أَلاlo إِنَّindeed هِنداًHind أَمسِyesterday رَثَّgrew threadbare جَديدُهاher fresh love
أَلا إِنَّ هِنداً أَمسِ رَثَّ جَديدُها
وَضَنَّتand she withheld وَماthough not كانَwas المَتاعُthe pleasure يَؤودُهاburdening her
وَضَنَّت وَما كانَ المَتاعُ يَؤودُها
Lo, Hind's fresh love grew threadbare yesterday,
and she withheld her favor, though granting it would not burden her.
فَلَوso if only أَنَّهاthat she مِنfrom قَبلُbefore جادَتgave freely لَناto us بِهِof it
فَلَو أَنَّها مِن قَبلُ جادَت لَنا بِهِ
عَلىtrue to العَهدِthe pledge إِذwhen تَصطادُنيshe ensnares me وَأَصيدُهاand I ensnare her
عَلى العَهدِ إِذ تَصطادُني وَأَصيدُها
If only she had freely given it to us before,
true to our pledge, when she ensnared me and I ensnared her.
وَلَكِنَّهاbut she مِمّاis such that تَميطُsweeps aside بِوُدِّهاher affection
وَلَكِنَّها مِمّا تَميطُ بِوُدِّها
بَشاشَةُthe warmth of أَدنىthe slightest خُلَّةٍfriendship تَستَفيدُهاshe acquires
بَشاشَةُ أَدنى خُلَّةٍ تَستَفيدُها
Yet hers is an affection swept aside
by the warmth of the slightest new friendship she acquires.
أَعاذِلُO chiding woman ماwhat يُدريكِmakes you know أَنthat رُبَّmany a بَلدَةٍwasteland
أَعاذِلُ ما يُدريكِ أَن رُبَّ بَلدَةٍ
إِذاwhen الشَمسُthe sun فيin الأَيّامِthe days طالَgrew long رُكودُهاits lingering
إِذا الشَمسُ في الأَيّامِ طالَ رُكودُها
O chiding woman, how could you know that many a wasteland—
when, through the days, the sun lingered long,
وَآمَتand grew thirsty صَواديحُthe shrill singers of النَّهارِthe day وَأَعرَضَتand spread out
وَآمَت صَواديحُ النَّهارِ وَأَعرَضَت
لَوامِعُshimmering mirages يُطوىare folded رَيطُهاtheir fine cloths وَبُرودُهاand their striped cloaks
لَوامِعُ يُطوى رَيطُها وَبُرودُها
and the day's shrill singers thirsted, and there spread
shimmering mirages, their fine sheets and striped cloaks folding—
قَطَعتُI crossed بِفَتلاءِon a strong-muscled she-camel اليَدينِthe two forelegs ذَريعةٍlong-striding
قَطَعتُ بِفَتلاءِ اليَدينِ ذَريعةٍ
يَغولُdevours البِلادَthe lands سَومُهاher steady pace وَبَريدُهاand her swift course
يَغولُ البِلادَ سَومُها وَبَريدُها
I crossed on a strong-forelegged, long-striding she-camel,
whose steady pace and swift course devour the land?
فَبِتُّso I spent the night وَباتَتand spent the night بِالتَنوفَةِin the wilderness ناقَتيmy she-camel
فَبِتُّ وَباتَت بِالتَنوفَةِ ناقَتي
وَباتَتand stayed overnight عَلَيهاupon her صَفنَتيmy leather bag وَقُتودُهاand her saddle-frame
وَباتَت عَلَيها صَفنَتي وَقُتودُها
So I spent the night, and my she-camel too, in the wilderness,
and my leather bag and her saddle-frame stayed upon her.
وَأَغضَتand she closed her eyes كَماas أَغضَيتُI closed عَينيmy eye فَعَرَّسَتthen she halted for sleep
وَأَغضَت كَما أَغضَيتُ عَيني فَعَرَّسَت
عَلىupon الثَفِناتِthe callused pads وَالجِرانِand the underside of her neck هُجودُهاher sleep
عَلى الثَفِناتِ وَالجِرانِ هُجودُها
She closed her eyes as I closed mine, then settled for sleep,
sleeping on her callused pads and the underside of her neck.
عَلىon طُرُقٍroads عِندَnear اليَراعَةِal-Yara‘ah تارَةًat times
عَلى طُرُقٍ عِندَ اليَراعَةِ تارَةً
تُوازيshe runs alongside شَريمَthe inlet of البَحرِthe sea وَهوَand it is قَعيدُهاher close companion
تُوازي شَريمَ البَحرِ وَهوَ قَعيدُها
On roads near al-Yara‘ah, at times
she runs alongside the sea's inlet, her close companion.
كَأَنَّas though جَنيباًa led mount عِندَbeside مَعقِدِthe fastening of غَرزِهاher stirrup
كَأَنَّ جَنيباً عِندَ مَعقِدِ غَرزِها
تُراوِدُهُshe seeks to seduce him عَنaway from نفسِهِhimself وَيُريدُهاand he desires her
تُراوِدُهُ عَن نفسِهِ وَيُريدُها
As though a led mount were beside her stirrup's fastening,
whom she seeks to seduce, while he desires her.
تَهالَكُshe hurls herself مِنهُaway from him فيin النَجاءِswift flight تَهالُكاًheadlong
تَهالَكُ مِنهُ في النَجاءِ تَهالُكاً
تَقاذُفَlike the darting of إِحدىone of الجونِthe dark sandgrouse حانَhas come وُرودُهاits watering-time
تَقاذُفَ إِحدى الجونِ حانَ وُرودُها
She hurls herself away from him, racing headlong,
like a dark sandgrouse darting when its watering-time comes.
فَنَهنَهتُso I checked مِنهاsome of her speed وَالمَناسِمُwhile the footpads تَرتَميflew forward
فَنَهنَهتُ مِنها وَالمَناسِمُ تَرتَمي
بِمَعزاءَover stony ground شَتّىscattered apart لاnot يُرَدُّis turned back عَنودُهاher headlong stride
بِمَعزاءَ شَتّى لا يُرَدُّ عَنودُها
So I checked her somewhat, while her footpads flew
across stony ground in scattered strides, her headlong course unchecked.
وَأَيقَنتُand I was certain إِنif شاءَwilled الإِلَهُGod بِأَنَّهُthat it is so
وَأَيقَنتُ إِن شاءَ الإِلَهُ بِأَنَّهُ
سَيُبلِغُنيwill bring me there أَجلادُهاher bodily strength وَقَصيدُهاand her marrow
سَيُبلِغُني أَجلادُها وَقَصيدُها
And I knew for certain—if God so willed—that
her bodily strength and marrow would carry me there.
فَإِنَّfor indeed أَباAbu قابوسَQabus عِنديwith me بَلاؤُهُhis beneficence
فَإِنَّ أَبا قابوسَ عِندي بَلاؤُهُ
جَزاءًas recompense بِنُعمىfor a favor لاnot يَحِلُّis lawful كُنودُهاdenial of it
جَزاءً بِنُعمى لا يَحِلُّ كُنودُها
For Abu Qabus—whose kindness I acknowledge—
deserves recompense for a favor it is wrong to deny.
وَجَدتُI found زِنادَthe fire-sticks of الصَالِحينَworthy men نَمَينَهُhad brought him forth
وَجَدتُ زِنادَ الصَالِحينَ نَمَينَهُ
قَديماًof old كَماjust as بَذَّoutstripped النُجومَthe stars سُعودُهاtheir lucky ones
قَديماً كَما بَذَّ النُجومَ سُعودُها
I found the fire-sticks of worthy men had brought him forth
of old, as the lucky stars outshine all other stars.
فَلَوand if عَلِمَknew اللَهُGod الجِبالَthe mountains ظَلَمنَهُhad wronged him
فَلَو عَلِمَ اللَهُ الجِبالَ ظَلَمنَهُ
أَتاهُHe would come to him بِأَمراسِwith ropes الجِبالِthe mountains يَقودُهاleading them
أَتاهُ بِأَمراسِ الجِبالِ يَقودُها
And if God knew the mountains had wronged him,
He would bring them to him, leading the mountains by ropes.
فَإِنand if تَكُthere is مِنّاof ours فيin عُمانَOman قَبيلَةٌa tribe
فَإِن تَكُ مِنّا في عُمانَ قَبيلَةٌ
تَواصَتcounseled one another بِإِجنابٍto keep aloof وَطالَand grew long عُنودُهاits defiance
تَواصَت بِإِجنابٍ وَطالَ عُنودُها
And if a tribe of ours in Oman
has agreed to keep aloof and long persisted in defiance,
وَقَدand indeed أَدرَكَتهاovertook it المُدرِكاتُthe calamities فَأَصبَحَتso now became
وَقَد أَدرَكَتها المُدرِكاتُ فَأَصبَحَت
إِلىto خَيرِthe best of مَنthose تَحتَbeneath السَماءِheaven وُفودُهاits delegations
إِلى خَيرِ مَن تَحتَ السَماءِ وُفودُها
calamities have overtaken it, and now
its envoys go to the best beneath heaven:
إِلىto مَلِكٍa king بَذَّoutstripped المُلوكَthe kings بِسَعيِهِthrough his endeavors
إِلى مَلِكٍ بَذَّ المُلوكَ بِسَعيِهِ
أَفاعيلُهُhis deeds حَزمُthe resolve of المُلوكِthe kings وَجودُهاand their generosity
أَفاعيلُهُ حَزمُ المُلوكِ وَجودُها
to a king who outstripped kings through his endeavors;
his deeds embody kings' resolve and generosity.
وَأَيَّand what أُناسٍpeople لاnot يُبيحُdoes he ravage بِقَتلَةٍwith a slaughter
وَأَيَّ أُناسٍ لا يُبيحُ بِقَتلَةٍ
يُوازيmatches in height كُبَيداتِthe very heart of السَماءِheaven عَمودُهاits column
يُوازي كُبَيداتِ السَماءِ عَمودُها
And what people could he not lay waste in a slaughter
whose column reaches the very heart of heaven,
وَجَأواءَand a mail-dark host فيهاwithin it كَوكَبُthe star of الموتِdeath فَخمَةٍmighty
وَجَأواءَ فيها كَوكَبُ الموتِ فَخمَةٍ
تَقَمَّصَsets heaving بِالأَرضِthe earth الفَضاءِopen وَئيدُهاits heavy tread
تَقَمَّصَ بِالأَرضِ الفَضاءِ وَئيدُها
and with a mighty, mail-dark host, death's star in its midst,
whose heavy tread sets the open earth heaving?
لَهاit has فَرَطٌa vanguard يَحميprotecting النِهابَthe plunder كَأَنَّهُas though it were
لَها فَرَطٌ يَحمي النِهابَ كَأَنَّهُ
لَوامِعُflashing forms of عِقبانٍeagles مَروعٍterrified طَريدُهاtheir quarry
لَوامِعُ عِقبانٍ مَروعٍ طَريدُها
It has a vanguard that guards the plunder, as though it were
flashing eagles, their quarry terror-stricken.
وَأَمكَنَand brought within reach أَطرافَthe tips of الأَسِنَّةِlance-heads وَالقَناand spear-shafts
وَأَمكَنَ أَطرافَ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالقَنا
يَعاسيبُfleet mounts قودٌlong-necked ماnot تُثَنّىare turned back قُتودُهاtheir saddle-frames
يَعاسيبُ قودٌ ما تُثَنّى قُتودُها
And they brought lance-tips and spear-shafts within striking reach—
long-necked, fleet mounts whose saddle-frames never turn back.
تَنَبَّعَwelled up مِنfrom أَعطافِهاtheir flanks وَجُلودِهاand their hides
تَنَبَّعَ مِن أَعطافِها وَجُلودِها
حَميمٌhot sweat وَآضَتand became كَالحَماليجِlike arrow-shafts قودُهاtheir tall mounts
حَميمٌ وَآضَت كَالحَماليجِ قودُها
From their flanks and hides there welled
hot sweat, and their tall mounts grew like arrow-shafts.
وَطارَand flew قُشارِيُّflakes of الحَديدِiron كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَطارَ قُشارِيُّ الحَديدِ كَأَنَّهُ
نُخالَةُchaff from أَقواعٍthreshing grounds يَطيرُflies حَصيدُهاtheir harvested crop
نُخالَةُ أَقواعٍ يَطيرُ حَصيدُها
And flakes of iron flew, as though they were
chaff from threshing grounds, their harvested stalks flying,
بِكُلِّwith every مَقَصِّيٍّkeen-cutting weapon وَكُلِّand every صَفيحَةٍbroad blade
بِكُلِّ مَقَصِّيٍّ وَكُلِّ صَفيحَةٍ
تَتابَعُfollow one another بَعدَafter الحارِشِيِّal-Harishi خُدودُهاtheir blade-faces
تَتابَعُ بَعدَ الحارِشِيِّ خُدودُها
with every keen-cutting weapon and every broad blade,
their faces following one another after al-Harishi.
فَأَنعِمso grant favor أَبَيتَmay you shun اللَعنَbeing cursed إِنَّكَfor you أَصبَحَتit has now come to be
فَأَنعِم أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ إِنَّكَ أَصبَحَت
لَدَيكَin your hands لُكَيزٌLukayz كَهلُهاits grown men وَوَليدُهاand its children
لَدَيكَ لُكَيزٌ كَهلُها وَوَليدُها
So grant favor—may you be spared curses!—for now
Lukayz is in your hands, its grown men and its children.
وَأَطلِقهُمُand release them تَمشيmay walk النِساءُthe women خِلالَهُمamong them
وَأَطلِقهُمُ تَمشي النِساءُ خِلالَهُم
مُفَكَّكَةًunfastened وَسَطَamid الرِحالِthe saddles قُيودُهاtheir fetters
مُفَكَّكَةً وَسَطَ الرِحالِ قُيودُها
And release them, so the women may walk among them,
their fetters undone amid the saddles.
Sol 6.1