فَإِنso if يَكُshould be رَأسيmy head كَالثَغامَةِlike the white thaghama plant نَسلُهُits hair-growth
فَإِن يَكُ رَأسي كَالثَغامَةِ نَسلُهُ
يُطيفُmove about بِيَaround me الوِلدانُthe children أَحدَبَhunchbacked كَالقِردِlike an ape
يُطيفُ بِيَ الوِلدانُ أَحدَبَ كَالقِردِ
If, then, my head's hair is like the white thaghama plant,
With children circling me, a hunchback like an ape,
رَهينَةَheld captive قَعرِthe depths of البَيتِthe house كُلَّevery عَشِيَّةٍevening
رَهينَةَ قَعرِ البَيتِ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
كَأَنّيas though I أُراوىam being coaxed أَنto أُصَوَّبَbe lowered فيinto مَهدِa cradle
كَأَنّي أُراوى أَن أُصَوَّبَ في مَهدِ
A captive in the depths of the house every evening,
As though being coaxed to be lowered into a cradle,
فَمِنthen from بَعدِafter فَضلٍdistinction فيin شَبابٍyouth وَقُوَّةٍand strength
فَمِن بَعدِ فَضلٍ في شَبابٍ وَقُوَّةٍ
وَرَأسٍand a head أَثيثٍthick-haired حالِكِpitch-black اللَونِin color مُسوَدِّdeeply black
وَرَأسٍ أَثيثٍ حالِكِ اللَونِ مُسوَدِّ
It is after distinction in youth and strength,
And a thick-haired head, dark in hue and jet-black.
فَقَدfor indeed أَبعَثُI urge onward الوَجناءَthe stout-cheeked she-camel يَدمىbleeds أَظَلُّهاher footpad
فَقَد أَبعَثُ الوَجناءَ يَدمى أَظَلُّها
عَلىover ظَهرِthe surface of سَبسابٍa broad level waste كَحاشِيَةِlike the border of البُردِa striped cloak
عَلى ظَهرِ سَبسابٍ كَحاشِيَةِ البُردِ
For I have driven the stout-cheeked she-camel, her footpad bleeding,
Across the surface of a level waste, like a cloak's border.
فَأَورَدتُهاthen I brought her to water ماءًa watering place قَليلاًfew أَنيسُهُits visitors
فَأَورَدتُها ماءً قَليلاً أَنيسُهُ
حَديثاًrecent بِعَهدِin acquaintance with الناسِpeople أَوor غَيرَnot ذيpossessing عَهدِacquaintance
حَديثاً بِعَهدِ الناسِ أَو غَيرَ ذي عَهدِ
I brought her to a watering place with few visitors,
Recently acquainted with people, or having no acquaintance at all.
فَأَعكِسُهاthen I rein her back فيin جُمَّةٍa deep pool وَنَصَأتُهاand I drove her onward
فَأَعكِسُها في جُمَّةٍ وَنَصَأتُها
فَآنَستُthen I sighted ماwhat أَبغيI seek وَأَتعَبتُهاand I wearied her تَرديrunning
فَآنَستُ ما أَبغي وَأَتعَبتُها تَردي
I held her back in a deep pool, then drove her onward;
Then I sighted what I sought and wearied her at a run,
إِلىtoward عَلَمٍa landmark ناءٍfar-off كَأَنَّas though مَسافَهُits distant outline
إِلى عَلَمٍ ناءٍ كَأَنَّ مَسافَهُ
مُخَلَّلُa working pin كِتّانٍfor flax مِنَfrom النَأيِremoteness وَالبُعدِand distance
مُخَلَّلُ كِتّانٍ مِنَ النَأيِ وَالبُعدِ
Toward a distant landmark, whose outline seemed
A pin for working flax, so remote and far away.
وَخَيلٍand horses كَأَسرابِlike flocks of القَطاsandgrouse قَدindeed وَزَعتُهاI held them in check
وَخَيلٍ كَأَسرابِ القَطا قَد وَزَعتُها
عَلىon هَيكَلٍa great-framed steed نَهدِmassive in الجُزارَةِhead and limbs مُرمَدِّash-gray
عَلى هَيكَلٍ نَهدِ الجُزارَةِ مُرمَدِّ
And horses like flocks of sandgrouse I have held in check,
On a great-framed steed, stout in head and limbs, ash-gray.
سَوابِقُهاtheir frontrunners يَخرُجنَemerge مِنfrom مُتَنَصَّفٍthe midst
سَوابِقُها يَخرُجنَ مِن مُتَنَصَّفٍ
خُروجَthe emergence of القَواريthe qawari birds الخُضرِgreen مِنfrom سَبَلِthe rain-curtains of الرَعدِthunder
خُروجَ القَواري الخُضرِ مِن سَبَلِ الرَعدِ
Their frontrunners emerge from the midst,
As green qawari birds emerge from thunder's rain-curtains.
وَغَيثٍand a rain-fed pasture مِنَfrom الوَسمِيِّthe first autumn rains حُوٍّdark green تِلاعُهُits gullies
وَغَيثٍ مِنَ الوَسمِيِّ حُوٍّ تِلاعُهُ
عَلَتهُoverspread it جُمادىJumada بِالبَوارِقِwith lightning flashes وَالرَعدِand thunder
عَلَتهُ جُمادى بِالبَوارِقِ وَالرَعدِ
And a pasture fed by autumn rains, its gullies dark green,
Jumada overspread it with lightning and thunder.
تَبَطَّنتُهُI traversed its interior تَعدوruns بِبِزِّيَwith my war-gear نَهدَةٌa sturdy mare
تَبَطَّنتُهُ تَعدو بِبِزِّيَ نَهدَةٌ
جُلالَةُmassive ماwhat lies بَينَbetween الشَراسيفِthe rib-tips وَاللُبدِand the saddle-felts
جُلالَةُ ما بَينَ الشَراسيفِ وَاللُبدِ
I traversed its heart, a sturdy mare running with my war-gear,
Massive between her rib-tips and saddle-felts.
وَتَخطوand she strides عَلىon صُمٍّsolid hooves كَأَنَّas though نُسورَهاtheir hoof-frogs
وَتَخطو عَلى صُمٍّ كَأَنَّ نُسورَها
نَوىstones القَسبِof dry dates يُستَوقَدنَare made to spark فيon الظَرِبِthe rocky knoll الصِلدِunyielding
نَوى القَسبِ يُستَوقَدنَ في الظَرِبِ الصِلدِ
And she strides on solid hooves, whose frogs seem
Dry date-stones, striking sparks on the hard, rocky knoll.
لَهاshe has حُضُرٌa gallop كَيفَhow الحَريقُthe blaze وَعَقبُهاand her second wind
لَها حُضُرٌ كَيفَ الحَريقُ وَعَقبُها
كَجَمِّlike the gathering waters الخَسيفِof a deep well بَعدَafter مَعمَعَةِthe tumult الوَردِof the watering throng
كَجَمِّ الخَسيفِ بَعدَ مَعمَعَةِ الوَردِ
She has a gallop—how like a blaze!—and her second wind
Is like a deep well's gathering waters after the watering-throng's tumult.
قَليلَscant in البَتاتِtravelling gear غَيرَexcept for قَوسٍa bow وَأَسهُمٍand arrows
قَليلَ البَتاتِ غَيرَ قَوسٍ وَأَسهُمٍ
وَأَبيَضَand a bright sword قَصّالِcleaving الضَريبَةِits target مُحتَدِّkeen-edged
وَأَبيَضَ قَصّالِ الضَريبَةِ مُحتَدِّ
With little travelling gear, save a bow and arrows,
And a bright sword, cleaving its target, keen-edged,
وَأَسمَرَand a brown spear مَربوعٍof medium length مِتَلٍّstout كُعوبُهُits joints
وَأَسمَرَ مَربوعٍ مِتَلٍّ كُعوبُهُ
تُصَرِّفُswing فيهِin it لَهذَماًa broad spearhead وادِقَpenetrating الحَدِّin edge
تُصَرِّفُ فيهِ لَهذَماً وادِقَ الحَدِّ
And a brown, mid-length, stout spear, whose joints
Swing its broad spearhead with a penetrating edge.
Sol 6.1