لَمَّاwhen مضَىpassed اليومُthe day حميداًauspiciously فانجرَدْthen slipped away
لَمَّا مضَى اليومُ حميداً فانجرَدْ
ونشَرَand spread الَّليلُthe night جَناحاًa wing فرَكَدْthen lay still
ونشَرَ الَّليلُ جَناحاً فرَكَدْ
When the day passed auspiciously and slipped away,
And night spread a wing, then lay still,
دَعَوْتُI summoned فِتيانَthe young men of الطِّرادِpursuit والطَّردand the chase
دَعَوْتُ فِتيانَ الطِّرادِ والطَّرد
ومارِدُand the fierce one of الخُضرِthe dark-hued ones علىagainst الصَّيْدِthe game مرَدْgrew unruly
ومارِدُ الخُضرِ على الصَّيْدِ مرَدْ
I summoned the young men of pursuit and chase,
While the fierce one among the dark-hued raged against the game,
يَكشِرُbares his teeth عنrevealing مثلِthe like of الحِرابِspears أوor أحدّsharper
يَكشِرُ عن مثلِ الحِرابِ أو أحدّ
يُقصَدُis followed فيin آثارهhis tracks حيثُwherever قَصَدhe headed
يُقصَدُ في آثاره حيثُ قَصَد
Baring teeth like spears, or sharper;
He is followed along his tracks wherever he goes.
فاحتملواso they carried زُهْرَbright مصابيحَlamps تَقِدْburning
فاحتملوا زُهْرَ مصابيحَ تَقِدْ
وكلَّand every صَفراءَyellow one منamong الصُّفْرِbrassware تُعَدّis counted
وكلَّ صَفراءَ من الصُّفْرِ تُعَدّ
So they carried bright lamps ablaze,
And every yellow vessel reckoned among the brassware,
حنَّاتَهٍmoaning (reading uncertain) فيin الَّليلِthe night منfrom غيرِother than كَمَدgrief
حنَّاتَهٍ في الَّليلِ من غيرِ كَمَد
كأنَّas though ماءَthe water of البئرِthe well فيهاinside it يَطَّرِدflows continuously
كأنَّ ماءَ البئرِ فيها يَطَّرِد
Moaning in the night, though not from grief,
As though well-water were coursing inside it.
يَقرَعُstrikes للصَّيدِfor the hunt بِمَلْمومِwith a compact الجَسَدbody
يَقرَعُ للصَّيدِ بِمَلْمومِ الجَسَد
كأنهas though it were لولاbut for اسْتِوَاthe flatness of الرأسِthe head وتَدa peg
كأنه لولا اسْتِوَا الرأسِ وتَد
He strikes it for the hunt with a compact-bodied beater,
Like a peg, were it not for its flattened head.
فتوقُهso they shun it (reading uncertain) الوحشُthe wild beasts صحيحاًsound; intact إنif رَقَدit lay asleep
فتوقُه الوحشُ صحيحاً إن رَقَد
حتىuntil إذاwhen عايَنَهاit beheld it السِّرْبُthe herd صدَدdirectly ahead
حتى إذا عايَنَها السِّرْبُ صدَد
The beasts [shun it], even if it lies intact and asleep,
Until, when the herd beheld it straight ahead,
مُجِدَّةٌstriving earnestly تُهديbrings لهto it الحَيْنَdoom المُجِدّhastening on
مُجِدَّةٌ تُهدي له الحَيْنَ المُجِدّ
بصَفحةِwith the face of البدرِthe full moon ورنَّاتِand the ringing cries of الأسَدthe lion
بصَفحةِ البدرِ ورنَّاتِ الأسَد
Eagerly bringing it the doom that hastens on,
With the full moon's face and the ringing cries of a lion,
فحُيِّرَتْso were bewildered غِزلانُهits gazelles فلمand did not تَحِدveer away
فحُيِّرَتْ غِزلانُه فلم تَحِد
وأقبلتْand came forward تركضُrunning كالسِّرْبِlike a herd الفَرِدisolated
وأقبلتْ تركضُ كالسِّرْبِ الفَرِد
Its gazelles were bewildered and did not veer away,
And came running like an isolated herd.
ثمthen غَشِيناهنَّwe fell upon them أمّاًa mother وولَدand young
ثم غَشِيناهنَّ أمّاً وولَد
وشادناًand a young gazelle يُعطيyielding القِيادَthe reins مَنْto whomever وَجَدit found
وشادناً يُعطي القِيادَ مَنْ وَجَد
Then we fell upon them, mother and young,
And a fawn yielding its reins to anyone it found,
يُورِدُهاhe leads them to water حوضَthe pool of المَناياdeaths فتَرِدْso they come to drink
يُورِدُها حوضَ المَنايا فتَرِدْ
فحينَthen when لاحَappeared الفجرُdawn مُنصاتَbreaking apart العَمَدthe pillars
فحينَ لاحَ الفجرُ مُنصاتَ العَمَد
Who leads them to death's pool, and they come to drink.
Then, when dawn appeared, its pillars breaking apart,
وصارَand became بحرُthe sea of اللَّيلِthe night ضَحضاحاًa shallow pool ثَمَدscant water
وصارَ بحرُ اللَّيلِ ضَحضاحاً ثَمَد
خِلْناwe imagined المُدىthe knives وَرْداًroses لهto it الوَردُthe roses سَجَدbowed down
خِلْنا المُدى وَرْداً له الوَردُ سَجَد
And night's sea became a shallow pool of scant water,
We thought the knives roses before which roses bowed.
وأَضحَتِand became الأُهبُthe hides شباريقَshreds قِدَدstrips
وأَضحَتِ الأُهبُ شباريقَ قِدَد
كأنهاas though they were فيin الرَّوضِthe meadow نَظماًarrayed وبَدَدand scattered
كأنها في الرَّوضِ نَظماً وبَدَد
And the hides became shreds and strips,
As though, in the meadow, arrayed and scattered,
مُصَنْدَلاتُsandalwood-stained women القُمصِin their tunics تُغريenticing وَتَقِدْand blazing
مُصَنْدَلاتُ القُمصِ تُغري وَتَقِدْ
فنحنso we والضيِّفانُand the guests فيin عَيشٍa life رَغَدof plenty
فنحن والضيِّفانُ في عَيشٍ رَغَد
They were women in sandalwood-stained tunics, enticing and aflame.
So we and the guests enjoy a life of plenty;
نعُدُّwe prepare للزَّورِfor visitors كريماتِthe choicest العُدَدprovisions
نعُدُّ للزَّورِ كريماتِ العُدَد
فمثلُناfor our like بمثلِهِنَّof their like مُستَبِدّin sole possession
فمثلُنا بمثلِهِنَّ مُستَبِدّ
We prepare the choicest provisions for visitors,
For our like alone have mastery of such things.
Sol 6.1