شُعثاًshaggy قَدِalready اِنتَزَعَhas drawn in القِيادُthe reins بُطونَهاtheir bellies
شُعثاً قَدِ اِنتَزَعَ القِيادُ بُطونَها
مِنfrom آلِthe stock of أَعوَجَA‘waj ضُمَّرٍlean steeds وَفِحالِand stallions
مِن آلِ أَعوَجَ ضُمَّرٍ وَفِحالِ
Shaggy steeds, their bellies drawn in by the reins,
With disheveled hair they had torn out its bands,
Of A‘waj’s stock, lean steeds and stallions,
From the family of crooked-nosed Dhummar and Fihl.
شُمُّhigh السَنابِكِthe hooves مُشرِفٌrising high أَقتارُهاtheir flanks
شُمُّ السَنابِكِ مُشرِفٌ أَقتارُها
وَإِذاand when اِنتُضينَthey are drawn forth غَداةَon the morning of كُلَّevery صِقالِclash
وَإِذا اِنتُضينَ غَداةَ كُلَّ صِقالِ
High-hoofed, their flanks rising tall;
The perfume of their litter-camels in the evening
And when they are drawn forth on the morning of every clash,
Spread as far as the orbit of the revolving stars.
فيin جَحفَلٍa great host لَجِبٍclamorous كَأَنَّas though شَعاعَهُits outspread ranks
في جَحفَلٍ لَجِبٍ كَأَنَّ شَعاعَهُ
جَبَلُMount الطَراةِal-Ṭarāh مُضَعضَعُshaken apart الأَميالِthe mountain-spurs
جَبَلُ الطَراةِ مُضَعضَعُ الأَميالِ
In a clamorous host, whose outspread ranks seem
When they set forth at dawn, their radiance
Like Mount al-Ṭarāh, its spurs shaken apart,
Was like the mountain of Tuwa', of shifting sands.
يَعذِمنَthey bite وَهيَwhile they are مُصِرَّةٌpinning back آذانَهاtheir ears
يَعذِمنَ وَهيَ مُصِرَّةٌ آذانَها
قَصَراتِthe neck-roots of كُلِّevery نَجيبَةٍnoble she-camel شِملالِswift
قَصَراتِ كُلِّ نَجيبَةٍ شِملالِ
They bite, their ears pinned back,
They sniff the air with nostrils quivering,
The neck-roots of every noble, swift she-camel.
Like antelopes, wild, startled.
وَتَرىand you see عَطِيَّةَ‘Atiyyah وَالأَتانُand the she-ass أَمامَهُahead of him
وَتَرى عَطِيَّةَ وَالأَتانُ أَمامَهُ
عَجِلاًhurrying يَمُرُّhe passes بِهاwith her عَلىpast الأَمثالِpeers
عَجِلاً يَمُرُّ بِها عَلى الأَمثالِ
And you see ‘Atiyyah, with the she-ass ahead of him,
You would see Atya lead the she-camel, then the beasts ahead of him
Hurrying along with her past his peers.
Gallop swiftly through the valley’s depths.
وَيَظَلُّand he keeps يَتبَعُهُنَّhe follows them وَهوَwhile he is مُقَرمِدٌshuffling
وَيَظَلُّ يَتبَعُهُنَّ وَهوَ مُقَرمِدٌ
مِنfrom خَلفِهِنَّbehind them كَأَنَّهُas though he were بِشكالِin hobbles
مِن خَلفِهِنَّ كَأَنَّهُ بِشكالِ
And he keeps following them, shuffling,
He follows them, crouched on his camel’s back, bent over,
From behind them, as though in hobbles.
As though he were a wound sack, flat.
وَتَرىand you see عَلىon كَتِفَيthe two shoulders of عَطِيَّةَ‘Atiyyah مائِلاًhanging askew
وَتَرى عَلى كَتِفَي عَطِيَّةَ مائِلاً
أَرباقَهُhis tether-ropes عُدِلَتwere balanced لَهُfor him بِسِخالِwith lambs
أَرباقَهُ عُدِلَت لَهُ بِسِخالِ
And on ‘Atiyyah’s shoulders you see, hanging askew,
You would see on Atya’s shoulders as he leaned
His tether-ropes, balanced for him with lambs.
His wide cloak, adjusted evenly for him.
وَتَراهُand you see him مِنfrom حَميِthe heat of الهَجيرَةِmidday لائِذاًseeking refuge
وَتَراهُ مِن حَميِ الهَجيرَةِ لائِذاً
بِالظِلِّin the shade حينَwhen يَزولُit shifts كُلَّevery مَزالِshift
بِالظِلِّ حينَ يَزولُ كُلَّ مَزالِ
And you see him seeking refuge from the heat of noon
When the hot wind dies down you would see him take refuge
In the shade, as it shifts from place to place.
In the shade, shunning every open space.
تَبِعَhe followed الحِمارَthe donkey مُكَلَّماًwounded فَأَصابَهُthen he struck it
تَبِعَ الحِمارَ مُكَلَّماً فَأَصابَهُ
بِنَهيقِهِwith his braying مِنfrom خَلفِهِbehind it بِنِكالِas punishment
بِنَهيقِهِ مِن خَلفِهِ بِنِكالِ
He followed the donkey, wounded, then struck it
He cursed the donkey he followed behind
With his braying from behind it, as a punishment.
With his braying from behind, and pelted it with pebbles.
وَاِبنُand the son of المَراغَةِal-Maraghah قَدalready تَحَوَّلَhas become راهِباًa monk
وَاِبنُ المَراغَةِ قَد تَحَوَّلَ راهِباً
مُتَبَرنِساًwearing a hooded cloak لِتَمَسكُنٍto feign poverty وَسُؤالِand begging
مُتَبَرنِساً لِتَمَسكُنٍ وَسُؤالِ
And the son of al-Maraghah has become a monk,
The son of Mughira has now turned monk,
Clad in a hooded cloak, to feign poverty and beg.
Begging, in humble garb with bowl in hand,
يَمشيhe walks بِهاwith her حَلِماًtick-ridden يُعارِضُwalks alongside ثَلَّةًa flock
يَمشي بِها حَلِماً يُعارِضُ ثَلَّةً
قُبحاًshame لِتِلكَupon those عَطِيَّO ‘Atiyyah مِنas أَعدالِequals
قُبحاً لِتِلكَ عَطِيَّ مِن أَعدالِ
He walks with her, tick-ridden, keeping alongside a flock.
Walking self-possessedly among a band of rascals
Shame on those peers, ‘Atiyyah!
Ugly to behold, not men but satans all.
نَظَرواthey looked إِلَيَّat me بِأَعيُنٍwith eyes مَلعونَةٍaccursed
نَظَروا إِلَيَّ بِأَعيُنٍ مَلعونَةٍ
نَظَرَthe look of الرِجالِmen وَماand not هُمُthey بِرِجالِmen at all
نَظَرَ الرِجالِ وَما هُمُ بِرِجالِ
They looked at me with accursed eyes,
With baleful eyes they glared at me,
As men look—yet they are no men.
The staring of villains, not of men at all.
مُتَقاعِسينَslouching back عَلىon النَواهِقِthe braying asses بِالضُحىin the forenoon
مُتَقاعِسينَ عَلى النَواهِقِ بِالضُحى
يَمرونَهُنَّthey goad them بِيابِسِwith dry الأَجذالِtree-stumps
يَمرونَهُنَّ بِيابِسِ الأَجذالِ
Slouching on the braying asses in the forenoon,
Lounging at dawn against the tent-poles sluggishly,
Goading them with dry tree-stumps.
They pass them with limbs like sapless twigs.
إِنَّindeed المَكارِمَnoble deeds ياO كُلَيبُKulaib لِغَيرِكُمfor others, not you
إِنَّ المَكارِمَ يا كُلَيبُ لِغَيرِكُم
وَالخَيلَand horses يَومَon the day of تَنازُلِmeeting in combat الأَبطالِthe champions
وَالخَيلَ يَومَ تَنازُلِ الأَبطالِ
Indeed, noble deeds, O Kulaib, belong to others, not you,
Virtue, Kulayb, is not for the likes of you,
And so do horses, on the day when champions clash.
Or battle steeds on the day heroes clash.
Sol 6.1