أَصبَحتُI have become أَقذِفُI shoot at أَهدافَthe targets of المَنونِdeath كَماjust as
أَصبَحتُ أَقذِفُ أَهدافَ المَنونِ كَما
يَرميhe shoots at الدَريئَةَthe practice target أَدنىbringing close فَوقَهُhis arrow's nock الوَتَرِthe bowstring
يَرمي الدَريئَةَ أَدنى فَوقَهُ الوَتَرِ
I have come to shoot at death's targets, as
one shoots at a practice target, bringing his arrow's nock close to the bowstring;
فيat مَنصَفٍa midpoint مِنof مَدىthe span تِسعينَninety مِنfrom مِئَةٍa hundred
في مَنصَفٍ مِن مَدى تِسعينَ مِن مِئَةٍ
كَرَميَةِlike the throw of الكاعِبِthe budding-breasted girl العَذراءِthe virgin بِالحَجَرِwith a stone
كَرَميَةِ الكاعِبِ العَذراءِ بِالحَجَرِ
halfway between ninety and a hundred,
like a young virgin's throw of a stone.
فيin مَنزِلٍa dwelling نازِحٍdistant مِنَfrom الحَيَّthe tribe مُنتَبَذٍsecluded
في مَنزِلٍ نازِحٍ مِنَ الحَيَّ مُنتَبَذٍ
كَمَربَطِlike the tethering-place of العيرِthe ass لاnot أُدعىI am summoned إِلىto خَبَرِnews
كَمَربَطِ العيرِ لا أُدعى إِلى خَبَرِ
In a distant dwelling, isolated from the tribe,
like an ass's tethering-place, I am not summoned for news.
كَأَنَّنيas though I were خَرَبٌa male bustard جُزَّتwere clipped قَوادِمُهُits primary flight feathers
كَأَنَّني خَرَبٌ جُزَّت قَوادِمُهُ
أَوor جُثَّةٌa carcass مِنof بُغاثٍweak-winged birds فيin يَدَيthe two hands of هَصِرِa crusher
أَو جُثَّةٌ مِن بُغاثٍ في يَدَي هَصِرِ
As though I were a male bustard whose flight feathers were clipped,
or the carcass of a weak-winged bird in a crusher's hands.
يُمضونَthey carry out أَمرَهُمُtheir affairs دونيwithout me وَماand not فَقَدواthey have lost
يُمضونَ أَمرَهُمُ دوني وَما فَقَدوا
مِنّيfrom me عَزيمَةَresolve in أَمرٍa matter ماexceptive marker خَلاexcept for كِبَريmy old age
مِنّي عَزيمَةَ أَمرٍ ما خَلا كِبَري
They carry out their affairs without me, yet have found
no lack of resolve in me, save for my old age,
وَنَومَةٍand a sleep لَستُI am not أَقضيهاfinishing it وَإِنand even if مَتُعَتit lasts long
وَنَومَةٍ لَستُ أَقضيها وَإِن مَتُعَت
وَماand what مَضىhas passed قَبلُbefore مِنof شَأويmy course وَمِنand of عُمُريmy life
وَما مَضى قَبلُ مِن شَأوي وَمِن عُمُري
and a sleep I cannot finish, however long it lasts,
and what has already passed of my course and my life.
وَإِنَّنيand indeed I رابَنيhas troubled me قَيدٌa fetter حُبِستُI was confined بِهِby it
وَإِنَّني رابَني قَيدٌ حُبِستُ بِهِ
وَقَدand once أَكونُI used to be وَماand not يُمشىone walks عَلىupon أَثريmy tracks
وَقَد أَكونُ وَما يُمشى عَلى أَثري
And indeed a fetter has troubled me, by which I am confined,
though once none could follow in my tracks.
إِنَّindeed السِنينَthe years إِذاwhen قارَبنَthey draw near مِنto مِئَةٍa hundred
إِنَّ السِنينَ إِذا قارَبنَ مِن مِئَةٍ
لَوَينَthey wind مِرَّةَthe firm strand أَحواليof my condition عَلىupon مِرَرِtwisted strands
لَوَينَ مِرَّةَ أَحوالي عَلى مِرَرِ
Indeed, when the years draw near a hundred,
they wind the firm strand of my condition, strand upon strand.
Sol 6.1