طالَgrew long العِشاءُthe evening وَنَحنُand we بِالهَضبِat al-Haḍb
طالَ العِشاءُ وَنَحنُ بِالهَضبِ
وَأَرِقتُand I lay sleepless لَيلَةَon the night عادَنيrevisited me خَطبيmy trouble
وَأَرِقتُ لَيلَةَ عادَني خَطبي
The evening dragged on while we were at al-Haḍb,
The evening was prolonged as we were at the hillsides
and I lay sleepless the night my trouble returned.
And I stayed up the night that brought me worries
حَمَّلتُهُI loaded it وَقُتودَand saddle-bows مَيسٍhackberry wood فاتِرٍweary
حَمَّلتُهُ وَقُتودَ مَيسٍ فاتِرٍ
سُرُحِfree-striding اليَدَينِthe two forelegs وَشيكَةِswift الوَثبِleaping
سُرُحِ اليَدَينِ وَشيكَةِ الوَثبِ
I loaded it, and hackberry saddle-bows, onto a weary she-camel,
I loaded them and the luggage of a listless old she-camel
free-striding in her forelegs, quick to spring.
With the freedom of hands and the agility of a jump
لَمnot يُبقِleave نَصّيmy hard driving مِنof عَريكَتِهاher hump
لَم يُبقِ نَصّي مِن عَريكَتِها
شَرَفاًa raised part يُجِنُّconcealing سَناسِنَthe bony ridges الصُلبِof the backbone
شَرَفاً يُجِنُّ سَناسِنَ الصُلبِ
My hard driving left of her hump
It did not leave any honor of her saddle that would save
no rise to hide the ridges of her spine.
The elite from the grinding of persistent misfortunes
وَمَعاشِرٍand groups of people وَدّواwished لَوَif only انَّthat دَميmy blood
وَمَعاشِرٍ وَدّوا لَوَ انَّ دَمي
يُسقَونَهُthey are given it to drink مِنfrom غَيرِabsence of ماany (emphatic) سَغبِhunger
يُسقَونَهُ مِن غَيرِ ما سَغبِ
And there were people who wished my blood
And companions who would give their blood to be drank
would be given them to drink, though they had no hunger.
Without any qualms if that would lessen my sorrows
أَلصَقتُI brought close صَحبيmy companions مِنout of هَواكِlove for you بِهِمto them
أَلصَقتُ صَحبي مِن هَواكِ بِهِم
وَقُلوبُناand our hearts تَنزوleap مِنَfrom الرُهبِfear
وَقُلوبُنا تَنزو مِنَ الرُهبِ
For love of you, I brought my companions close to them,
I stuck my companions with your love binding them
and our hearts leapt with fear.
And our hearts oozing with fright and panic
مُتَخَتِّمينَveiling ourselves عَلىover مَعارِفَناour recognizable features
مُتَخَتِّمينَ عَلى مَعارِفَنا
نَثنيwe fold لَهُنَّfor them حَواشِيَthe edges العَصبِof striped cloths
نَثني لَهُنَّ حَواشِيَ العَصبِ
With the features of our faces veiled,
Sealing our friendships away from prying eyes
we folded over them the edges of striped cloth.
We bend aside for them the edges of the turbans
وَعَلىand on الشَمائِلِthe left sides أَنshould يُهاجَan attack be stirred بِناagainst us
وَعَلى الشَمائِلِ أَن يُهاجَ بِنا
جُربانُthe scabbards كُلِّof every مُهَنَّدٍIndian-steel sword عَضبِkeen
جُربانُ كُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ عَضبِ
And at our left sides, should we be attacked,
And the traits so we are not provoked by
were the scabbards of every keen Indian-steel sword.
Every angry and wrathful slanderer
وَتَرىand you see المَخافَةَfear مِنfrom مَساكِنِهِمtheir dwellings
وَتَرى المَخافَةَ مِن مَساكِنِهِم
بِجُنوبِناalong our flanks كَجَوانِبِlike the sides of النُكبِveering winds
بِجُنوبِنا كَجَوانِبِ النُكبِ
And you see the fear from their dwellings
You see the fear from their dwellings on
along our flanks, like crosswinds striking from the sides.
Our sides like the sides of a stray camel
وَلَقَدand indeed مَطَوتُI journeyed إِلَيكَtoward you مِنfrom بَلَدٍa land
وَلَقَد مَطَوتُ إِلَيكَ مِن بَلَدٍ
نائيdistant المَزارَto visit بِأَينُقٍon she-camels حُدبِarched-backed
نائي المَزارَ بِأَينُقٍ حُدبِ
And indeed I journeyed toward you from a land
And I have indeed journeyed to you from a distant land
far to reach, on arched-backed she-camels,
With beautiful, humped she-camels heading to the shrine
مُتَواتِراتٍfollowing one another بِالإِكامِover the hillocks إِذاwhen
مُتَواتِراتٍ بِالإِكامِ إِذا
جَلَفَstripped bare العَزازَthe hard ground جَوالِبُsweeping gusts النُكبِof veering winds
جَلَفَ العَزازَ جَوالِبُ النُكبِ
following one another over the hillocks, when
Continuously travelling when the violent sandstorms
the sweeping crosswinds stripped the hard ground bare.
Slap the straying camels with strong wings
وَكَأَنَّهُنَّand as if they قَطاًsandgrouse يُصَفِّقُهُbuffet it
وَكَأَنَّهُنَّ قَطاً يُصَفِّقُهُ
خُرُقُfierce gusts الرِياحِof wind بِنَفنَفٍin an open expanse رَحبِbroad
خُرُقُ الرِياحِ بِنَفنَفٍ رَحبِ
And they seemed like sandgrouse buffeted
As if they were cats blown by the winds
by fierce winds in a wide, open expanse.
With slaps of vast wings
قَطَرِيَّةٌQatari وَخِلالُهاand among them مَهرِيَّةٌMahri
قَطَرِيَّةٌ وَخِلالُها مَهرِيَّةٌ
مِنfrom عِندِamong ذاتِpossessing سَوالِفٍneck-sides غُلبِthick
مِن عِندِ ذاتِ سَوالِفٍ غُلبِ
Qatari camels, with Mahri camels among them,
Qatari she-camels with amongst them Mahri she-camels
from among those with thick, massive necks.
From the side of an owner of tired she-camels
خوصٌnarrow-eyed نَواهِزُsurging forward بِالسُدوسِwith shawl-cloths إِذاwhen
خوصٌ نَواهِزُ بِالسُدوسِ إِذا
ضَمَّgathered الحُداةُthe camel-drivers جَوانِبَthe flanks الرَكبِof the caravan
ضَمَّ الحُداةُ جَوانِبَ الرَكبِ
Narrow-eyed, surging beneath shawl-cloths, when
Arrogant she-camels that alarm with bells when
the camel-drivers gathered the caravan's flanks.
The guides gather the sides of the riding party
حَتّىuntil أُنِخنَthey were made to kneel إِلىbeside اِبنِthe son of أَكرَمِهِمtheir noblest
حَتّى أُنِخنَ إِلى اِبنِ أَكرَمِهِم
حَسَباًin ancestral honor وَهُنَّand they كَمُنجِزِlike one fulfilling النَحبِthe vow
حَسَباً وَهُنَّ كَمُنجِزِ النَحبِ
Until they were made to kneel beside the son of their noblest
Until I arrived at the son of their most generous man
in ancestral honor, and they were like one who has fulfilled his vow.
In lineage, and they are like fulfilling a promise
فَوَضَعنَso they set down أَزفَلَةًa throng وَرَدنَthey came to water بِهاwith it
فَوَضَعنَ أَزفَلَةً وَرَدنَ بِها
بَحراًa sea خَسيفاًdeep طَيِّبَpleasant الشُربِto drink
بَحراً خَسيفاً طَيِّبَ الشُربِ
Then they set down a throng they had brought to
So he made hospitality by welcoming us
a deep sea, sweet to drink.
With a fresh sea, pleasant to drink from
وَإِذاand when تَغَوَّلَتِturned ghoul-like البِلادُthe lands بِناwith us
وَإِذا تَغَوَّلَتِ البِلادُ بِنا
مَنَّيتُهُI held out hope of him وَفِعالُهُand his deeds صَحبيmy companions
مَنَّيتُهُ وَفِعالُهُ صَحبي
And when the lands played the ghoul with us,
And when the countries ignored us, I wished him well
I cheered my companions with hope of him and his deeds.
And his actions were that of a companion
أَسَعيدُO Sa'id إِنَّكَindeed you فيamong قُرَيشٍQuraysh كُلِّهاall of it
أَسَعيدُ إِنَّكَ في قُرَيشٍ كُلِّها
شَرَفُthe crest السَنامِof the hump وَمَوضِعُand the seat القَلبِof the heart
شَرَفُ السَنامِ وَمَوضِعُ القَلبِ
O Sa'id, among all Quraysh you are
I am happy that among all of Quraysh, you
the crest of the hump and the seat of the heart.
Are the glory of the idols and the object of hearts
مُتَحَلِّبُflowing like milk الكَفَينِthe two palms غَيرُnot عَصِيِّهِresisting him
مُتَحَلِّبُ الكَفَينِ غَيرُ عَصِيِّهِ
ضَيقٍstraitness مَحَلَّتُهُhis dwelling وَلاnor جَدبِdrought
ضَيقٍ مَحَلَّتُهُ وَلا جَدبِ
His two palms stream like milk; he is not thwarted
Smooth handed, not disobedient or stubborn
by straitness at his dwelling, nor by drought.
Straightened after destitution and drought
أَلأَوبُthe stride أَوبُthe stride of نَعائِمٍostriches قَطَرِيَّةٍQatari
أَلأَوبُ أَوبُ نَعائِمٍ قَطَرِيَّةٍ
وَالأَلُّand the rapid pace أَلُّthe rapid pace of نَحائِصٍlean wild she-asses حُقبِwhite-flanked
وَالأَلُّ أَلُّ نَحائِصٍ حُقبِ
The stride is the stride of Qatari ostriches,
Alas! Alas! The pleasures of Qatari she-camels
and the rush the rush of lean, white-flanked wild she-asses.
And oh! The soreness of persistent misfortunes
Sol 6.1