تخاذَلَfailed to support one another جَفراناour two Jafrs ولوand had قَدindeed تعاوَناjoined forces
تخاذَلَ جَفرانا ولو قَد تعاوَنا
رَويناwe would have drunk our fill ومنand whoever يُخذَلis forsaken عنِin pursuing الحَقِّthe rightful claim يُغلَبِis overcome
رَوينا ومن يُخذَل عنِ الحَقِّ يُغلَبِ
Our two Jufrān clans failed one another—had they joined forces,
Our two Jafrs failed to help each other; had they joined forces,
we would have drunk our fill; whoever is forsaken in a just cause is overcome.
we would have drunk our fill; whoever is forsaken in pursuing his right is overcome.
قَبيلانِtwo clans لَمnot يَجعَلmake سواءًequal جباهماtheir gathered water
قَبيلانِ لَم يَجعَل سواءً جباهما
لأهلٍfor kin ولاnor جارٍa neighbor علىat حينَa time مَرغَبِof desire
لأهلٍ ولا جارٍ على حينَ مَرغَبِ
Two tribes that never set their two proud brows on equal terms
Two clans whose gathered water was not shared equally
for my own people or a protected neighbor when anger flared.
with kin or neighbor when it was sought.
تداعىcalled to one another ولمand did not تَظلمdo wrong لقاحيmy milch-camels علىon الملاthe open plain
تداعى ولم تَظلم لقاحي على الملا
علىat حينthe time of لوحُthe thirst الراكبِof the rider المتعصبِwearing a head-wrap
على حين لوحُ الراكبِ المتعصبِ
They summoned one another, though my milch-camels had wronged no one openly before the assembly,
My milch-camels called to one another on the open plain, though they had done no wrong,
when the turbaned rider came into view.
when the turbaned rider was parched with thirst.
وحنَّتand they lowed longingly الىtoward ذيpossessor of الهَضبِthe hills; al-Haḍb حتىuntil كأنهاas though they were
وحنَّت الى ذي الهَضبِ حتى كأنها
حنيٌّbows وماand not حامَتcircled عليهaround it لِمشرَبِfor a drink
حنيٌّ وما حامَت عليه لِمشرَبِ
They yearned toward Dhū al-Haḍb until it seemed
And they yearned toward Dhū al-Haḍb, until they seemed
their yearning was my own, though they had never circled it as a watering place.
bows—yet they had not circled it seeking a drink.
فلماthen when رَأَتthey saw أَنّthat الخطوبَthe calamities اضطررنهاhad driven them
فلما رَأَت أَنّ الخطوبَ اضطررنها
الىto ذائدٍa keeper who drives away عماfrom what يليadjoins الحوضَthe trough مرهبِfearsome
الى ذائدٍ عما يلي الحوضَ مرهبِ
When they saw that calamities had driven them
When they saw that calamities had driven them
to a fearsome defender who drives away from the pool whatever comes near it,
to a fearsome keeper who drove them away from the trough's vicinity,
سَمَتrose high فوقَهاabove them أعناقُهاtheir necks فتجاوَبَتthen they answered one another
سَمَت فوقَها أعناقُها فتجاوَبَت
تجاوبنَthey answered one another رجّافِa thundering cloud الضحىof forenoon المتحلّبِpouring rain
تجاوبنَ رجّافِ الضحى المتحلّبِ
they raised their necks above it and called back and forth,
their necks rose above them, and they called to one another,
an answering clamor like a rumbling cloud at forenoon, pouring rain.
like the answering thunder of a forenoon cloud pouring rain.
فباتَthen spent the night يباريkeeping pace with النيبَthe old she-camels منfrom among بكراتِهاtheir young she-camels
فباتَ يباري النيبَ من بكراتِها
رعيلٌa band كأسرابِlike flocks القطاof sandgrouse المتَسَرِّبِstreaming along
رعيلٌ كأسرابِ القطا المتَسَرِّبِ
All night the old she-camels were kept abreast, among their young, by
Then all night, some of their young kept pace with the old she-camels—
a troop like flocks of sandgrouse streaming away.
a band like streaming flocks of sandgrouse.
اذاwhenever عارَضَتstood across their path منfrom عالجٍʿĀlij مكفهِرّةٍdark and forbidding
اذا عارَضَت من عالجٍ مكفهِرّةٍ
زبونشunclear form; perhaps forbidding الذُّرىthe crests منfrom ظَهرِهاits back المتقبِّبِdomed
زبونش الذُّرى من ظَهرِها المتقبِّبِ
Whenever a dark, scowling ridge of ʿĀlij blocked their way,
Whenever a dark dune of ʿĀlij barred their way,
its heights forbidding to climb upon its domed back,
with forbidding crests [uncertain reading] upon its domed back,
تَفَرَّعنَthey climbed منهاfrom it رأسَهاits summit فاتخذنَهاthen they took it
تَفَرَّعنَ منها رأسَها فاتخذنَها
طريقاًas a road فنالتهاand they reached it علىalong مِثلِsomething like مثقبِa bored passage
طريقاً فنالتها على مِثلِ مثقبِ
they scaled its summit and made it
they climbed its summit and took it
a road, reaching it through a passage like a narrow bore.
as a road, reaching it along a bore-like passage.
لهاthey have ساطِعٌa rising dust-plume سامٍlofty حوالَيaround عمودِهاits column
لها ساطِعٌ سامٍ حوالَي عمودِها
كثيفانِtwo dense masses منهاfrom them مَنfrom ذلولٍeasy ground وصعّبِand rough ground
كثيفانِ منها مَن ذلولٍ وصعّبِ
Above them rose a lofty plume of dust, its column all around it,
Their dust rose in a lofty plume; around its column
and within it two dense masses, made up of tractable camels and unruly.
were two dense masses, from easy ground and rough.
وَمَرَّتand they passed بمعتمٍّthrough the dark mass الجبالِof the mountains كأنَّهاas though they were
وَمَرَّت بمعتمٍّ الجبالِ كأنَّها
عصائبُbands فُرسانٍof horsemen علىon إثرِthe trail مَطلَبِof a quarry
عصائبُ فُرسانٍ على إثرِ مَطلَبِ
They passed through the mountains’ two constricted defiles as though they were
And they passed through the dark masses of the mountains, like
companies of horsemen on the trail of pursued quarry.
bands of horsemen pursuing a quarry.
فَصَبَّحنَthen they reached at daybreak قَبلَbefore الصُّبحِdawn أوor بعدماafter بداit appeared
فَصَبَّحنَ قَبلَ الصُّبحِ أو بعدما بدا
زلالاًclear water كماءِlike the water العارضِof the rain-cloud المتحلّبِpouring down
زلالاً كماءِ العارضِ المتحلّبِ
By morning they reached it—before dawn, or after it broke—
They reached, before dawn or just after it broke,
clear as water from a rain cloud pouring down.
clear water like rain from a cloud pouring down.
ألارُبَّah, many a يَومٍday صائفٍsummery قدindeed رأيتهاI have seen them
ألارُبَّ يَومٍ صائفٍ قد رأيتها
تراعيwatching بخبتٍon a sandy plain عازبٍremote أمthe mother ربربِof a wild-cattle herd
تراعي بخبتٍ عازبٍ أم ربربِ
Ah, many a sweltering summer day have I seen them
Ah, many a summer day I have seen them
grazing together in a remote hollow, or at Barbar.
watching, on a remote sandy plain, the mother of a wild-cattle herd.
اذاwhen ماemphatic particle أهابَcalled out الراعيانthe two herdsmen تراجعتthey returned
اذا ما أهابَ الراعيان تراجعت
الىto رزِa sturdy bull محبوكِfirmly knit البضيعةِin flesh منجبِsiring fine offspring
الى رزِ محبوكِ البضيعةِ منجبِ
Whenever the two herdsmen called to them, they drew back together
Whenever the two herdsmen called out, they returned
toward a compact, firm-fleshed, nobly bred male camel,
to a sturdy bull, firm-knit in flesh, a sire of fine offspring:
صِلَخدٌmassive and solid عظيمُlarge المنكبينِin the shoulders كأنماas though
صِلَخدٌ عظيمُ المنكبينِ كأنما
عليهon him خميلٌa shaggy cloak جيبَslit at the neck لماnot yet يُهذّبِtrimmed
عليه خميلٌ جيبَ لما يُهذّبِ
hard and massive, immense across the shoulders, as though
massive, broad-shouldered, as though
a deep-piled, untrimmed mantle lay over his breast.
he wore a shaggy cloak, slit at the neck but still untrimmed.
ترىyou see الشّولَthe dry she-camels تأوىsheltering جانِبَيهِat his two sides كانَّهاas though they were
ترى الشّولَ تأوى جانِبَيهِ كانَّها
عذارىmaidens تهادىwalking with gentle swaying بينَbetween أهلٍkinfolk ومَلعَبِand a playground
عذارى تهادى بينَ أهلٍ ومَلعَبِ
You see the milk-dry she-camels seek shelter at his sides as though
You see the dry she-camels shelter at his sides, as though
they were maidens walking demurely among their people and their playground.
maidens walking gracefully between kinfolk and a playground.
طوالُtall الذُرىin the humps اعناقُهاtheir necks مُشمَخِرَّةٌloftily raised
طوالُ الذُرى اعناقُها مُشمَخِرَّةٌ
كنخلِlike the palm trees القرىof villages عِيدانُهاtheir trunks لمnot تُشذَّبِpruned
كنخلِ القرى عِيدانُها لم تُشذَّبِ
Tall in the withers, their necks lifted proudly,
Their humps are tall, their necks held high,
like the palms of al-Qurā, their trunks unlopped.
like village palms whose trunks have not been pruned.
ترىyou see كُلَّevery حرجوجٍtall, lean she-camel دلاثٍswift and easy-paced ضليعةٍbroad-ribbed
ترى كُلَّ حرجوجٍ دلاثٍ ضليعةٍ
رفودٍa plentiful milker توفىfills completely محلباًa milk-pail بعدafter محلبِanother milk-pail
رفودٍ توفى محلباً بعد محلبِ
You see every tall, long-striding, smooth-bodied, broad-ribbed she-camel,
You see every tall, lean, fleet, broad-ribbed she-camel,
lavish with milk, filling one pail after another.
a plentiful milker, filling pail after pail.
ذوارفُflowing tears عينيهاof her eyes منfrom الحفلِthe milk's fullness بالضحىat forenoon
ذوارفُ عينيها من الحفلِ بالضحى
سجومٌstreaming freely كتنضاحِlike the seepage الشّنانِof worn waterskins المشرّبِsoaked through
سجومٌ كتنضاحِ الشّنانِ المشرّبِ
Her eyes stream at forenoon from her fullness,
Her eyes' tears, from her milk's fullness at forenoon,
pouring like spray from old, worn-through waterskins.
stream like the seepage of soaked, worn waterskins.
وأخرىand another she-camel علىupon عَسنٍold fat; sense uncertain بنىbuilt up الصَّيفُsummer نيَّهاher fat
وأخرى على عَسنٍ بنى الصَّيفُ نيَّها
عَرورٌa defect بهاin her لولاbut for الغِنىabundance لمwould not تحلّبِyield milk
عَرورٌ بها لولا الغِنى لم تحلّبِ
And another, upon whose lingering flesh summer has built up fat,
And another: summer had built her fat upon old fat,
has scant milk; but for rich pasture, she would not be milked.
with a defect in her; but for abundance, she would give no milk.
رَشوفٌscant-yielding وراءَbehind الخورِthe plentiful milkers لوif تندرىءwere to rush لهاagainst her
رَشوفٌ وراءَ الخورِ لو تندرىء لها
صباan east wind وشمالٌand a north wind حَرجَفٌbitterly cold لمwould not تقلَّبِturn aside
صبا وشمالٌ حَرجَفٌ لم تقلَّبِ
A free-flowing milker behind the lean ones—even if there drove against her
Scant-yielding, behind the plentiful milkers; were there to rush against her
an east wind and a bitterly cold north wind, she would not be overturned.
an east wind and a bitter north wind, she would not turn aside.
تَلوذُtake shelter الحواشيthe small camels ليلةَon a night القَرِّof bitter cold تحتهاbeneath her
تَلوذُ الحواشي ليلةَ القَرِّ تحتها
لزوقَclinging closely القطاsandgrouse بالنيقِto the crag منof رأسِthe summit غربِGharb
لزوقَ القطا بالنيقِ من رأسِ غربِ
On a bitter-cold night, the animals at the herd’s edges shelter beneath her,
On a bitterly cold night, the small camels take shelter beneath her,
clinging like sandgrouse to a cleft at the summit of a sharp peak.
clinging like sandgrouse to the crag on Gharb's summit.
Sol 6.1