وَمَسجونَةٍand a confined woman قالَتsaid وَقَدwhile already سَدَّhad sealed زَوجُهاher husband
وَمَسجونَةٍ قالَت وَقَد سَدَّ زَوجُها
عَلَيهاagainst her خَصاصَthe gaps of البَيتِthe house مِنfrom كُلِّevery مَنظَرِviewing opening
عَلَيها خَصاصَ البَيتِ مِن كُلِّ مَنظَرِ
And a woman kept confined said, her husband having already sealed
Imprisoned, she said - her husband had shut
every gap in the house through which she could look out:
The house’s eyes on her from every view -
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَروىwatered fully جَنابٌJanab لِقاحَهُhis milk-camels
لَعَمري لَقَد أَروى جَنابٌ لِقاحَهُ
وَأَنهَلَand gave a first drink فيamid لَزنٍa crush مِنَof الماءِwater مُنكَرِfearsome
وَأَنهَلَ في لَزنٍ مِنَ الماءِ مُنكَرِ
By my life, Janab has surely watered his milk-camels to the full,
“By my life, a stranger has slaked his lust
and given them their first drink amid a fearsome crush at the water.
And drunk, in a borrowed robe, unpure brew!
فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you قَدalready أَشبَعتَyou have sated أَبرامَthe misers of نَهشَلٍNahshal
فَإِنَّكَ قَد أَشبَعتَ أَبرامَ نَهشَلٍ
وَأَبرَزتَand you brought out مِنهُمfrom among them كُلَّevery عَذراءَmaiden مُعصِرِnearing puberty
وَأَبرَزتَ مِنهُم كُلَّ عَذراءَ مُعصِرِ
For you have sated the misers of Nahshal,
You have gorged the ravening packs of Nashel
and brought out from among them every maiden nearing womanhood.
And made bare each maiden pressed for you;
وَلَوand if كُنتَyou were حُرّاًnoble ماnot طَعِمتَyou tasted لُحومَهاtheir flesh
وَلَو كُنتَ حُرّاً ما طَعِمتَ لُحومَها
وَلاnor قُمتَyou stood عِندَbeside الفَرثِthe paunch's dung ياO اِبنَson of المُجَشَّرِal-Mujashshir
وَلا قُمتَ عِندَ الفَرثِ يا اِبنَ المُجَشَّرِ
And had you been noble, you would not have tasted their flesh,
Had you been gently bred you had never helled
nor stood beside the paunch's dung, O son of al-Mujashshir.
The flesh of free women nor tax levied new.
أَلَمdid ... not? تَعلَماyou know ياO اِبنَson of المُجَشَّرِal-Mujashshir أَنَّهاthat they
أَلَم تَعلَما يا اِبنَ المُجَشَّرِ أَنَّها
إِلىtoward السَيفِthe sword تُستَبكىare made to weep إِذاwhen لَمnot تُعَقَّرِthey are hamstrung
إِلى السَيفِ تُستَبكى إِذا لَم تُعَقَّرِ
Did you not know, O son of al-Mujashshir, that they
Know you not, vile Nashshar’s son, they steel
are made to weep for the sword when they are not hamstrung?
Their souls for death should dishonor ensue?
مَناعيشُsustainers لِلمَولىfor the dependent مَرائيبُmenders لِلثَأىfor breaches
مَناعيشُ لِلمَولى مَرائيبُ لِلثَأى
مَعاقيرُfrequently slaughtered فيon يَومِthe day of الشِتاءِwinter المُذَكَّرِbitterly severe
مَعاقيرُ في يَومِ الشِتاءِ المُذَكَّرِ
Sustainers of the dependent, menders of breaches,
I keep flocks for the Lord, shy from men and hole,
often slaughtered on a bitter winter's day.
Warm goats in winter’s dearth for wealth accrue;
وَماand not جَبَرَتhave healed إِلّاexcept عَلىwith عَتَبٍa defect بِهاin them
وَما جَبَرَت إِلّا عَلى عَتَبٍ بِها
عَراقيبُهاtheir hock-tendons مُذsince عُقِّرَتthey were hamstrung يَومَon the day of صَوأَرِSaw'ar
عَراقيبُها مُذ عُقِّرَت يَومَ صَوأَرِ
And only imperfectly have they healed—
My stakes firm planted since the day they stole
their hock-tendons—since they were hamstrung on the day of Saw'ar.
Me at Sawâr, though now my ribs askew
وَإِنَّand indeed لَهاfor them بَينَbetween المِقَرَّينِthe two Miqarrs ذائِداًa defender
وَإِنَّ لَها بَينَ المِقَرَّينِ ذائِداً
وَسَيفَand the sword of عِقالٍ'Iqal فيin يَدَيthe two hands of غَيرِone who is not جَيدَرِa squat man
وَسَيفَ عِقالٍ في يَدَي غَيرِ جَيدَرِ
And surely they have a defender between the two Miqarrs,
And I bear between my burdens twain a sword
and 'Iqal's sword in the hands of a man who is not squat.
And reins controlled by hands all blood imbrue.
إِذاif رَوَّحَتthey return at evening يَوماًone day عَلَيهِto him رَأَيتَهاyou see them
إِذا رَوَّحَت يَوماً عَلَيهِ رَأَيتَها
بُروكاًkneeling مَتاليهاtheir females followed by calves عَلىon كُلِّevery مَجزَرِslaughtering ground
بُروكاً مَتاليها عَلى كُلِّ مَجزَرِ
If one day they return to him at evening, you see them
Should she but breathe one day the death afford
kneeling—those with calves following them—at every slaughtering ground.
You would see her broadsword fleshed on each subdue;
وَكائِنand how many لَهاfor them مِنof مَحبِسٍa holding place أُنهِبَتthey were offered for the taking بِهِat it
وَكائِن لَها مِن مَحبِسٍ أُنهِبَت بِهِ
بِجَمعٍat Jam' وَبِالبَطحاءِand at al-Batha' عِندَbeside المُشَعَّرِal-Mash'ar
بِجَمعٍ وَبِالبَطحاءِ عِندَ المُشَعَّرِ
And how many holding places they have where they were given over for the taking,
And she has power to quit this prison gored
at Jam' and al-Batha', beside al-Mash'ar.
And meet her kin, and where the speakers mew
وَماand no إِبِلٌcamels أَدعىmore inviting إِلىto فَرعِthe chief of قَومِهاtheir people
وَما إِبِلٌ أَدعى إِلى فَرعِ قَومِها
وَخَيرٌand better قِرىًhospitality لِلطارِقِfor the night visitor المُتَنَوِّرِseeking firelight
وَخَيرٌ قِرىً لِلطارِقِ المُتَنَوِّرِ
And no camels better draw people to their clan's chief,
At the Hallowed Place. No camels ever pined
or offer better hospitality to the night visitor seeking firelight,
More for their calves or for the tribal view
وَأَعرَفَand more familiar بِالمَعروفِwith kindness مِنهاthan them إِذاwhen اِلتَقَتgather
وَأَعرَفَ بِالمَعروفِ مِنها إِذا اِلتَقَت
عَصائِبُbands شَتّىdiverse بِالمَقامِat the Station المُطَهَّرِpurified
عَصائِبُ شَتّى بِالمَقامِ المُطَهَّرِ
or are more familiar with kindness than these, when there gather
Than she, who better knows the thing refined,
diverse bands at the purified Station.
When the clans join at Holy Rendezvous.
وَماand no أُفُقٌhorizon إِلّاexcept بِهِin it مِنfrom حَديثِهاtales of them
وَما أُفُقٌ إِلّا بِهِ مِن حَديثِها
لَهاfor them أَثَرٌa trace يَنمىis linked إِلىto كُلِّevery مَفخَرِsource of pride
لَها أَثَرٌ يَنمى إِلى كُلِّ مَفخَرِ
And no horizon lacks, through the tales told of them,
She wakes some theme in all of generous mind
a trace of theirs linked to every source of pride.
That spreads and blossoms into fame anew.”
Sol 6.1