بكلon every جلالةٍmassive she-camel عيساءَwhitish حرفٍlean and sturdy
بكل جلالةٍ عيساءَ حرفٍ
علنداةٍtall and sturdy وأعنسand a strong male camel عجرفيheadstrong
علنداةٍ وأعنس عجرفي
On every massive, whitish, lean she-camel,
With every majesty of gentle words,
Tall and sturdy, and every strong, headstrong male camel.
Fluent and most eloquent,
إذاwhen شدتwere tightened بهاon her الأنساعthe girth-straps أصغتshe inclined her head
إذا شدت بها الأنساع أصغت
كماas أصغىinclined his head النجيُّthe confidant إلىtoward النجىthe fellow confidant
كما أصغى النجيُّ إلى النجى
When the girth-straps are tightened on her, she inclines her head,
When fingers move upon it, it listens
As a confidant inclines toward another confidant.
As the Prophet listened to revelation,
وراغيةٍand a lowing she-camel ثنتكَturned you away عنfrom التصابيyouthful dalliance
وراغيةٍ ثنتكَ عن التصابي
كماas ثنتturned back الضعيفthe weak one يدthe hand of القويِّthe strong one
كما ثنت الضعيف يد القويِّ
And a lowing one turned you from youthful dalliance,
And your bending distracted you from contention
As the strong man's hand turns back the weak.
As the bending of the feeble before the strong,
هناكَthere شكوتَyou complained ماwhat تلقىyou endure إليهاto her
هناكَ شكوتَ ما تلقى إليها
كماas يشكوcomplains الفقيرُthe poor man إلىto الغنيthe rich man
كما يشكو الفقيرُ إلى الغني
There you complained to her of what you endure,
There you complained of what befell you
As the poor man complains to the rich.
As the poor man complains unto the rich,
تساقطُshe sinks down وهيwhile she is فاترةُlanguid المآقيthe corners of the eyes
تساقطُ وهي فاترةُ المآقي
تساقطَthe falling of مهجةِthe lifeblood of الظبيthe gazelle الرميstruck by an arrow
تساقطَ مهجةِ الظبي الرمي
She sinks down, the corners of her eyes languid,
It falls apart while dangers slacken
Like the dripping lifeblood of a stricken gazelle.
It falls like the flank of a wounded gazelle,
وتجريand flows الخمرُwine بعدafter النومِsleep منهاfrom her
وتجري الخمرُ بعد النومِ منها
علىover سمطينtwo strands منof درٍّpearls نقيpure
على سمطين من درٍّ نقي
And wine flows from her after sleep,
And wine flows after sleep from it
Over two strands of pure pearls.
On a platter of pure pearls,
شكتshe complained of إشرافَthe watchfulness of قيمهاher keeper عليهاover her
شكت إشرافَ قيمها عليها
كماas يشكوcomplains اليتيمthe orphan منof الوصيthe guardian
كما يشكو اليتيم من الوصي
She complained of her keeper's watch over her,
You complained of the tyranny of its keeper over it
As an orphan complains of his guardian.
As the orphan complains of the trustee,
أرتكshe showed you محاسناًbeauties منهاof herself اختلاساًfurtively
أرتك محاسناً منها اختلاساً
تضيءُthey shine إضاءةَwith the gleam of البرقِlightning الخفيfaint
تضيءُ إضاءةَ البرقِ الخفي
She showed you her beauties in stolen glimpses,
I have stolen beauties from it
Shining with the gleam of faint lightning.
That shine with the glow of hidden lightning,
كتخليلlike tooth-picking with الألوةِaloeswood ثمthen زالتshe vanished
كتخليل الألوةِ ثم زالت
زوالَthe vanishing of الفيءِthe afternoon shade فيin ظلِّthe shadow of العشيevening
زوالَ الفيءِ في ظلِّ العشي
Like tooth-picking with aloeswood; then she vanished,
Like the steeping of Indian aloeswood, then it faded
As afternoon shade vanishes in evening's shadow.
Like the fading of sunlight in the shade of evening,
ويلذعand stings مهجتيmy heart ذولunclear as written العذلreproach فيهاconcerning her
ويلذع مهجتي ذول العذل فيها
كلذعlike the stinging of السوطِthe whip خاصرةَthe flank of البطيthe slow-moving one
كلذع السوطِ خاصرةَ البطي
And the [unclear word] of reproach concerning her stings my heart,
And the pain of loss wounds my heart in it
As a whip stings a laggard's flank.
Like the whip on the flank of a camel,
كأنas though الليلthe night زيدَwas added إليهto it ليلٌa night
كأن الليل زيدَ إليه ليلٌ
مقيمٌabiding فاستمرand so it lingered علىover الشجيthe sorrowful one
مقيمٌ فاستمر على الشجي
As though another night had been added to the night—
As if the night gained an added night,
An abiding one, so it lingered over the sorrowful.
Staying, so it lingered in melancholy.
Sol 6.1