تَرىyou see رَبَّهُits keeper البَهمthe young livestock الفِرارَthe suckling lambs عَشِيّةًat dusk
تَرى رَبَّهُ البَهم الفِرارَ عَشِيّةً
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عداhe runs فيamong بَهمِهاher young livestock وَهوَwhile he is ضائِعُfamished
إِذا ما عدا في بَهمِها وَهوَ ضائِعُ
You see the keeper of the young lambs at dusk,
He sees his Lord when misfortune descends at dusk,
when he runs among her flock, famished.
As it spreads through the gloom and he wanders lost.
فَقامَتthen she rises تَعُسُّpatrols by night ساعةًan hour ماnot تُطيقُهاshe can bear it
فَقامَت تَعُسُّ ساعةً ما تُطيقُها
مِنَof الدَّهرِtime نامَتهاslept through it الكِلابُthe dogs الظَّوالِعُthe limping ones
مِنَ الدَّهرِ نامَتها الكِلابُ الظَّوالِعُ
Then she rises to patrol through an hour she cannot bear,
So she stands, miserable, for an hour she cannot endure
an hour of time the limping dogs have slept away.
Of time: even the keenest hounds have slept their fill.
رأَتهُshe saw him فَشَكَّتso she was unsure وَهوَwhile he is أَطحَلُash-gray مائِلٌleaning
رأَتهُ فَشَكَّت وَهوَ أَطحَلُ مائِلٌ
إِلىtoward الأَرضِthe earth مَثنيٌّfolded إِلَيهِagainst him الأَكارِعُthe shanks
إِلى الأَرضِ مَثنيٌّ إِلَيهِ الأَكارِعُ
She sees him and is unsure: he is ash-gray, leaning
She saw him lolling, prone to the ground, legs folded under him,
toward the earth, his shanks folded against him.
His body limp, his arms collapsing.
طَويdrawn in البَطنِin the belly إِلاexcept مِنfor مَصيرٍan intestine يبلُّهmoistens it
طَوي البَطنِ إِلا مِن مَصيرٍ يبلُّه
دَمُblood الجَوفthe body's interior أَوor سؤرٌleftover water مِنَfrom الحَوضِthe trough ناقِعُstanding
دَمُ الجَوف أَو سؤرٌ مِنَ الحَوضِ ناقِعُ
His belly is drawn in, with only an intestine moistened
His belly flat, except for the flow of blood
by blood from within, or standing water left over from the trough.
Inside, or grime from a burst gallbladder.
هوَhe is البَعِلُthe bewildered one الدَّانيdrawing near مِنَto النّاسِpeople كالَّذيlike one who
هوَ البَعِلُ الدَّاني مِنَ النّاسِ كالَّذي
لَهُhe has صُحبَةٌcompanionship وَهوَyet he is العَدوُّthe enemy المُنازِعُthe contending one
لَهُ صُحبَةٌ وَهوَ العَدوُّ المُنازِعُ
He is the bewildered one, drawing near to people like someone
He is a close, loyal friend, and a hostile opponent.
who keeps their company, yet he is a contending foe.
His eyes glitter, both filled with eager malice,
تَرىyou see طَرَفيهِhis two ends يَعسِلانsway as they move كِلاهُماboth of them
تَرى طَرَفيهِ يَعسِلان كِلاهُما
كَماjust as اهتَزَّshook عودُa bough of الساسَمِthe sasam tree المُتَتايعُswaying wildly
كَما اهتَزَّ عودُ الساسَمِ المُتَتايعُ
You see both his ends swaying,
Like the swaying branch of a hissing viper.
like a sasam bough shaking wildly.
When he fears injustice from a foe, his claws
إِذاif خافَhe fears جَوراًviolence مِنfrom عَدوan enemy رَمَتhurled بِهِhim away
إِذا خافَ جَوراً مِن عَدو رَمَت بِهِ
مَخالِبُهُhis claws والجانِبُand the flank المُتواسِعُstretching wide
مَخالِبُهُ والجانِبُ المُتواسِعُ
If he fears violence from a foe, he is propelled
And his muscular flank attack.
by his claws and his broad-stretching flank.
Though he spends a night alone, it doesn't confine him;
وإِنand if باتَhe spends the night وَحشاًalone لَيلَةًone night لَمdid not يَضِقbecome constrained بِهاby it
وإِن باتَ وَحشاً لَيلَةً لَم يَضِق بِها
ذِراعاًin reach وَلَمand did not يُصبِحreach morning لَهاon its account وَهوَwhile he is خاضِعُsubdued
ذِراعاً وَلَم يُصبِح لَها وَهوَ خاضِعُ
And if he spends a night alone, it does not leave him
He starts the next day not humbled.
at his wits' end, nor does dawn find him cowed by it.
For hours of the night he walks secure and calm,
وَيَسريand journeys by night لِساعاتٍfor hours مِنَof اللَّيلِthe night قَرَّةٍbitterly cold
وَيَسري لِساعاتٍ مِنَ اللَّيلِ قَرَّةٍ
يَهابُfears السُّرىnight travel فيهاduring them المَخاضُpregnant she-camels النَّوازِعُyearning for home
يَهابُ السُّرى فيها المَخاضُ النَّوازِعُ
He travels through bitterly cold hours of the night,
Though childbirth makes the women's quarters tremble.
when homesick pregnant camels dread night travel.
When he takes refuge in a village for rest,
إِذاif احتلّhe settles on حِضنَيthe two flanks of بَلدَةٍa tract of land طُرّis driven away مِنهُماfrom them both
إِذا احتلّ حِضنَي بَلدَةٍ طُرّ مِنهُما
لأُخرىto another خَفيَّconcealed الشَّخصِin form لِلريحِof the wind تابِعُa follower
لأُخرى خَفيَّ الشَّخصِ لِلريحِ تابِعُ
If he settles on a land's two flanks, he is driven from them
He moves furtively on to another, blending with the wind.
to another, his shape concealed, following the wind.
If a land distrusts him he simply finds
وإِنand if حَذِرتgrows wary أَرضٌa land عَليهِof him فإِنَّهُthen indeed he is
وإِن حَذِرت أَرضٌ عَليهِ فإِنَّهُ
بغرةwith the unwariness of أُخرىanother طيِّبُcheerful النَّفسِin spirit قانِعُcontent
بغرة أُخرى طيِّبُ النَّفسِ قانِعُ
And if a land grows wary of him, he is
Another straightaway, content, relaxed.
cheerfully content with another's unguarded moment.
If he steals from a miser's cattle, taking them unawares
إِذاif نالَhe obtains منamong بَهمِthe lambs of البَخيلَةِthe miserly woman غِرَّةًan unguarded chance
إِذا نالَ من بَهمِ البَخيلَةِ غِرَّةً
عَلىin غَفلةٍheedlessness مِمّاof what يَرىhe sees وَهوَwhile he is طالِعُcoming into view
عَلى غَفلةٍ مِمّا يَرى وَهوَ طالِعُ
If he finds an unguarded chance among the miserly woman's lambs,
While keeping watch, the miser complains—
while she is unaware of what he sees as he approaches,
Even if the raider were his own son—when the spirits
تَلومُshe reproaches وَلَوand if كانَhe were ابنهاher son فَرِحَتshe would rejoice بِهِin him
تَلومُ وَلَو كانَ ابنها فَرِحَت بِهِ
إِذاwhen هَبَّblew أَرواحُthe winds of الشِّتاءِwinter الزَّعازِعُthe violent ones
إِذا هَبَّ أَرواحُ الشِّتاءِ الزَّعازِعُ
she reproaches him; were he her son, she would rejoice in him
Of winter storms begin to blow.
when winter's violent winds blow.
You sleep like a leopard, satiated, near someone on guard
وَنِمتَand you slept كَنَومِlike the sleep of الفَهدِthe cheetah عَنheedless of ذيone possessing حَفيظَةٍresentment
وَنِمتَ كَنَومِ الفَهدِ عَن ذي حَفيظَةٍ
أَكلتَyou ate طَعاماًfood دونَهُexcluding him وَهوَwhile he is جائِعُhungry
أَكلتَ طَعاماً دونَهُ وَهوَ جائِعُ
And you slept like a cheetah, heedless of one with a grudge,
Who eats his food though you remain hungry.
having eaten food without him while he was hungry.
You sleep with one eyelid closed, while the other eye
يَنامُhe sleeps بإِحدىwith one of مُقلَتيهِhis two eyes وَيتّقيand guards against
يَنامُ بإِحدى مُقلَتيهِ وَيتّقي
بأُخرىwith the other الأَعاديthe enemies فَهوَso he is يَقظانُawake هاجِعُasleep
بأُخرى الأَعادي فَهوَ يَقظانُ هاجِعُ
He sleeps with one of his eyes, guarding
Keeps careful watch for enemies. Lying down, you're awake.
with the other against his enemies: awake, yet asleep.
When you get up you stretch your full length, extending
إِذاwhen قامhe rises أَلقىextends بوعَهhis reach قدرَto the measure of طولِهِhis length
إِذا قام أَلقى بوعَه قدرَ طولِهِ
وَمدَّدand stretches out مِنهُof himself صُلبَهhis backbone وَهوَwhile he is بائِعُextending his forelegs
وَمدَّد مِنهُ صُلبَه وَهوَ بائِعُ
When he rises, he extends his reach to his body's length,
Your firm belly, jumping nimbly to your feet.
and stretches out his backbone, spreading his forelegs.
You bare your jaws till, mutually hostile,
وَفكّكَand loosens لحَييهِhis two jaws فَلمّاthen when تَعادَياthey draw apart
وَفكّكَ لحَييهِ فَلمّا تَعادَيا
صَأَىhe yelps ثُمَthen أَقعىsits on his haunches والبِلادُwhile the lands are بلاقِعُbarren wastes
صَأَى ثُمَ أَقعى والبِلادُ بلاقِعُ
He loosens his jaws, and when they draw apart,
They pull apart, then squat, while the land lies barren.
he yelps, then sits on his haunches; the lands are barren wastes.
You went on watching over the army till the whores
فَظلّso he kept يُراعيwatching الجَيشَthe host حَتّىuntil تَغَيَّبتdisappeared
فَظلّ يُراعي الجَيشَ حَتّى تَغَيَّبت
خُباشٌmixed bands وَحالَتand intervened دونَهُنَّbetween him and them الأَجارِعُthe gravelly flats
خُباشٌ وَحالَت دونَهُنَّ الأَجارِعُ
He kept watching the host until there vanished
Disappeared, and bushes blocked them from your view.
the mixed bands, and gravelly flats screened them from him.
When you set out one day, you see a swirl
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle غَداhe sets out at dawn يَوماًone day رأَيتyou see غَيايَةًa canopy
إِذا ما غَدا يَوماً رأَيت غَيايَةً
مِنَof الطَّيرbirds يَنظُرنَthey watch الَّذيwhat هُوَhe is صانِعُdoing
مِنَ الطَّير يَنظُرنَ الَّذي هُوَ صانِعُ
When he sets out one morning, you see a canopy
Of birds, looking to see what you will do.
of birds watching what he will do.
You intend one thing, then resolve to do another,
فَهَمَّthen he contemplated بأَمرٍa course of action ثُمَthen أَزمَعَresolved on غَيرَهُsomething other than it
فَهَمَّ بأَمرٍ ثُمَ أَزمَعَ غَيرَهُ
وإِنand if ضاقَgrows narrow أَمرٌa course of action مَرةًonce فَهوَthen he is واسِعُample in resources
وإِن ضاقَ أَمرٌ مَرةً فَهوَ واسِعُ
He considers one course, then resolves on another;
And when matters grow too tight, you always find more room.
and if a course grows narrow for a moment, he has ample scope.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1