وَحَرفٍand many a lean she-camel قَدalready بَعَثتُI urged on عَلىdespite وَجاهاher foot-soreness
وَحَرفٍ قَد بَعَثتُ عَلى وَجاها
تُباريcompetes with أَينُقاًshe-camels مُتَواتِراتِfollowing one another
تُباري أَينُقاً مُتَواتِراتِ
And many a lean she-camel I have urged on despite her sore feet,
With letters I sent forth, on their faces
vying with she-camels that follow one another.
Rivalling gazelles, following steadily,
تَخالُyou imagine ظِلالَهُنَّtheir shadows إِذاwhen اِستَقَلَّتthey set out
تَخالُ ظِلالَهُنَّ إِذا اِستَقَلَّت
بِأَرحُلِناbearing our saddles سَبائِبَlong strips تالِياتِfollowing one another
بِأَرحُلِنا سَبائِبَ تالِياتِ
You would take their shadows, when they set out
Their shadows, when they moved on, appeared
bearing our saddles, for long strips following one another.
To be howdahs on our camels, succeeding.
لَهُنَّfor them بِكُلِّat every مَنزِلَةٍstopping place رَذاياworn-out beasts left behind
لَهُنَّ بِكُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ رَذايا
تُرِكنَwere left بِهاat it سَواهِمَgaunt لاغِباتِexhausted
تُرِكنَ بِها سَواهِمَ لاغِباتِ
At every stopping place lie their worn-out stragglers,
At every halt they left, for the people there,
left there, gaunt and exhausted.
Others to take their place, not disappearing.
تَرىyou see كيرانَsaddle-frames ماthose that حَسَرواthey wore out إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
تَرى كيرانَ ما حَسَروا إِذا ما
أَراحواthey rest at evening خَلفَهُنَّbehind them مُرَدَّفاتِset one behind another
أَراحوا خَلفَهُنَّ مُرَدَّفاتِ
You see the saddle-frames of the beasts they wore out, when
You would see the Kairites grieving when
they rest at evening, doubled up behind the camels.
They stayed behind them, left remaining.
تَرىyou see الطَيرَthe birds العِتاقَnoble تَنوشُsnatch مِنهاfrom them
تَرى الطَيرَ العِتاقَ تَنوشُ مِنها
عُيوناًeyes قَدalready ظَهَرنَhave become exposed وَغائِراتِand sunken ones
عُيوناً قَد ظَهَرنَ وَغائِراتِ
You see the noble birds of prey snatching from them
You see the free birds drinking from them
eyes already exposed, and others sunken deep.
Eyes that appeared and disappeared intermittently.
كَأَنَّas though أَنينَهُنَّtheir groaning بِكُلِّon every سَهبٍopen plain
كَأَنَّ أَنينَهُنَّ بِكُلِّ سَهبٍ
إِذاwhen اِرتَحَلَتthey travel تَجاوُبُanswering cries نائِحاتِmourning women
إِذا اِرتَحَلَت تَجاوُبُ نائِحاتِ
It is as though their groaning on every open plain,
As if their moaning, when they set forth,
when they travel, were the answering cries of mourning women.
Answered each other like mourners weeping.
كَأَنَّas though قُتودَsaddle-bows رَحليmy saddle فَوقَupon جَأبٍa sturdy wild ass
كَأَنَّ قُتودَ رَحلي فَوقَ جَأبٍ
صَنيعَwell-built الجِسمِthe body مِنfrom عَهدِrainfall الفَلاةِthe wilderness
صَنيعَ الجِسمِ مِن عَهدِ الفَلاةِ
It is as though my saddle's wooden bows were on a sturdy wild ass,
It seemed the camel-litters above the camel pads
well-built in body, nourished by the desert's rain.
Were made in the time of tribulation strongly.
أَشَذَّhe drove away جِحاشَهاtheir foals وَخَلاand was alone بِجونٍwith dusky she-asses
أَشَذَّ جِحاشَها وَخَلا بِجونٍ
لَواقِحَpregnant ones كَالقِسِيِّlike bows وَحائِلاتِand nonpregnant ones
لَواقِحَ كَالقِسِيِّ وَحائِلاتِ
He drove off their foals and secluded himself with dusky mares,
Their imperfections were repaired and they spent the night
pregnant ones like bows, and others not with foal.
Pregnant, like fortresses and impregnable.
فَظَلَّso he stayed by day بِهاwith them عَلىon شَرَفٍa height وَظَلَّتand they stayed
فَظَلَّ بِها عَلى شَرَفٍ وَظَلَّت
صِياماًstanding without feeding حَولَهُaround him مُتَفالِياتِgrooming one another
صِياماً حَولَهُ مُتَفالِياتِ
He stayed with them on a height through the day, while they remained
So he spent the night honored and they spent it
standing without feeding around him, grooming one another.
Fasting around him, succeeding each other.
صَوادِيَthirsty يَنتَظِرنَthey await الوِردَwatering مِنهُfrom him
صَوادِيَ يَنتَظِرنَ الوِردَ مِنهُ
عَلىaccording to ماwhat يَرتَئيhe deems best مُتَقابِعاتِwith heads drawn in
عَلى ما يَرتَئي مُتَقابِعاتِ
Thirsty, they await his leading them to water,
Valleys that waited for gifts from him
their heads drawn in, following whatever he deems best.
However he wished, sitting steadfast.
فَوَجَّهَهاso he directed them قَوارِبَapproaching water فَاِتلَأَبَّتand they went straight on
فَوَجَّهَها قَوارِبَ فَاِتلَأَبَّت
لَهُat his bidding مِثلُlike القَناspear-shafts المُتَأَوِّداتِbending
لَهُ مِثلُ القَنا المُتَأَوِّداتِ
He sent them waterward, and they went straight on
He sent them ships, so they hurried
at his bidding, like bending spear-shafts.
To him, like loving sandgrouse.
يَعَضُّhe bites عَلىon ذَواتِthose possessing الضُغنِresentment مِنهاamong them
يَعَضُّ عَلى ذَواتِ الضُغنِ مِنها
كَماas عَضَّbit الثِقافُthe straightening clamp عَلىupon القَناةِthe spear-shaft
كَما عَضَّ الثِقافُ عَلى القَناةِ
He bites the resentful ones among them,
He bites those heavy with milk among them
as a straightening clamp bites upon a spear-shaft,
As the cub bites the she-camel's teat
بِهَمهَمَةٍwith a low rumble يُرَدِّدُهاechoes it حَشاهُhis innards
بِهَمهَمَةٍ يُرَدِّدُها حَشاهُ
وَتَأبىand it refuses أَنto تَتَمَّreach fully إِلىto اللَهاةِthe uvula
وَتَأبى أَن تَتَمَّ إِلى اللَهاةِ
with a low rumble that his innards echo,
With a murmur he repeats, and his anxiety
and it refuses to reach as far as the uvula.
Refuses to finish, to the end.
وَقَدand already كُنَّthey had اِستَثَرنَurged الوِردَwatering مِنهُfrom him
وَقَد كُنَّ اِستَثَرنَ الوِردَ مِنهُ
فَأَورَدَهاso he led them to water أَواجِنَstagnant pools طامِياتِbrimming
فَأَورَدَها أَواجِنَ طامِياتِ
And they had urged him to lead them to water,
They had hoarded gifts from him,
so he brought them to brimful, stagnant pools.
So he gave them virgin camels, very dark.
عَلىalong أَرجائِهِنَّtheir edges مِراطُbare quills ريشٍof feathers
عَلى أَرجائِهِنَّ مِراطُ ريشٍ
تُشَبِّهُهاresemble them مَشاقِصُarrowheads ناصِلاتِslipped loose
تُشَبِّهُها مَشاقِصُ ناصِلاتِ
Along their edges lie bare feather-quills,
On their sides were feathers of ostrich
like arrowheads that have slipped loose.
Resembling carved ivory armlets.
فَوافَقَهُنَّthen he encountered them أَطلَسُa ragged man عامِرِيٌّof ‘Amir
فَوافَقَهُنَّ أَطلَسُ عامِرِيٌّ
بِطَيِّin the recess of صَفائِحٍstone slabs مُتَسانِداتِleaning against one another
بِطَيِّ صَفائِحٍ مُتَسانِداتِ
Then a ragged man of ‘Amir encountered them,
Abu Khamis met them with yearlings
in the recess of stone slabs leaning against one another:
Among them none were superior.
أَبوfather of خَمسٍfive يُطِفنَcircling بِهِaround him صِغارٍlittle ones
أَبو خَمسٍ يُطِفنَ بِهِ صِغارٍ
غَداhe set out in the morning مِنهُنَّfrom them لَيسَnot بِذيpossessed of بَتاتِprovisions
غَدا مِنهُنَّ لَيسَ بِذي بَتاتِ
the father of five little daughters circling about him.
Concealing his arrows and his bow,
He left them in the morning without provisions,
With which the blood of the guides flows.
مُخِفّاًlightly burdened غَيرَexcept for أَسهُمِهِhis arrows وَقَوسٌand a bow
مُخِفّاً غَيرَ أَسهُمِهِ وَقَوسٌ
تَلوحُshows clearly بِهاon it دِماءُblood الهادِياتِthe beasts' necks
تَلوحُ بِها دِماءُ الهادِياتِ
lightly burdened, save for his arrows and a bow
He took aim when he shot an arrow at them
on which blood from beasts' necks gleams.
With which to strike the battling hosts.
فَسَدَّدَthen he aimed إِذwhen شَرَعنَthey entered the water لَهُنَّat them سَهماًan arrow
فَسَدَّدَ إِذ شَرَعنَ لَهُنَّ سَهماً
يَؤُمُّhe aims at بِهِwith it مَقاتِلَvital spots بادِياتِexposed
يَؤُمُّ بِهِ مَقاتِلَ بادِياتِ
He aimed an arrow at them as they entered the water,
His mother was frantic when they fled
seeking with it their exposed vital spots.
And bit her fingers in disappointment.
فَلَهَّفَthen he cried woe for أُمَّهُhis mother لَمّاwhen تَوَلَّتthey turned away
فَلَهَّفَ أُمَّهُ لَمّا تَوَلَّت
وَعَضَّand he bit عَلىon أَنامِلَfingertips خائِباتِunsuccessful
وَعَضَّ عَلى أَنامِلَ خائِباتِ
Then he cried woe for his mother when they turned away,
And they excited for him little goats
and bit the fingertips that had failed him.
You could see among them tents.
وَهُنَّwhile they يُثِرنَraise بِالمَعزاءِon the stony ground نَقعاًdust
وَهُنَّ يُثِرنَ بِالمَعزاءِ نَقعاً
تَرىyou see مِنهُof it لَهُنَّfor them سُرادِقاتِtent-enclosures
تَرى مِنهُ لَهُنَّ سُرادِقاتِ
While they stir up dust on the stony ground,
you see it forming tent-walls around them.
Partial English translation: 40 of 42 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1