أَماوِيَّO Mawiyya هَلis there? ليfor me عِندَكُمamong you مِنany مُعَرَّسٍa nighttime resting-place
أَماوِيَّ هَل لي عِندَكُم مِن مُعَرَّسٍ
أَمِor الصَرمَparting تَختارينَyou choose بِالوَصلِin place of union نَيأَسِwe despair
أَمِ الصَرمَ تَختارينَ بِالوَصلِ نَيأَسِ
O Mawiyya, is there any resting-place for me among you?
Does one of you have a place for me, a married man,
Or do you choose parting over union, so we may give up hope?
Or do you prefer celibacy in your separation, in despair?
أَبينيmake clear لَناto us أَنَّthat الصَريمَةَa firm decision راحَةٌrelief
أَبيني لَنا أَنَّ الصَريمَةَ راحَةٌ
مِنَfrom الشَكِّdoubt ذيfraught with المَخلوجَةِmisgivings المُتَلَبِّسِentangling
مِنَ الشَكِّ ذي المَخلوجَةِ المُتَلَبِّسِ
Tell us plainly: a firm decision brings relief
Make clear to us that celibacy is a relief
from entangling doubt, fraught with misgivings.
From the nagging doubt of the anxious melancholy one.
كَأَنّيas though I وَرَحليand my saddle فَوقَupon أَحقَبَa white-bellied wild ass قارِحٍfull-grown
كَأَنّي وَرَحلي فَوقَ أَحقَبَ قارِحٍ
بِشُربَةَat Shurba أَوor طافٍa roaming wild bull بِعِرنانَat Irnan موجِسِalert to danger
بِشُربَةَ أَو طافٍ بِعِرنانَ موجِسِ
As though I and my saddle were upon a full-grown, white-bellied wild ass
As if I and my camel litter were on the hump of a towering camel,
at Shurba, or a wary, roaming wild bull at Irnan.
With a skin of water or a rover holding the halter of a carrier camel,
تَعَشّىgrazed in the evening قَليلاًa little ثُمَّthen أَنحىset to work ظُلوفَهُhis cloven hooves
تَعَشّى قَليلاً ثُمَّ أَنحى ظُلوفَهُ
يُشيرُhe scrapes away التُرابَthe earth عَنfrom مُبيتٍa sleeping-place وَمُكنِسِand a sheltered lair
يُشيرُ التُرابَ عَن مُبيتٍ وَمُكنِسِ
He grazed a little at dusk, then set his cloven hooves to work,
Who took a little evening meal then turned his shoulders,
scraping earth away from his sleeping-place and sheltered lair.
Signaling the soil instead of an overnight stay or folded rugs.
يُهيلُhe heaps up وَيُذريand scatters تُربَهاits soil وَيُثيرُهُand stirs it up
يُهيلُ وَيُذري تُربَها وَيُثيرُهُ
إِثارَةَlike the digging of نَبّاثِa persistent digger الهَواجِرِthe midday heat مُخمِسِfive days unfed
إِثارَةَ نَبّاثِ الهَواجِرِ مُخمِسِ
He heaps and scatters its soil, stirring it up,
He sniffed at it and scattered its soil and stirred it up
like a forager digging in the midday heat, five days unfed.
Like the scattering of a departing wild dove's nesting place.
فَباتَso he spent the night عَلىon خَدٍّa cheek أَحَمَّdark وَمَنكِبٍand a shoulder
فَباتَ عَلى خَدٍّ أَحَمَّ وَمَنكِبٍ
وَضَجعَتُهُand his lying posture مِثلُlike الأَسيرِthe captive المُكَردَسِtrussed up
وَضَجعَتُهُ مِثلُ الأَسيرِ المُكَردَسِ
So he lay the night on his dark cheek and shoulder,
So he spent the night with a hot cheek and shoulder,
and his posture was like that of a trussed-up captive.
And made his bedding like a captive all tied up.
وَباتَand he spent the night إِلىbeside أَرطاةَan arta bush حِقفٍa curved sand dune كَأَنَّهاas though it were
وَباتَ إِلى أَرطاةَ حِقفٍ كَأَنَّها
إِذاwhen أَلثَقَتهاdrenched it غَبيَةٌa rain shower بَيتُthe tent of مُعرِسِa bridegroom
إِذا أَلثَقَتها غَبيَةٌ بَيتُ مُعرِسِ
And he slept beside an arta bush on a curved dune, which seemed,
He spent the night next to sandy ground as if it were,
when a shower drenched it, like a bridegroom's tent.
When a simpleton pegged it down, a bridal pavilion.
فَصَبَّحَهُthen assailed him at dawn عِندَat الشُروقِsunrise غُدَيَّةَearly one morning
فَصَبَّحَهُ عِندَ الشُروقِ غُدَيَّةَ
كِلابُthe hounds of بنُIbn (son of) مُرٍّMurr أَوor كِلابُthe hounds of بنُIbn (son of) سِنبِسِSinbis
كِلابُ بنُ مُرٍّ أَو كِلابُ بنُ سِنبِسِ
Then early one morning, at sunrise, he was assailed by
The dogs of the Beni Murr or the dogs of Beni Sinbis
the hounds of Ibn Murr, or the hounds of Ibn Sinbis,
Greeted him at dawn,
مُغَرَّثَةًkept hungry زَرقاblue-eyed كَأَنَّas though عُيونَهاtheir eyes
مُغَرَّثَةً زَرقا كَأَنَّ عُيونَها
مِنَfrom الذَمرِgoading shouts وَالإِيحاءِand signals نُوّارُthe blossoms of عِضرِسِthe ʿiḍris plant
مِنَ الذَمرِ وَالإِيحاءِ نُوّارُ عِضرِسِ
famished and blue-eyed, as though their eyes,
Bristling, with blue coats, as if their eyes
at the goading and signals, were ʿiḍris blossoms.
From wolfish greed were searchlights from a watchtower.
فَأَدبَرَso he fled يَكسوهاcovering them with الرُغامَdust كَأَنَّهas though he were
فَأَدبَرَ يَكسوها الرُغامَ كَأَنَّه
عَلىover الصَمدِthe high ground وَالآكامِand the hillocks جَذوَةُa glowing brand مُقبِسِa fire-kindler
عَلى الصَمدِ وَالآكامِ جَذوَةُ مُقبِسِ
So he fled, cloaking them in dust, as though he were,
So he turned his back to them, covering them with spittle, as if it were
over the high ground and hillocks, a fire-kindler's glowing brand.
Hot embers on flint or dry thornbrush.
وَأَيقَنَand he knew for certain إِنif لاقَينَهُthey met him أَنَّthat يَومَهُhis day
وَأَيقَنَ إِن لاقَينَهُ أَنَّ يَومَهُ
بِذيat Dhu الرِمثِal-Rimth إِنif ماوَتَتهُthey held out against him يَومَa day أَنفُسِlives
بِذي الرِمثِ إِن ماوَتَتهُ يَومَ أَنفُسِ
And he knew for certain: if they met him, his day
And he knew if he met up with them his day
at Dhu al-Rimth, if they held out against him, would be a day of life and death.
Would be one of foul water if they brought about his death.
فَأَدرَكنَهُthen they overtook him يَأخُذنَthey seize بِالساقِby the shank وَالنَساand the hamstring
فَأَدرَكنَهُ يَأخُذنَ بِالساقِ وَالنَسا
كَماjust as شَبرَقَtore to shreds الوِلدانُthe boys ثَوبَthe robe of المُقَدَّسِthe holy man
كَما شَبرَقَ الوِلدانُ ثَوبَ المُقَدَّسِ
Then they overtook him, biting at his shank and hamstring,
So they caught up with him, seizing him by hip and femur,
as boys tear a holy man's robe to shreds.
As the lads tore the garment of the consecrated one.
وَغَوَّرنَand they rested at noon فيin ظِلِّthe shade of الغَضىghada trees وَتَرَكنَهُand left him
وَغَوَّرنَ في ظِلِّ الغَضى وَتَرَكنَهُ
كَقِرمِlike a camel-stallion الهِجانِof the white, purebred camels الفادِرِspent after rutting المُتَشَمِّسِbasking in the sun
كَقِرمِ الهِجانِ الفادِرِ المُتَشَمِّسِ
And they rested at noon in the ghada shade, leaving him
They buried him in the shadow of wrath and left him
like a purebred white camel-stallion, spent and basking in the sun.
Like the rotten corpse of a crow, baked by the sun.
Sol 6.1