وَمَنand whoever يَكُis بادِياًa nomad وَيَكُنand is أَخاهُhis brother
وَمَن يَكُ بادِياً وَيَكُن أَخاهُ
أَباAbu (father of) الضَحّاكِal-Dahhak يَنتَسِجِweaves for himself الشِمالاthe cloaks
أَبا الضَحّاكِ يَنتَسِجِ الشِمالا
And whoever is a nomad and is his brother—
He who marches at dawn, with his brother
Abu al-Dahhak—will weave the cloaks.
Abu Dhahhak grazing in the north,
سَيَكفيكِwill suffice you المُرَحَّلُthe saddle-patterned cloak ذوhaving ثَمانٍeight
سَيَكفيكِ المُرَحَّلُ ذو ثَمانٍ
سَحيلٌsingle-ply cloth تَغزِلينَyou spin لَهُfor it الجُفالاthe shorn fleece
سَحيلٌ تَغزِلينَ لَهُ الجُفالا
The saddle-patterned cloak, eight cubits long, will suffice you—
Will suffice you the meandering one with eight
a single-ply cloth, for which you spin the shorn fleece.
A swift she-camel whose hair you spin into ropes,
سَيَكفيكِwill suffice you الإِلَهُGod وَمُسنَماتٌand high-humped she-camels
سَيَكفيكِ الإِلَهُ وَمُسنَماتٌ
كَجَندَلِlike the boulders of لُبنَLubn تَطَّرِدُdrive off الصِلالاthe serpents
كَجَندَلِ لُبنَ تَطَّرِدُ الصِلالا
God and high-humped she-camels will suffice you,
Will suffice you God and palm trees
like Lubn’s boulders, driving off serpents.
Like an oleander dripping honey they shed down pods,
بَناتُdaughters لَبونِهِof his milk-camels عَثَجٌcrowding together إِلَيهِtoward him
بَناتُ لَبونِهِ عَثَجٌ إِلَيهِ
يَسُفنَthey sniff اللَيتَthe side of the neck مِنهُof him وَالقَذالاand the back of the head
يَسُفنَ اللَيتَ مِنهُ وَالقَذالا
His milk-camels’ daughters crowd toward him,
Daughters of Labun, a household to him,
sniffing his neck and the back of his head.
Who sailed the nights from him and stayed awake,
لَهاthey have سَلَفٌa leader يَعوذُtakes refuge بِكُلِّon every ريعٍridge
لَها سَلَفٌ يَعوذُ بِكُلِّ ريعٍ
حَمىguarded الحَوزاتِthe domains وَاِشتَهَرَand singled out الإِفالاthe young calves
حَمى الحَوزاتِ وَاِشتَهَرَ الإِفالا
They have a leader who takes refuge on every ridge,
They have an ancestor who seeks refuge in every pasture
who guarded their domains and singled out the calves.
Sanctuary of meadows where he gained notoriety,
خَراخِرُgurgling milkers تَحسِبُsustain الصَقَعِيَّthe firstborn calf حَتّىuntil
خَراخِرُ تَحسِبُ الصَقَعِيَّ حَتّى
يَظَلَّkeeps يَقُرُّهُpouring into him الراعيthe herdsman سِجالاbucketfuls
يَظَلَّ يَقُرُّهُ الراعي سِجالا
Gurgling milkers sustain the firstborn calf until
Bleating she-camels think the herder
the herdsman keeps pouring bucketfuls into him.
Will stay reciting verses to them,
إِذاwhen غُزُرُrich-flowing المَحالِبِudders أَتأَقَتهُhave filled him to bursting
إِذا غُزُرُ المَحالِبِ أَتأَقَتهُ
يَمُجُّhe spews عَلىover مَناكِبِهِhis shoulders الثُمالاthe milk-froth
يَمُجُّ عَلى مَناكِبِهِ الثُمالا
When rich-uddered milkers have filled him to bursting,
When the milk bags are full he milks them
he spews milk-froth over his shoulders.
And pours out the rich milk into the buckets,
فَلَمّاand when جاوَزَhe passed beyond الرَبَلاتِthe fleshy thighs مِنهاof them
فَلَمّا جاوَزَ الرَبَلاتِ مِنها
إِلىup to الكاذاتِthe haunches باتَhe spent the night بِهاamong them وَقالاand rested at noon
إِلى الكاذاتِ باتَ بِها وَقالا
And when he grew beyond the height of their fleshy thighs,
So when he crossed the wide plain
up to their haunches, he spent the night and rested at noon among them.
And lodged the night at al-Kazat and said:
تَرَعّىhe grazed مِنfrom جُنوبِthe southern parts of ثُعالِباتٍThuʿalibat
تَرَعّى مِن جُنوبِ ثُعالِباتٍ
أَسِرَّةَthe fertile hollows of عازِبٍʿAzib نَحَرَhe faced الهِلالاthe crescent
أَسِرَّةَ عازِبٍ نَحَرَ الهِلالا
He grazed south of Thuʿalibat,
You graze from the sides of prolific she-camels
the fertile hollows of ʿAzib, facing the crescent.
An unmarried man who slaughtered the crescent moon,
إِلَيكُمaway with you لاnot نَكونُwe will be لَكُمfor you خَلاةًa handful of grass as bait
إِلَيكُم لا نَكونُ لَكُم خَلاةً
وَلاnor نَكَعَthe weakling النَقاوىof the choice camels إِذwhen أَحالاhe charged
وَلا نَكَعَ النَقاوى إِذ أَحالا
Away with you! We will not be your bait of grass,
To you we will not be miserly neighbors
nor the weakling among choice camels at the charge.
Nor deny you fresh milk when we have milked.
Sol 6.1