطِينِ وَعازِبُ الخَوّالِ
The two settled at Ubli, and toward evening there came to them
He descended on Ubly then went against them
the residents' livestock and the herdsmen's far-ranging stock.
How excellent the two warriors and lone knight
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen خَفَقَset السِماكُal-Simak وَأَسحَراand the two reached predawn
حَتّى إِذا خَفَقَ السِماكُ وَأَسحَرا
وَتَبالَياand tested each other فيin الشَّدِّrunning أيَّutmost تَبالِmutual testing
وَتَبالَيا في الشَّدِّ أيَّ تَبالِ
Until, when al-Simak set and the two reached the predawn hour,
Until when the bats fluttered and the dawn broke
and tested each other in running to the utmost,
And they pushed each other in the fray, what a pushing!
سَلَّىsoothed سَلامانُSalaman اللُبانَةَthe longing عَنهُماaway from them both
سَلَّى سَلامانُ اللُبانَةَ عَنهُما
بِنَمِيرَةٍwith sweet water زَرقاءَblue بَينَamong ظِلالِshadows
بِنَمِيرَةٍ زَرقاءَ بَينَ ظِلالِ
Salaman eased their longing
Solomon prayed for peace between them
with sweet, blue water amid the shadows.
With a blue wild cow amidst the shadows
Sol 6.1