تَبَصَّرlook closely خَليليmy friend هَلdo تَرىyou see مِنany ظَعائِنٍwomen in howdahs
تَبَصَّر خَليلي هَل تَرى مِن ظَعائِنٍ
تَحَمَّلنَthey prepared to depart مِنfrom واديthe valley العَناقِal-'Anaq وَثَهمَدِand Thahmad
تَحَمَّلنَ مِن وادي العَناقِ وَثَهمَدِ
Look closely, my friend: do you see any women in howdahs
My beloved, look and see, are there any young gazelles
making ready to leave the valley of al-'Anaq and Thahmad?
That came from the valley of Anaq burdened with yearning?
تَحَمَّلنَthey prepared to depart حَتّىuntil قُلتَyou said لَسنَthey are not بَوارِحاًdeparting
تَحَمَّلنَ حَتّى قُلتَ لَسنَ بَوارِحاً
وَلاand not تارِكاتِleaving الدارِthe dwelling حَتّىuntil ضُحىthe forenoon الغَدِof tomorrow
وَلا تارِكاتِ الدارِ حَتّى ضُحى الغَدِ
They made ready to leave until you said, “They will not depart,
They came burdened until you said they were not nimble,
nor leave the dwelling until tomorrow's forenoon.”
Nor leaving home until the morn of the next day.
يُطِفنَthey circle ضُحِيّاًat midmorning وَالجِمالُand the camels مُناخَةٌare kneeling
يُطِفنَ ضُحِيّاً وَالجِمالُ مُناخَةٌ
بِكُلِّaround each مُنيفٍtowering one كَالحِصانِlike the stallion المُقَيَّدِtethered
بِكُلِّ مُنيفٍ كَالحِصانِ المُقَيَّدِ
They circle at midmorning—the camels kneeling—
They wander at dawn while the camels are tethered
round each towering howdah, like a tethered stallion.
At every campsite, like horses tied down.
تُخَيِّرنَwere carefully selected مِنfrom أَثلِtamarisk trees الوَريعَةِal-Wari'ah وَاِنتَحىand he turned to the task
تُخَيِّرنَ مِن أَثلِ الوَريعَةِ وَاِنتَحى
لَهاfor them القَينُthe craftsman يَعقوبٌYa'qub بِفَأسٍwith an axe وَمِبرَدِand a file
لَها القَينُ يَعقوبٌ بِفَأسٍ وَمِبرَدِ
They were selected from al-Wari'ah's tamarisk wood; and to them turned
They choose from the lush meadow, and the hunter takes aim,
the craftsman Ya'qub, with an axe and a file.
Yaqub, with his axe and sharp blade.
لَهُit has زِئبَرٌa fleecy nap جوفٌhollow كَأَنَّas though خُدودَهاtheir sides
لَهُ زِئبَرٌ جوفٌ كَأَنَّ خُدودَها
خُدودُthe cheeks جِيادٍof fine horses أَشرَفَتpeering out فَوقَabove مِربَدِan enclosure
خُدودُ جِيادٍ أَشرَفَت فَوقَ مِربَدِ
It has a fleecy nap; the hollow howdahs' sides are like
His quiver is empty as if its sides
the cheeks of fine horses peering over an enclosure.
Are the cheeks of steeds overlooking the saddlebags.
كَأَنَّas though مَناطَthe hanging-place الوَدعِof the cowries حَيثُwhere عَقَدنَهُthey tied it
كَأَنَّ مَناطَ الوَدعِ حَيثُ عَقَدنَهُ
لَبانُthe breast دَخيلِيٍّof a Dakhili horse أَسيلِsmooth and slender المُقَلَّدِof neck
لَبانُ دَخيلِيٍّ أَسيلِ المُقَلَّدِ
The place where they tied the hanging cowries seemed like
As if the tethering spot where they tied them down
the breast of a Dakhili horse with a smooth, slender neck.
Is the milk of Dakhili, flowing and braided.
أَطَفنَthey circled بِهِaround it حَتّىuntil اِستَوىit stood complete وَكَأَنَّهاand as though they were
أَطَفنَ بِهِ حَتّى اِستَوى وَكَأَنَّها
هَجائِنُthoroughbred she-camels أُدمٍwhite-coated حَولَaround أَعيَسَa pale bull-camel مُلبِدِmatted-coated
هَجائِنُ أُدمٍ حَولَ أَعيَسَ مُلبِدِ
They circled it till it stood complete, as though they were
They circled about until settling as if they were
white thoroughbred she-camels around a pale, matted-coated bull-camel.
The tents of Udm set up around the shaggy mount.
فَلَمّاso when تَرَكنَthey left الدارَthe dwelling رُحنَthey set out بِيانِعٍwith a flourishing one
فَلَمّا تَرَكنَ الدارَ رُحنَ بِيانِعٍ
مِنَof النَخلِthe date palms لاnot جَحنٍstunted وَلاand not مُتَبَدِّدِstraggling
مِنَ النَخلِ لا جَحنٍ وَلا مُتَبَدِّدِ
When they left the dwelling, they set out with a flourishing tree—
When they left the abode, they sped off with smooth gait
a date palm, neither stunted nor straggling.
Through the palms, no weakness or scattering.
فَقُلتُso I said لِأَصحابيto my companions هُمُthey الحَيُّthe tribe فَاِلحَقواso catch up
فَقُلتُ لِأَصحابي هُمُ الحَيُّ فَاِلحَقوا
بِحَوراءَwith a dark-eyed beauty فيamong أَترابِهاher age-mates بِنتُdaughter مَعبَدِof Ma'bad
بِحَوراءَ في أَترابِها بِنتُ مَعبَدِ
So I told my companions, “They are the tribe; catch up
So I said to my friends, they are the living, so pursue
with the dark-eyed beauty among her age-mates, Ma'bad's daughter.”
The maiden Horra in her litters, the daughter of Ma'bad.
فَماso not أَلحَقَتناbrought us up to them العيسُthe pale camels حَتّىuntil وَجَدتَنيyou found me
فَما أَلحَقَتنا العيسُ حَتّى وَجَدتَني
أَسِفتُI grew angry عَلىat حاديهِمُtheir camel-driver المُتَجَرِّدِbare-bodied
أَسِفتُ عَلى حاديهِمُ المُتَجَرِّدِ
The pale camels had not yet brought us up to them when you found me
The steeds did not overtake us before I found myself
angry with their bare-bodied camel-driver.
Yearning for their guide, stripped bare.
وَقَدand already أَرخَتِshe let swing freely الضَبعَينِthe upper forelegs حَرفٌa lean she-camel شِمِلَّةٌfleet
وَقَد أَرخَتِ الضَبعَينِ حَرفٌ شِمِلَّةٌ
بِسَيرٍat a pace كَفاناsufficed us مِنinstead of بَريدٍa courier-mount مُخَوَّدِgalloping swiftly
بِسَيرٍ كَفانا مِن بَريدٍ مُخَوَّدِ
And a lean, swift she-camel had already let her forelegs swing
The two haunches had slowed to a limping gait
at a pace that spared us the need for a galloping courier-mount.
With a journey that spared us from rugged terrain.
فَلَمّاso when تَدارَكناwe caught up with one another نَبَذناwe tossed out تَحِيَّةًa greeting
فَلَمّا تَدارَكنا نَبَذنا تَحِيَّةً
وَدافَعَand pushed aside أَدناناthe nearest of us العَوارِضَthe barriers بِاليَدِwith the hand
وَدافَعَ أَدنانا العَوارِضَ بِاليَدِ
When we caught up with one another, we tossed out a greeting,
When we caught up, we gave greetings
and the nearest of us pushed the barriers aside with his hand.
And warded off misfortunes with our hands.
صَدَدناwe turned away صُدوداًa turning away غَيرَnot هِجرانِestrangement بِغضَةٍhatred
صَدَدنا صُدوداً غَيرَ هِجرانِ بِغضَةٍ
وَأَدنَينَand they drew close أَبراداًstriped wraps عَلىover كُلِّevery مُجسِدِsaffron-dyed dress
وَأَدنَينَ أَبراداً عَلى كُلِّ مُجسِدِ
We turned away, but not in estrangement born of hatred,
We confronted gently, not with hateful estrangement,
and they drew striped wraps over every saffron-dyed dress.
And brought ourselves closer to every embodied soul.
يُنازِعنَناthey exchanged with us رَخصَtender البَيانِspeech كَأَنَّماas though
يُنازِعنَنا رَخصَ البَيانِ كَأَنَّما
يُنازِعنَناthey tugged back and forth with us هُدّابَthe fringes رَيطٍof fine cloth مُعَضَّدِstriped
يُنازِعنَنا هُدّابَ رَيطٍ مُعَضَّدِ
They exchanged tender speech with us, as though
They competed with us in eloquent speech as if
tugging with us at the fringes of striped fine cloth.
Competing with an expert guide holding the reins steady.
وَأُقصِدَand was mortally stricken مِنّاamong us كُلُّevery مَنone who كانَhad been صاحِياًsober
وَأُقصِدَ مِنّا كُلُّ مَن كانَ صاحِياً
صَحيحَsound الفُؤادِof heart وَاِشتَفىand found healing كُلُّevery مُقصَدِstricken man
صَحيحَ الفُؤادِ وَاِشتَفى كُلُّ مُقصَدِ
And every man among us who had been sober was struck down,
And we reached out to all who were alert
his heart once sound; and every stricken man found healing.
With sound hearts and seeking every aim.
فَلَمّاso when قَضَيناwe had taken مِلfrom (likely intended مِن) أَحاديثِconversations سَلوَةًsolace
فَلَمّا قَضَينا مِل أَحاديثِ سَلوَةً
وَخِفناand we feared عُيونَthe eyes الكاشِحِof the ill-wisher المُتَفَقِّدِprying
وَخِفنا عُيونَ الكاشِحِ المُتَفَقِّدِ
When we had taken our solace from conversation,
When we had our fill of delightful conversation
and feared the eyes of the prying ill-wisher,
And avoided the prying eyes of the watchful overseer,
دَفَعناwe urged onward الجِمالَthe camels ثُمَّthen قُلناwe said لِقَينَةٍto a singing-girl
دَفَعنا الجِمالَ ثُمَّ قُلنا لِقَينَةٍ
صَدوحِringing-voiced الغِناءِin song مِنfrom قَطينٍhousehold servants مُوَلَّدِhomeborn
صَدوحِ الغِناءِ مِن قَطينٍ مُوَلَّدِ
we urged the camels on, then said to a singing-girl,
We drove off the camels, then said to the singer
ringing-voiced in song, one of the homeborn household servants:
Of melodious song, born of the tribe of Qatina:
لَكِto you الوَيلُwoe غَنّيناsing for us بِهِندٍabout Hind قَصيدَةًan ode
لَكِ الوَيلُ غَنّينا بِهِندٍ قَصيدَةً
وَقوليand say لِمَنto whoever لاdoes not يَبتَغيseek اللَهوَamusement يَبعَدِlet him keep away
وَقولي لِمَن لا يَبتَغي اللَهوَ يَبعَدِ
“Woe to you! Sing us an ode about Hind,
Woe to you! Sing for us a Hind ode,
and tell whoever seeks no amusement to keep away.”
And say to those who seek no frivolity, "Keep away!"
Sol 6.1