مِنّاamong us مُسافٍa gambler يُسافيplays against الناسَthe people ماwhenever يَسَرواthey gamble
مِنّا مُسافٍ يُسافي الناسَ ما يَسَروا
فيin كَفِّهِhis palm أَكعُبٌknucklebones أَوor أَقدُحٌgaming arrows عُطُفblank
في كَفِّهِ أَكعُبٌ أَو أَقدُحٌ عُطُف
Among us is a gambler who challenges people whenever they gamble,
Some of us journey on continuously, however far people travel,
With knucklebones in his palm, or blank gaming arrows.
Holding a stick or a small waterskin under his arm.
تَتبَعُfollow أَسلافَناour forerunners عينٌwide-eyed women مُخَدَّرَةٌsecluded
تَتبَعُ أَسلافَنا عينٌ مُخَدَّرَةٌ
مِنfrom تَحتِbeneath دَولَجِهِنَّtheir shelters الريطُfine wraps وَالضَعَفand delicate cloth
مِن تَحتِ دَولَجِهِنَّ الريطُ وَالضَعَف
Wide-eyed, secluded women follow our forerunners;
With a sleepy eye he follows our forefathers’ tracks,
Beneath their shelters are fine wraps and delicate cloth.
Weak and stumbling beneath his loose robes.
سودٌblack غَدائِرُهاtheir braids بُلجٌbright مَحاجِرُهاtheir eye-sockets
سودٌ غَدائِرُها بُلجٌ مَحاجِرُها
كَأَنَّas though أَطرافَهاtheir extremities لَمّاwhen اِجتَلىone viewed الطَنَفa jutting crag
كَأَنَّ أَطرافَها لَمّا اِجتَلى الطَنَف
Black are their braids, bright their eye-sockets;
Jet-black tent walls, bleary, puckered eyes
Their extremities, when viewed, seem like a jutting crag.
As though their edges were scorched when the cooking pot boiled over.
وَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI set out at dawn أَمامَahead of الحَيِّthe tribe يَحمِلُنيcarrying me
وَقَد غَدَوتُ أَمامَ الحَيِّ يَحمِلُني
وَالفَضلَتَينِand the two spare garments وَسَعييand my striving مُحنِقٌtucked-bellied شَسِفgaunt
وَالفَضلَتَينِ وَسَعيي مُحنِقٌ شَسِف
And I set out at dawn ahead of the tribe, borne by
And I have marched ahead of the tribe, who propel me along,
A tucked-up, gaunt steed, with the two spare garments and my quest.
And my toil with the two saddlebags cuts into my shoulders.
مُضَبَّرٌstoutly built مِثلُlike رُكنِa buttress of الطَودِthe mountain تَحمِلُهُsupport him
مُضَبَّرٌ مِثلُ رُكنِ الطَودِ تَحمِلُهُ
يَداtwo forelegs of مَهاةٍan oryx وَرِجلاand two hind legs of خاضِبٍa red-legged ostrich يَجِفruns swiftly
يَدا مَهاةٍ وَرِجلا خاضِبٍ يَجِف
Stoutly built, like a mountain's buttress, supported by
Bent double like a buttress, forced on by
An oryx's forelegs and the hind legs of a swift-running, red-legged ostrich.
A scrawny hand and a dusty foot gone numb.
أَغَرُّwhite-fronted أَسقَفُlong-necked ساميlofty الطَرفِthe eye نَظرَتُهُhis gaze
أَغَرُّ أَسقَفُ سامي الطَرفِ نَظرَتُهُ
لينٌsupple أَصابِعُهُhis toes فيin بَطنِهِhis belly هَيَفslenderness
لينٌ أَصابِعُهُ في بَطنِهِ هَيَف
White-fronted, long-necked, his gaze lifted high,
The gaze of the lofty, bright-eyed youth pierces me;
His toes supple, his belly slender.
His fingers are gentle as he kneads his belly’s cavity.
فَظَلَّand he stayed all day بَينَbetween لَخاقيقٍground-clefts وَتَنهِيَةٍand a water-gathering hollow
فَظَلَّ بَينَ لَخاقيقٍ وَتَنهِيَةٍ
يَخذِمُcrops أَطرافَthe tips of تَنّومٍtannum plants وَيَنتَتِفand plucks
يَخذِمُ أَطرافَ تَنّومٍ وَيَنتَتِف
All day he stayed between ground-clefts and a water-gathering hollow,
So he passed his time 'twixt chatter and dozing,
Cropping the tips of tannum plants and plucking them.
Tending to the edges of slumber and muttering.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen غابَvanished قَرنُthe rim of الشَمسِthe sun أَوor كَرَبَتneared setting
حَتّى إِذا غابَ قَرنُ الشَمسِ أَو كَرَبَت
وَظَنَّand he thought أَنthat سَوفَwould يوليsubject to بَيضَهُhis eggs الغَسَفharm
وَظَنَّ أَن سَوفَ يولي بَيضَهُ الغَسَف
Until, when the sun's rim vanished, or setting was near,
Until the new moon of evening declined or his protection waned,
And he thought he would leave his eggs exposed to harm,
And he thought his companions would soon fold up their tent-cloth,
شالَتrose ذُناباهُhis tail وَاِهتاجَتand surged ضَبابَتُهُhis dust-cloud
شالَت ذُناباهُ وَاِهتاجَت ضَبابَتُهُ
فيamid قائِمٍrising dust لاnot يُريدُwishes الدَهرَever يَنكَشِفto clear
في قائِمٍ لا يُريدُ الدَهرَ يَنكَشِف
His tail rose, and his dust-cloud surged,
He shook out his skirts and his slumbering soul revived
In a rising column, never willing to clear.
In one who does not wish time’s veil to be lifted.
لاno الشَدُّsprint شَدٌsprint إِذاwhen ماemphasis هاجَهُrouses him فَزَعٌfright
لا الشَدُّ شَدٌ إِذا ما هاجَهُ فَزَعٌ
وَلاnor الزَفيفِthe wing-fluttering gait إِذاwhen ماemphasis زَفَّhe speeds along يَعتَرِفis recognizable
وَلا الزَفيفِ إِذا ما زَفَّ يَعتَرِف
No sprint matches his when fright arouses him;
No firmness is firm when panic seizes him,
Nor is his wing-fluttering gait recognizable when he speeds along.
Nor any wrath, when it flares, admit the truth.
كَالهَودَجِlike a howdah الساطِعِlofty المَحفوفِfringed يَحمِلُهُcarry it
كَالهَودَجِ الساطِعِ المَحفوفِ يَحمِلُهُ
صَقبانِtwo poles مِنof عَرعَرٍjuniper ماno فَوقَهُabove it كَنَفcanopy
صَقبانِ مِن عَرعَرٍ ما فَوقَهُ كَنَف
Like a lofty, fringed howdah, carried by
Like a polished lamp carried by hands
Two juniper poles, with no canopy above it.
Of twig-like forearms; nothing covers their bones.
يَنقَدُّdarts along ذوpossessing رِقَّةٍslenderness تَهفوflutter جَوانِبُهُhis sides
يَنقَدُّ ذو رِقَّةٍ تَهفو جَوانِبُهُ
كَماjust as هَفاswayed فُروعِthe branches of الأَيكَةِthe thicket الغَرَفgharaf trees
كَما هَفا فُروعِ الأَيكَةِ الغَرَف
The slender creature darts on, his sides fluttering,
A delicate creature, whose sides flutter
As the branches of a gharaf thicket sway.
As branches of the tamarisk flutter in the evening.
كَالأَسودِlike a black man الحَبَشِيِّAbyssinian الحَمشِslender-legged يَتبَعُهُfollow him
كَالأَسودِ الحَبَشِيِّ الحَمشِ يَتبَعُهُ
سودٌblack women طَماطِمُforeign-speaking فيin آذانِهاtheir ears النُطَفearrings
سودٌ طَماطِمُ في آذانِها النُطَف
Like a slender-legged black Abyssinian, followed by
Like the Abyssinian lions, bold,
Black, foreign-speaking women, with earrings in their ears.
With lynxes around them, their ears tufted.
هابٍbounding هِبِلٌّmassive مُدِلٌّself-assured يَعمَلٌswift-moving هَزِجٌloud-voiced
هابٍ هِبِلٌّ مُدِلٌّ يَعمَلٌ هَزِجٌ
طَفطافُهُhis soft belly ذوbearing عِفاءٍthick plumage نِقنِقٌan ostrich cock جَنِفleaning sideways
طَفطافُهُ ذو عِفاءٍ نِقنِقٌ جَنِف
Bounding, massive, self-assured, swift, loud-voiced,
Gloomy, apathetic, working listlessly,
His soft belly thick with feathers—a swaying ostrich cock.
Whimpering, with gentle, wheezing breath.
يَروحُreturn at dusk غِلمانُناour lads دُسماًgreasy مَشافِرُهُمtheir lips
يَروحُ غِلمانُنا دُسماً مَشافِرُهُم
رُقناًstained بِأَيديهِمُin their hands الأَحرادُmeat portions وَالسَدَفand hump-fat
رُقناً بِأَيديهِمُ الأَحرادُ وَالسَدَف
Our lads return at dusk, their lips greasy,
Our lads go about with smooth cheeks, their young chins
Stained, with meat portions and hump-fat in their hands.
Furry with first soft hair and side-whiskers.
يَقولُsay وُلدانُناour children وَيلاًwoe لِأُمِّكُمُto your mother
يَقولُ وُلدانُنا وَيلاً لِأُمِّكُمُ
كُلُّeach اِمرِىءٍman مِنكُمُamong you يَسعىhastens لَهُtoward him تَلَفdestruction
كُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ مِنكُمُ يَسعى لَهُ تَلَف
Our children say, 'Woe to your mother!
Our children say, ‘Woe to you, your mother!,
Destruction hastens toward each man among you.'
Each one of you seeks only his own advantage.’
Sol 6.1