وَلَمand did not أَرَI see مَعقوراًone brought low بِهِupon him وَسطَamid مَعشَرٍa company
وَلَم أَرَ مَعقوراً بِهِ وَسطَ مَعشَرٍ
أَقَلَّless اِنتِصاراًself-defense بِاللِسانِwith the tongue وَبِاليَدِand with the hand
أَقَلَّ اِنتِصاراً بِاللِسانِ وَبِاليَدِ
And never have I seen one brought low amid a company,
I have not seen one mocked among a gathering
less able to defend himself by tongue or hand,
Who retaliated less with his tongue and hand,
سِوىexcept نَظَرٍa glance ساجٍlanguid بِعَينٍwith an eye مَريضَةٍailing
سِوى نَظَرٍ ساجٍ بِعَينٍ مَريضَةٍ
جَرَتflowed عَبرَةٌa tear مِنهاfrom it فَفاضَتthen it overflowed بِإِثمِدِwith antimony kohl
جَرَت عَبرَةٌ مِنها فَفاضَت بِإِثمِدِ
save for a languid glance from an ailing eye.
Except a tender gaze with a sick eye
A tear flowed from it, spilling over with antimony kohl.
From which a tear flowed and overflowed generously.
بَكَتmay it weep عَينُthe eye مَنwhoever أَذرىmade fall دُموعَكِyour tears (feminine) إِنَّماonly
بَكَت عَينُ مَن أَذرى دُموعَكِ إِنَّما
وَشىslandered بِكِagainst you (feminine) واشٍa slanderer مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of أُختِthe sister of مِسرَدِMisrad
وَشى بِكِ واشٍ مِن بَني أُختِ مِسرَدِ
May the eye of whoever made your tears fall weep! It was only
The eye of the one who made your tears flow only wept
a slanderer from the sons of Misrad’s sister who spoke against you.
And was promised by a promiser from the sister tribe of Misrad.
فَلَوso, had كُنتُI been مَعذوراًjustified بِنَصرِكِin helping you (feminine) طَيَّرَتwould have put to flight
فَلَو كُنتُ مَعذوراً بِنَصرِكِ طَيَّرَت
صُقورِيَmy falcons غِربانَthe ravens of البَعيرِthe camel المُقَيَّدِthe tethered one
صُقورِيَ غِربانَ البَعيرِ المُقَيَّدِ
Had I been justified in aiding you, they would have been put to flight—
If I had been excused for supporting you,
the ravens of the tethered camel—by my falcons.
My hawks would have made the ravens of the tied camel flee.
لَظَلَّwould have remained قُطامِيٌّa falcon وَتَحتَand beneath لَبانِهِits breast
لَظَلَّ قُطامِيٌّ وَتَحتَ لَبانِهِ
نَواهِضَfledglings رُبدٌdusky ذاتُhaving ريشٍfeathers مُسَبَّدِshort and bristling
نَواهِضَ رُبدٌ ذاتُ ريشٍ مُسَبَّدِ
A falcon would have remained, and beneath its breast lay
Qutami would have remained while under his upper lip
dusky fledglings with short, bristling feathers.
Were doves with soft plumage.
وَلِلدارِand for the dwelling فيهاwithin it مِنfrom حُمولَةِthe pack animals of أَهلِهاits people
وَلِلدارِ فيها مِن حُمولَةِ أَهلِها
عَقيرٌa hamstrung beast وَلِلباكيand for the weeper بِهاthere المُتَبَلِّدِthe bewildered one
عَقيرٌ وَلِلباكي بِها المُتَبَلِّدِ
And the dwelling holds within it, from its people’s pack animals,
And in it from the burdens of its people,
a hamstrung beast, also for the bewildered weeper there.
Is a heavily pregnant she-camel and one who grieves for the newborn.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنجَلَتcleared away عَنهُfrom him غَداةًone morning ضَبابَةٌa mist
إِذا ما اِنجَلَت عَنهُ غَداةً ضَبابَةٌ
رَأىhe saw وَهوَand he فيin بَلدٍopen country خَرانِقَthe young hares of مُنشِدِMunshid
رَأى وَهوَ في بَلدٍ خَرانِقَ مُنشِدِ
Whenever, one morning, a mist cleared away from him,
When the mist clears from him in the morning,
he saw, while in open country, the young hares of Munshid.
He sees himself in a land of singing camel-litters.
وَخودٌand a tender young woman مِنَamong اللائيthose women who يُسَمَّعنَmake heard بِالضُحىat forenoon
وَخودٌ مِنَ اللائي يُسَمَّعنَ بِالضُحى
قَريضَthe verse of الرُدافىthe pillion riders بِالغِناءِin song المُهَوَّدِsoothing
قَريضَ الرُدافى بِالغِناءِ المُهَوَّدِ
And a tender young woman, among those who make heard at forenoon
And cheeks of ladies who are heard at dawn
the verse of pillion riders in soothing song,
Singing delicate melodies in languid tones.
ضَوارِبُstriking بِالأَذقانِwith their chins مِنfrom ذيone possessing شَكيمَةٍmettle
ضَوارِبُ بِالأَذقانِ مِن ذي شَكيمَةٍ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle هَوىit plunged كَالنَيزَكِlike a meteor المُتَوَقِّدِthe blazing one
إِذا ما هَوى كَالنَيزَكِ المُتَوَقِّدِ
their chins striking at the jolts of a mettlesome mount,
Buxom ones with chins of lofty stature
whenever it plunged like a blazing meteor,
When they incline are like flaming falling stars.
دَعَتناshe called us فَأَلوَتthen she waved بِالنَصيفِwith the veil وَدونَهاand between us and her
دَعَتنا فَأَلوَت بِالنَصيفِ وَدونَها
جَناحٌJanah وَرُكنٌand a spur مِنof أَهاضيبِthe rocky heights of ثَهمَدِThahmad
جَناحٌ وَرُكنٌ مِن أَهاضيبِ ثَهمَدِ
called to us and waved her veil; between us and her lay
They called us over so we visited at midday and below them
Janah and a spur of Thahmad’s rocky heights.
Is a wing and pillar of the tents of Thahmad.
مُرَبَّعُMurabbaʿ أَعلىhigh حاجِبُthe brow of العَينِthe eye أُمُّهُhis mother
مُرَبَّعُ أَعلى حاجِبُ العَينِ أُمُّهُ
شَقيقَهُhis full brother (apparently intended: a full sister) عَبدٍa slave مِنfrom قَطينٍhousehold dependents مُوَلَّدِhome-born
شَقيقَهُ عَبدٍ مِن قَطينٍ مُوَلَّدِ
Murabbaʿ, high of brow—his mother
The brow above the eye of its mother
is apparently a slave’s full sister, from a household of home-born dependents.
Is the twin of a servant from the tribe of Qutayn.
Sol 6.1