صَيداءَhigh-necked شَأمِيَّةٍSyrian حَرفٍlean and hardy كَمُشتَرِفٍlike one craning to look
صَيداءَ شَأمِيَّةٍ حَرفٍ كَمُشتَرِفٍ
إِلىtoward الشِخاصِthe distant figures مِنَfrom among التَضغانِthe birds of prey مَبحومِhoarse-voiced
إِلى الشِخاصِ مِنَ التَضغانِ مَبحومِ
A high-necked, lean Syrian she-camel, like one craning to look
A fawn from Damascus, an eloquent word as if peering out,
Toward distant figures—a hoarse-voiced bird of prey.
At people, from the oppressions, aggrieved,
أَوor أَخدَرِيَّan Akhdarī wild ass فَلاةٍof a wilderness ظَلَّhe remained مُرتَبِئاًkeeping watch
أَو أَخدَرِيَّ فَلاةٍ ظَلَّ مُرتَبِئاً
عَلىupon صَريمَةِa firm resolve أَمرٍa course of action غَيرِnot مَقسومِdivided
عَلى صَريمَةِ أَمرٍ غَيرِ مَقسومِ
Or an Akhdarī wild ass of the waste, keeping watch,
Or a blackened wilderness where shadows have settled
Firm in a resolute, undivided purpose.
Upon the misery of an unresolved matter,
جَونٌdark-coated يُؤَجِّلُherds together عاناتٍbands of she-asses وَيَجمَعُهاand gathers them
جَونٌ يُؤَجِّلُ عاناتٍ وَيَجمَعُها
حَولَaround الخُدادَةِal-Khudādah أَمثالَlike الأَناعيمِthe ostriches
حَولَ الخُدادَةِ أَمثالَ الأَناعيمِ
Dark-coated, he herds bands of she-asses and gathers them
Sorrow that defers torments and brings them together
Around al-Khudādah, like flocks of ostriches.
Around the victims like sheep without a shepherd,
رَعىhe grazed بِهاwith them أَشهُراًfor months يَقروranging through الخَلاءَthe open wilderness بِهاwith them
رَعى بِها أَشهُراً يَقرو الخَلاءَ بِها
مُعانِقاًembracing لِلهَواديtheir necks غَيرَnot مَظلومِdeprived
مُعانِقاً لِلهَوادي غَيرَ مَظلومِ
For months he grazed with them, roaming the open wastes with them,
He herded them for months, the deserts were his pasture,
Embracing their necks, deprived of nothing.
Embracing the valleys, unharmed,
شَهرَيthe two months of رَبيعٍRabīʿ يَلُسُّgrazing closely الأَرضَthe earth مونِقَةًlush and lovely
شَهرَي رَبيعٍ يَلُسُّ الأَرضَ مونِقَةً
إِلىuntil جُمادىJumādā بِزَهرِin the bloom of النورِthe flowers مَعمومِwreathed
إِلى جُمادى بِزَهرِ النورِ مَعمومِ
Through both months of Rabīʿ, grazing the lush earth,
Two months of spring in which the land sits beautifully
Until Jumādā, wreathed in blossoms.
Until mid-summer with flowers blooming everywhere,
بِالدَحلِat al-Daḥl كُلَّevery ظَلامٍnight لاnot تَزالُceases لَهُfrom him
بِالدَحلِ كُلَّ ظَلامٍ لا تَزالُ لَهُ
حَشرَجَةٌa throaty rattle أَوor سَحيلٌa bray بَعدَafter تَدويمِa low, sustained drone
حَشرَجَةٌ أَو سَحيلٌ بَعدَ تَدويمِ
At al-Daḥl, every dark night he keeps up
With nightfall, darkness still has for it
A throaty rattle, or a bray following a low drone.
Tumult or late rain after settlement,
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen أَنفَضَshed its seed البُهمىthe buhma-grass وَكانَand there was لَهُfor him
حَتّى إِذا أَنفَضَ البُهمى وَكانَ لَهُ
مِنsome of ناصِلٍwhat came free مِنfrom سَفاهاits awns كَالمَخاذيمِlike keen-edged blades
مِن ناصِلٍ مِن سَفاها كَالمَخاذيمِ
Until, when the buhma-grass shed its seed, and he had
Until when the confused one came to his senses, he had
Awns coming free from it, like keen-edged blades,
A departing guest whose nonsense was like raving,
تَذَكَّرَhe remembered الوِردَthe watering-place وَاِنضَمَّتand contracted ثَميلَتُهُhis belly
تَذَكَّرَ الوِردَ وَاِنضَمَّت ثَميلَتُهُ
فيin بارِحٍa scorching wind مِنduring نَهارِthe daytime of النَجمِthe Pleiades مَسمومِscorched by hot wind
في بارِحٍ مِن نَهارِ النَجمِ مَسمومِ
He remembered the watering-place, and his belly contracted,
He remembered the flowers and his thoughts rejoined
In a scorching wind on a searing day of the Pleiades.
In the eve of a day with a poisoned star,
أَرَنَّhe brayed وَاِنتَظَرَتهُand they awaited him أَينَwhere يَعدِلُهاhe would steer them
أَرَنَّ وَاِنتَظَرَتهُ أَينَ يَعدِلُها
مُكَدَّحاًscarred بِجَنينٍby a buried stone غَيرِnot مَهشومِshattered
مُكَدَّحاً بِجَنينٍ غَيرِ مَهشومِ
He brayed, and they waited to see where he would turn them,
She called and waited, where would he make it up to her
Scarred by a buried, unshattered stone,
Burdened with an unborn child,
غاشيfrequenting المَخارِمِthe mountain passes ماnot يَنفَكُّceases مُغتَصِباًforcibly seizing
غاشي المَخارِمِ ما يَنفَكُّ مُغتَصِباً
زَوجاتِthe mates of آخَرَanother male فيwith كُرهٍcoercion وَتَرغيمِand humiliation
زَوجاتِ آخَرَ في كُرهٍ وَتَرغيمِ
A haunter of mountain passes, forever seizing
Rider of the meadows, he wouldn’t stop violating
Another male’s mates through coercion and humiliation.
The wives of others forcefully and bitterly,
وَظَلَّand he kept يَعدِلُweighing أَيَّwhich of المَورِدَينِthe two watering-places لَهاfor them
وَظَلَّ يَعدِلُ أَيَّ المَورِدَينِ لَها
أَدنىnearer بِمُنخَرِقِacross an open stretch of القيعانِthe flatlands مَسؤومِwearisome
أَدنى بِمُنخَرِقِ القيعانِ مَسؤومِ
And he kept weighing for them which of the two watering-places
And he kept wondering which of the two pastures would bring her
Was nearer, across a wearisome open expanse of flats:
Closer, at the farthest point of the valley, ill-fated,
أَضارِجاًwhether Ḍārij أَمor مِياهِthe waters of السَيفِal-Sayf يَقرِبُهاhe brings them near
أَضارِجاً أَم مِياهِ السَيفِ يَقرِبُها
كَضارِبٍlike one casting بِقِداحِwith the arrows of القَسمِallotment مَأمومِwounded in the head
كَضارِبٍ بِقِداحِ القَسمِ مَأمومِ
Should he bring them to Ḍārij, or the waters of al-Sayf?
The slopes or the euphrates waters, he brings her
Like a head-wounded man casting the arrows of allotment.
Like one who casts divine arrows, obedient,
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen جَنَّclosed in داجيthe deep darkness of اللَيلِthe night هَيَّجَهاhe roused them
حَتّى إِذا جَنَّ داجي اللَيلِ هَيَّجَها
ثَبتُsure-footed on الخَبارِloose, pitted ground وَثَوبٌa great leaper لِلجَراثيمِover the mounds
ثَبتُ الخَبارِ وَثَوبٌ لِلجَراثيمِ
Until, when black night closed in, he roused them—
Until when the night grew still, it provoked her,
Sure-footed on loose ground, a great leaper over mounds.
Firm news and a garment for germs,
يَلُمُّهاhe gathers them مُقرِباًheading for water لَولاwere it not for شَكاسَتُهُhis surliness
يَلُمُّها مُقرِباً لَولا شَكاسَتُهُ
يَنفيhe drives off الجِحاشَthe young asses وَيُزريand finds fault بِالمَقاحيمِwith the aged males
يَنفي الجِحاشَ وَيُزري بِالمَقاحيمِ
He would keep them together on the way to water, but for his surliness:
He meets her, if not for his flaw
He drives off the young asses and scorns the aged males.
That rejects temptation and is mean with lovers,
حَتّىuntil تَلاقىhe came upon بِهاwith them فيin مُسيِthe evening of ثالِثَةٍthe third night
حَتّى تَلاقى بِها في مُسيِ ثالِثَةٍ
عَيناًa spring لَدىat مَشرَبٍa watering-place مِنهُنَّamong them مَعلومِknown
عَيناً لَدى مَشرَبٍ مِنهُنَّ مَعلومِ
Until, on the third evening, he came with them
Until she met him a third time
Upon a spring at a watering-place they knew.
At a well-known watering place,
خافَhe feared عَلَيهاfor them بَحيراًBaḥīr قَدalready أَعَدَّhad prepared لَهاfor them
خافَ عَلَيها بَحيراً قَد أَعَدَّ لَها
فيin غامِضٍa hidden hollow مِنof تُرابِthe dust of الأَرضِthe earth مَدمومِdaubed over
في غامِضٍ مِن تُرابِ الأَرضِ مَدمومِ
He feared for them Baḥīr, who had made ready for them
He feared for her a lake that he had prepared
In a hidden hollow, daubed with the earth’s dust.
In an obscure place of the dusty earth, damned.
Sol 6.1