لعمريby my life لجوsurely a valley منamong جِواءthe valleys of سُويقةٍSuwayqa
لعمري لجو من جِواء سُويقةٍ
أسافِلُهُits lower reaches ميثٌsoft, level ground وأعلاهand its upper reaches أجرعbare sandy ground
أسافِلُهُ ميثٌ وأعلاه أجرع
By my life, a valley among the valleys of Suwayqa,
Its lowlands soft and level, and its heights bare and sandy,
بهin it العفرthe pale gazelles والظلمانand the male ostriches والعينand the wide-eyed wild cattle ترتعيgraze
به العفر والظلمان والعين ترتعي
وأمُّand a mother of رئالostrich chicks والظَّليمُand the male ostrich الهجنعtall and long-necked
وأمُّ رئال والظَّليمُ الهجنع
Where pale gazelles, male ostriches, and wide-eyed wild cattle graze,
And a mother of ostrich chicks and a tall, long-necked male ostrich,
وأسفحand a beast (epithet uncertain; perhaps 'dark-faced') ذوbearing رُمحينtwo spears (horns) يضحيappears by day كأنهas though it were
وأسفح ذو رُمحين يضحي كأنه
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle علاit climbs نَشْزاًa rise حصانa stallion مُبرقعwearing a face-covering
إذا ما علا نَشْزاً حصان مُبرقع
And a [dark-faced?] beast with two spear-like horns, which by day seems,
When it climbs a rise, like a masked stallion—
أحبdearer إليناto us أنthat نجاورwe live beside أهلناour kin
أحب إلينا أن نجاور أهلنا
ويصبحand it comes to be مناnear us وهوwhile it is مرأىًwithin sight ومسمعand within hearing
ويصبح منا وهو مرأىً ومسمع
Is dearer to us, there to dwell beside our kin,
And have it near us, within sight and hearing,
منthan الجوسقthe palace الملعونthe accursed بالريat Rayy كلماwhenever
من الجوسق الملعون بالري كلما
رأيتI see بهin it داعيthe summoner of المنيةdeath يلمعglinting
رأيت به داعي المنية يلمع
Than the accursed palace at Rayy, whenever
I see death's summoner glinting there.
يقولونthey say صبراًbe patient واحتسبand seek God's reward قلتI said طالماfor a long time
يقولون صبراً واحتسب قلت طالما
صبرتI have endured ولكنand yet لاnot أرىI see الصبرpatience ينفعhelps
صبرت ولكن لا أرى الصبر ينفع
They say, 'Be patient and seek God's reward.' I said, 'Long
Have I endured, but I see that patience does no good.'
فليتso, if only عطائيmy stipend كانhad been قُسِّمdivided up بينهمamong them
فليت عطائي كان قُسِّم بينهم
وظلتand she kept on بيwith me aboard الوجناءthe sturdy she-camel بالدوِّacross the open desert تضبعstretching her forelegs in running
وظلت بي الوجناء بالدوِّ تضبع
If only my stipend had been divided among them,
And a sturdy she-camel were striding on with me across the waste!
كأنَّas though يديهاher two forelegs حينwhen جدّgrew urgent نجاؤهاher swift pace
كأنَّ يديها حين جدّ نجاؤها
يداthe two arms of سابحٍa swimmer فيin غمرةdeep water يتبوَّعhe stretches his arms wide
يدا سابحٍ في غمرة يتبوَّع
As though her forelegs, when her pace grew urgent,
Were a swimmer's arms reaching wide in deep water.
أأجعلshall I make نفسيmy life وزنequal in worth to عِلجa non-Arab lout كأنماas though
أأجعل نفسي وزن عِلج كأنما
يموتdies بهwithin him كلبٌa dog إذاwhen ماتhe dies أجمعin its entirety
يموت به كلبٌ إذا مات أجمع
Shall I make my life equal in worth to a foreign lout's, as though
A whole dog dies within him when he dies?
Sol 6.1