حَيِّsalute; greet الدِيارَthe dwellings بِسَيلَat Sayl فَالقَهرِthen al-Qahr
حَيِّ الدِيارَ بِسَيلَ فَالقَهرِ
فَجُبابَةٍthen Jubāba فَحِقاءَthen Ḥiqāʾ فَالوَجرِthen al-Wajr
فَجُبابَةٍ فَحِقاءَ فَالوَجرِ
Salute the dwellings at Sayl, then al-Qahr,
Revive the home with torrential rain
then Jubāba, then Ḥiqāʾ, then al-Wajr.
Of abundant, life-giving showers
لَيسَتshe is not بِشَوشاةِa chatterbox الحَديثِconversation; speech وَلاnor
لَيسَت بِشَوشاةِ الحَديثِ وَلا
فُتُقِvoluble; sharp-tongued مُغالِبَةٍstriving to prevail عَلىover الأَمرِthe matter
فُتُقِ مُغالِبَةٍ عَلى الأَمرِ
She is no chatterbox in conversation, nor
Not frivolous, foolish prattle
a sharp-tongued contender insisting on having her way.
Nor forceful domination of affairs
تُمسيshe is at evening كَأَلواحِlike broad plates of السِلاحِweapons; arms وَتُضand begins 'she is at morning'
تُمسي كَأَلواحِ السِلاحِ وَتُض
حيcompletes 'she is at morning' كَالمَهاةِlike the oryx فيin; on صَبيحَةِthe morning of القَطرِthe rain
حي كَالمَهاةِ في صَبيحَةِ القَطرِ
At evening she is like broad weapon-blades, and in the morning—
You rouse up at dawn like drawn swords
like an oryx on a rain-washed morning.
And stir to life like beasts in a rainy dawn
كَوَديعَةِlike the entrusted charge of الهَجهاجِthe male ostrich بَوَّأَهاlodged her
كَوَديعَةِ الهَجهاجِ بَوَّأَها
بِبِراقِon the stony tracts of عاذِʿĀdh البيضِthe white ones أَوor ثَجرِThajr
بِبِراقِ عاذِ البيضِ أَو ثَجرِ
Like the male ostrich's charge, whom he lodged
A pledge like clamoring partridges
on the white stony tracts of ʿĀdh, or at Thajr,
Sheltered by a chief with brilliant armor
لِهَدَجدَجٍbelonging to a male ostrich جُربٍscabby; mangy مَساعِرُهُhis armpits and groin
لِهَدَجدَجٍ جُربٍ مَساعِرُهُ
قَدhas already عادَهاvisited her شَهراًa month إِلىinto; until شَهرِanother month
قَد عادَها شَهراً إِلى شَهرِ
belonging to a male ostrich, scabby in his armpits and groin,
For a youth whose saddlebags were patched
who has visited her month after month.
Who returned month after month
حَلَقَتshaved بَنوsons of عُزوانَʿUzwān جُؤجُؤَهُhis breast
حَلَقَت بَنو عُزوانَ جُؤجُؤَهُ
وَالرَأسُand the head غَيرَexcept for قَنازِعٍtufts of feathers زُعرِsparse; scant
وَالرَأسُ غَيرَ قَنازِعٍ زُعرِ
Banū ʿUzwān have shaved his breast,
The sons of ‘Uzzwan circled around him
and his head is bare save for scant tufts.
While he shook his head, unyielding, bold
طَفّاحَةُhigh-stepping الرِجلَينِthe two legs مَيلَعَةٌfleet-footed
طَفّاحَةُ الرِجلَينِ مَيلَعَةٌ
سُرحُsmooth; long المِلاطِthe flank بَعيدَةُfar-reaching القَدرِreach; stride-length
سُرحُ المِلاطِ بَعيدَةُ القَدرِ
High-stepping on her two legs, fleet of foot,
Her easy gait ever nimble
smooth of flank, far-reaching in her stride.
Her riding camel with long, elegant legs
وَتَواهَقَتand matched one another's pace أَخفافُهاher padded feet طَبَقاًin exact unison
وَتَواهَقَت أَخفافُها طَبَقاً
وَالظِلُّand the shadow لَمdid not يَفضُلlengthen; exceed وَلَمand did not يُكرِdiminish; shorten
وَالظِلُّ لَم يَفضُل وَلَم يُكرِ
And her padded feet kept pace in perfect unison,
Her brisk mounts move in harmony
and the shadow neither lengthened nor shortened.
Neither ahead or behind each other's shadows
أَبلِغtell; convey word to سَراةَchiefs; notables بَنيsons of رِفاعَةَRifāʿa الbeginning of 'cleave; attach'
أَبلِغ سَراةَ بَني رِفاعَةَ ال
صِقcompletion of 'cleave; attach' بِالغَطارِفِto the noblemen مِنهُمُamong them الزَهرِthe radiant ones
صِق بِالغَطارِفِ مِنهُمُ الزَهرِ
Tell the chiefs of Banū Rifāʿa; cleave—
Give the message to the chiefs of Rifa'ah
to the radiant noblemen among them.
Adorned with the blossoms among them
بِكَwith you عِترَةُbrood; kin الضَبِّthe lizard الذَليلَةِthe lowly تَحbeginning of 'crouches'
بِكَ عِترَةُ الضَبِّ الذَليلَةِ تَح
رَنبيcompletion of 'crouches' عَلىupon أَرحائِهاits millstones الخُضرِthe green ones
رَنبي عَلى أَرحائِها الخُضرِ
With you, the lizard's lowly brood—
With you the disgraced hyenas howl
crouches upon its green millstones.
Whimpering in their lairs
يَدعونَthey forsake جارَهُمُtheir protected neighbor وَذِمَّتُهُand his pledge of protection
يَدعونَ جارَهُمُ وَذِمَّتُهُ
عَلَهاًin bewilderment وَماand not يَدعونَthey forsake مِنbecause of عُصرِhardship; constraint
عَلَهاً وَما يَدعونَ مِن عُصرِ
They forsake their neighbor and his pledge of protection,
They call out to their neighbor for help
in bewilderment, though not because of any hardship.
Yet call for no aid or relief
لاmay not صابَreach; fall upon جارَهُمُtheir neighbor الرَبيعُspring وَلاnor
لا صابَ جارَهُمُ الرَبيعُ وَلا
زادَتincreased حُمولَتُهُhis pack animals عَلىbeyond عَشرِten
زادَت حُمولَتُهُ عَلى عَشرِ
May spring never reach their neighbor, nor
Neither has spring reached their neighbor
may his pack animals number more than ten.
Nor increased his burden tenfold
طَرَقَcame by night الخَناسِرَةَthe lowly men اللِثامَthe veiled ones [uncertain here] فَلَمbut did not
طَرَقَ الخَناسِرَةَ اللِثامَ فَلَم
يَسعَstrive; exert himself الخَفيرُthe protector; guarantor بِناقَةِfor a she-camel القَسرِforcible seizure; coercion
يَسعَ الخَفيرُ بِناقَةِ القَسرِ
He came by night to the lowly, [veiled?] men, but
The sneaky thieves have donned their masks
the protector made no effort for the forcibly seized she-camel.
But the vigilant guard spotted the fugitives
لَوif; had كُنتُI had been اdefective fragment; probably 'possessed of' عِلمٍknowledge عَلِمتُI would have known وَكَيفَand how ليfor me
لَو كُنتُ ا عِلمٍ عَلِمتُ وَكَيفَ لي
بِالعِلمِwith knowledge بَعدَafter تَدَبُّرِpondering; reflecting on الأَمرِthe matter
بِالعِلمِ بَعدَ تَدَبُّرِ الأَمرِ
Had I been [possessed of] knowledge, I would have known; yet how could I
If only I had knowledge, I would know
have knowledge after pondering the matter?
After pondering the matter
لَوif; had بيwith me تَحَمَّسَتِpressed on vigorously الرِكابُthe riding-camels إِذاًthen; in that case
لَو بي تَحَمَّسَتِ الرِكابُ إِذاً
ماwould not خانَنيhave failed me حَسَبيmy ancestral honor وَلاnor وَفريmy wealth
ما خانَني حَسَبي وَلا وَفري
Had the riding-camels pressed on with me, then
If only steeds hastened with me
neither my ancestral honor nor my wealth would have failed me.
My worth and escape would not fail me
Sol 6.1