طَيفُan apparition خَيالٍa vision مِنfrom سُلَيمىSulayma هائِجيstirring me
طَيفُ خَيالٍ مِن سُلَيمى هائِجي
وَالقَومُand the company بَينَbetween لَفلَفٍLaflaf وَعالِجِand ‘Alij
وَالقَومُ بَينَ لَفلَفٍ وَعالِجِ
A phantom vision from Sulayma stirs me,
While the company is between Laflaf and ‘Alij,
بِينَهُماbetween them both فيon طُرُقٍroads مَناهِجِopen and clear
بِينَهُما في طُرُقٍ مَناهِجِ
تَخديstrides swiftly بِناwith us كُلُّevery خَنوفٍhead-swaying she-camel فاسِجِswift-paced
تَخدي بِنا كُلُّ خَنوفٍ فاسِجِ
Between the two, on open roads.
Every head-swaying, swift-paced she-camel carries us onward,
مَلعونَةٍcursed بِعُقَّرٍwith “barren!” وَخادِجِand “miscarrying!”
مَلعونَةٍ بِعُقَّرٍ وَخادِجِ
وَمُرقِلٍand a swift trotter بَعدَafter الكَلالِexhaustion واسِجِhastening
وَمُرقِلٍ بَعدَ الكَلالِ واسِجِ
Cursed with cries of “barren!” and “miscarrying!”
And a swift trotter, still hastening after exhaustion.
وَهُنَّand they كَالنَعائِمِlike the ostriches السَفانِجِfleet-footed
وَهُنَّ كَالنَعائِمِ السَفانِجِ
يَمشينَthey walk مَشيَthe gait of القِبطِthe Copts فيalong المَدارِجِthe pathways
يَمشينَ مَشيَ القِبطِ في المَدارِجِ
And they are like fleet-footed ostriches,
Walking as Copts walk along the pathways,
قَذفَthe shooting of المُغالينَthe distance-contesting archers عَنِfrom الشَرائِجِthe bows
قَذفَ المُغالينَ عَنِ الشَرائِجِ
ياah رُبَّmany a ثَورٍwild bull بِرِمالِin the sands of عالِجِ‘Alij
يا رُبَّ ثَورٍ بِرِمالِ عالِجِ
Like shots loosed by distance-contesting archers from their bows.
Ah, many a wild bull in the sands of ‘Alij,
كَأَنَّهُas though he were طُرَّةُthe fringe of نَجمٍa star خارِجِrising
كَأَنَّهُ طُرَّةُ نَجمٍ خارِجِ
فيin رَبرَبٍa herd of wild cattle مِثلِlike مُلاءِcloths الناسِجِthe weaver
في رَبرَبٍ مِثلِ مُلاءِ الناسِجِ
As though he were the fringe of a rising star,
In a herd like the weaver’s cloths.
لَقَدindeed وَرَدتُI reached water عافِيَwith effaced المَدارِجِapproaches
لَقَد وَرَدتُ عافِيَ المَدارِجِ
مِنof ثَجرِThajr أَوor أَقلِبَةِwells الحَدارِجِal-Hadarij
مِن ثَجرِ أَو أَقلِبَةِ الحَدارِجِ
I have indeed reached waters with effaced approaches,
Those of Thajr, or the wells of al-Hadarij,
فيin غُبَّرٍlingering remnants مِنof قَيظِsummer heat لَيلٍa night واهِجِblazing
في غُبَّرٍ مِن قَيظِ لَيلٍ واهِجِ
عَلىupon حَنِيٍّa curved bow كَعَصاlike the pole of الهَوادِجِthe camel litters
عَلى حَنِيٍّ كَعَصا الهَوادِجِ
In the lingering heat of a blazing summer night,
Upon a curved bow, like the pole of a camel litter,
لَمdid not يَحتَلِبهاmilk it العَبدُthe slave فيat المَناتِجِthe calving grounds
لَم يَحتَلِبها العَبدُ في المَناتِجِ
وَلَمand did not تُعَذَّبbe tormented بِفَصيلٍby a camel calf لاهِجِintent on suckling
وَلَم تُعَذَّب بِفَصيلٍ لاهِجِ
No slave had milked it at the calving grounds,
Nor had it been tormented by a calf intent on suckling.
ياah لَيتَنيwould that I كَلَّمتُI had spoken to غَيرَsomeone other than خارِجِKharij
يا لَيتَني كَلَّمتُ غَيرَ خارِجِ
أُمَّthe mother of صَبِيٍّa little boy قَدalready حَباcrawled أَوor دارِجِtoddling
أُمَّ صَبِيٍّ قَد حَبا أَو دارِجِ
Ah, would that I had spoken to someone other than Kharij—
The mother of a little boy already crawling or toddling,
غَرثىslender الوِشاحِthe sash كَزَّةَtight الدَمالِجِthe armlets
غَرثى الوِشاحِ كَزَّةَ الدَمالِجِ
Slender beneath her sash, her armlets tight.
Sol 6.1