طَرَقْناwe called by night أباAbu (father of) عامرٍAmir مَوْهِناًlate at night
طَرَقْنا أبا عامرٍ مَوْهِناً
وماand has not زالَceased يَحْظىfinds favor بهwith him الطَّارِقُthe night caller
وما زالَ يَحْظى به الطَّارِقُ
We called on Abu ʿĀmir in night’s enfeebling hours,
We called on Abu Amir late at night,
while the night-star still glanced at him.
and night callers have always fared well with him.
وقدand already سفَرَunveiled الأُفقُthe horizon عنfrom شِدَّةٍseverity
وقد سفَرَ الأُفقُ عن شِدَّةٍ
لسانُthe tongue of السَّماءthe sky بهاof it ناطِقُspeaking
لسانُ السَّماء بها ناطِقُ
The horizon had unveiled the weather’s harshness,
The horizon had unveiled a storm's fury,
of which the sky’s tongue spoke aloud.
of which the sky's tongue spoke.
وأَومَضَand flashed بَرقٌlightning كماjust as أومَضَتْflashed
وأَومَضَ بَرقٌ كما أومَضَتْ
يَدُthe hand of البِكْرِthe maiden زَيَّنَهاadorned it البارِقُthe gleaming bracelet
يَدُ البِكْرِ زَيَّنَها البارِقُ
Lightning flickered, just as there flickers
And lightning flashed, just as flashed
a maiden’s hand adorned by a gleaming jewel.
a maiden's hand adorned with a gleaming bracelet.
وهَبَّتْand blew جَليدِيَّةٌan icy wind قَرَّةٌbitterly cold
وهَبَّتْ جَليدِيَّةٌ قَرَّةٌ
رَذاذاًdrizzle وأَسلَمُهاand its least harmful دائِقُcrushing
رَذاذاً وأَسلَمُها دائِقُ
An icy wind sprang up, bitter cold,
An icy, bitterly cold wind blew,
as fine spray—then a driving rain took it over.
bearing drizzle—even its mildest gust was crushing.
تَرىyou see أُزُرَthe waist-wraps of القومِthe men فيin مَرِّهاits passing
تَرى أُزُرَ القومِ في مَرِّها
شَوارِدَflying loose ليسَthere is no لهاfor them عائِقُhindrance
شَوارِدَ ليسَ لها عائِقُ
You could see the men’s waist-wraps in its rush—
As it passes, you see the men's waist-wraps
strays in flight, with nothing to restrain them.
flying loose, with nothing to hold them back.
إذاwhen استدبَرَتْit came up behind وانياًa weary man فيin السُّرىnight travel
إذا استدبَرَتْ وانياً في السُّرى
رأيناهwe saw him وهوwhile he بهاby it سابِقُracing ahead
رأيناه وهو بها سابِقُ
If it came up behind a weary nightfarer,
When it caught a weary night-traveler from behind,
we would see him, driven by it, race ahead.
we saw him racing ahead, driven by it.
فلمَّاthen when تَهلَّلَgleamed منfrom وجهِهhis face
فلمَّا تَهلَّلَ من وجهِه
هِلالٌa crescent ومنand from بِشْرِهhis cheerfulness بارِقُa lightning flash
هِلالٌ ومن بِشْرِه بارِقُ
Then, when from his face there beamed
Then, when there gleamed from his face
a crescent, and from his cheer a flash,
a crescent, and from his cheerfulness a lightning flash,
أَحَطْناwe gathered لَدَيْهِbeside him بذيaround one with أربعٍfour legs
أَحَطْنا لَدَيْهِ بذي أربعٍ
منof الصُّفْرِbrass أبدَعَهُfashioned it حاذِقُa skilled craftsman
من الصُّفْرِ أبدَعَهُ حاذِقُ
we gathered beside him around a four-legged thing,
we gathered beside him around a four-legged brazier
of brass, exquisitely wrought by a master.
of brass, fashioned by a skilled craftsman.
كأنَّas though ذؤابَتَهits tuft of flame إذwhen عَلَتْit rose
كأنَّ ذؤابَتَه إذ عَلَتْ
لواءٌa banner علىabove جَمْرَةٍa glowing coal خافقُfluttering
لواءٌ على جَمْرَةٍ خافقُ
Its crest, when it leapt aloft, was like
Its plume of flame, as it rose, seemed
a banner fluttering over an ember.
a banner fluttering above a glowing coal.
يُخَيِّلُmakes it seem ليto me حَرُّthe heat of أنفاسِهits breaths
يُخَيِّلُ لي حَرُّ أنفاسِه
وصُفرَتُهand its yellowness أنَّهthat it عاشقُa lover
وصُفرَتُه أنَّه عاشقُ
The heat of its breaths makes me fancy—
The heat of its breaths makes me think,
its yellow pallor too—that it is a lover.
and its yellow pallor too, that it is a lover.
Sol 6.1