ماwhat صائِداتٌhuntresses لَيسَare not بارِهاتِdeparting (uncertain reading)
ما صائِداتٌ لَيسَ بارِهاتِ
وَراكِباتٌand riders غَيرُnot سائِراتِtraveling
وَراكِباتٌ غَيرُ سائِراتِ
What huntresses are these, though no adepts,
What huntresses are these that never depart,
and riders who never travel?
And riders that never travel,
وَقَدand indeed عَلَونَthey ascended غَيرَnot مُكرَماتٍhonored
وَقَد عَلَونَ غَيرَ مُكرَماتٍ
مَنابِراًpulpits وَلَسنَand they are not خاطِباتِpreachers
مَنابِراً وَلَسنَ خاطِباتِ
They have mounted, though granted no honor,
And who have ascended, though not honored,
pulpits, yet they are no orators.
Pulpits, yet are no preachers?
وَماand what طَعامٌfood ظَلَّremained بِالفَلاةِin the wilderness
وَما طَعامٌ ظَلَّ بِالفَلاةِ
يُقَرِّبُbrings closer المَوتَdeath مِنَto الحَياةِlife
يُقَرِّبُ المَوتَ مِنَ الحَياةِ
And what food is this, left out in the wilderness,
And what food lies in the wilderness,
that draws death close to life?
Bringing death closer to life?
وَبَيتُand a house أُنسٍcompanionship صَخِبُnoisy الأَصواتِthe voices
وَبَيتُ أُنسٍ صَخِبُ الأَصواتِ
مُختَلِفُvaried الأَجناسِthe kinds وَاللُغاتِand the tongues
مُختَلِفُ الأَجناسِ وَاللُغاتِ
And a house of fellowship, loud with voices
And what house of companionship is noisy with voices,
of many races and many tongues,
Of varied kinds and tongues,
تَظَلُّremain أَسراهُits captives مُكَتَّفاتِbound
تَظَلُّ أَسراهُ مُكَتَّفاتِ
وَماand what رِماحٌspears غَيرُnot جارِياتِmoving
وَما رِماحٌ غَيرُ جارِياتِ
where its captives remain pinioned.
While its captives remain bound?
And what spears are these that never charge,
And what spears are these that do not move,
وَلَيسَand are not فيin الدِماءِthe blood آلِفاتِaccustomed
وَلَيسَ في الدِماءِ آلِفاتِ
وَلَيسَand are not فيin الطِرادِjousting وَالغاراتِand raids
وَلَيسَ في الطِرادِ وَالغاراتِ
unaccustomed to blood,
And are unaccustomed to blood,
nor amid pursuit and raids
Nor take part in jousts and raids?
يُخضَبنَthey are stained لاnot مِنfrom عَلَقِclotted blood الكُماةِthe warriors
يُخضَبنَ لا مِن عَلَقِ الكُماةِ
بَريقِwith saliva (contextual reading) حَتفٍdeath مُنجَزِfulfilled العِداةِpromises (uncertain reading)
بَريقِ حَتفٍ مُنجَزِ العِداةِ
are they dyed—not with the clotted blood of warriors,
They are stained, not with warriors' clotted blood,
but with the gleam of death that makes good its threat:
But with death's saliva, whose promises are fulfilled,
مُكَتَّمٍconcealed لَيسَnot بِذيpossessing إِفلاتِescape
مُكَتَّمٍ لَيسَ بِذي إِفلاتِ
يَنشَبُit lodges فيin الصُدورِthe chests وَاللَبّاتِand the throat-hollows
يَنشَبُ في الصُدورِ وَاللَبّاتِ
a secret death, affording no escape,
Hidden, with no escape from it;
that lodges in breasts and throats—
It lodges in chests and throat-hollows,
قُفلُa lock إِسارٍbondage عَلَقُsticky matter الشَباةِthe sharp point
قُفلُ إِسارٍ عَلَقُ الشَباةِ
عَلىupon عَواليهاtheir upper shafts مُرَكَّباتِmounted
عَلى عَواليها مُرَكَّباتِ
the point’s clinging barb, captivity’s lock.
A lock of bondage, clinging at the point.
Upon their upper ends are mounted
Upon their upper shafts are mounted
أَسِنَّةٌspearheads غَيرُnot مُنَكَّساتٍturned downward
أَسِنَّةٌ غَيرُ مُنَكَّساتٍ
مِنfrom قَصَبِshafts الريشِthe feathers مُجَرَّداتِstripped
مِن قَصَبِ الريشِ مُجَرَّداتِ
spearheads that are never lowered,
Spearheads that are not turned downward,
stripped bare of feather-quills.
Stripped from the shafts of feathers;
يُحسَبنَthey are thought to be فيon القَناةِthe spear shaft شائِلاتِupraised
يُحسَبنَ في القَناةِ شائِلاتِ
أَذنابَtails خِرفانٍlambs مُرَكَّباتِmounted
أَذنابَ خِرفانٍ مُرَكَّباتِ
Raised upon the shaft, they might be taken
On the shaft, they seem like upraised
for rams’ tails mounted there.
Lambs' tails fixed in place.
Sol 6.1