طَرقَcame by night الخَيالُthe phantom وَلاand no كَلَيلَةِlike the night of مُدلِجِa night-traveler
طَرقَ الخَيالُ وَلا كَلَيلَةِ مُدلِجِ
سَدِكاًclinging بِأَرحُلِناto our saddles وَلَمand did not يَتَعَرَّجِturn aside
سَدِكاً بِأَرحُلِنا وَلَم يَتَعَرَّجِ
The phantom came by night—no night like a night-traveler’s—
Imagination knocked, though no night was dark,
clinging to our saddles, without turning aside.
Blocking our path without winding about.
أَنّىhow اِهتَدَيتِyou found your way وَكُنتِand you were غَيرَnot رَجيلَةٍa strong walker
أَنّى اِهتَدَيتِ وَكُنتِ غَيرَ رَجيلَةٍ
وَالقَومُand the men قَدalready قَطَعواhad crossed مِتانَfirm tracts of السَجسَجِal-Sajsaj
وَالقَومُ قَد قَطَعوا مِتانَ السَجسَجِ
How did you find your way, though you were not strong on foot,
How did you find your way when you were not a guide,
when the men had crossed the firm tracts of al-Sajsaj?
While the people had cut the ropes of intertwined hemp?
وَالقَومُand the men قَدalready آنواwere weary وَكَلَّand grew exhausted مَطِيُّهُمtheir mounts
وَالقَومُ قَد آنوا وَكَلَّ مَطِيُّهُم
إِلّاexcept مُواشِكَةَa she-camel swift at النَجاrunning بِالهَودَجِwith the howdah
إِلّا مُواشِكَةَ النَجا بِالهَودَجِ
And the men were already weary, and their mounts exhausted,
The people despaired and their riding beasts were spent
except a swift-running she-camel bearing the howdah.
Except for nearly escaping with the quilted saddlecloth.
وَمُدامَةٍand aged wine قَرَّعتُهاI mingled it بِمُدامَةٍwith aged wine
وَمُدامَةٍ قَرَّعتُها بِمُدامَةٍ
وَظِباءِand gazelles of محنِيَةٍa valley bend ذَعَرتُI startled بِسَمحَجِwith a long-limbed steed
وَظِباءِ محنِيَةٍ ذَعَرتُ بِسَمحَجِ
And aged wine I mingled with aged wine,
I pelted her with a wineskin, its stitches gaping,
and gazelles of a valley bend I startled with a long-limbed steed.
And a bending gazelle I startled with a bramble bush.
فَكَأَنَّهُنَّso they were like لآلِئٌpearls وَكَأَنَّهُand he was like
فَكَأَنَّهُنَّ لآلِئٌ وَكَأَنَّهُ
صَقرٌa hawk يَلوذُcircling حَمامَةًa dove لَمnot تَدرُجِhad begun to walk
صَقرٌ يَلوذُ حَمامَةً لَم تَدرُجِ
So they were like pearls, and he was like
As if they were pearls, as if it
a hawk circling a dove that had not yet walked,
Was a falcon seeking refuge with an undefiled dove.
صَقرٌa hawk يَصيدُhunting بِظُفرِهِwith its talon وَجَناحِهِand its wing
صَقرٌ يَصيدُ بِظُفرِهِ وَجَناحِهِ
فَإِذاthen when أَصابَit catches حَمامَةًa dove بِالعَوسَجِamong the boxthorn
فَإِذا أَصابَ حَمامَةً بِالعَوسَجِ
a hawk hunting with its talon and its wing,
A falcon hunting with its talons and wings—
then, when it catches a dove among the boxthorn—
When it strikes an undefiled dove in the sandy tracts.
وَلَئِنand if indeed سَأَلتِyou asked إِذاwhen الكَتيبَةُthe battalion أَحجَمَتdrew back
وَلَئِن سَأَلتِ إِذا الكَتيبَةُ أَحجَمَت
وَتَبَيَّنَتand it perceived رُعبَthe terror of الجَبانِthe coward الأَهوَجِthe reckless one
وَتَبَيَّنَت رُعبَ الجَبانِ الأَهوَجِ
And if you ask, when the battalion draws back,
If you ask, when the army lost heart
and perceives the reckless coward’s terror,
And the gutless coward’s fright was revealed,
وَسَمِعتَand you heard وَقعَthe impact of سُيوفِناour swords بِرُؤُسِهِمon their heads
وَسَمِعتَ وَقعَ سُيوفِنا بِرُؤُسِهِم
وَقَعَthe beating of السَحابَةِthe raincloud بِالطَرافِon the leather tent المُسرَجِlighted
وَقَعَ السَحابَةِ بِالطَرافِ المُسرَجِ
and you hear our swords striking their heads,
And you heard the impact of our swords upon their heads
like a raincloud beating on the lighted leather tent,
Like the rumble of clouds on outstretched tent ropes,
وَإِذاand when اللِقاحُthe milch camels تَرَوَّحَتreturned from pasture بِعَشِيَّةٍat dusk
وَإِذا اللِقاحُ تَرَوَّحَت بِعَشِيَّةٍ
رَتكَthe trot of النَعامِostriches إِلىtoward كَنيفِthe shelter of العَوسَجِthe boxthorn
رَتكَ النَعامِ إِلى كَنيفِ العَوسَجِ
and when the milch camels return at dusk,
And when the meadows breathed easy in the evening,
at an ostrich’s trot toward the shelter of the boxthorn,
The ostriches’ necks bent to the hollow of the sandy tract.
أَلفَيتَناyou found us لِلضَيفِfor the guest خَيرَthe best عِمارَةٍclan
أَلفَيتَنا لِلضَيفِ خَيرَ عِمارَةٍ
إِنif لَمnot يَكُنthere is لَبَنٌmilk فَعَطفُthen the flank of المُدمَجِthe stout camel
إِن لَم يَكُن لَبَنٌ فَعَطفُ المُدمَجِ
you will find us the best clan for a guest:
You made our dwelling the best hospitality for a guest
if there is no milk, then a stout camel’s flank.
If there was no milk, then the blessings of a patched waterskin.
وَبَعَثتَand you sent forth مِنfrom وُلدِthe offspring of الأَغرِّal-Agharr مُعَتِّباًMuʿattib
وَبَعَثتَ مِن وُلدِ الأَغرِّ مُعَتِّباً
صَقراًa hawk يَلوذُseek refuge حَمامُهُhis doves بِالعَوسَجِin the boxthorn
صَقراً يَلوذُ حَمامُهُ بِالعَوسَجِ
And you sent forth Muʿattib, of al-Agharr’s offspring,
You sent, scolding from the lads of Al-Aghr,
a hawk whose doves take refuge in the boxthorn.
A falcon whose dove seeks refuge in the sandy tracts.
فَإِذاthen when طَبَختَyou cooked بِنارِهِover his fire نَضَّجتَهُyou cooked it through
فَإِذا طَبَختَ بِنارِهِ نَضَّجتَهُ
وَإِذاand when طَبَختَyou cooked بِغَيرِهاover a fire other than it لَمnot يَنضَجِit cooks through
وَإِذا طَبَختَ بِغَيرِها لَم يَنضَجِ
Then, when you cook over his fire, you cook it through;
When you cook it over its fire, it will be well-done,
and when you cook over another, it will not cook through.
When cooked over another’s, it will not be well-done.
Sol 6.1