لَوif كُنتَyou were مِثليlike me ياO خِيارُKhiyar تَعَسَّفَتcrossed trackless country
لَو كُنتَ مِثلي يا خِيارُ تَعَسَّفَت
بِكَwith you البيضُthe white she-camels ضَربَoffspring of العَوجَهِيَّal-Awjahi وَداعِرِand Da'ir
بِكَ البيضُ ضَربَ العَوجَهِيَّ وَداعِرِ
If you were like me, O Khiyar, they would cross trackless country,
If you were like me, O Khayar, you would have been abused,
bearing you—the white she-camels, offspring of al-Awjahi and Da'ir.
By you the perfect white orb attacked the crooked tent peg.
وَكُنتَand you were عَلىon أَرضِland المَهاريthe Mahri camels مُؤَمَّراًappointed commander
وَكُنتَ عَلى أَرضِ المَهاري مُؤَمَّراً
عَلىover كُلِّevery بادٍnomad مِنof مَعَدٍّMa'add وَحاضِرِand settled dweller
عَلى كُلِّ بادٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ وَحاضِرِ
And you would be appointed commander in the land of Mahri camels,
And you were in the land of the skillful, stationed
over every nomad and settled dweller of Ma'add.
At every wind from the intestine and the present liver.
مُهَلَّلَةَlean الأَعضادِthe upper forelegs إِنif سِرتَyou traveled لَيلَةًone night
مُهَلَّلَةَ الأَعضادِ إِن سِرتَ لَيلَةً
بِهاon them أَصبَحَتwere at dawn خِمسَa five-day journey البَريدِthe courier المُبادِرِthe swift
بِها أَصبَحَت خِمسَ البَريدِ المُبادِرِ
Lean in the upper forelegs—if you traveled one night
With limbs made slender if you walked by night,
on them, by dawn they would have covered a swift courier's five-day journey.
By it, five of the coolness of morning became hastening.
وَلَوand if كُنتَyou were بِالحَزمِat al-Hazm اِحتَزَمتَyou girded صُدورَهاtheir chests
وَلَو كُنتَ بِالحَزمِ اِحتَزَمتَ صُدورَها
بِكُلِّwith every عِلافِيٍّ'Ilafi saddle مِنَof المَيسِhackberry wood قاتِرِsnug-fitting
بِكُلِّ عِلافِيٍّ مِنَ المَيسِ قاتِرِ
And had you been at al-Hazm, you would have girded their chests
And if you had been resolute, you would have girded their chests
with every snug-fitting 'Ilafi saddle of hackberry wood.
With every strong strap made of goat hair fabric.
تَراهاyou see them إِذاwhen الحاديthe chanting camel-driver رَجاhoped أَنthat تَنالَهاreach them
تَراها إِذا الحادي رَجا أَن تَنالَها
عَصاهُhis stick شَأَتهُoutstripped him كُلُّevery حَقباءَwhite-bellied wild she-ass ضامِرِlean
عَصاهُ شَأَتهُ كُلُّ حَقباءَ ضامِرِ
You see them: when the camel-driver hopes to reach them
You see them, when the guide hopes to reach them,
with his stick, each lean, white-bellied wild she-ass outstrips him.
The staff of each old man of many days breaks.
تَرىyou see إِبِلاًcamels ماas long as لَمnot تُحَرِّكmove رُؤوسَهاtheir heads
تَرى إِبِلاً ما لَم تُحَرِّك رُؤوسَها
وَهُنَّand they إِذاwhen حَرَّكنَthey moved غَيرُother than الأَباعِرِcamels
وَهُنَّ إِذا حَرَّكنَ غَيرُ الأَباعِرِ
You see camels as long as they do not move their heads,
You see camels that have not moved their necks,
but when they move, they are something other than camels.
And they, when they move, other than the young camels.
وَكُنتَand you were اِمرَأًa man لَمdid not تَعرِفِrecognize الأَمرَthe affair مُقبِلاًapproaching
وَكُنتَ اِمرَأً لَم تَعرِفِ الأَمرَ مُقبِلاً
وَلَمand not تَكُyou were إِذwhen أَنكَرتَهُyou found it strange ذاpossessing مَصادِرِways out
وَلَم تَكُ إِذ أَنكَرتَهُ ذا مَصادِرِ
Yet you were a man who did not recognize what was coming,
And you were a man who did not recognize the matter coming,
and when it baffled you, you had no way out.
And were not, when you denied it, one with stores.
فَهَلّاthen why not خَشيتَyou feared القَومَthe men إِذwhen أَخرَجَتهُمُyou brought them out
فَهَلّا خَشيتَ القَومَ إِذ أَخرَجَتهُمُ
مِنَfrom السِجنِthe prison حَيّاتٌserpents صِلابُstrong المَكاسِرِthe bodily joints
مِنَ السِجنِ حَيّاتٌ صِلابُ المَكاسِرِ
Then why did you not fear those men when you released them
Why then did you not fear the people when you brought them out
from prison—serpents of unyielding frame?
From prison, lively serpents, strong of striking.
أُناسٌmen تُراخيease الكَربَthe distress عَنهُمfrom them سُيوفُهُمtheir swords
أُناسٌ تُراخي الكَربَ عَنهُم سُيوفُهُم
إِذاwhen كانَتِwere الأَنفاسُthe breaths عِندَat الحَناجِرِthe throats
إِذا كانَتِ الأَنفاسُ عِندَ الحَناجِرِ
Men whose swords ease their distress
People who swords relieve anxiety from them
when breaths are at the throats.
When the breaths were at the throats.
Sol 6.1