لَناfor us ماwhat تَمَنَّيناwe wished for مِنَof العَيشِlife ماas long as دَعاcalled
لَنا ما تَمَنَّينا مِنَ العَيشِ ما دَعا
هَديلاًa cooing call حَماماتٌdoves بِنَعمانَat Nu'man هُتَّفُloud-voiced
هَديلاً حَماماتٌ بِنَعمانَ هُتَّفُ
May we have all we wished for in life, as long as
the loud-voiced doves at Nu'man call their cooing.
إِلَيكَto you أَميرَCommander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful رَمَتdrove بِناus
إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ رَمَت بِنا
هُمومُthe cares of المُنىdesires وَالهَوجَلُand the trackless wilderness المُتَعَسَّفُtraversed blindly
هُمومُ المُنى وَالهَوجَلُ المُتَعَسَّفُ
To you, Commander of the Faithful, we were driven
by anxious hopes and a wilderness crossed without guidance,
وَعَضُّand the bite of زَمانٍtime ياO اِبنَson of مَروانَMarwan لَمdid not يَدَعleave
وَعَضُّ زَمانٍ يا اِبنَ مَروانَ لَم يَدَع
مِنَof المالِwealth إِلّاexcept مُسحَتاًutterly consumed أَوor مُجَرَّفُswept away
مِنَ المالِ إِلّا مُسحَتاً أَو مُجَرَّفُ
and time's bite, O son of Marwan, which left nothing
of wealth but what was utterly ruined or swept away;
وَمُنجَرِدُand a bare expanse of السُهبانِthe open plains أَيسَرُthe least ماwhat بِهِwithin it
وَمُنجَرِدُ السُهبانِ أَيسَرُ ما بِهِ
سَليبُstripped bare صُهارٍṣuhār (meaning uncertain) أَوor قُصاعٌbowls مُؤَلَّفُgathered together
سَليبُ صُهارٍ أَو قُصاعٌ مُؤَلَّفُ
and a bare expanse of plains, where the least to be found is
stripped ṣuhār, or bowls gathered together;
وَمائِرَةِand swaying الأَعضادِupper forelegs صُهبٍtawny كَأَنَّماas though
وَمائِرَةِ الأَعضادِ صُهبٍ كَأَنَّما
عَلَيهاupon them مِنَfrom الأَينِweariness الجِسادُsaffron المُدَوَّفُdiluted
عَلَيها مِنَ الأَينِ الجِسادُ المُدَوَّفُ
and tawny camels with swaying shoulders, as though
weariness had coated them with diluted saffron.
بَدَأناwe set out بِهاwith them مِنfrom سَيفِthe edge of رَملِthe sands of كُهَيلَةٍKuhaylah
بَدَأنا بِها مِن سَيفِ رَملِ كُهَيلَةٍ
وَفيهاand in them نَشاطٌvigor مِنfrom مِراحٍhigh spirits وَعَجرَفُand headstrong pride
وَفيها نَشاطٌ مِن مِراحٍ وَعَجرَفُ
We set out with them from the edge of Kuhaylah's sands,
while they still had spirited vigor and headstrong pride.
فَماso not بَرِحَتthey ceased حَتّىuntil تَقارَبَgrew short خَطوُهاtheir strides
فَما بَرِحَت حَتّى تَقارَبَ خَطوُها
وَبادَتand wasted away ذُراهاtheir hump-tops وَالمَناسِمُand the hoof-tips رُعَّفُbleeding
وَبادَت ذُراها وَالمَناسِمُ رُعَّفُ
They kept going until their strides grew short,
their humps wasted away, and their hoof-tips bled;
وَحَتّىand until قَتَلناwe killed الجَهلَthe wildness عَنهاout of them وَغودِرَتand they were left
وَحَتّى قَتَلنا الجَهلَ عَنها وَغودِرَت
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أُنيخَتthey were made to kneel وَالمَدامِعُand the tear ducts ذُرَّفُoverflowing with tears
إِذا ما أُنيخَت وَالمَدامِعُ ذُرَّفُ
until we had worn the wildness out of them, and they were left,
whenever made to kneel, with tears pouring from their eyes;
وَحَتّىand until مَشىwalked الحاديthe camel-driver البَطيءُslow يَسوقُهاdriving them
وَحَتّى مَشى الحادي البَطيءُ يَسوقُها
لَهاthey had بَخَصٍfootpads دامٍbleeding وَدَأيٌand vertebrae مُجَلَّفُscraped bare
لَها بَخَصٍ دامٍ وَدَأيٌ مُجَلَّفُ
until the slow camel-driver walked along, driving them,
their footpads bleeding and their backbones rubbed bare;
وَحَتّىand until بَعَثناهاwe roused them وَماand nothing فيon يَدٍa foreleg لَهاof theirs
وَحَتّى بَعَثناها وَما في يَدٍ لَها
إِذاwhen حُلَّwas loosened عَنهاfrom them رُمَّةٌa worn-out rope وَهيَyet they رُسَّفُshuffling as if fettered
إِذا حُلَّ عَنها رُمَّةٌ وَهيَ رُسَّفُ
until we roused them, with nothing binding any foreleg,
once a worn rope was loosened from them—yet they shuffled as if bound.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle نَزَلناwe halted قاتَلَتthey fought عَنto defend ظُهورِناour backs
إِذا ما نَزَلنا قاتَلَت عَن ظُهورِنا
حَراجيجُlanky camels أَمثالُlike الأَهِلَّةِcrescent moons شُسَّفُemaciated
حَراجيجُ أَمثالُ الأَهِلَّةِ شُسَّفُ
Whenever we halted, there fought to protect our backs
lanky camels, crescent-like and gaunt.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَرَيناهاwe showed them الأَزِمَّةَthe reins أَقبَلَتthey approached
إِذا ما أَرَيناها الأَزِمَّةَ أَقبَلَت
إِلَيناtoward us بِحُرّاتِwith the smooth cheeks of الوُجوهِthe faces تَصَدَّفُturning sideways
إِلَينا بِحُرّاتِ الوُجوهِ تَصَدَّفُ
Whenever we showed them the reins, they came
toward us, turning their smooth cheeks sidelong.
ذَرَعنَthey traversed بِناwith us ماthe distance بَينَbetween يَبرينَYabrin عَرضَهُits breadth
ذَرَعنَ بِنا ما بَينَ يَبرينَ عَرضَهُ
إِلىto الشَأمِal-Sham تَلقاناmet us رِعانٌmountain spurs وَصَفصَفُand level plains
إِلى الشَأمِ تَلقانا رِعانٌ وَصَفصَفُ
They carried us across the whole breadth from Yabrin
to al-Sham, with mountain spurs and level plains meeting us.
فَأَفنىso exhausted مِراحَthe high spirits of الداعِرِيَّةِthe Da'iriyyah she-camel خَوضُهاher plunging
فَأَفنى مِراحَ الداعِرِيَّةِ خَوضُها
بِناwith us اللَيلَthe night إِذwhile نامَslept الدَثورُthe sluggard المُلَفَّفُwrapped up
بِنا اللَيلَ إِذ نامَ الدَثورُ المُلَفَّفُ
So the Da'iriyyah camel's spirit was spent by her plunging
through the night with us, while the wrapped-up sluggard slept,
إِذاwhen اِغبَرَّgrew dust-dark آفاقُthe horizons of السَماءِthe sky وَكَشَّفَتand laid bare
إِذا اِغبَرَّ آفاقُ السَماءِ وَكَشَّفَت
كُسورَthe side-flaps of بُيوتِthe tents of الحَيِّthe tribe حَمراءُa red wind حَرجَفُbitterly cold
كُسورَ بُيوتِ الحَيِّ حَمراءُ حَرجَفُ
when the sky's horizons grew dust-dark, and there were laid bare
the sides of the tribe's tents by a red, freezing gale;
وَهَتَّكَتِand tore apart الأَطنابَthe tent ropes كُلُّevery عَظيمَةٍhuge she-camel
وَهَتَّكَتِ الأَطنابَ كُلُّ عَظيمَةٍ
لَهاshe had تامِكٌa lofty hump مِنof صادِقِsound النِيِّfat أَعرَفُshaggy
لَها تامِكٌ مِن صادِقِ النِيِّ أَعرَفُ
and every huge she-camel tore the tent ropes,
each with a lofty, shaggy hump of solid fat.
Sol 6.1