تَراهاyou see her إِذاwhen صَمَgrows intensely hot النَهارُthe day كَأَنَّماas though
تَراها إِذا صَمَ النَهارُ كَأَنَّما
تُساميvies in height with فَنيقَنa prized camel-bull أَوor تُخالِسُهُslyly vies with him خَطراin tail-tossing
تُسامي فَنيقَن أَو تُخالِسُهُ خَطرا
You see her, when the day's heat is fiercest, as though
she vies in height with a prized camel-bull, or slyly matches his tail-tossing.
تَخوضُshe wades إِذاwhen صاحَcries out الصَدىthe owl بَعدَafter هَجعَةٍa spell of sleep
تَخوضُ إِذا صاحَ الصَدى بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ
مِنَof اللَيلِthe night مُلتَجّاًsurging densely غَياطِلُهُits shadowy thickets خُضراgreen-black
مِنَ اللَيلِ مُلتَجّاً غَياطِلُهُ خُضرا
She wades on when the owl cries after a spell of sleep
in the night, through surging darkness, its thickets green-black.
وَإِنand if أَعرَضَتshe turns aside زَوراءَswerving أَوor شَمَّرَتhastens onward بِهاwith her
وَإِن أَعرَضَت زَوراءَ أَو شَمَّرَت بِها
فَلاةٌa wasteland تَرىyou see مِنهاof it مَخارِمَهاits passes غُبراdust-gray
فَلاةٌ تَرى مِنها مَخارِمَها غُبرا
And if she turns aside, swerving, or is sped onward
by a wasteland whose passes you see dust-gray,
تَعادَينَthey shy away عَنfrom صُهبِthe tawny الحَصىgravel وَكَأَنَّماand as though
تَعادَينَ عَن صُهبِ الحَصى وَكَأَنَّما
طَحَنَّthey ground بِهِupon it مِنfrom كُلِّevery رَضراضَةٍpebble جَمراembers
طَحَنَّ بِهِ مِن كُلِّ رَضراضَةٍ جَمرا
her feet shy from the tawny gravel, as though
they had ground embers there from every pebble,
عَلىon ظَهرِthe back of عادِيٍّan age-old tract كَأَنَّas though مُتونَهُits ridges
عَلى ظَهرِ عادِيٍّ كَأَنَّ مُتونَهُ
ظُهورُthe backs of لَأىًwild oxen تُضحيbecome in the morning قَياقِيُّهُits stony flats حُمراred
ظُهورُ لَأىً تُضحي قَياقِيُّهُ حُمرا
on the back of an age-old tract, its ridges like
the backs of wild oxen, its stony flats turning red in the morning.
وَكَمand many مِنof عَدُوٍّan enemy كاشِحٍharboring hatred قَدindeed تَجاوَزَتshe has passed beyond
وَكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ كاشِحٍ قَد تَجاوَزَت
مَخافَتَهُfear of him حَتّىuntil يَكونَhe becomes لَهاfor her جَسراa bridge
مَخافَتَهُ حَتّى يَكونَ لَها جَسرا
And many a spiteful foe—she has passed beyond
the fear of him, till he becomes a bridge for her.
يَؤُمُّhe heads toward بِهاwith her المَوماةَthe wilderness مِنone who لَنwill not تَرىyou find لَهُfor him
يَؤُمُّ بِها المَوماةَ مِن لَن تَرى لَهُ
إِلىwith اِبنِthe son of أَبيAbu سُفيانَSufyan جاهاًstanding وَلاnor عُذراan excuse
إِلى اِبنِ أَبي سُفيانَ جاهاً وَلا عُذرا
Into the wilderness he guides her—one for whom you will find no
standing with the son of Abu Sufyan, nor any excuse.
وَحِضنَينِand two flanks مِنof ظَلماءِthe darkness of لَيلٍa night سَرَيتُهُI traversed it by night
وَحِضنَينِ مِن ظَلماءِ لَيلٍ سَرَيتُهُ
بِأَغيَدَwith a supple youth قَدalready كانَwas النُعاسُdrowsiness لَهُfor him سُكراintoxication
بِأَغيَدَ قَد كانَ النُعاسُ لَهُ سُكرا
And through the two flanks of a dark night I journeyed
with a supple youth for whom drowsiness was intoxication.
رَماهُstruck him الكَرىslumber فيin الرَأسِthe head حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّهُas though he were
رَماهُ الكَرى في الرَأسِ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ
أَميمُskull-wounded جَلاميدٍby boulders تَرَكنَthey left بِهِin him وَقراdeafness
أَميمُ جَلاميدٍ تَرَكنَ بِهِ وَقرا
Slumber struck him in the head, until he seemed
a man skull-wounded by boulders that had left him deaf.
جَرَرناwe dragged along وَفَدَّيناهُand declared ourselves his ransom حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّماas though
جَرَرنا وَفَدَّيناهُ حَتّى كَأَنَّما
يَرىhe sees بِهَواديin the first gleams of الصُبحَdawn قَنبَلَةًa troop of horses شُقراchestnut-colored
يَرى بِهَوادي الصُبحَ قَنبَلَةً شُقرا
We dragged him on and called ourselves his ransom, until it was as though
he saw in dawn's first gleams a troop of chestnut horses,
مِنَfrom السَيرِtravel وَالإِسآدِand all-night marching حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّماas though
مِنَ السَيرِ وَالإِسآدِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما
سَقاهُgave him to drink الكَرىslumber فيat كُلِّevery مَنزِلَةٍstopping-place خَمراwine
سَقاهُ الكَرى في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ خَمرا
from travel and all-night marching, until it was as though
slumber had given him wine to drink at every halt.
فَلاso do not تُعجِلانيhurry me, you two صاحِبَيَّmy two companions فَرُبَّماfor often
فَلا تُعجِلاني صاحِبَيَّ فَرُبَّما
سَبَقتُI outstripped بِوِردِin coming to drink الماءِthe water غادِيَةًa dawn-flying flock كُدراdusky
سَبَقتُ بِوِردِ الماءِ غادِيَةً كُدرا
So do not hurry me, my two companions, for often
I have beaten a dawn-flying flock of dusky sandgrouse to the water.
Sol 6.1