ماذاwhat ذَكَرتُمyou mentioned مِنof قُلوصٍa young she-camel عَقَرتُهاI slaughtered her
ماذا ذَكَرتُم مِن قُلوصٍ عَقَرتُها
بِسَيفيwith my sword وَضَيفانُand the guests الشِتاءِof winter شُهودُهاher witnesses
بِسَيفي وَضَيفانُ الشِتاءِ شُهودُها
What have you said of a young she-camel I slaughtered
What ruins did you mention that my sword laid waste,
with my sword, while winter's guests witnessed it?
With winter's guests as witnesses against them?
فَقَدfor indeed عَلِمواthey knew أَنّيthat I وَفَيتُI fulfilled my obligation لِرَبِّهاto her owner
فَقَد عَلِموا أَنّي وَفَيتُ لِرَبِّها
فَراحَso he departed عَلىon عَنسٍa sturdy she-camel بِأُخرىwith another يَقودُهاhe leads her
فَراحَ عَلى عَنسٍ بِأُخرى يَقودُها
For they knew I made good her owner's due;
They knew I was loyal to their Lord,
he departed on a sturdy she-camel, leading another.
So one tribe moved on and drove another before it.
قَرَيتُI hosted الكِلابِيَّthe Kilabi الَّذيwho يَبتَغيseeks القِرىhospitality
قَرَيتُ الكِلابِيَّ الَّذي يَبتَغي القِرى
وَأُمَّكَand your mother إِذwhen تَخديstrides swiftly إِلَيناtoward us قَعودُهاher riding-camel
وَأُمَّكَ إِذ تَخدي إِلَينا قَعودُها
I hosted the Kilabi who sought hospitality,
I know that cur who prowls about seeking camps
and your mother, when her riding-camel strode swiftly toward us.
While your mother crawls abjectly to us.
رَفَعناwe raised لَهاfor her ناراًa fire تُثَقَّبُis kindled لِلقِرىfor hospitality
رَفَعنا لَها ناراً تُثَقَّبُ لِلقِرى
وَلِقحَةَand a milch-camel (a cauldron) أَضيافٍof guests طَويلاًlong رُكودُهاits resting
وَلِقحَةَ أَضيافٍ طَويلاً رُكودُها
For her we raised a fire, kindled for hospitality,
We built a fire for her that bored through the camps
and a guests' milch-camel, long resting still.
And a guest-blaze that was kept burning long.
إِذاwhen أُخلِيَتit is fed عودَwood الهَشيمَةِof dry brush أَرزَمَتrumbled
إِذا أُخلِيَت عودَ الهَشيمَةِ أَرزَمَت
جَوانِبُهاits sides حَتّىuntil نَبيتَwe spend the night نَذودُهاwe drive it back
جَوانِبُها حَتّى نَبيتَ نَذودُها
When fed dry brushwood, there rumbled
When the dry branches of the wasting-stick were emptied out
its sides, until we spent the night keeping it in check.
Its sides collapsed until the joints stuck out.
إِذاwhen نُصِبَتit is set up لِلطارِقينَfor night visitors حَسَبتَهاyou would think it
إِذا نُصِبَت لِلطارِقينَ حَسَبتَها
نَعامَةَan ostrich حَزباءٍsquat تَقاصَرَgrew short جيدُهاits neck
نَعامَةَ حَزباءٍ تَقاصَرَ جيدُها
When set up for night visitors, you would think it
When it was set up for the raiders they thought it
a squat ostrich whose neck had grown short.
An ostrich of confederates with a short neck.
تَبيتُspend the night المَحالُthe backbone joints الغُرُّwhite فيin حَجَراتِهاits chambers
تَبيتُ المَحالُ الغُرُّ في حَجَراتِها
شَكارىfull-uddered مَراهاmilked it ماؤُهاits water وَحَديدُهاand its iron
شَكارى مَراها ماؤُها وَحَديدُها
White backbone joints spend the night in its chambers,
They passed the night while the horses pawed the ground
full-uddered; its water and iron have milked it.
In its stalls, the water and iron of their sires forgotten.
بَعَثناwe sent إِلَيهاto it المُنزِلَينِthe two who lower it فَحاوَلاand they both tried
بَعَثنا إِلَيها المُنزِلَينِ فَحاوَلا
لِكَيso that يُنزِلاهاthey both lower it وَهيَwhile it حامٍhot حُيودُهاits bulging sides
لِكَي يُنزِلاها وَهيَ حامٍ حُيودُها
We sent the two handlers to it, and they both tried
We sent two scouts who tried
to lower it, its bulging sides still hot.
To make them come down, but still their forelocks tossed.
فَباتَتso it spent the night تَعُدُّcounting النَجمَthe stars فيin مُستَحيرَةٍa broad bowl
فَباتَت تَعُدُّ النَجمَ في مُستَحيرَةٍ
سَريعٍswift بِأَيديin the hands الآكِلينَof the diners جُمودُهاits congealing
سَريعٍ بِأَيدي الآكِلينَ جُمودُها
So it spent the night counting stars in a broad bowl,
They spent the night counting the stars perplexed
whose contents quickly congealed in the diners' hands.
While their grub was snatched by grasping hands.
فَلَمّاso when سَقَيناهاwe gave her drink العَكيسَmilk mixed with broth تَمَلَّأَتbecame full
فَلَمّا سَقَيناها العَكيسَ تَمَلَّأَت
مَذاخِرُهاher inner stores وَاِزدادَand increased رَشحاًin oozing وَريدُهاher jugular vein
مَذاخِرُها وَاِزدادَ رَشحاً وَريدُها
So when we gave her milk mixed with broth to drink, it filled
When we watered them from the leather bucket they filled up;
her inner stores, and her neck-vein oozed all the more.
Their nostrils expanded and the veins of their forelocks pulsed.
فَلَمّاso when قَضَتshe satisfied مِنfrom ذيthe contents of الإِناءِthe vessel لُبانَةًa craving
فَلَمّا قَضَت مِن ذي الإِناءِ لُبانَةً
أَرادَتshe wanted إِلَيناfrom us حاجَةًsomething needed لاnot نُريدُهاwe want it
أَرادَت إِلَينا حاجَةً لا نُريدُها
So when she had satisfied a craving from the vessel's contents,
When they had their fill of the water they wanted something from us
she wanted something from us that we did not want.
We did not want.
فَلَمّاso when عَرَفناwe recognized أَنَّهاthat she أُمُّthe mother of خَنزَرٍKhanzar
فَلَمّا عَرَفنا أَنَّها أُمُّ خَنزَرٍ
جَفاهاshunned her مَواليهاher kinsfolk وَغابَand was absent مُفيدُهاher benefactor
جَفاها مَواليها وَغابَ مُفيدُها
So when we recognized her as Khanzar's mother,
When we realized it was the mother of a pig
her kinsfolk shunned her, and her benefactor was absent.
Her trusted ones banned her and she lost her defender.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِعتَراناvisited us الحَقُّthe rightful claim بِالسَهلِon the plain أَصبَحَتshe became
إِذا ما اِعتَرانا الحَقُّ بِالسَهلِ أَصبَحَت
لَهاfor her مِثلِlike أَسرابِthe dens الضِباعِof hyenas خُدودُهاher cheeks
لَها مِثلِ أَسرابِ الضِباعِ خُدودُها
Whenever a rightful claim visited us on the plain, she would have
Whenever we are wronged in an easy matter, their cheeks
cheeks like the dens of hyenas.
Become like foxes' jowls.
تَبيتُshe spends the night وَرِجلاهاand her legs أَوانانِtwo panniers لِاِستِهاfor her backside
تَبيتُ وَرِجلاها أَوانانِ لِاِستِها
عَصاهاher staff اِستُهاher backside حَتّىuntil يَكِلَّgrows weary قَعودُهاher riding-camel
عَصاها اِستُها حَتّى يَكِلَّ قَعودُها
She spends the night, her legs two panniers for her backside;
They pass the night while their legs are fire-sticks for their brands
her backside is her staff, until her riding-camel tires.
Their staves brands, till walking wearies them.
مُجَسَّمَةُmassive العِرنينِthe nose bridge مَنقوبَةُpierced العَصاthe staff
مُجَسَّمَةُ العِرنينِ مَنقوبَةُ العَصا
عَدوسُa tireless walker السُرىnight travel باقٍenduring عَلىunder الخَسفِharsh treatment عودُهاher old camel
عَدوسُ السُرى باقٍ عَلى الخَسفِ عودُها
Massive-nosed, with her staff pierced through,
Pocked of nostril, hollow of staff,
a tireless night-roamer, her old camel enduring harsh treatment.
Scowling of face, their homes fixed on the gravel,
فَجاءَتso she came إِلَيناto us وَالدُجىwhile the darkness مُرجَحِنَّةٌlay heavy
فَجاءَت إِلَينا وَالدُجى مُرجَحِنَّةٌ
رَغوثُa nursing beast شِتاءٍof winter قَدalready تَقَوَّبَhad shed its hair عودُهاher old camel
رَغوثُ شِتاءٍ قَد تَقَوَّبَ عودُها
So she came to us while the darkness lay heavy,
They came to us while the dusk was uncertain,
a winter milch-beast, her old camel's hair fallen away.
Locusts of winter whose fuel had run out.
تَؤُمُّshe heads toward وَصَحراءُand tawny-colored المَشافِرِthe lips دونَهاbeneath her
تَؤُمُّ وَصَحراءُ المَشافِرِ دونَها
سَناthe glow نارِناof our fire أَنّىwherever يُشَبُّis kindled وَقودُهاits fuel
سَنا نارِنا أَنّى يُشَبُّ وَقودُها
She heads—with a tawny-lipped camel beneath her—toward
The desert of their claws stretches away behind them
our fire's glow, wherever its fuel is kindled.
While the blaze of our fire shines wherever its fuel is damp.
ظَلِلتُI remained بِيَومٍfor a day عِندَهُنَّwith them تَغَيَّبَتvanished
ظَلِلتُ بِيَومٍ عِندَهُنَّ تَغَيَّبَت
نُحوسُthe ill omens جَواريهِof its coursing stars وَمَرَّتand passed سُعودُهاtheir good omens
نُحوسُ جَواريهِ وَمَرَّت سُعودُها
I spent a day with them when there vanished
I spent a day in their company then their bad luck passed
the ill omens of its coursing stars, while their good omens passed.
And good fortune returned to them.
فَلاso no يَومُday دُنياof this world مِثلُهُlike it غَيرَexcept أَنَّناthat we
فَلا يَومُ دُنيا مِثلُهُ غَيرَ أَنَّنا
نَرىwe see هَذِهِthis الدُنياworld قَليلاًbrief خُلودُهاits permanence
نَرى هَذِهِ الدُنيا قَليلاً خُلودُها
So no day in this world is like it—except that we
For that day has no match but we see
see how brief is this world's permanence.
That this world lasts only a little while.
فَأَصبَحَso by morning he was يَستافُsniffing الفَلاةَthe wilderness كَأَنَّهُas though he
فَأَصبَحَ يَستافُ الفَلاةَ كَأَنَّهُ
مُشَرّىًspread out to dry بِأَطرافِat the edges البُيوتِof the tents قَديدُهاtheir dried meat
مُشَرّىً بِأَطرافِ البُيوتِ قَديدُها
So by morning he was sniffing the wilderness, as though he were
He takes the emptiness for granted as though he were
their dried meat, spread out at the tents' edges.
Anointed with the ends of the houses and their corner posts.
Sol 6.1