مِثلَlike عَدَّاءٍa swift runner بِرَوضاتِin the meadows of القَطَاal-Qata
مِثلَ عَدَّاءٍ بِرَوضاتِ القَطَا
قَلَصَتhave dwindled عَنهُaway from him ثِمَادٌshallow waterholes وَغُدُرْand pools
قَلَصَت عَنهُ ثِمَادٌ وَغُدُرْ
Like a swift wild ass in the meadows of al-Qata,
Like a smooth-skinned doe in lush gardens
Shallow waterholes and pools have dwindled away from him,
Whose buds and blossoms have parted from her
فَحْلِstallion of قُبٍّhollow-bellied jennies ضُمَّرٍlean أَقرَابُهاtheir flanks
فَحْلِ قُبٍّ ضُمَّرٍ أَقرَابُها
يَنهَسُhe nips الأَكفَالَthe rumps مِنهاof them وَيَزُرّْand bites hard
يَنهَسُ الأَكفَالَ مِنها وَيَزُرّْ
The stallion of hollow-bellied jennies with lean flanks,
In the hollow of a humped, rounded hill, her kinsfolk
He nips their rumps and bites hard.
Gnaw the arbutus berries off her and pluck them clear
خَبطَhe ranged across الأَرواثَal-Arwath حَتّىuntil هاجَهُroused him
خَبطَ الأَرواثَ حَتّى هاجَهُ
مِنfrom يَدِthe hand of الجَوزاءِal-Jawza يَومٌa day مُصمَقِرّْfiercely hot
مِن يَدِ الجَوزاءِ يَومٌ مُصمَقِرّْ
He ranged across al-Arwath until he was roused
She thrashed her feet about until roused to fury
By a searing day from al-Jawza's hand,
By a tawny lynx on a fateful morn
لَهَبانٌblazing hot وَقَدَتblazed حِزَّانُهُits rocky ridges
لَهَبانٌ وَقَدَت حِزَّانُهُ
يَرمَضُis scorched الجُندُبُthe grasshopper مِنهُby it فَيَصِرّْand so it chirrs
يَرمَضُ الجُندُبُ مِنهُ فَيَصِرّْ
Blazing hot, its rocky ridges aflame,
Ablaze, her yearning kindled
The grasshopper is scorched by it and chirrs.
While the wild cat writhed and twisted in the heat
ظَلَّhe remained فِيon أَعلَىthe top of يَفَاعٍa rise جَاذِلاًstanding erect and still
ظَلَّ فِي أَعلَى يَفَاعٍ جَاذِلاً
يَقْسِمُhe weighs الأَمْرَthe matter كَقَسْمِlike the weighing of المُؤتَمِرْone taking counsel
يَقْسِمُ الأَمْرَ كَقَسْمِ المُؤتَمِرْ
He stood stock-still on the crest of a rise,
Perched atop a towering cliff, resolute
Weighing the matter like one taking counsel:
Dividing fortune as if he were its arbiter
أَلِسُمنَانٍwhether to Sumnan فَيَسقِيهاand then he waters them بِهِat it
أَلِسُمنَانٍ فَيَسقِيها بِهِ
أَمْor لِقُلْبٍto wells مِنfrom لُغَاطٍLughat يَسْتَمِرّْhe presses on
أَمْ لِقُلْبٍ مِن لُغَاطٍ يَسْتَمِرّْ
Should he head to Sumnan and water them there,
Does he mean to give her water from his whip
Or press on to wells in Lughat?
Or a heart brimming with piercing mockery?
وَهْوَwhile he يَفلِيtends شُعُثاًshaggy أَعرَافُهَاtheir manes
وَهْوَ يَفلِي شُعُثاً أَعرَافُهَا
شُخُصَfixed and staring الأَبصارِeyes لِلوَحشِat wild beasts نُظُرْwatching
شُخُصَ الأَبصارِ لِلوَحشِ نُظُرْ
While he tends females with shaggy manes,
As her tangled hair fluttered on the hilltops
Their eyes fixed and staring, watching the wild beasts.
Eyes peered into the wilderness, keeping watch
وَدَخَلتand I entered البابَthe gate لاnot أُعطِيI give الرُّشىbribes
وَدَخَلت البابَ لا أُعطِي الرُّشى
فَحَبانيso he bestowed gifts on me مَلِكٌa king غَيرُnot زَمِرْscant in generosity
فَحَباني مَلِكٌ غَيرُ زَمِرْ
And I entered the gate without paying bribes;
And she entered the gate without granting favors
So a king, no miser, bestowed gifts on me.
So a king other than the lion took her in
كَمhow many تَرىyou see مِنof شانِئٍa hater يَحسُدُنِيenvying me
كَم تَرى مِن شانِئٍ يَحسُدُنِي
قَدalready وَراهُhas consumed him الغَيظُrage فيwithin صَدرٍa breast وَغِرْrancorous
قَد وَراهُ الغَيظُ في صَدرٍ وَغِرْ
How many a hater you see envying me,
How many enviers look on me with hatred
Already consumed by rage within a rancorous breast!
As rancor smolders in their breasts?
وَحَشَوتُand I crammed الغَيظَrage فِيwithin أَضلاعِهِhis ribs
وَحَشَوتُ الغَيظَ فِي أَضلاعِهِ
فَهوَso he يَمشِيwalks حَظَلاناًwith halting steps كَالنَّقِرْlike a diseased beast
فَهوَ يَمشِي حَظَلاناً كَالنَّقِرْ
And I crammed rage between his ribs,
I stoked their spite within their ribs
So he walks haltingly, like a diseased beast.
And they walk bent over like the dibble stick
لَمْdid not يَضِرنيharm me وَلَقَدand indeed بَلَّعتُهُI made him swallow
لَمْ يَضِرني وَلَقَد بَلَّعتُهُ
قِطَعَpieces of الغَيظِrage بِصَابٍwith bitter sap وَصَبِرْand aloes
قِطَعَ الغَيظِ بِصَابٍ وَصَبِرْ
He did me no harm; indeed, I made him swallow
They did me no harm, though I made them swallow it
Lumps of rage with bitter sap and aloes.
Cutting short their rage with patience and calm
فَهْوَso he لاnot يَبْرَأُheals ماwhat فيin نَفسِهِhis soul
فَهْوَ لا يَبْرَأُ ما في نَفسِهِ
مِثلَlike ماas لاnot يَبْرَأheals العِرقُthe vein النَّعِرْgushing blood
مِثلَ ما لا يَبْرَأ العِرقُ النَّعِرْ
So what is in his soul does not heal,
This sickness in their souls does not abate
Just as a vein gushing blood does not heal.
Like the sweat of a terrified she-camel’s neck
وَعَظيمِand one mighty in المُلكِdominion قَدindeed أَوعَدَنِيhas threatened me
وَعَظيمِ المُلكِ قَد أَوعَدَنِي
وَأَتَتنِيand came to me دُونَهُahead of him مِنهُfrom him النُّذُرْwarnings
وَأَتَتنِي دُونَهُ مِنهُ النُّذُرْ
And a ruler of vast dominion has threatened me,
The mighty king has made me promises
And warnings from him reached me ahead of him.
And warnings have come to me ahead of him
حَنِقfurious قَدindeed وَقَدَتْblazed عَينَاهُhis two eyes لِيat me
حَنِق قَد وَقَدَتْ عَينَاهُ لِي
مِثلَlike ماas وَقَّدَset ablaze عَينَيهِits two eyes النَّمِرْthe leopard
مِثلَ ما وَقَّدَ عَينَيهِ النَّمِرْ
Furious, his eyes blazed at me,
His eyes were lit with anger against me
Just as a leopard sets its eyes ablaze.
As the leopard’s eyes flare against his prey
وَيَرىand he sees دُونيbarring his way to me فَلاand so not يَسْطِيعُنِيhe can overcome me
وَيَرى دُوني فَلا يَسْطِيعُنِي
خَرْطَstripping شَوْكٍthorns مِنfrom قَتَادٍa qatad thornbush مُسمَهِرّْstiff and upright
خَرْطَ شَوْكٍ مِن قَتَادٍ مُسمَهِرّْ
He sees what bars his way to me, and cannot overcome me:
And he sees me yet cannot reach me
Stripping thorns from a stiff, upright qatad bush.
Not a shred of a thornbush whipped by the drunk
أَنَاI مِنْof خِندِفَKhindif فيamong صُيَّابِهَاher choicest stock
أَنَا مِنْ خِندِفَ في صُيَّابِهَا
حَيثُwhere طابَis noble القِبْصُthe multitude مِنهُof it وَكَثُرْand is numerous
حَيثُ طابَ القِبْصُ مِنهُ وَكَثُرْ
I am of Khindif, among her choicest stock,
I am from Khindif among its ravines
Where its throng is noble and vast.
Where the aroma of wormwood grows thick
Sol 6.1