وَقَدand already سُمِّنَتthey had been fattened حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّas though مَخاطَهاtheir mucus
وَقَد سُمِّنَت حَتّى كَأَنَّ مَخاطَها
هِضابُhills القَليبِal-Qalib أَوor فَوادِرُhuge boulders عَضوَراAdwara
هِضابُ القَليبِ أَو فَوادِرُ عَضوَرا
And they had been fattened until their mucus seemed
like the hills of al-Qalib or the boulders of Adwara.
فَأَصبَحَso by morning راعيهاtheir herdsman تَخالُyou would think قَعودَهُhis young riding camel
فَأَصبَحَ راعيها تَخالُ قَعودَهُ
مِنَfrom الجَهدِexhaustion قَدalready مَلَّhad wearied of الرَسيمَtrotting وَأَقصَراand had ceased
مِنَ الجَهدِ قَد مَلَّ الرَسيمَ وَأَقصَرا
By morning, you would think their herdsman's young camel
had wearied of trotting from exhaustion and given it up,
مُطِلّاًlooming عَلىabove آثارِهاtheir tracks مُستَقِدَّةًmoving straight ahead
مُطِلّاً عَلى آثارِها مُستَقِدَّةً
كَأَنَّas though بِجَنبَيهِon both his flanks عَقابيلَfever sores خَيبَراKhaybar
كَأَنَّ بِجَنبَيهِ عَقابيلَ خَيبَرا
looming above their tracks as they went straight ahead,
as though both his flanks bore Khaybar's sores.
وَلَمّاand when رَأَتthey saw رَأسَthe head of الجُذاعِal-Judha كَأَنَّهُas though it
وَلَمّا رَأَت رَأسَ الجُذاعِ كَأَنَّهُ
يُعامِسُplunges into لُجّاًdeep water أَوor يُنازِعُstruggles with مَعبَراa ferryboat
يُعامِسُ لُجّاً أَو يُنازِعُ مَعبَرا
And when they saw the head of al-Judha, as though it
were plunging into deep water or struggling with a ferryboat,
تَباشَرنَthey rejoiced وَاِعصَوصَبنَand bunched together لَمّاwhen رَأَينَهُthey saw it
تَباشَرنَ وَاِعصَوصَبنَ لَمّا رَأَينَهُ
بِمُنصَلِتٍat a headlong pace لاnot يَرتَجيwaiting for ماwhat تَأَخَّراlagged behind
بِمُنصَلِتٍ لا يَرتَجي ما تَأَخَّرا
they rejoiced and bunched together when they saw it,
in a headlong rush that waited for no straggler.
فَصَبَّحنَso they arrived at dawn قَبلَbefore الوارِداتِthose coming to water مِنَamong القَطاthe sandgrouse
فَصَبَّحنَ قَبلَ الوارِداتِ مِنَ القَطا
بِبَطحاءِon the gravel plain of ذيDhu قارٍQar فَضاءًa broad pool مُفَجَّراgushing forth
بِبَطحاءِ ذي قارٍ فَضاءً مُفَجَّرا
So at dawn they reached, before the sandgrouse coming to drink,
a broad, gushing pool on Dhu Qar's gravel plain,
تَبَلَّعُgulp down حيتانَfish of الفَضاءِthe broad pool وَتَنتَحيand bend toward
تَبَلَّعُ حيتانَ الفَضاءِ وَتَنتَحي
بِأَعناقَهاwith their necks فيinto ساكِنٍstill water غَيرِnot أَكدَراmurky
بِأَعناقَها في ساكِنٍ غَيرِ أَكدَرا
gulping down the pool's fish and bending
their necks into still, unclouded water.
إِذاwhenever الحوتُa fish مِنfrom حَوماتِهِنَّtheir gathering places اِختَلَجنَهُthey snatched it
إِذا الحوتُ مِن حَوماتِهِنَّ اِختَلَجنَهُ
تَزَعَّمَstruggled فيin أَشداقِهِنَّtheir jaws وَجَرجَراand gurgled
تَزَعَّمَ في أَشداقِهِنَّ وَجَرجَرا
Whenever they snatched a fish from their midst,
it struggled in their jaws and gurgled.
فَوَلَّتthen they turned away أُصَيلالاًin late afternoon وَقَدand already كانَthere were بَعدَهاafter them
فَوَلَّت أُصَيلالاً وَقَد كانَ بَعدَها
ضَفادِعُfrogs ماwhat نالَتthey had taken مِنَfrom العَينِthe spring خُزَّراsquinting askance
ضَفادِعُ ما نالَت مِنَ العَينِ خُزَّرا
Then they turned away in late afternoon; behind them remained
the frogs of the spring they had drunk from, squinting askance.
فَأَضحَتso by morning they were غَداةَon the morning of الغِبِّalternate-day watering عَنّاaway from us كَأَنَّماas though
فَأَضحَت غَداةَ الغِبِّ عَنّا كَأَنَّما
يُداليcoaxes along بِهاwith them الراعيthe herdsman غَماماًa cloudbank كَنَهوَراhuge and piled high
يُدالي بِها الراعي غَماماً كَنَهوَرا
By the morning of their next watering, away from us, they seemed as though
the herdsman were coaxing them along, a towering cloudbank.
وَلَوand if شاءَwished يَعسوبُthe chieftain of الطَفاوَةِal-Tafawah أَصبَحَتthey would have been by morning
وَلَو شاءَ يَعسوبُ الطَفاوَةِ أَصبَحَت
رِواءًfully watered بِجَيّاشِat the gushing water of الخَسيفَةِal-Khasifah أَقمَراbright white
رِواءً بِجَيّاشِ الخَسيفَةِ أَقمَرا
And had al-Tafawah's chieftain wished, by morning they would have been
fully watered at al-Khasifah's white, gushing waters.
وَلاقَتand they encountered مِنَamong الحِرمازِal-Hirmaz أَولادَthe sons of مِجشَإٍMijsha'
وَلاقَت مِنَ الحِرمازِ أَولادَ مِجشَإٍ
وَمِنand from مازِنٍMazin شَرِّthe worst of القَبائِلِthe tribes مَعشَراa clan
وَمِن مازِنٍ شَرِّ القَبائِلِ مَعشَرا
And they met, among al-Hirmaz, the sons of Mijsha',
and a clan from Mazin, the worst of tribes.
Sol 6.1