أَنَسيتَhave you forgotten صُحبَتِهاher companionship وَمَنand whoever يَكُis مُقرِفاًbase-born
أَنَسيتَ صُحبَتِها وَمَن يَكُ مُقرِفاً
تُخرِجbrings out مُغَيَّبَthe hidden part of سِرِّهِhis secret الأَخبارُthe news
تُخرِج مُغَيَّبَ سِرِّهِ الأَخبارُ
Have you forgotten her companionship? And whoever is base-born,
You've forgotten her company, who does that?
the news brings his hidden secrets to light.
Rumors bring out hidden secrets.
لَمّاwhen شَبِعتَyou became full ذَكَرتَyou remembered ريحَthe smell of كِسائِهاher cloak
لَمّا شَبِعتَ ذَكَرتَ ريحَ كِسائِها
وَتَرَكتَهاand you abandoned her وَشِتاؤُهاwhile her winter هَرّارُwas bitterly cold
وَتَرَكتَها وَشِتاؤُها هَرّارُ
Once you were full, you remembered the smell of her cloak,
When you were full, you recalled the scent of her garments
and abandoned her while her winter was bitterly cold.
Yet abandoned her, while it's cold and wet.
هَلّاwhy did you not وَقَدwhen already غَمَرَتhad filled فُؤادَكَyour heart كَثبَةٌa little milk
هَلّا وَقَد غَمَرَت فُؤادَكَ كَثبَةٌ
وَالضَأنُand the sheep مُخصَبَةُhad fertile الجَنابِsurrounding pasture غِزارُabundant in milk
وَالضَأنُ مُخصَبَةُ الجَنابِ غِزارُ
Why did you not—when a little milk had filled your heart,
Hasn't a thick darkness flooded your heart?
and the sheep had rich pasture and abundant milk—
While the rain pours heavily on the pastures.
هَجهَجتَyou shouted to drive beasts away حينَwhen دَعَتكَshe called you إِنif لَمnot تَأتِهاyou came to her
هَجهَجتَ حينَ دَعَتكَ إِن لَم تَأتِها
حَيثُwhere السِباعُthe beasts of prey شَوارِعٌadvancing كُشّارُbaring their teeth
حَيثُ السِباعُ شَوارِعٌ كُشّارُ
shout to drive them off when she called you, if you would not come to her,
You raved when she called you, that if you don't come
where beasts of prey advanced with teeth bared?
Where hyenas prowl down the streets.
نَهَضَتshe rose لِتَحرُزَto protect شِلوَهاher body فَتَجَوَّرَتthen she collapsed
نَهَضَت لِتَحرُزَ شِلوَها فَتَجَوَّرَت
وَالمُخَّand the marrow مِنfrom قَصَبِthe hollow bones of القَوائِمِthe legs رارُthin and watery
وَالمُخَّ مِن قَصَبِ القَوائِمِ رارُ
She rose to protect her body, then collapsed,
She got up to protect her belongings, so she became tattered,
and the marrow from her hollow leg-bones was watery.
And the bending reeds creak from her thin legs.
قالَتshe said وَقَدwhile already جَنَحَتshe had leaned عَلىover مَملولِهاher ash-baked food
قالَت وَقَد جَنَحَت عَلى مَملولِها
وَالنارُand the fire تَخبوdies down مَرَّةًat one moment وَتُثارُand is stirred up
وَالنارُ تَخبو مَرَّةً وَتُثارُ
She said, leaning over her food baked in ashes,
She said while leaning on her walking stick,
while the fire died down one moment and was stirred up the next—
As the fire dies down at times and flares up at others.
عَجفاءُgaunt عارِيَةُbare العِظامِthe bones أَصابَهاafflicted her
عَجفاءُ عارِيَةُ العِظامِ أَصابَها
حَدَثُthe calamity of الزَمانِtime وَجَدُّهاand her fortune العَثّارُever-stumbling
حَدَثُ الزَمانِ وَجَدُّها العَثّارُ
a gaunt woman with bare bones, afflicted by
A scrawny, meatless old hag, time has worn her down.
time's calamities and her stumbling fortune:
And her heavy makeup cannot conceal it.
أَبَنيO sons of الحَرامَunlawful union فَتاتُكُمyour girl لاmust not تُهزَلَنbe left to waste away
أَبَني الحَرامَ فَتاتُكُم لا تُهزَلَن
إِنَّindeed الهُزالَemaciation عَلىfor الحَرائِرِfreeborn women عارُa disgrace
إِنَّ الهُزالَ عَلى الحَرائِرِ عارُ
O sons of unlawful union, do not let your girl waste away!
My sons, do not let your woman become thin.
Indeed, emaciation is a disgrace to freeborn women.
Weakness is a disgrace upon free women.
لاdo not تَترُكُنَّever abandon وَلاand let not يَزالَنever cease عِندَهاwith her
لا تَترُكُنَّ وَلا يَزالَن عِندَها
مِنكُمfrom among you بِحَدِّat the height of شِتائِهاher winter مَيّارُa bringer of provisions
مِنكُم بِحَدِّ شِتائِها مَيّارُ
Do not abandon her; let there always be with her
Do not abandon her, some of you should stay with her,
one of you bringing provisions at the height of her winter.
To help her through the cold times.
وَبِحَقِّهاand with good reason وَأَبيكَand by your father تُهزَلُshe is left to waste away مالَهاshe has no
وَبِحَقِّها وَأَبيكَ تُهزَلُ مالَها
مالٌwealth فَيَعصِمَهاso it might protect her وَلاnor أَيسارُmen of means
مالٌ فَيَعصِمَها وَلا أَيسارُ
And no wonder, by your father, she wastes away: she has no
For her sake and your father’s, spend your money on her.
wealth to protect her, nor men of means.
Money that will protect her, you have no excuses.
وَتَرىand you see شُيوخَthe elders of بَنيthe sons of كُلَيبٍKulayb بَعدَهاafter her
وَتَرى شُيوخَ بَني كُلَيبٍ بَعدَها
شَمِطَgrizzled اللِحىbeards وَتَسَعسَعَand have declined into decrepitude الأَعمارُthe lifespans
شَمِطَ اللِحى وَتَسَعسَعَ الأَعمارُ
And you see the elders of Banu Kulayb after her,
You see the elders of the Banu Kilab after her.
their beards grizzled, their lives declining into decrepitude.
With shriveled beards and worn down by old age.
يَتَكَلَّمونَthey speak مَعَwith الرِجالِthe men تَراهُمُyou see them
يَتَكَلَّمونَ مَعَ الرِجالِ تَراهُمُ
زُبَّshaggy اللِحىbeards وَقُلوبُهُمand their hearts أَصفارُempty
زُبَّ اللِحى وَقُلوبُهُم أَصفارُ
They speak with men; you see them
Talking to men, their beards are like rags.
shaggy-bearded, but with empty hearts.
And their hearts are empty.
وَنُسَيَّةٌand a little band of women لِبَنيof the sons of كُلَيبٍKulayb عِندَهُمamong them
وَنُسَيَّةٌ لِبَني كُلَيبٍ عِندَهُم
مِثلُlike الخَنافِسِbeetles بَينَهُنَّamong them وِبارُhyraxes
مِثلُ الخَنافِسِ بَينَهُنَّ وِبارُ
And among them are a few little women of Banu Kulayb,
Nusaiba is nothing to the Banu Kilab.
like beetles, with hyraxes among them,
Like insects among them, a fading memory.
مُتَقَبِّضاتٌhuddled عِندَbeside شَرِّthe worst of بُعولَةٍhusbands
مُتَقَبِّضاتٌ عِندَ شَرِّ بُعولَةٍ
شَمِطَتhave turned gray رُؤوسُهُمُtheir heads وَهُمyet they أَغمارُinexperienced fools
شَمِطَت رُؤوسُهُمُ وَهُم أَغمارُ
huddled beside the worst of husbands,
All huddled up when disaster struck her husband.
whose heads have turned gray, yet they are greenhorns.
Heads bent down while they are immersed in gloom.
أَمَةُa slave woman اليَدَينِin both hands لَئيمَةٌignoble آباؤُهاher forebears
أَمَةُ اليَدَينِ لَئيمَةٌ آباؤُها
سَوداءُblack-skinned حَيثُwhere يُعَلَّقُis hung التِقصارُthe short tunic
سَوداءُ حَيثُ يُعَلَّقُ التِقصارُ
A slave-handed woman, her forebears ignoble,
A slave girl of vile origins, her forefathers,
black where the short tunic hangs.
Black where palm fiber ropes are hung.
مُتَعالِمُa know-it-all النَفَرِof the band of men الَّذينَwho هُمُthey هُمُthey themselves
مُتَعالِمُ النَفَرِ الَّذينَ هُمُ هُمُ
بِالتَبلِin rancor لاnot غُمُرٌnovices وَلاnor أَفتارُweaklings
بِالتَبلِ لا غُمُرٌ وَلا أَفتارُ
The know-it-all of those men who are who they are,
Acting superior is that group of people who they really are,
in rancor—neither novices nor weaklings.
With no tents or herds.
Sol 6.1