وَمَرقَبَةٍand many a lookout عَنقاءَlofty يَقصُرُfalls short دونَهاbeneath it
وَمَرقَبَةٍ عَنقاءَ يَقصُرُ دونَها
أَخوone possessed of الضِروَةِpracticed endurance الرِجلُthe skilled walker الحَفِيُّthe barefoot one المُخَفَّفُthe lightly laden one
أَخو الضِروَةِ الرِجلُ الحَفِيُّ المُخَفَّفُ
And many a lofty lookout lies beyond the reach
With a slender graceful neck that humbles
of the seasoned walker, barefoot and lightly laden.
The needy foot-traveler with light provisions
نَعَبتُI hastened إِلىto أَدنىthe lowest ذُراهاits summits وَقَدand already دَناdrew near
نَعَبتُ إِلى أَدنى ذُراها وَقَد دَنا
مِنَof اللَيلِthe night مُلتَفُّdensely tangled الحَديَقةِthe garden أَسدَفُdark
مِنَ اللَيلِ مُلتَفُّ الحَديَقةِ أَسدَفُ
I sped to its lowest summit, as there drew near
I crept to her nearest abode as nightfall
night’s dark, densely tangled garden.
In his gown approached the orchard’s hedge
فَبتُّso I spent the night عَلىon حَدَّthe edges الذِراعَينthe two forearms مُجذِياًcrouching
فَبتُّ عَلى حَدَّ الذِراعَين مُجذِياً
كَماas يَتَطَوّىcoils up الأَرقَمُthe mottled serpent المُتَعَطَّفُbending back upon itself
كَما يَتَطَوّى الأَرقَمُ المُتَعَطَّفُ
So I spent the night crouching, propped on my elbows,
I spent the night at arm’s length, all hunched up
like a mottled serpent coiling back upon itself.
As the vine twists and turns in trembling coils
وَلَيسَand is not جِهازيmy equipment غَيرُother than نَعلَينِtwo sandals أُسحِقَتworn thin
وَلَيسَ جِهازي غَيرُ نَعلَينِ أُسحِقَت
صُدورُهاtheir fronts مَخصورَةًnarrow-waisted لاnot تُخَصَّفُpatched
صُدورُها مَخصورَةً لا تُخَصَّفُ
And my gear was only two sandals, worn thin
My gear was just two sandals, worn at the breast
at their fronts, narrow-cut and never patched;
Unpaired, with straps that could not be crossed
وَمِلحَفَةٍand a wrap دَرسٍworn-out وَجَردِand a threadbare مُلاءَةٍcloak
وَمِلحَفَةٍ دَرسٍ وَجَردِ مُلاءَةٍ
إَذاwhenever أَنهَجَتit frays مِنalong جانِبٍan edge لاnot تُكَفَّفُhemmed
إَذا أَنهَجَت مِن جانِبٍ لا تُكَفَّفُ
and a worn-out wrap and a threadbare cloak,
A tattered shawl, a gown and a patched cloak
which, when it frays along an edge, is never hemmed;
That if it slips from one side cannot be hitched
وَأَبيَضُand a bright sword مِنfrom ماءِthe pure essence الحَديدِof iron مُهَنَّدٌIndian-forged
وَأَبيَضُ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ مُهَنَّدٌ
مُجِذٌّa severer لِأَطرافِof the ends السَواعِدِof forearms مِقطَفُa lopper
مُجِذٌّ لِأَطرافِ السَواعِدِ مِقطَفُ
and a bright Indian-forged sword of iron’s pure essence,
A white one rust-stained as smith’s water
a cutter that lops off the ends of forearms;
Clasping the wrists, it could easily be plucked
وَحَمراءُand a red bow مِنof نَبعٍnabʿ wood أَبِيٍّunyielding ظَهيرَةٌstrong-backed
وَحَمراءُ مِن نَبعٍ أَبِيٍّ ظَهيرَةٌ
تَرِنُّit rings كَإِرنانِlike the lament الشَجِيّof the grief-stricken وَتَهتِفُand calls aloud
تَرِنُّ كَإِرنانِ الشَجِيّ وَتَهتِفُ
and a red, strong-backed bow of unyielding nabʿ wood,
A red one, from a spring rain one morn
ringing like the cry of one grieving, and calling aloud.
Creaking like a lattice, screaming aloud
إِذاwhen آلَreaches its full extent فيهاin it النَزعُthe draw تَأبىit resists بِعَجزِهاwith its back
إِذا آلَ فيها النَزعُ تَأبى بِعَجزِها
وَتَرميand it shoots بِذَروَيهاwith its two tips بِهِنَّwith them—the arrows فَتَقذِفُthen it hurls
وَتَرمي بِذَروَيها بِهِنَّ فَتَقذِفُ
When the draw reaches its full extent, its back resists,
When the climax comes it refuses ineptly
and its two tips fling the arrows, shooting them forth.
Casting its tatters amidst giggling and laughing
كَأَنَّas though حَفيفَthe rustle النَبلِof arrows مِنfrom فَوقِabove عَجزِهاits back
كَأَنَّ حَفيفَ النَبلِ مِن فَوقِ عَجزِها
غَوارِبُswarms نَحلٍof bees أَخطَأَmissed الغارَthe cave مُطنِفُa cliff-climbing honey-gatherer
غَوارِبُ نَحلٍ أَخطَأَ الغارَ مُطنِفُ
As though the rustle of arrows above its back
As if the rustle of arrows over its back
were swarms of bees whose cave a cliff-climbing honey-gatherer missed.
Were bees gone astray, failing to find their hive
نَأَتwent far away أُمُّmother of قَيسِQays المَربَعَينthe two spring camps كِلَيهِماboth of them
نَأَت أُمُّ قَيسِ المَربَعَين كِلَيهِما
وَتَحذَرُand she fears أَنthat يَنأىwill go far away بِهاwith her المُتَصَيَّفُthe summer camp
وَتَحذَرُ أَن يَنأى بِها المُتَصَيَّفُ
Umm Qays has gone far from both spring camps,
The Mother of Qais the braceleted came
and fears the summer camp will carry her farther away.
Fearing the spy may meet and turn informer
وَإِنَّكِand indeed you لَوif تَدرينَyou knew أَنthat رُبَّmany a مَشرَبٍwatering place
وَإِنَّكِ لَو تَدرينَ أَن رُبَّ مَشرَبٍ
مَخوفٍfeared كَداءِlike a sickness البَطنِof the belly أَوor هُوَit أَخَوفُmore fearsome
مَخوفٍ كَداءِ البَطنِ أَو هُوَ أَخَوفُ
And if only you knew how many a watering place,
If you but knew that drink of dreadful danger
fearsome as belly sickness—or more fearsome still—
Is like a malady of the gut, or worse
وَرَدتُI came to water بِمَأثورٍwith a patterned sword يَمانٍYemeni وَضاَّلةٍand a wild-sidr arrow
وَرَدتُ بِمَأثورٍ يَمانٍ وَضاَّلةٍ
تَخَيَّرتُهاI chose it مِمّاfrom what أُريشُI fletch وَأَرصُفُand bind on arrowheads
تَخَيَّرتُها مِمّا أُريشُ وَأَرصُفُ
I reached with a patterned Yemeni sword and a wild-sidr arrow,
I came back with some borrowed Meccan wares
chosen from those I fletch and bind.
Picked and chosen from all I can sieve and sort
أَرَكَّبُهاI drive it in فيinto كُلَّevery أَحمَرَruddy man غاثِرthick-witted
أَرَكَّبُها في كُلَّ أَحمَرَ غاثِر
وَأَنسِجُand I weave لِلوِلدانِfor the boys ماwhat هُوَit مُقرِفُof inferior mixed stock
وَأَنسِجُ لِلوِلدانِ ما هُوَ مُقرِفُ
I drive it into every ruddy, thick-witted man,
Onto each striped red camel I tie them
and weave for the boys what is of inferior stock.
And weave for boys garb of the finest cut
وَتابَعتُand I continued فيهِon it البَريَthe shaving حَتّىuntil تَرَكتُهُI left it
وَتابَعتُ فيهِ البَريَ حَتّى تَرَكتُهُ
يَرِنُّit rings إِذاwhen أَنزَفتُهُI launch it وَيُزَفزفُand whirs
يَرِنُّ إِذا أَنزَفتُهُ وَيُزَفزفُ
I kept shaving its shaft until I left it
I rode the camels until I left them
ringing when I let it fly, and whirring.
Creaking when I bled them, blowing and snorting
بِكَفَّيَin my two palms مِنهاof them لِلبَغيضِfor the hated one عُراضَةٌa gift
بِكَفَّيَ مِنها لِلبَغيضِ عُراضَةٌ
إِذاwhen بِعتُI sell خُلاًّa friend مَالَهُwho has no مُتَعَرَّفُrecognizable merit
إِذا بِعتُ خُلاًّ مَالَهُ مُتَعَرَّفُ
In my palms is one of these, a gift for the man I hate,
With a handful as bribe for the hated guard
when I sell off a friend with no recognizable merit.
When I sell brine whose owner is infamous
وَوادٍand many a valley بَعيدِfar-reaching العُمقِin depth ضَنكٍconstricted جُماعُهُits whole extent
وَوادٍ بَعيدِ العُمقِ ضَنكٍ جُماعُهُ
بَواطِنُهُits inner reaches لِلجِنَّfor the jinn وَالأُسدِand lions مَألَفُa haunt
بَواطِنُهُ لِلجِنَّ وَالأُسدِ مَألَفُ
And many a valley, deep and narrow throughout,
A valley far, narrow, desolate,
its inner reaches a haunt for jinn and lions,
Where Jinn and lions have their dwelling place
وحوشٍwild and desolate يُرىis seen بادِthe roaming one الذِّئابِof the wolves مَضلّةa trackless waste
وحوشٍ يُرى بادِ الذِّئابِ مَضلّة
بَواطِنُهits inner reaches لِلجنِّfor the jinn والأُسدِand lions مَألَفُa haunt
بَواطِنُه لِلجنِّ والأُسدِ مَألَفُ
wild and desolate, where roaming wolves appear—a trackless waste—
Beasts of prey roam, led astray by wolves’ howling
its inner reaches a haunt for jinn and lions,
Where Jinn and lions have their dwelling place
تَعَسَّفتُI forced my way مِنهُthrough it بَعدَماafter سَقَطَfell النَدىthe dew
تَعَسَّفتُ مِنهُ بَعدَما سَقَطَ النَدى
غَماليلَtangled ravines يَخشىfears عَيلَهاtheir exhausting strain المُتَعَسَّفُthe off-path traveler
غَماليلَ يَخشى عَيلَها المُتَعَسَّفُ
I forced my way through it after the dew had fallen,
I took from it arbitrarily, after the dew fell
through tangled ravines whose exhausting strain the wayfarer fears.
Waterskins that even the arbitrary fear to pierce
وَإنَيand indeed I إذاwhen خامَdraws back الجَبانُthe coward عَنِfrom الرَدىdeath
وَإنَي إذا خامَ الجَبانُ عَنِ الرَدى
فَليthen I have حَيثُwhere يَخشىhe fears أَنto يُجاوِزَpass beyond مِخشَفُa path
فَلي حَيثُ يَخشى أَن يُجاوِزَ مِخشَفُ
And I, when the coward recoils from death,
When the coward shrinks from the path of virtue
have a path where he fears to venture.
My course is where even the piercing may dread to pass
وَإِنَّand indeed اِمرَأًa man قَدhas جارَsought the protection of سَعدَSaʿd بنَson of مالِكٍMalik
وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً قَد جارَ سَعدَ بنَ مالِكٍ
عَلَيَّtoward me وَأَثوابِby the robes of الأُقَيصَرal-Uqayṣir يَعنُفُacts harshly
عَلَيَّ وَأَثوابِ الأُقَيصَر يَعنُفُ
And indeed, a man who has sought Saʿd ibn Malik’s protection
A man has envied Sa’d son of Malik
treats me harshly—by the robes of al-Uqayṣir!
Against me, though robed in the Caesar’s own attire
Sol 6.1