وَكَومٍand high-humped she-camels تَنعَمُare gladdened الأَضيافُthe guests عَيناًin their eyes
وَكَومٍ تَنعَمُ الأَضيافُ عَيناً
وَتُصبِحُand they are at dawn فيin مَبارِكِهاtheir kneeling places ثِقالاheavy
وَتُصبِحُ في مَبارِكِها ثِقالا
And high-humped she-camels delight the guests' eyes,
And lie heavy in their kneeling places at dawn,
حُواساتِvoracious eaters of العِشاءِthe evening feed خُبَعثَناتٍmassive-bodied
حُواساتِ العِشاءِ خُبَعثَناتٍ
إِذاwhen النَكباءُthe crosswind راوَحَتِalternated with الشَمالاthe north wind
إِذا النَكباءُ راوَحَتِ الشَمالا
Ravenous for evening feed, massive-bodied,
When the crosswind alternates with the north wind.
كَأَنَّas though فِصالَهاtheir weaned calves حَبَشٌAbyssinians جِعادٌcurly-haired
كَأَنَّ فِصالَها حَبَشٌ جِعادٌ
تُخالُare imagined عَلىupon مَبارِكِهاtheir kneeling places جِفالاgathered throngs
تُخالُ عَلى مَبارِكِها جِفالا
Their weaned calves are like curly-haired Abyssinians,
Seeming like gathered throngs upon their resting grounds,
لِأَكلَفَfor a dark-coated one أُمُّهُhis mother دَهماءَa black she-camel مِنهاamong them
لِأَكلَفَ أُمُّهُ دَهماءَ مِنها
كَأَنَّas though عَلَيهِupon him مِنof جَلَدٍhide جِلالاblankets
كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ مِن جَلَدٍ جِلالا
For a dark-coated one whose mother is a black she-camel among them,
As though he wore blankets made of hide.
أَرِقتُI lay sleepless فَلَمand did not أَنَمI sleep لَيلاًa night طَويلاًlong
أَرِقتُ فَلَم أَنَم لَيلاً طَويلاً
أُراقِبُI watch هَلwhether أَرىI see النِسرَينِthe two Eagle stars زالاboth had moved on
أُراقِبُ هَل أَرى النِسرَينِ زالا
I lay sleepless and did not sleep through a long night,
Watching to see whether the two Eagle stars had moved on.
فَأَرَّقَنيso kept me awake نَوايِبُafflictions مِنof هُمومٍworries
فَأَرَّقَني نَوايِبُ مِن هُمومٍ
عَلَيَّupon me وَلَمand did not يَكُنbe أَمريmy affairs عِيالاdependent on others
عَلَيَّ وَلَم يَكُن أَمري عِيالا
So bouts of worry kept me awake,
Weighing upon me, though my affairs depended on no one.
وَكانَand was قِرىthe guest-fare of الهُمومِthe worries إِذاwhen اِعتَرَتنيthey assailed me
وَكانَ قِرى الهُمومِ إِذا اِعتَرَتني
زَماعاًfirm resolve لاnot أُريدُI desire بِهِfor it بِدالاa substitute
زَماعاً لا أُريدُ بِهِ بِدالا
And the guest-fare I offered worries when they assailed me
Was firm resolve, for which I desired no substitute.
فَعادَلتُso I weighed المَسالِكَthe routes نِصفَhalf of حَولٍa year
فَعادَلتُ المَسالِكَ نِصفَ حَولٍ
وَحَولاًand a year بَعدَهُafter it حَتّىuntil أَحالاit had elapsed
وَحَولاً بَعدَهُ حَتّى أَحالا
So I weighed the routes for half a year,
And a year thereafter, until it had run its course.
فَقالَthen said لِيَto me الَّذيthe one who يَعنيهِconcerns him شَأنيmy affairs
فَقالَ لِيَ الَّذي يَعنيهِ شَأني
نَصيحَةَsincere counsel قَولِهِhis words سِرّاًprivately وَقالاand he said
نَصيحَةَ قَولِهِ سِرّاً وَقالا
Then the one concerned for my affairs said to me,
With sincere counsel in his words, privately—and he said:
عَلَيكَyou must turn to بَنيthe sons of أُمَيَّةَUmayyah فَاِستَجِرهُمthen seek their protection
عَلَيكَ بَني أُمَيَّةَ فَاِستَجِرهُم
وَخُذand take مِنهُمfrom them لِماagainst what تَخشىyou fear حِبالاcords; protective bonds
وَخُذ مِنهُم لِما تَخشى حِبالا
Turn to the sons of Umayyah and seek their protection,
And take from them cords of safety against what you fear.
فَإِنَّfor indeed بَنيthe sons of أُمَيَّةَUmayyah فيamong قُرَيشٍQuraysh
فَإِنَّ بَني أُمَيَّةَ في قُرَيشٍ
بَنَواthey built لِبُيوتِهِمfor their houses عَمَداًpillars طِوالاtall
بَنَوا لِبُيوتِهِم عَمَداً طِوالا
For the sons of Umayyah, among Quraysh,
Have built tall pillars for their houses.
فَرَوَّحتُso I drove forth in the afternoon القَلوصَthe young she-camel إِلىtoward سَعيدٍSaʿid
فَرَوَّحتُ القَلوصَ إِلى سَعيدٍ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الشاةُthe antelope فيin الأَرطاةِthe arta shrub قالاtook its midday rest
إِذا ما الشاةُ في الأَرطاةِ قالا
So I set my young she-camel out toward Saʿid,
When the antelope took its midday rest beneath the arta shrub.
تَخَطّىshe strides across الحَرَّةَthe lava field الرَجلاءَrugged and stony لَيلاًby night
تَخَطّى الحَرَّةَ الرَجلاءَ لَيلاً
وَتَقطَعُand wears through فيin مَخارِمِهاits narrow passes نِعالاsandals
وَتَقطَعُ في مَخارِمِها نِعالا
She strides across the rugged lava field by night,
And wears through sandals in its narrow passes.
حَلَفتُI swore بِمَنby whoever أَتىcame to كَنَفَيهِits two slopes حِراءٍHira
حَلَفتُ بِمَن أَتى كَنَفَيهِ حِراءٍ
وَمَنand whoever وافىarrived at بِحُجَّتِهِon his pilgrimage إِلالاIlal
وَمَن وافى بِحُجَّتِهِ إِلالا
I swore by those who came to Hira's two slopes,
And those who reached Ilal on their pilgrimage.
Sol 6.1