وَلَوand if كُنتَyou had been فيهاin it يَومَon the day ذاpossessor of الأَثلِthe tamarisk trees لَمnot تَؤُبyou returned
وَلَو كُنتَ فيها يَومَ ذا الأَثلِ لَم تَؤُب
وَزادُكَand your provision إِلّاexcept ذاتُone possessing وَدقَينِtwo rain-showers تَنضَحُspatters
وَزادُكَ إِلّا ذاتُ وَدقَينِ تَنضَحُ
And had you been there on the day of Dhu al-Athl, you would not have returned
Had you been there on the day when spears dripped blood,
save with war, spattering its twin showers, as your provision.
You would not have turned away, and nothing but the trysting-places of Wadaqin overflowing would have increased you.
غَداةَon the morning ذُبالُwicks السَمهَرِيَةِthe Samharian lances يَلتَظيblazes
غَداةَ ذُبالُ السَمهَرِيَةِ يَلتَظي
بِأَيمانِناin our right hands وَالبيضُand the white steel بِالبيضِagainst the white steel تُقدَحُis made to spark
بِأَيمانِنا وَالبيضُ بِالبيضِ تُقدَحُ
That morning, the wicks of the Samharian lances blazed
When the ostrich eggs of Samhara are excited
in our right hands, and white steel struck sparks against white steel.
by our oaths, and egg strikes on egg.
مَواقِفُencounters تُنسيmake forget المَرءَa person ماwhat كانَwas قَبلَهاbefore them
مَواقِفُ تُنسي المَرءَ ما كانَ قَبلَها
تَرىyou see الجَذَعَthe young colt العامِيَّyear-old فيهِنَّin them يَقرَحُreaches full maturity
تَرى الجَذَعَ العامِيَّ فيهِنَّ يَقرَحُ
Encounters that make a man forget what came before them:
Stations that make one forget what went before,
in them you see the yearling colt reach full maturity.
Where you see the ignorant boast to ulcers.
كَأَنَّas though سِقاطَthe falling البيضِthe white blades ثُمَّthen اِرتِفاعَهاtheir rising
كَأَنَّ سِقاطَ البيضِ ثُمَّ اِرتِفاعَها
مَصاريعُdoor-leaves أَبوابٍof doors تُجافُare shut وَتُفتَحُand are opened
مَصاريعُ أَبوابٍ تُجافُ وَتُفتَحُ
The white blades’ descent, then their rise, seems
As though the falling of the eggs down, then the rising up of them
like door-leaves being shut and opened.
Were the opening and shutting of the doors of a darkened house.
فَإِنso if تَكُyou are قَدalready سُقِّيتَyou were made to drink مِثليlike me بِكاسِهاfrom its cup
فَإِن تَكُ قَد سُقِّيتَ مِثلي بِكاسِها
فَماthen what لَكَis with you ياO ذاpossessor of الضَبِّhidden rancor لاnot تَتَرَنَّحُyou reel
فَما لَكَ يا ذا الضَبِّ لا تَتَرَنَّحُ
So if, like me, you have been made to drink from its cup,
If you have been given a drink from her cup like me,
then why, O bearer of hidden rancor, do you not reel?
Why then, O snapper-up of trifles, do you not stagger?
جُعِلتَmay you be made صَحيحاًsound مِثلَlike ضامِنِa guarantor for نُقبَةٍa mange-scab
جُعِلتَ صَحيحاً مِثلَ ضامِنِ نُقبَةٍ
لَهُto him كُلَّevery يَومٍday جالِبٌa drover يَتَقَرَّحُbreaks out in sores
لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ جالِبٌ يَتَقَرَّحُ
May you be sound—like one standing surety for a mange-scab,
You were set up as the guarantee of a ruinous dwelling,
to whom each day a drover comes, breaking out in sores.
To which some providing visitor comes every day.
Sol 6.1