غَشيتُI visited بِرابِغٍat Rabigh طَلَلاًan abandoned campsite مُحيلاaltered
غَشيتُ بِرابِغٍ طَلَلاً مُحيلا
أَبَتrefused آياتُهُits traces أَلّاexcept to تَحولاchange
أَبَت آياتُهُ أَلّا تَحولا
At Rabigh I visited an abandoned campsite, altered by time.
Its traces would not remain unchanged.
تَعَفَّتwere effaced غَيرَexcept سُفعٍdark marks ماثِلاتٍstanding
تَعَفَّت غَيرَ سُفعٍ ماثِلاتٍ
يَطيرُflies away سَوادُهُits blackness سَمَلاًragged جَفَولاstartled
يَطيرُ سَوادُهُ سَمَلاً جَفَولا
They had faded, save for dark marks still standing.
Their blackness scattered, ragged and startled.
سَواكِنُهُits inhabitants جَوامِعُgathering بَينَaround جَأبٍa sturdy male ostrich
سَواكِنُهُ جَوامِعُ بَينَ جَأبٍ
يُساقِطُsheds بَينَfrom سِمنَتِهِits plumpness النَسيلاloose feathers
يُساقِطُ بَينَ سِمنَتِهِ النَسيلا
Its inhabitants gathered around a sturdy male ostrich,
Which shed loose feathers from its plump body.
إِذاwhen ماindeed صاحَit cried حَشرَجَit rasped فيin سَحيلٍa harsh call
إِذا ما صاحَ حَشرَجَ في سَحيلٍ
وَإِرنانٍand a ringing cry فَأَتبَعَهُthen followed it with سَحيلاanother call
وَإِرنانٍ فَأَتبَعَهُ سَحيلا
When it cried out, its voice rasped in a harsh call,
Then rang aloud and followed with another call.
وَظِلمانٍand male ostriches مُجَوَّفَةٍhollowed بَياضاًin whiteness
وَظِلمانٍ مُجَوَّفَةٍ بَياضاً
وَعَينٍand wide-eyed creatures تَرتَعيgraze مِنهُfrom it بَقولاherbage
وَعَينٍ تَرتَعي مِنهُ بَقولا
There were male ostriches, white in their hollowed places,
And wide-eyed creatures grazing its greenery.
وَقَفتُI halted بِهاthere سَراةَat the height اليَومِof the day صَحبيmy companions
وَقَفتُ بِها سَراةَ اليَومِ صَحبي
أُكَفكِفُI hold back دَمعَthe tears عَينيof my eye أَنfrom يَسيلاflowing
أُكَفكِفُ دَمعَ عَيني أَن يَسيلا
I halted my companions there at midday,
Holding back the tears of my eyes from flowing.
أَلاlisten أَبلِغconvey وُشاةَthe tale-bearers الناسِof the people أَنّيthat I
أَلا أَبلِغ وُشاةَ الناسِ أَنّي
أَكونُwill be لَهُمfor them عَلىagainst نَفسيmyself دَليلاproof
أَكونُ لَهُم عَلى نَفسي دَليلا
Tell the people’s tale-bearers that I
Will myself give them proof against me:
بِأَنّيthat I قَدhave تَرَكتُleft وِصالَthe bond هِندٍwith Hind
بِأَنّي قَد تَرَكتُ وِصالَ هِندٍ
وَبُدِّلَand was replaced وُدُّهاher affection عِنديfor me ذُهولاby forgetfulness
وَبُدِّلَ وُدُّها عِندي ذُهولا
I have given up my bond with Hind,
And my affection for her has turned to forgetfulness.
فَإِنso if آتِI do الَّذيwhat تَهوَونَyou desire مِنهاconcerning her
فَإِن آتِ الَّذي تَهوَونَ مِنها
فَقَدthen indeed عاصَيتُهاI resisted her زَمَناًfor a time طَويلاlong
فَقَد عاصَيتُها زَمَناً طَويلا
If I do what you wish concerning her,
I have resisted her for a long time.
فَلاso may you not bear a child تَلِديand may he not marry you وَلاone like me يَنكَحكِone like me مِثليone like me
فَلا تَلِدي وَلا يَنكَحكِ مِثلي
إِذاwhen طَرَدَit drove السَفاthe windblown dust هَيفاًthin نَصولاretreating
إِذا طَرَدَ السَفا هَيفاً نَصولا
May you bear no child, and may no man like me marry you,
When the wind drives thin, retreating dust,
وَأَجدَبَتِand grew barren البِلادُthe lands فَكُنَّand became غُبراًgray
وَأَجدَبَتِ البِلادُ فَكُنَّ غُبراً
وَعادَand became القَطرُthe rain مَنزوراًscant قَليلاslight
وَعادَ القَطرُ مَنزوراً قَليلا
And the land grows barren and turns gray,
And the rain becomes scarce and slight.
فَإِنَّكِfor you إِنif سَأَلتِyou ask سَراةَthe nobles قَوميof my people
فَإِنَّكِ إِن سَأَلتِ سَراةَ قَومي
إِذاwhen ماindeed حَربُهُمtheir war نَتَجَتgave birth to فَصيلاa weanling calf
إِذا ما حَربُهُم نَتَجَت فَصيلا
For if you ask the nobles of my people,
When their war has brought forth a weanling calf,
أَلَستُam I not أُعِدُّpreparing سابِغَةًa full coat of mail وَنَهداًand a sturdy horse
أَلَستُ أُعِدُّ سابِغَةً وَنَهداً
وَذاand one with حَدَّينِtwo edges مَشهوراًfamous صَقيلاpolished
وَذا حَدَّينِ مَشهوراً صَقيلا
Do I not prepare a full coat of mail and a sturdy horse,
And a famous, polished, double-edged blade?
وَأَعفوand I pardon عَنthe wrongdoing of سَفيهِهُمُtheir foolish men وَأُرضيand I welcome
وَأَعفو عَن سَفيهِهُمُ وَأُرضي
مَقالَةَthe words مَنof one أَرىI consider مِنهُمamong them خَليلاa friend
مَقالَةَ مَن أَرى مِنهُم خَليلا
I pardon their foolish men and welcome
The words of one among them whom I consider a friend.
بِجَنبِbeside الشِعبِthe mountain pass يُرهِقُنيhe presses me إِذاwhen ماindeed
بِجَنبِ الشِعبِ يُرهِقُني إِذا ما
مَضىpassed فيهِthrough it الرَعيلُthe troop رَأىhe saw رَعيلاanother troop
مَضى فيهِ الرَعيلُ رَأى رَعيلا
Beside the mountain pass, he presses me when
One troop has gone through it and he sees another.
وَنَحنُand we مَعاشِرٌare a people خَرَجواwho came forth مُلوكاًas kings
وَنَحنُ مَعاشِرٌ خَرَجوا مُلوكاً
تَفُكُّwho loosen عَنِfrom المُكَبَّلَةِthe bound one الكُبولاthe shackles
تَفُكُّ عَنِ المُكَبَّلَةِ الكُبولا
We are a people who came forth as kings,
Who loosen the shackles of the bound.
مَتىwhenever ماindeed تَأتِyou come to ناديناour gathering place تَجِدناyou will find us
مَتى ما تَأتِ نادينا تَجِدنا
جَحاجِحَةًgreat chiefs خَضارِمَةًgenerous leaders كُهولاseasoned elders
جَحاجِحَةً خَضارِمَةً كُهولا
Whenever you come to our gathering place, you will find us
Great, generous chiefs and seasoned elders,
وَشُبّاناًand young men إِذاwhen فَزِعواthey are alarmed تَغَشّواthey put on
وَشُبّاناً إِذا فَزِعوا تَغَشّوا
سَوابِغَfull coats of mail يَسحَبونَthey drag لَهاfor them ذُيولاtrailing hems
سَوابِغَ يَسحَبونَ لَها ذُيولا
And young men who, when alarmed, put on
Full coats of mail with trailing hems.
Sol 6