غَرَّdeceived كُلَيباًKulayb إِذِwhen اِصفَرَّتturned yellow مَعالِقُهاher hanging vessels
غَرَّ كُلَيباً إِذِ اِصفَرَّت مَعالِقُها
بِضَيغَمِيٍّconcerning a lionlike man كَريهِdreadful الوَجهِthe face وَالأَثَرِand the track
بِضَيغَمِيٍّ كَريهِ الوَجهِ وَالأَثَرِ
Kulayb was deceived, when her hanging vessels turned yellow,
The hound howled when her teats turned yellow,
concerning a lionlike man, dreadful of face and track,
With a loathsome, ill-omened dye.
شُربُdrinking الرَثيئذَةِfresh milk mixed with sour (probable reading) حَتّىuntil باتَhe spent the night مُنكَرِساًcrouched
شُربُ الرَثيئذَةِ حَتّى باتَ مُنكَرِساً
عَلىover عَطِيَّةَAtiyya بَينَamong الشاءِthe sheep وَالحَجَرِand the stones
عَلى عَطِيَّةَ بَينَ الشاءِ وَالحَجَرِ
by drinking fresh milk mixed with sour, until he crouched for the night
She drank steadily till she lay stretched out,
over Atiyya, among the sheep and stones.
On the bare ground between the thorns and stones.
وَردُtawny السَراةِthe back تَرىyou see سوداًblack مَلاغِمُهُhis jowls
وَردُ السَراةِ تَرى سوداً مَلاغِمُهُ
مُجاهِرُopenly confronting القِرنِthe rival لاnot يَكتَنُّhe hides بِالخَمَرِin the thickets
مُجاهِرُ القِرنِ لا يَكتَنُّ بِالخَمَرِ
Tawny-backed, his jowls appear black;
The milch camels you see, their black calves clinging to them,
he openly faces his rival, never hiding in thickets.
Bellowing with horns that never touch wine.
كَأَنَّas though عَينَيهِhis two eyes وَالظَلماءُand the darkness مُسدِفَةٌgrowing dark
كَأَنَّ عَينَيهِ وَالظَلماءُ مُسدِفَةٌ
عَلىover فَريسَتِهِhis prey نارانِtwo fires فيin حَجَرِstone
عَلى فَريسَتِهِ نارانِ في حَجَرِ
As though his eyes, while darkness gathers,
Their eyes and the darkness seem competing
over his prey were two fires in stone.
As fires in the blackness of night.
كَأَنَّas though عَطّارَةًa woman perfumer باتَتshe spent the night تَعُلُّshe repeatedly moistens لَهُfor him
كَأَنَّ عَطّارَةً باتَت تَعُلُّ لَهُ
بِالزَعفَرانِwith saffron ذِراعَيthe two forelegs of مُخدِرٍa lair-dwelling lion هَصِرِcrushing
بِالزَعفَرانِ ذِراعَي مُخدِرٍ هَصِرِ
As though a woman perfumer spent the night repeatedly anointing for him
As though a perfume seller had made them drunk
with saffron the forelegs of a crushing lion in his lair.
With arms' length of soporific yellow bloom.
تُشليyou urge on كِلابَكَyour dogs وَالأَذنابُand the tails شائِلَةٌraised
تُشلي كِلابَكَ وَالأَذنابُ شائِلَةٌ
إِلىagainst قُرومِmighty sires عِظامِmassive الهامِthe skulls وَالقَصَرِand the necks
إِلى قُرومِ عِظامِ الهامِ وَالقَصَرِ
You urge your dogs on, while their tails are raised,
Unleash your hounds and let the greyhounds course
against mighty sires, massive of skull and neck.
To the ruins, bones, and palaces.
ماwhat تَأمُرونَyou all advise عِبادَservants of اللَهِGod أَسأَلُكُمI ask you all
ما تَأمُرونَ عِبادَ اللَهِ أَسأَلُكُم
بِشاعِرٍconcerning a poet حَولَهُaround him دُرجانِtwo fledglings مُختَمِرِwearing a head-veil
بِشاعِرٍ حَولَهُ دُرجانِ مُختَمِرِ
What do you counsel, servants of God? I ask you
What is your command, O servants of God, I ask you,
about a veiled poet with two fledglings around him.
About a poet ringed with fermenting casks?
لَئِنif indeed طَلَبتُمyou all sought بِهِthrough him شَأويmy reach لَقَدcertainly عَلِمَتshe knew
لَئِن طَلَبتُم بِهِ شَأوي لَقَد عَلِمَت
أَنّيthat I عَلىin العَقبِthe renewed run خَرّاجٌone who readily breaks out مِنَfrom القَتَرِthe dust
أَنّي عَلى العَقبِ خَرّاجٌ مِنَ القَتَرِ
If through him you seek to match my reach, she knows full well
If you seek to disparage him, know well
that, in a renewed burst, I break clear of the dust.
That I am a buttress against insult and baseness.
وَلاnor يُحاميhe defends عَلىon behalf of الأَحسابِancestral honors مُنفَلِقٌsplit apart
وَلا يُحامي عَلى الأَحسابِ مُنفَلِقٌ
مُقَنَّعٌhooded حينَwhen يُلقىhe is encountered فاتِرُfeeble النَظَرِthe gaze
مُقَنَّعٌ حينَ يُلقى فاتِرُ النَظَرِ
Nor does a shattered man defend ancestral honors,
No coward who blinks when looked at straight
hooded when encountered, feeble of gaze.
Can be a match for me in wordy warfare.
Sol 6.1