صَحاhas sobered القَلبُthe heart مِنfrom سَلمىSalma وَعَنand from أُمِّUmm (mother of) عامِرِAmir
صَحا القَلبُ مِن سَلمى وَعَن أُمِّ عامِرِ
وَكُنتُand I was أُرانيthinking myself عَنهُماaway from them both غَيرَnot صابِرِable to endure
وَكُنتُ أُراني عَنهُما غَيرَ صابِرِ
My heart has sobered from Salma and Umm Amir,
though I once thought I could not endure being without them both.
وَوَشَّتand spread slander وُشاةٌtale-bearers بَينَناbetween us وَتَقاذَفَتand stretched far apart
وَوَشَّت وُشاةٌ بَينَنا وَتَقاذَفَت
نَوىthe distance of separation غُربَةٍexile مِنfrom بَعدِafter طولِlong duration of التَجاوُرِliving as neighbors
نَوى غُربَةٍ مِن بَعدِ طولِ التَجاوُرِ
Tale-bearers spread slander between us, and we were flung apart
by distant exile, after long living as neighbors.
وَفِتيانِand young men صِدقٍof true worth ضَمَّهُمgathered them دَلَجُnight traveling السُرىthe night march
وَفِتيانِ صِدقٍ ضَمَّهُم دَلَجُ السُرى
عَلىon مُسهَماتٍslender she-camels كَالقِداحِlike arrow-shafts ضَوامِرِlean
عَلى مُسهَماتٍ كَالقِداحِ ضَوامِرِ
And true-hearted young men, gathered by the night march,
rode slender she-camels, lean as arrow-shafts.
فَلَمّاso when أَتَونيthey came to me قُلتُI said خَيرُthe best مُعَرَّسٍnighttime resting-place
فَلَمّا أَتَوني قُلتُ خَيرُ مُعَرَّسٍ
وَلَمand did not أُطَرِحI put off حاجاتِهِمtheir needs بِمَعاذِرِwith excuses
وَلَم أُطَرِح حاجاتِهِم بِمَعاذِرِ
When they came to me, I said, 'The finest night's lodging!'
and I did not put off their needs with excuses.
وَقُمتُand I rose بِمَوشِيِّwith a patterned sword المُتونِthe broad surfaces كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَقُمتُ بِمَوشِيِّ المُتونِ كَأَنَّهُ
شِهابُa blazing brand غَضاًghada wood فيin كَفِّthe palm of ساعٍa runner مُبادِرِhastening
شِهابُ غَضاً في كَفِّ ساعٍ مُبادِرِ
And I rose with a sword patterned on its sides, as though it were
a blazing ghada-wood brand in a hurrying runner's hand,
لِيَشقىso that it might suffer بِهِby it عُرقوبُthe hock of كَوماءَa high-humped she-camel جَبلَةٍmassive
لِيَشقى بِهِ عُرقوبُ كَوماءَ جَبلَةٍ
عَقيلَةِthe choicest of أُدمٍwhite camels كَالهِضابِlike hills بَهازِرِhuge she-camels
عَقيلَةِ أُدمٍ كَالهِضابِ بَهازِرِ
to bring woe with it to the hock of a massive, high-humped she-camel,
the choicest of white camels, huge as hills.
فَظَلَّso remained عُفاتيthose seeking my bounty مُكرَمينَhonored وَطابِخيand my cooks
فَظَلَّ عُفاتي مُكرَمينَ وَطابِخي
فَريقانِtwo groups مِنهُمfrom among them بَينَbetween شاوٍa roaster وَقادِرِand a pot-cook
فَريقانِ مِنهُم بَينَ شاوٍ وَقادِرِ
So those seeking my bounty remained honored, while my cooks
formed two groups from among them: roasters and pot-cooks.
شَآمِيَةٌa Syrian cauldron لَمnot يُتَّخَذwas procured لَهُfor it حاسِرُscanty الthe (continued next line)
شَآمِيَةٌ لَم يُتَّخَذ لَهُ حاسِرُ ال
طَبيخِcooked food وَلاnor ذَمَّreproach الخَليطِthe companion المُجاوِرِneighboring
طَبيخِ وَلا ذَمَّ الخَليطِ المُجاوِرِ
A Syrian cauldron, never meant for scanty
fare, nor for a neighboring companion's reproach,
يُقَمِّصُmakes leap دَهداقَchunks of البَضيعِthe meat كَأَنَّهُas though it were
يُقَمِّصُ دَهداقَ البَضيعِ كَأَنَّهُ
رُؤوسُheads of القَطاthe sandgrouse الكُدرِdusky الدِقاقِslender الحَناجِرِthroats
رُؤوسُ القَطا الكُدرِ الدِقاقِ الحَناجِرِ
makes the chunks of meat leap, as though they were
the heads of dusky sandgrouse with slender throats.
كَأَنَّas though ضُلوعَthe ribs of الجَنبِthe flank فيin فَوَرانِهاits boiling
كَأَنَّ ضُلوعَ الجَنبِ في فَوَرانِها
إِذاwhen اِستَحمَشَتblazed up أَيديthe hands of نِساءٍwomen حَواسِرِbareheaded
إِذا اِستَحمَشَت أَيدي نِساءٍ حَواسِرِ
The ribs of the flank, as the cauldron boils, seem—
when the fire blazes—like the hands of bareheaded women.
إِذاwhen اِستُنزِلَتit was taken down كانَتit became هَداياgifts وَطُعمَةًand nourishment
إِذا اِستُنزِلَت كانَت هَدايا وَطُعمَةً
وَلَمand not تُختَزَنwas it hoarded دونَaway from العُيونِthe eyes النَواظِرِwatching
وَلَم تُختَزَن دونَ العُيونِ النَواظِرِ
When taken off the fire, it became gifts and nourishment,
and was not hoarded away from watching eyes.
كَأَنَّas though رِياحَthe aromas of اللَحمِthe meat حينَwhen تَغَطمَطَتit bubbled noisily
كَأَنَّ رِياحَ اللَحمِ حينَ تَغَطمَطَت
رِياحُaromas of عَبيرٍblended perfume بَينَamong أَيديthe hands of العَواطِرِperfumed women
رِياحُ عَبيرٍ بَينَ أَيدي العَواطِرِ
The meat's aromas, as it bubbled, seemed
like perfume's fragrance in the hands of perfumed women.
أَلاah! لَيتَwould that أَنَّthat المَوتَdeath كانَhad been حِمامُهُits appointed hour
أَلا لَيتَ أَنَّ المَوتَ كانَ حِمامُهُ
لَيالِيَon the nights حَلَّcamped الحَيُّthe clan أَكنافَthe surroundings of حابِرِHabir
لَيالِيَ حَلَّ الحَيُّ أَكنافَ حابِرِ
Ah, would that death's appointed hour had come
on the nights when the clan camped around Habir,
لَيالِيَnights when يَدعونيcalls me الهَوىpassion فَأُجيبُهُso I answer it
لَيالِيَ يَدعوني الهَوى فَأُجيبُهُ
حَثيثاًswiftly وَلاand not أُرعيI give ear إِلىto قَولِthe words of زاجِرِa reprover
حَثيثاً وَلا أُرعي إِلى قَولِ زاجِرِ
nights when passion called me and I answered it
swiftly, heeding no reprover's words.
وَدَوِّيَّةٍand many a vast desert قَفرٍbarren تَعاوىhowled to one another سِباعُهاits beasts of prey
وَدَوِّيَّةٍ قَفرٍ تَعاوى سِباعُها
عُواءَthe howling of اليَتامىorphans مِنfrom حِذارِfear of التَراتِرِcalamities
عُواءَ اليَتامى مِن حِذارِ التَراتِرِ
And many a barren desert, whose beasts howled to one another
like orphans wailing in fear of calamities,
قَطَعتُI crossed بِمِرداةٍon a rocklike she-camel كَأَنَّas though نُسوعَهاher girth-straps
قَطَعتُ بِمِرداةٍ كَأَنَّ نُسوعَها
تَشُدُّbind عَلىaround قَرمٍa breeding camel-bull عَلَنديmassive مَخاطِرِswaggering
تَشُدُّ عَلى قَرمٍ عَلَندي مَخاطِرِ
I crossed on a rock-solid she-camel, as though her girths
were drawn tight round a massive, swaggering camel-bull.
Sol 6.1