ماnot قَطَعَتshe crossed مِنany أَمَمٍshort distance وَلاnor دانnearby
ما قَطَعَت مِن أَمَمٍ وَلا دان
قَطَعنَthey crossed ماwhat lies بَينَbetween الحِمىal-Hima وَالجَولانand al-Jawlan
قَطَعنَ ما بَينَ الحِمى وَالجَولان
She crossed no short or nearby stretch.
They have crossed neither nation nor land,
They crossed the land between al-Hima and al-Jawlan,
They have crossed what lies between lava-desert and Golan,
عَلىamid الجَهالاتِunfamiliarity بِهِwith it وَالعِرفانand familiarity
عَلى الجَهالاتِ بِهِ وَالعِرفان
فيin ظُلُماتٍdarkness وَسِراجٍand a lamp ضَحيانbrightly shining
في ظُلُماتٍ وَسِراجٍ ضَحيان
whether unfamiliar with it or knowing it well,
In ignorance and knowledge,
in darkness and by a radiant lamp.
In darknesses and dawn-shining lanterns,
تَنقِضُcrackle أَيدِيَهاtheir forelegs نَقيضَthe sharp cry of العِقبانthe eagles
تَنقِضُ أَيدِيَها نَقيضَ العِقبان
مُجَنَّباتِwith widely set أَرجُلٍhindlegs كَالأَشطانlike well-ropes
مُجَنَّباتِ أَرجُلٍ كَالأَشطان
Their forelegs crackle like the cries of eagles,
Their hands counter the claws of eagles,
their hindlegs set wide, like well-ropes.
With feet like racing camels,
ماذاwhat يُلاقينَdo they encounter بِسَهبِon the open plain of بُسيانBusyan
ماذا يُلاقينَ بِسَهبِ بُسيان
لَمّاwhen بَداit appeared مِثلَlike الصَريخِthe alarm-crier العُريانnaked
لَمّا بَدا مِثلَ الصَريخِ العُريان
What do they encounter on the plain of Busyan,
What will they meet in the Buseyan wasteland,
when it appears like a naked herald of alarm?
When first appeared like the cry of the naked,
وَضَمَزَand fell silent القَومُthe men ضُموزَwith the silence of الشُجعانthe brave
وَضَمَزَ القَومُ ضُموزَ الشُجعان
وَاِستَقبَلواand they faced لَيلَةَa night of خِمسٍa five-day watering interval حَنّانplaintive
وَاِستَقبَلوا لَيلَةَ خِمسٍ حَنّان
And the men fell silent with the silence of the brave,
And the people murmured like murmurs of heroes,
and faced a plaintive night of the five-day watering round.
And they faced a gentle, cooing night,
يَميدُsways ساريهاits night-traveler كَمَيدِlike the swaying of السَكرانthe drunkard
يَميدُ ساريها كَمَيدِ السَكران
ماnot لَيلَةُthe night of الفَقيرِal-Faqir إِلّاanything but شَيطانa devil
ما لَيلَةُ الفَقيرِ إِلّا شَيطان
Its night-traveler sways like a drunkard.
Her mast sways like a drunkard sways,
The night at al-Faqir is nothing but a devil.
The night of the poor is but a devil,
ساهِرَةٌa barren plain توديcarries off بِروحِthe soul of الإِنسانa human being
ساهِرَةٌ تودي بِروحِ الإِنسان
يُدعىare called بِهاin it القَومُthe men دُعاءَwith the calling of الصُمّانthe deaf
يُدعى بِها القَومُ دُعاءَ الصُمّان
A barren plain that carries off a human soul,
Awake stealing the soul of man,
where the men are called as one calls the deaf;
With her the people pray prayers of the deaf,
أَرضٌa land بِهاin it تَثكَلُis bereaved أُمُّthe mother of الحَيرانcamel-calves
أَرضٌ بِها تَثكَلُ أُمُّ الحَيران
قَدindeed بَيَّنَhas distinguished اللَيلُthe night وَبُعدُand the remoteness of الغيطانthe lowlands
قَد بَيَّنَ اللَيلُ وَبُعدُ الغيطان
a land where a mother camel loses her calves.
A land wherein the mother of confusion grows heavy,
Night and the far reaches of the lowlands have shown the difference
The night has clarified and the marshes are far,
بَينَbetween المُزَجّىthe beast urged along وَالنَجيبِand the noble camel المِعوانthe willing helper
بَينَ المُزَجّى وَالنَجيبِ المِعوان
مِثلَlike المَثاقيلِweights بِشِقِّin one pan of الميزانthe balance
مِثلَ المَثاقيلِ بِشِقِّ الميزان
between the beast urged along and the willing, noble camel,
Between the noble and the base counterpoised,
like weights in one pan of a balance.
As weights on the scale’s midpoint,
كَأَنَّهاas though they وَقَدand already تَدَلّىhung low النِسرانthe two Eagle stars
كَأَنَّها وَقَد تَدَلّى النِسران
وَضَمَّهاand hemmed them in مِنfrom حَمَلٍHamal طِمِرّانtwo bounding coursers
وَضَمَّها مِن حَمَلٍ طِمِرّان
As though they, with the two Eagles now hanging low,
As if the eagles had swooped down,
and two bounding coursers from Hamal hemming them in—
And gathered them from a burdened mount,
صَعبانِtwo untamable ones عَنon the side of شَمائِلٍleft sides وَأَيمانand right sides
صَعبانِ عَن شَمائِلٍ وَأَيمان
يَبلىwears out الجَديدُwhat is new وَهُماand they both جَديدانremain new
يَبلى الجَديدُ وَهُما جَديدان
untamable, on the left and right;
Difficult from characteristics and oaths,
new things wear out, yet these two remain new;
The new grows old yet they are ever renewed,
ماwhatever بادَperished مِنof شَيءٍanything فَلاthen not يَبيدانthe two perish
ما بادَ مِن شَيءٍ فَلا يَبيدان
فَوارِسٌhorsemen شَعَّبَهاsplit them apart خَليجانtwo channels
فَوارِسٌ شَعَّبَها خَليجان
whatever perishes, these two do not perish—
Nothing perishes so they will never perish,
were horsemen divided by two channels.
Cavaliers who riven them gulf and ridge,
يَقدُمُهاleads them كُلُّevery عَلاةٍrock-hard she-camel مِذعانtractable
يَقدُمُها كُلُّ عَلاةٍ مِذعان
صَهباءُtawny مَنfrom among مُعَرِّضاتِthose with broad الغِربانhipbones
صَهباءُ مَن مُعَرِّضاتِ الغِربان
Each rock-hard, tractable she-camel leads them,
Every dawn they ready themselves compelled,
tawny, one of those with broad hipbones;
Grey ones kept from the vultures’ approach,
لاnot تَرعَويholds back لِمَنزِلٍfor a halting-place وَإِنeven if حانits time has come
لا تَرعَوي لِمَنزِلٍ وَإِن حان
تَنجوspeeds away إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِضطَرَبَjolted السَفيحانthe two panniers
تَنجو إِذا ما اِضطَرَبَ السَفيحان
she does not stop for a halting-place, even when its time has come;
They pasture not though the time be come,
she speeds away when the two panniers jolt.
Saved when the foolish ones are confounded,
ياO اِبنَson of جُلَيحٍJulayh كُنbe دَليلَthe guide of الرُكبانthe riders
يا اِبنَ جُلَيحٍ كُن دَليلَ الرُكبان
O son of Julayh, be the riders' guide.
O Ibn Julayh be thou guide to the riders!
Sol 6.1