ألاbehold تلكَthat woman أُمُّmother of الهِبرِزِيَّal-Hibrizi تَبَيَّنَتshe examined
ألا تلكَ أُمُّ الهِبرِزِيَّ تَبَيَّنَت
عِظاميmy bones وَمِنهاand among them ناحِلٌwasted وَكسيرُand broken
عِظامي وَمِنها ناحِلٌ وَكسيرُ
Behold, that woman, Umm al-Hibrizi, has examined
Alas! That old woman Umm Al-Hibreezi has clearly seen
my bones, some wasted and some broken.
My bones, among them a decrepit and broken one,
وقالتand she said تَضاءَلتَyou have dwindled الغَداةَthis morning وَمَنand whoever يكنis
وقالت تَضاءَلتَ الغَداةَ وَمَن يكن
فتىًa young man قبلَbefore عامِyear of الماءِthe water فَهوَthen he is كبيرُold
فتىً قبلَ عامِ الماءِ فَهوَ كبيرُ
And she said, 'You have dwindled this morning; whoever was
And she said: "You have withered in the morning, and whoever was
a youth before the Year of Water is old.'
A young man before the year of drought is now an old man."
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her إنِّindeed العُجَيرَal-Ujayr تَقَلَّبَتturned about
فَقُلتُ لَها إنِّ العُجَيرَ تَقَلَّبَت
بهِwith him أَبطُنٌbellies أَبلينَهُthey wore him down وَظُهورُand backs
بهِ أَبطُنٌ أَبلينَهُ وَظُهورُ
So I told her, 'Indeed, al-Ujayr has been tossed about
So I said to her: "Al-Ujayr sands have turned over me,
by bellies and backs that have worn him down.
Bellies have worn me out upon them and backs."
فَمِنهُنَّso among them إدلاجيmy night travel علىbeneath كُلِّevery كَوكبٍstar
فَمِنهُنَّ إدلاجي على كُلِّ كَوكبٍ
لهُfor it منamong عُمانيِّOmani النُجومِthe stars نَظيرُa counterpart
لهُ من عُمانيِّ النُجومِ نَظيرُ
Among them are my night journeys beneath every star
Among them is my riding every star
that has a counterpart among the stars of Oman;
That has among the stars of Oman a peer.
وَمِنهُنَّand among them قَرعيmy knocking كلَّevery بابٍdoor كأنَّماas though
وَمِنهُنَّ قَرعي كلَّ بابٍ كأنَّما
بهِat it القَومُthe people يرجونَthey hope for الأَذينَpermission to enter نسورُvultures
بهِ القَومُ يرجونَ الأَذينَ نسورُ
and among them my knocking at every door, as though
And among them is my knocking on every door as if
the people there, awaiting permission to enter, were vultures.
The people expect the ears by it to be auspicious.
فَجِئتُso I came وَخَصميand my adversaries يعِلكونَthey grind نُيوبهمtheir fangs
فَجِئتُ وَخَصمي يعِلكونَ نُيوبهم
كماas صُرِفَتwas turned تَحتَbeneath الشِفارِthe blades جَزورُa slaughter-camel
كما صُرِفَت تَحتَ الشِفارِ جَزورُ
So I came, while my adversaries ground their fangs,
So I came while my opponents were baring their fangs
like a slaughter-camel turned beneath the blades,
As if the poles were turned under the litters.
لَدىbefore ملكٍa king يَستَنفِضُmakes tremble القومَthe people طرفهhis glance
لَدى ملكٍ يَستَنفِضُ القومَ طرفه
لَهُhe has فَوقَabove أَعوادِthe timbers of السَريرِthe throne زَئيرُa roar
لَهُ فَوقَ أَعوادِ السَريرِ زَئيرُ
before a king whose glance makes the people tremble,
In the presence of a king whose gaze kindles the people,
whose roar rises above the timbers of his throne.
Above the legs of whose throne a lion roars,
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle القَلاسيthe caps والعَمائِمُand the turbans أُدرِجَتare rolled up
إذا ما القَلاسي والعَمائِمُ أُدرِجَت
وَفيهنَّand in them عَنfrom صُلعِthe bald heads of الرِجالِthe men حُسورُuncovering
وَفيهنَّ عَن صُلعِ الرِجالِ حُسورُ
When the caps and turbans are rolled up,
When the skullcaps and turbans are admitted,
and the men's bald heads are laid bare,
And in them the heads of men are bare,
وَظَلَّand remained رِداءُthe cloak of العُصبِstriped cloth ملقىcast aside كأَنَّهas though it were
وَظَلَّ رِداءُ العُصبِ ملقى كأَنَّه
سَلاthe afterbirth of فَرَسٍa horse تَحتَbeneath الرِجالِthe men عقيرُslain
سَلا فَرَسٍ تَحتَ الرِجالِ عقيرُ
the striped cloak remains cast aside, as though it were
And the garment of affiliation is cast away as if it were
a slain horse's afterbirth beneath the men,
A horse cloth beneath the men a Small filly,
لدىbefore كُلِّevery مَوثوقٍtrusted بهِin him عِندَat مِثلِهاthe like of it
لدى كُلِّ مَوثوقٍ بهِ عِندَ مِثلِها
لَهُhe has قَدَمٌstanding فيamong الناطِقينَthe speakers خطيرُeminent
لَهُ قَدَمٌ في الناطِقينَ خطيرُ
before every man trusted on such occasions,
In the presence of everyone trusted among his likes,
who holds eminent standing among speakers:
Who has a foot firmly planted among the orators,
جَهيرٌloud-voiced وَمُمتَدُّand extended العِنانِthe rein مُناقَلٌnimble in debate
جَهيرٌ وَمُمتَدُّ العِنانِ مُناقَلٌ
بَصيرٌperceptive بِعَوراتِof the weaknesses of الكَلامِspeech خَبيرُexpert
بَصيرٌ بِعَوراتِ الكَلامِ خَبيرُ
loud-voiced and long-reined, nimble in debate,
Loud, with loosened reins, answering back and forth,
perceptive and expert in the weak points of speech.
Discerning of the flaws of speech, experienced,
وَيَومَand on a day تباريvie أَلسُنُthe tongues of القَومِthe people فيهمُamong them
وَيَومَ تباري أَلسُنُ القَومِ فيهمُ
وَلِلموتِand death has أَرحاءٌmillstones بِهِنَّwith them تدورُturn
وَلِلموتِ أَرحاءٌ بِهِنَّ تدورُ
And on a day when the people's tongues contend among them,
And the day the tongues of the people vie therein,
death has millstones turning with those tongues.
And deaths have places amongst them where they wander,
لوif انَّthat الجبالَthe mountains الصمَّdeaf يَسمَعنَthey hear وقعهاtheir impact
لو انَّ الجبالَ الصمَّ يَسمَعنَ وقعها
لَعُدنَthey would become وَقَدand already بانتappeared بِهِنَّin them فُطورُfissures
لَعُدنَ وَقَد بانت بِهِنَّ فُطورُ
If the deaf mountains could hear their impact,
If the silent mountains heard its impact,
they would be left with fissures plainly showing in them.
They would return, and their peaks would appear in it,
وَليand I have مائِحٌa water-scooper لوeven if يورِدِbrings to water الماءthe water قبلَهُbefore him
وَلي مائِحٌ لو يورِدِ الماء قبلَهُ
مُعِلٌّone giving a second draught وأَشطانُand the ropes of الطَويَّthe lined well كثيرُmany
مُعِلٌّ وأَشطانُ الطَويَّ كثيرُ
And I have a water-scooper, even if the water is reached before him
And I have a flashing blade, if it attained water before it,
by one giving a second draught, with many ropes at the lined well.
It would determine it and the long spears of Mount Tuwayq are many.
فَرُحتُso I went forth جَواداًa thoroughbred والجوادُand the thoroughbred مثابرٌpersistent
فَرُحتُ جَواداً والجوادُ مثابرٌ
علىin جَريِهِhis running ذوhaving عِلَّةٍan ailment وَيَسيرُand he goes on
على جَريِهِ ذو عِلَّةٍ وَيَسيرُ
So I went forth a thoroughbred; a thoroughbred perseveres
So I rode out vigorously, and the steed is perseverant
in his running, even when ailing, and presses on.
In its running, defective and facile,
ولاnor يَسبُقoutstrips الغاياتِthe finish lines مُستَسلمُslack in الصَلاthe loins
ولا يَسبُق الغاياتِ مُستَسلمُ الصَلا
مقلٌfeeble لأَطرافِbefore the points of الرِماحِthe spears عثورُprone to stumbling
مقلٌ لأَطرافِ الرِماحِ عثورُ
Nor does a slack-loined horse reach the finish first,
And the surrendered to destinations does not outstrip them,
feeble before spear-points, prone to stumbling;
Slow to the spear points' encounter and stumbling.
ولكنbut مشيحُintent on الركضِgalloping مشتبعدُfar-reaching (unclear form) المدىthe distance
ولكن مشيحُ الركضِ مشتبعدُ المدى
إذاwhen ابتلَّbecomes drenched منfrom سَجمِthe flow of الحَميمِhot sweat طحورُdriving onward
إذا ابتلَّ من سَجمِ الحَميمِ طحورُ
but one intent on galloping, stretching the distance,
But the gait of galloping, far-striding,
driving onward when drenched in streaming hot sweat.
When the noonday heat is tested, is refractory,
ولاand do not تَزدَرينيdespise me وانظُريand look ماwhat خليقَتيmy character
ولا تَزدَريني وانظُري ما خليقَتي
إذاwhen ضافَcame upon أمرٌa crisis أوor أَناخَencamped أميرُan emir
إذا ضافَ أمرٌ أو أَناخَ أميرُ
Do not despise me; look at what my character is
And do not scorn me, and look what my nature is
when a crisis comes, or an emir makes camp.
When a matter presents itself or a prince encamps.
فإنَّfor indeed بنيthe sons of كَعبٍKa'b رِجالٌmen كأَنَّهمas though they were
فإنَّ بني كَعبٍ رِجالٌ كأَنَّهم
نجومُstars of السُرىnight travel سُدَّتwas hemmed in بهنَّby them درورُa milk-rich she-camel
نجومُ السُرى سُدَّت بهنَّ درورُ
For the sons of Ka'b are men who seem like
For the clan of Ka'b are men who are as though they are
stars of night travel; by them a milk-rich she-camel was hemmed in.
Stars of Suroo, by which its walls are fortified,
مَرَوهاthey milked her بأَطرافِwith the tips of العَواليthe long lances فَأَسبلتso she poured forth
مَرَوها بأَطرافِ العَوالي فَأَسبلت
نجيعاًfresh dark blood لهit has تَحتَbeneath اللبانِthe breast خَريرُa gurgling sound
نجيعاً له تَحتَ اللبانِ خَريرُ
They milked her with the tips of long lances, and she poured forth
They passed by its lofty places so they let down
fresh dark blood, gurgling beneath the breast.
A continual dripping beneath the gum trees murmuring,
مُقيمينَstanding firm لاnot تعتادُyou revisit إلّاexcept وَجَدتَهُمyou find them
مُقيمينَ لا تعتادُ إلّا وَجَدتَهُم
كماlike بالرَحاat al-Raha منfrom صاحتينِSahatayn صُخورُrocks
كما بالرَحا من صاحتينِ صُخورُ
Standing firm: whenever you visit, you find them
Resolute, you would not find them save you found them
like rocks at al-Raha, from Sahatayn.
As the rumbling of two rocks from the stallion camel's saddlebags,
إذاwhen ناءَset مِنهُمof them كَوكبٌa star غراَshone (unclear form) كوكبٌa star
إذا ناءَ مِنهُم كَوكبٌ غراَ كوكبٌ
لِأَنيbecause I am النَدىbounty جَمُّabundant in القِراعِcombat مَطيرُrain-giving
لِأَني النَدى جَمُّ القِراعِ مَطيرُ
When one of their stars sets, another shines;
When a star from them disappeared, a star shone,
for I am bounty itself, mighty in combat, rain-giving.
For I am the copious drizzle, great of bucket,
وإنand if هبَطواthey settled in بيتاًa house أَذَلّواthey subdued ثراءَهits wealth
وإن هبَطوا بيتاً أَذَلّوا ثراءَه
فأضحىso it became عَليهِat it مَورِدٌa coming to water وصدورُand departure from water
فأضحى عَليهِ مَورِدٌ وصدورُ
And if they settle in a house, they make its wealth yield,
And if they descended at a house they humiliated its wealth
so it becomes a place of coming to water and departing.'
So it became a pasturage and breasts upon it,
Sol 6.1