رَأىhe saw عَبدُʿAbd قَيسٍQays خَفقَةًa flicker شَوَّرَتraised aloft بِهاwith it
رَأى عَبدُ قَيسٍ خَفقَةً شَوَّرَت بِها
يَداthe two hands of قابِسٍa fire-seeker أَلوىhe waved بِهاwith it ثُمَّthen أَخمَداhe extinguished it
يَدا قابِسٍ أَلوى بِها ثُمَّ أَخمَدا
ʿAbd Qays saw a flicker, raised aloft by
a fire-seeker's two hands; he waved it, then quenched it.
أَعِدrepeat نَظَراًa look ياO عَبدَʿAbd قَيسٍQays فَرُبَّماfor perhaps
أَعِد نَظَراً يا عَبدَ قَيسٍ فَرُبَّما
أَضاءَتilluminated لَكَfor you النارُthe fire الحِمارَthe donkey المُقَيَّداthe tethered
أَضاءَت لَكَ النارُ الحِمارَ المُقَيَّدا
Look again, O ʿAbd Qays—for perhaps
the fire has lit up for you the tethered donkey:
حِمارُthe donkey of كُلَيبِيَّينَKulaybites لَمnot يَشهَدواthey took part بِهِwith it
حِمارُ كُلَيبِيَّينَ لَم يَشهَدوا بِهِ
رِهاناًa race وَلَمand not يُلفَواthey were found عَلىon الخَيلِhorses رُوَّداscouts
رِهاناً وَلَم يُلفَوا عَلى الخَيلِ رُوَّدا
the donkey of Kulaybites, who never entered it in
a race, nor were they found scouting on horseback.
عَسىperhaps أَنthat يُعيدَrestore الموقِدُthe kindler النارَthe fire فَاِلتَمِسso seek
عَسى أَن يُعيدَ الموقِدُ النارَ فَاِلتَمِس
بِعَينَيكَwith your two eyes نارَthe fire of المُصطَليthe man warming himself حَيثُwhere أَوقَداhe kindled it
بِعَينَيكَ نارَ المُصطَلي حَيثُ أَوقَدا
Perhaps the kindler will rekindle the fire; then seek
with your two eyes the fire of the man warming himself, where he kindled it.
فَماfor not جَهِدواthey exerted themselves يَومَthe day of النِسارِal-Nisār وَلَمand not تَعُدvisit
فَما جَهِدوا يَومَ النِسارِ وَلَم تَعُد
نِساؤُهُمُtheir women مِنهُمfrom among them كَمِيّاًan armored warrior مُوَسَّداlaid on a pillow
نِساؤُهُمُ مِنهُم كَمِيّاً مُوَسَّدا
For they did not strive on the day of al-Nisār, nor did
their women visit an armored warrior of theirs laid on a pillow.
كُلَيبِيَّةًa Kulaybite woman لَمnot يَجعَلِmake اللَهُGod وَجهَهاher face
كُلَيبِيَّةً لَم يَجعَلِ اللَهُ وَجهَها
كَريماًnoble وَلَمand not تَزجُرforetell by augury لَهاfor her الطَيرُthe birds أَسعَداbetter fortune
كَريماً وَلَم تَزجُر لَها الطَيرُ أَسعَدا
A Kulaybite woman—God did not make her face
noble, nor did the birds foretell better fortune for her.
فَكَيفَso how وَقَدand already فَقَّأتُI gouged out عَينَيكَyour two eyes تَبتَغيyou seek
فَكَيفَ وَقَد فَقَّأتُ عَينَيكَ تَبتَغي
عِناداًdefiance لِنابَيagainst the two fangs of حَيَّةٍa snake قَدalready تَرَبَّداboth grew dusky
عِناداً لِنابَي حَيَّةٍ قَد تَرَبَّدا
How, then, though I have gouged out your eyes, do you seek
defiance of a snake's two fangs, which have grown dusky?
مِنَof الصُمِّthe deaf serpents تَكفيsuffices مَرَّةًonce مِنof لُعابِهِits saliva
مِنَ الصُمِّ تَكفي مَرَّةً مِن لُعابِهِ
وَماand not عادَit returned إِلّاexcept كانَit was فيin العودِthe return أَحمَداmore praiseworthy
وَما عادَ إِلّا كانَ في العودِ أَحمَدا
It is one of the deaf serpents: a single dose of its saliva suffices;
and whenever it returns, it is still more praiseworthy.
تَرىyou see ماwhat يَمُسُّtouches الأَرضَthe earth مِنهُof it إِذاwhen سَرىit slithers
تَرى ما يَمُسُّ الأَرضَ مِنهُ إِذا سَرى
صُدوعاًfissures تَفَأّىgaping open بِالدَكادِكِthrough the low mounds صُلَّداhard-packed
صُدوعاً تَفَأّى بِالدَكادِكِ صُلَّدا
You see, where it touches the earth as it slithers,
fissures gaping through the hard-packed mounds.
لَئِنif indeed عِبتَyou faulted نارَthe fire of اِبنِthe son of المَراغَةِal-Marāgha إِنَّهاindeed it
لَئِن عِبتَ نارَ اِبنِ المَراغَةِ إِنَّها
لَأَلأَمُindeed the basest نارٍfire مُصطَلينَthose warming themselves وَمَوقِداand a hearth
لَأَلأَمُ نارٍ مُصطَلينَ وَمَوقِدا
If you have faulted the fire of Ibn al-Marāgha, it is indeed
the basest of fires, in those warming at it and in its hearth.
إِذاwhen أَثقَبوهاthey kindle it بِالكُدادَةِwith kindling scraps لَمnot تُضِئilluminate
إِذا أَثقَبوها بِالكُدادَةِ لَم تُضِئ
رَئيساًa chief وَلاnor عِندَamong المُنيخينَthose halting their camels مَرفَداa source of hospitality
رَئيساً وَلا عِندَ المُنيخينَ مَرفَدا
When they kindle it with kindling scraps, it does not illuminate
a chief, nor a source of hospitality among those halting their camels.
وَلَكِنَّbut ظِربىpolecats عِندَهاbeside it يَصطَلونَهاthey warm themselves at it
وَلَكِنَّ ظِربى عِندَها يَصطَلونَها
يَصُفّونَthey line up لِلزَربِfor the pen الصَفيحَthe stone slabs المُسَنَّداpropped up
يَصُفّونَ لِلزَربِ الصَفيحَ المُسَنَّدا
But polecats warm themselves beside it,
lining up propped stone slabs for the pen:
قَنافِذُhedgehogs دَرّامونَtaking short steps خَلفَbehind جِحاشِهِمtheir donkey foals
قَنافِذُ دَرّامونَ خَلفَ جِحاشِهِم
لِماbecause of what كانَhad إِيّاهُمthem عَطِيَّةُʿAtiyya عَوَّداaccustomed
لِما كانَ إِيّاهُم عَطِيَّةُ عَوَّدا
hedgehogs shuffling behind their donkey foals,
as ʿAtiyya had accustomed them to do,
إِذاwhen عَسكَرَتwrapped أُمُّthe mother of الكُلَيبِيِّthe Kulaybite حَولَهُaround him
إِذا عَسكَرَت أُمُّ الكُلَيبِيِّ حَولَهُ
وَظيفاًa shank لِظُنبوبِlike the shin of النَعامَةِthe ostrich أَسوَداblack
وَظيفاً لِظُنبوبِ النَعامَةِ أَسوَدا
when the Kulaybite's mother wrapped around him
a black shank, like an ostrich's shin.
Sol 6.1