وَزِنْجيَّةٍand a Zanj woman عُرِفَتْwas known بالإباقِfor running away from servitude
وَزِنْجيَّةٍ عُرِفَتْ بالإباقِ
فليسَso there is no لهاfor her راحَةٌrest منfrom وثاقِbonds
فليسَ لها راحَةٌ من وثاقِ
And a Zanj woman, known for running away—
A black Zanjiyyah, known for her defiance
so she has no respite from bonds.
She has no respite from her shackles
إذاwhen اضطربَchurned الماءُthe water منfrom حَولِهاaround her
إذا اضطربَ الماءُ من حَولِها
رَأيْتَyou saw الجبالَthe mountains بهاabout her فيin تَلاَقيconvergence
رَأيْتَ الجبالَ بها في تَلاَقي
When the water churns around her,
When the water around her is turbulent
you see the mountains meeting about her.
You see the mountains clashing with her
يَثُورُrises بهاabout her قَسطَلٌa dust-cloud أبيضٌwhite
يَثُورُ بها قَسطَلٌ أبيضٌ
علىover القَوْمِthe company غَيرُnot كَثيفِthick الرِّواقِthe canopy
على القَوْمِ غَيرُ كَثيفِ الرِّواقِ
A white dust-cloud rises about her,
A white storm rises with her
over the company, its canopy not thick.
Against a people not densely lined
فأبناؤُهاso her sons المُرْدُthe beardless شِيبُgray-haired الرُّؤوسِthe heads
فأبناؤُها المُرْدُ شِيبُ الرُّؤوسِ
وأبناؤُهاand her sons السُّودُthe black بِيضُwhite التَّراقيthe collarbones
وأبناؤُها السُّودُ بِيضُ التَّراقي
So her beardless sons are gray-headed,
Her aging sons have graying hair
and her black sons have white collarbones.
Her black sons have flashing white teeth
رَكِبْناwe rode إليهاto her غَداةَon the morning of الصَّبوحِthe morning draught
رَكِبْنا إليها غَداةَ الصَّبوحِ
مَطاياmounts تُحثُّare urged on كَدُهْمِlike the black ones among العِتاقِthe thoroughbreds
مَطايا تُحثُّ كَدُهْمِ العِتاقِ
We rode to her at the hour of the morning draught,
We rode to her at dawn's first light
on mounts urged on like black thoroughbreds.
On steeds spurring their unbridled strength
وَظِلْناand we spent the day نُمِيتُwe put to death لَدَيْهاbeside her الزِّقاقَthe wineskins
وَظِلْنا نُمِيتُ لَدَيْها الزِّقاقَ
ونُحييand we bring to life السُّرورَjoy بمَوْتِthrough the death of الزِّقاقِthe wineskins
ونُحيي السُّرورَ بمَوْتِ الزِّقاقِ
And we spent the day putting wineskins to death beside her,
And we stayed reviving her alleyways
and bringing joy to life through the wineskins’ death.
And greeting joy at the death of her alleyways
Sol 6.1