حَلَّتshe settled تُماضِرُTumadir بَعدَناafter us رَبَباRabab
حَلَّت تُماضِرُ بَعدَنا رَبَبا
فَالغَمرَthen al-Ghamr فَالمُرّينِthen al-Murrayn فَالشُعَباthen al-Shu'ab
فَالغَمرَ فَالمُرّينِ فَالشُعَبا
Tumadir settled at Rabab after we were gone,
then al-Ghamr, then al-Murrayn, then al-Shu'ab.
حَلَّتshe settled شَآمِيَّةًnorthward وَحَلَّand settled قَساًQasa
حَلَّت شَآمِيَّةً وَحَلَّ قَساً
أَهليmy people فَكانَso it became طِلابُهاseeking her نَصَباa hardship
أَهلي فَكانَ طِلابُها نَصَبا
She settled northward, while at Qasa
my people settled; seeking her became a hardship.
لَحِقَتshe went بِأَرضِto a land of المُنكَرينَstrangers وَلَمand did not
لَحِقَت بِأَرضِ المُنكَرينَ وَلَم
تُمكِنallow لِحاجَةِfor the desire of عاشِقٍa lover طَلَباa pursuit
تُمكِن لِحاجَةِ عاشِقٍ طَلَبا
She went to a land of strangers, and did not
allow a lover any pursuit of his desire.
شَبَّهتُI likened آياتٍtraces بَقينَthat remained لَهاof hers
شَبَّهتُ آياتٍ بَقينَ لَها
فيin الأَوَّلينَthe earlier ones زَخارِفاًdecorative designs قُشُباnew
في الأَوَّلينَ زَخارِفاً قُشُبا
I likened the traces of her that remained
at the former sites to fresh-drawn designs.
تَمشيwalk بِهاamong them رُبدُdusky النَعامِostriches كَماjust as
تَمشي بِها رُبدُ النَعامِ كَما
تَمشيwalk إِماءٌslave women سُربِلَتwere clothed جُبَباrobes
تَمشي إِماءٌ سُربِلَت جُبَبا
Dusky ostriches walk among them, as
slave women walk, clothed in robes.
وَلَقَدand indeed أَروغُI evade عَلىagainst الخَليلِthe companion إِذاwhen
وَلَقَد أَروغُ عَلى الخَليلِ إِذا
خانَbetrayed الخَليلُthe companion الوَصلَthe bond of affection أَوor كَذَباlied
خانَ الخَليلُ الوَصلَ أَو كَذَبا
And indeed, I can elude a companion when
the companion betrays our bond or lies,
بِجُلالَةٍon a mighty she-camel سَرحِfree-striding النَجاءِswift travel إِذاwhen
بِجُلالَةٍ سَرحِ النَجاءِ إِذا
آلُthe mirage الجَفاجِفِthe barren flats حَولَهاaround her اِضطَرباquivered
آلُ الجَفاجِفِ حَولَها اِضطَربا
on a mighty she-camel, swift and free of stride, when
the mirage of the barren flats ripples around her.
وَكَسَتand clothed لَوامِعُهُits gleams جَوانِبَهاher flanks
وَكَسَت لَوامِعُهُ جَوانِبَها
قُصَصاًhanging fringes وَكانَand it became لِأَكمِهاfor their hillocks سَبَباa cord
قُصَصاً وَكانَ لِأَكمِها سَبَبا
Its gleams clothe her flanks
in fringes, and become a cord for the hillocks.
خَلَطَتshe mingled إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle السيرُthe journey جَدَّgrew strenuous بِهاfor her
خَلَطَت إِذا ما السيرُ جَدَّ بِها
مَعَwith لينِهاher suppleness بِمِراحِهاin her high spirits غَضَباfury
مَعَ لينِها بِمِراحِها غَضَبا
When the journey presses her hard, she mingles
a spirited fury with her supple gait.
وَكَأَنَّand as though أَقتاديmy saddle-frames رَمَيتُI cast بِهاwith them
وَكَأَنَّ أَقتادي رَمَيتُ بِها
بَعدَafter الكَلالِweariness مُلَمَّعاًdappled شَبَباa bull in his prime
بَعدَ الكَلالِ مُلَمَّعاً شَبَبا
It is as though I had flung my saddle-frames
after weariness onto a dappled bull in his prime,
مِنamong وَحشِthe wild cattle of أَنبَطَAnbat باتَhe spent the night مُنكَرِساًhuddled up
مِن وَحشِ أَنبَطَ باتَ مُنكَرِساً
حَرِجاًhard-pressed يُعالِجُcontending with مُظلِماًdark صَخِباclamorous
حَرِجاً يُعالِجُ مُظلِماً صَخِبا
one of Anbat's wild cattle, who spent the night huddled,
hard-pressed, contending with a dark, clamorous night,
لَهَقاًbright white كَأَنَّas though سَراتَهُhis back كُسِيَتwas clothed
لَهَقاً كَأَنَّ سَراتَهُ كُسِيَت
خَرَزاًbeads نَقاpure لَمnot يَعدُgo beyond أَنbeing قَشُباnewly made
خَرَزاً نَقا لَم يَعدُ أَن قَشُبا
bright white, as though his back were clothed
in pure beads, still freshly made,
حَتّىuntil أُتيحَwas brought لَهُupon him أَخوa man of قَنَصٍhunting
حَتّى أُتيحَ لَهُ أَخو قَنَصٍ
شَهمٌbold يُطِرُّhe drives on ضَوارِياًhunting hounds كُثُباclose by
شَهمٌ يُطِرُّ ضَوارِياً كُثُبا
until a man of the hunt was brought upon him,
a bold man, driving hunting hounds close by,
يُنحيhe casts الدِماءَblood عَلىupon تَرائِبِهاtheir upper chests
يُنحي الدِماءَ عَلى تَرائِبِها
وَالقِدَّand rawhide thongs مَعقوداًknotted وَمُنقَضِباand severed
وَالقِدَّ مَعقوداً وَمُنقَضِبا
casting blood upon their breasts,
and rawhide thongs, knotted and severed.
فَذَأَونَهُso they chased him شَرفاًfor a stretch وَكُنَّand they were لَهُagainst him
فَذَأَونَهُ شَرفاً وَكُنَّ لَهُ
حَتّىuntil تُفاضِلَthey outstripped one another بَينَهاamong themselves جَلَباa clamorous pack
حَتّى تُفاضِلَ بَينَها جَلَبا
They chased him for a stretch and pressed upon him—
a clamorous pack, until their speeds set them apart—
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen الكَلّابُthe hound-master قالَsaid لَهاto them
حَتّى إِذا الكَلّابُ قالَ لَها
كَاليَومِlike today مَطلوباًa quarry وَلاnor طَلَباa pursuit
كَاليَومِ مَطلوباً وَلا طَلَبا
until, when the hound-master said to them,
"No quarry or pursuit was ever like today's!"
ذَكَرَhe remembered القِتالَfighting لَهاagainst them فَراجَعَهاso he fought them back
ذَكَرَ القِتالَ لَها فَراجَعَها
عَنin defense of نَفسِهِhis own life وَنُفوسَهاand their lives نَدَباhe called for
عَن نَفسِهِ وَنُفوسَها نَدَبا
he remembered fighting and fought them back,
defending his own life and demanding theirs.
فَنَحاso he made for بِشِرَّتِهِwith his ferocity لِسابِقِهاtoward their foremost hound
فَنَحا بِشِرَّتِهِ لِسابِقِها
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle رَوقُهُhis horn اِختَضَباwas bloodstained
حَتّى إِذا ما رَوقُهُ اِختَضَبا
So he lunged in his fury at their foremost hound,
until, once his horn was stained with blood,
كَرِهَتdreaded ضَوارِيَهاits fierce hounds اللِحاقَcatching up بِهِwith him
كَرِهَت ضَوارِيَها اللِحاقَ بِهِ
مُتَباعِداًdrawing away مِنهاfrom them وَمُقتَرِباand drawing near
مُتَباعِداً مِنها وَمُقتَرِبا
the hunting hounds dreaded overtaking him,
whether he drew away from them or came near.
وَاِنقَضَّand he darted away كَالدِرّيءِlike a shooting star يَتبَعُهُfollowing him
وَاِنقَضَّ كَالدِرّيءِ يَتبَعُهُ
نَقعٌdust يَثورُrising تَخالُهُyou would think it طُنُباa tent-rope
نَقعٌ يَثورُ تَخالُهُ طُنُبا
And he shot away like a shooting star, followed by
rising dust you would take for a tent-rope.
يَخفىhe disappears وَأَحياناًand at times يَلوحُhe gleams كَماjust as
يَخفى وَأَحياناً يَلوحُ كَما
رَفَعَraised المُنيرُthe fire-kindler بِكَفِّهِin his hand لَهَباa flame
رَفَعَ المُنيرُ بِكَفِّهِ لَهَبا
He vanishes, then sometimes gleams, as when
a fire-kindler raises a flame in his hand.
أَبَنيO sons of لُبَينىLubayna لَمdid not أَجِدI find أَحَداًanyone
أَبَني لُبَينى لَم أَجِد أَحَداً
فيamong الناسِpeople أَلأَمَmore ignoble مِنكُمُthan you حَسَباin ancestral honor
في الناسِ أَلأَمَ مِنكُمُ حَسَبا
O sons of Lubayna, I have found no one
among men baser than you in ancestral honor,
وَأَحَقَّand more deserving أَنto يُرمىbe struck بِداهِيَةٍby a calamity
وَأَحَقَّ أَن يُرمى بِداهِيَةٍ
إِنَّindeed الدَواهِيَcalamities تَطلُعُclimb الحَدَباthe heights
إِنَّ الدَواهِيَ تَطلُعُ الحَدَبا
or more deserving to be struck by calamity;
indeed, calamities climb the heights.
وَإِذاand when تُسوئِلَinquiry is made عَنabout مَحاتِدِكُمyour origins
وَإِذا تُسوئِلَ عَن مَحاتِدِكُم
لَمnot توجَدواyou were found رَأساًa head وَلاnor ذَنَباa tail
لَم توجَدوا رَأساً وَلا ذَنَبا
And when inquiry is made into your origins,
you are found neither head nor tail.
Sol 6.1