أَلاَLo! طَرَقَتcame by night أُمَيمَةُUmaymah بَعدضafter هَدءٍa spell of stillness
أَلاَ طَرَقَت أُمَيمَةُ بَعدض هَدءٍ
أخاa man given to سَفرٍtravel شَباريقَtatters القَميصِthe shirt
أخا سَفرٍ شَباريقَ القَميصِ
Lo, Umaymah came by night after a spell of stillness,
Has Umaymah knocked after some calm,
to a traveler whose shirt was in tatters.
My brother's journey, the youth's shirts?
ومِنand from أَنَّىwhere اهتَدَيتِyou found your way إِلىto طَريدٍan outcast
ومِن أَنَّى اهتَدَيتِ إِلى طَريدٍ
وَأرضُand a land الأُسدِof lions دونَكِbetween you and me واللُّصُوصِand thieves
وَأرضُ الأُسدِ دونَكِ واللُّصُوصِ
And from where did you find your way to an outcast,
And from where did you find the path,
with a land of lions and thieves lying between us?
While the lion's land is under you and the thieves?
تَوَسَّدَhe took as a pillow فىin اليَمِينِthe right hand زِمَامَthe rein حَرفٍof a hardy she-camel
تَوَسَّدَ فى اليَمِينِ زِمَامَ حَرفٍ
كَنازِfirmly packed اللَّحمشflesh اَيِّدَةِstrong الفُصُوصِjoints
كَنازِ اللَّحمش اَيِّدَةِ الفُصُوصِ
He pillowed his head on a hardy she-camel's rein, held in his right hand,
He took the reins firmly in his right hand,
firm-fleshed and strong-jointed.
Like the brave, wide-clawed lioness.
قَلِيلُhaving little البَزِّclothing and gear إِلاّexcept رَيطَتَيهِhis two wraps
قَلِيلُ البَزِّ إِلاّ رَيطَتَيهِ
وصافٍand a pure blade حَدُّهُits edge باقىretaining الخُلوصِpurity
وصافٍ حَدُّهُ باقى الخُلوصِ
He had little gear beyond his two wraps,
With little pride except his two straps,
a bright-edged sword, still pure of metal,
Pure, whose edge remains sharp.
وَأخلاَقَand worn remnants الشَّليلِof the saddlecloth وَجِلبَand a covering رَحلٍof a camel saddle
وَأخلاَقَ الشَّليلِ وَجِلبَ رَحلٍ
وَحَطَّand saddle fittings المَيسِof mayṣ wood مِنof/from نِسعa woven leather girth بَرِيصِwhitish
وَحَطَّ المَيسِ مِن نِسع بَرِيصِ
worn saddlecloths and a saddle-cover,
He loaded the belongings and saddled the camel,
and mayṣ-wood saddle fittings with a whitish girth.
And alighted at the watering place of soft sand.
وماand not كانتshe was بِمِدلاجِa night-roamer خَروجgiven to going out
وما كانت بِمِدلاجِ خَروج
وَلاَnor عَجلىhasty بمَنطِقهاin her speech هَبوصِrestless
وَلاَ عَجلى بمَنطِقها هَبوصِ
She was neither a night-roamer nor forever going out,
She was not with a lantern for departure,
nor hasty in her speech or restless.
Nor hasty in her speech, excited.
وماand not كانتshe was بجَافِيَةِharsh in السَّجاياcharacter
وما كانت بجَافِيَةِ السَّجايا
وَلاَnor صِفرِempty الثِّيَابِthe clothes وَلاnor نَحُوصِgaunt
وَلاَ صِفرِ الثِّيَابِ وَلا نَحُوصِ
She was not harsh in character,
She was not with dry cheeks,
nor hollow in her clothes, nor gaunt,
Nor yellow clothes, nor bent down.
ولكنbut غَيرُnot جَافيةٍcoarse فَتُقلىand thus be hated
ولكن غَيرُ جَافيةٍ فَتُقلى
ثقالُstately المَشىِof gait ذَاتُhaving حَشاًa waist خَميصِslender
ثقالُ المَشىِ ذَاتُ حَشاً خَميصِ
but free of coarseness that could make her hated,
But not with dry cheeks that she heats,
stately of gait, with a slender waist.
Heavy walking, having a thick veil.
مُبَتَّلَةٌfinely formed مُنَعّمَةٌpampered ثَقالٌfull-figured
مُبَتَّلَةٌ مُنَعّمَةٌ ثَقالٌ
تَبَسَّمُshe smiles عَنrevealing أَشانِبَcool, sweet teeth غَيرِnot قِيصِloosened or broken
تَبَسَّمُ عَن أَشانِبَ غَيرِ قِيصِ
Finely formed, pampered, full-figured,
Afflicted, refined, heavy,
she smiles, revealing cool, sweet teeth, all intact.
Smiling with cheeks not dried out.
لَهاshe has جِيدُthe neck الغَزالِof a gazelle وَمُقلتاهُand its two eyes
لَها جِيدُ الغَزالِ وَمُقلتاهُ
وعالِىand high النَّبتِhair growth مَيّالُswaying العُقُوصِbraids
وعالِى النَّبتِ مَيّالُ العُقُوصِ
She has a gazelle's neck and its eyes,
She has the doe's neck and blinks,
and high-growing hair with swaying braids.
And erect growth, inclined curvature.
كأنَّas though رُضابَهاher saliva عَسَلٌhoney مُصَفًّىclarified
كأنَّ رُضابَها عَسَلٌ مُصَفًّى
بماءِwith water نَقًاof a sand dune بساريَةٍfrom a night rain-cloud عَرُوصِflashing with lightning
بماءِ نَقًا بساريَةٍ عَرُوصِ
Her saliva is like clarified honey,
As if her skin is strained honey,
with dune-water from a lightning-flashing night-cloud.
With pure water in an aromatic bowl.
سَلِىask عَنّىabout me إِذَاwhen هَابَgrew afraid المُرَجَّىthe one relied upon
سَلِى عَنّى إِذَا هَابَ المُرَجَّى
وأُوزِغَتِand were made to quiver الخَصَائلُthe muscles بالفَرِيصِin the flank-flesh
وأُوزِغَتِ الخَصَائلُ بالفَرِيصِ
Ask about me when the man relied upon quails,
Ask about me when the goal seems far,
and the muscles are made to quiver in the flanks.
And the braids are pinned with the headband.
وَتَمشِىand she walks حينَwhen تَأتِىshe visits جارتَيهاher two female neighbors
وَتَمشِى حينَ تَأتِى جارتَيها
تَأَوَّدُshe sways مِشيَةَwith the gait الوَحِلِof one mired in mud الوَهِيصِsinking down
تَأَوَّدُ مِشيَةَ الوَحِلِ الوَهِيصِ
And when she visits her two neighbors, she walks
She walks when she comes to her neighbors,
swaying with the gait of one mired and sinking in mud.
With the gait of sticky mud.
وَلاَحٍand a reproacher فىconcerning أُمَيمَةَUmaymah لَمnot أُطِعهُI heeded him
وَلاَحٍ فى أُمَيمَةَ لَم أُطِعهُ
بِهاconcerning her أوor سائلٍa questioner عَنهاabout her مُلِيصِsly
بِها أو سائلٍ عَنها مُلِيصِ
Many a reproacher over Umaymah I would not heed,
No glimpse of Umaymah that I obeyed,
concerning her, or any sly questioner asking about her.
Or a questioner about her, insisting.
إذاwhen ماever (emphasis) قُلتُI said أَسلُوI forget عَنabout هَواهاlove for her
إذا ما قُلتُ أَسلُو عَن هَواها
تَدَاوىَseeking healing مُبتغِىof one seeking طِبٍّa cure حَرِيصِeager
تَدَاوىَ مُبتغِى طِبٍّ حَرِيصِ
Whenever I said, 'I shall forget my love for her,'
When I say, ask about her love,
seeking healing like one eager to find a cure,
A seeker of medicine heals, greedy.
أَبَتrefused إِلاanything but تَعُودُكَto revisit you مِنfrom هَواهاlove for her
أَبَت إِلا تَعُودُكَ مِن هَواها
دَوَاعِurges يَستَقيمُyields لهاto them عَويِصىmy stubbornness
دَوَاعِ يَستَقيمُ لها عَويِصى
nothing would do but a return to you, from love for her,
She refused but to return you from her love,
of urges before which my stubbornness yields.
A cure that goes straight for her, twisting.
أَلَمhave you not تَساَلasked عَنَabout أصحابىmy companions الذىwho هُمthey are
أَلَم تَساَل عَنَ أصحابى الذى هُم
لَدىduring خَفضِease المَعِيشَةِof living والشُّخُوصِand travel
لَدى خَفضِ المَعِيشَةِ والشُّخُوصِ
Have you not asked about those who are my companions
Did you not ask about my friends who,
in the ease of living and on journeys,
Are with low living and adversity?
وحينَand when أُصاحبُI accompany الفِتيانَthe young men صَبراًsteadfastly
وحينَ أُصاحبُ الفِتيانَ صَبراً
عَلَىon مَطوِيّةِhollow الأَقرَابِflanks خُوصِnarrow-eyed she-camels
عَلَى مَطوِيّةِ الأَقرَابِ خُوصِ
and when I accompany the young men, steadfast
And when I befriend the youths with patience,
on hollow-flanked, narrow-eyed she-camels?
On the grazing place of relatives, stingy.
ولَمand not أَبخَلI was miserly عَلَىtoward ضَيفىmy guest وجارىand my neighbor
ولَم أَبخَل عَلَى ضَيفى وجارى
بِغالِىwith the costly ماwhat أُفيدُI acquire ولاnor الرَّخِيصِthe cheap
بِغالِى ما أُفيدُ ولا الرَّخِيصِ
And I have never been miserly toward my guest or neighbor,
I did not begrudge my guest and neighbor
with the costly things I gain, nor with the cheap.
With the expensive that I offer or the cheap.
بذلكwith that كانَhad أَوصانىcharged me جُدُودِىmy forefathers
بذلك كانَ أَوصانى جُدُودِى
فأَرعَىso I uphold عَهدَهُمtheir covenant والجَدُّand the forefather مُوصِىgiving counsel
فأَرعَى عَهدَهُم والجَدُّ مُوصِى
That was the charge my forefathers laid upon me,
With that my grandparents advised me,
so I uphold their covenant, as my forefather charged me.
So I heed their covenant and the elder is commanding.
وَقَومٍand many a band قَدalready حَمَلناهُمwe charged them أُعَادٍenemies
وَقَومٍ قَد حَمَلناهُم أُعَادٍ
عَلَىon حُدبٍhump-backed mounts شَناشِنُهَاtheir natures قَمُوصِgiven to bucking
عَلَى حُدبٍ شَناشِنُهَا قَمُوصِ
And many a band of enemies we have charged,
And a people whom we carried, enemies,
on hump-backed mounts whose nature is to buck,
On a hump, whose peaks are dry.
بِعاديةٍwith a charging host كأَنَّas though البِيضَthe gleaming blades فيهاin it
بِعاديةٍ كأَنَّ البِيضَ فيها
تَلهَّبُa blaze أَوor سَناthe gleam بَرقٍof lightning عَروصِflickering
تَلهَّبُ أَو سَنا بَرقٍ عَروصِ
with a charging host whose gleaming blades seem
With an enmity as if the white in it,
a blaze, or the gleam of flickering lightning.
Burns or the lightning of a bride flashes.
Sol 6.1