Sol 6.1

  1. فَقال كان للخليط راعِ

    بِرَعيه موفق المَساعي

    He said: The community had a herdsman,

    Successful in his efforts at tending the herd.

  2. فَنَتَجَت بَعض العِشار سَقباً

    وَمَلأت بَعدَ الرِّضاع وَطبا

    Then one of the pregnant she-camels bore a male calf,

    And, after nursing him, filled a milk-skin.

  3. وَهوَ عَن الحَي بَعيد عازب

    وَالصَّخر مِن لَفح الهَجير ذائِب

    He was far from the encampment, far afield,

    And the rocks were melting in the blast of midday heat.

  4. فَذهَب الرَّاعي لِسَقي إبله

    وَخَلف الناقة عِندَ أَهله

    So the herdsman went to water his camels,

    And left the she-camel with his wife.

  5. فَجاءَها خَليلها للوعد

    لأَنَّهُ يَعرف وَقت الوَرد

    Then her lover came to her for their tryst,

    For he knew the time of watering.

  6. فَقدمت إِلَيهِ رسلاً فشرب

    وَكان عيمان فَقامَ إذ طَرب

    She offered him milk, and he drank.

    He had been craving milk, and rose in delight.

  7. فَنَحَر الناقة في مقامِها

    وَكَشَفَ الجلدة عَن سَنامِها

    Then he slaughtered the she-camel where she stood,

    And stripped the hide from her hump.

  8. وَنالَ مِنها الأَطيب الشَّهيا

    لِكَي يَسوء الراعي الشَّقيا

    And took from her the choicest, most delectable part,

    To distress the hapless herdsman.

  9. فَراحَ ذاكَ صادِرا بِالنعم

    فَلَم يَرع إِلا بِآثار الدم

    Then that man returned from watering with the livestock,

    Startled by nothing but the traces of blood

  10. وَصَوتها مِن داخل الخِباء

    مفصحة بالسب وَالبُكاء

    And her voice from inside the tent,

    Speaking out with curses and weeping.

  11. فَقالَ ما هَذا فَقالَت مقنب

    مروا عَلَينا وَالرِّجال غيب

    He asked, 'What is this?' She said: 'A raiding band

    Passed by us while the men were away.

  12. فَعَقروها وَأَصابوا ما اشتَهوا

    وَما أَرعووا عَن محرم وَلا اِنتَهوا

    They hamstrung her and took what they desired.

    They shrank from nothing forbidden, nor did they desist.

  13. وَها أَنا مَريضة ما استقل

    وَلا أَظن أَنَّني قَط أَبل

    And here I am, ill, unable to rise,

    And I do not think I shall ever recover.

  14. وَانَّهُم سَيقصدون الحله

    وَيطردون سَخلها وَالجله

    And they will make for the encampment,

    And drive off its young livestock and older camels.'

  15. فَشَقَّ ما قالت لَهُ عَلَيهِ

    وَصَغرت ناقته لَديه

    What she said to him weighed heavily upon him,

    And his she-camel seemed of little consequence to him.

  16. فَلم يَدر بِباله وَلا افتكر

    في أَمرِها وَلا لَهُ بَعد ذكر

    So it did not cross his mind, nor did he think

    About her fate, nor did he remember her afterward.

  17. وَسَأَلتهُ البَت وَالطَلاقا

    وَطَلَبت ذاكَ فَما أَطاقا

    She asked him for a final separation and divorce,

    And demanded it, but he could not bear it.

  18. وَأكثَرت خِصامه وَعَذله

    لا خَيرَ في المَرء يَضيع أَهله

    She quarreled with him often and reproached him:

    'There is no good in a man who neglects his family.'

  19. وَأعلنت حَتّى تَرد قَوله

    لا كانَ فحل لَيسَ يَحمي شَوله

    And she spoke out to rebut his words:

    'May no camel-bull live that fails to guard his dry she-camels!'

  20. وَجَد في استعطافها بِجهده

    معتذِراً عَن بعدِهِ بِوَرده

    He strove with all his might to win her sympathy,

    Excusing his absence by his trip to water the herd.

  21. فَكانَ ذاكَ مِن لَطيف مَكرِها

    أصلح لا شَك فَسادَ أَمرِها

    So that was part of her subtle guile:

    It surely repaired the damage to her affairs.

  22. وَهَكذا لابُدَ لي مِن حيله

    تَكون لي إِلى العُلا وَسيله

    And thus I must have a stratagem,

    To serve me as a means to eminence.

  23. فَرُبَّما نالَ الفَتى بِكَيده

    ما لَم يَنل بِبَأسِه وَأَيده

    For sometimes a young man attains through his cunning

    What he could not attain through his valor and strength.