أَعِنّيhelp me عَلىwith بَرقٍlightning أَراهُI see it وَميضِflashing
أَعِنّي عَلى بَرقٍ أَراهُ وَميضِ
يُضيءُit illuminates حَبِيّاًa massed cloud فيamong شَماريخَlofty pinnacles بيضِwhite
يُضيءُ حَبِيّاً في شَماريخَ بيضِ
Help me watch the lightning I see flashing,
Help me with a lightning I see flashing
Lighting a massed cloud among white pinnacles.
Illuminating a loved one in white dovecotes
وَيَهدَأُand subsides تاراتٍat times سَناهُits radiance وَتارَةًand at another time
وَيَهدَأُ تاراتٍ سَناهُ وَتارَةً
يَنوءُit heaves upward كَتَعتابِlike the faltering of الكَسيرِthe broken one المَهيضِthe one broken anew
يَنوءُ كَتَعتابِ الكَسيرِ المَهيضِ
At times its radiance subsides, and at other times
And calming a twisting he once shaped
It heaves like the halting rise of one broken and broken again.
Like the bending of a fragile, broken palm frond
وَتَخرُجُand emerge مِنهُfrom it لامِعاتٌgleaming flashes كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَتَخرُجُ مِنهُ لامِعاتٌ كَأَنَّها
أَكُفٌّhands تَلَقّىreceive الفَوزَthe winnings عِندَbeside المَفيضِthe caster of lots
أَكُفٌّ تَلَقّى الفَوزَ عِندَ المَفيضِ
Gleaming flashes issue from it, as though they were
And out of it emerge shining lights as though they are
Hands receiving their winnings beside the caster of lots.
Palms receiving success at the outpouring
قَعَدتُI sat لَهُfor it وَصُحبَتيand my companions بَينَbetween ضارِجٍDarij
قَعَدتُ لَهُ وَصُحبَتي بَينَ ضارِجٍ
وَبَينَand between تِلاعِgullies يَثلُثٍYathluth فَالعَريضِthen al-‘Arid
وَبَينَ تِلاعِ يَثلُثٍ فَالعَريضِ
I sat watching it with my companions between Darij
I sat for it while my friends were between a loud gurgling
And the gullies of Yathluth, then al-‘Arid.
And the croaking of frogs in the wide valley
أَصابَit struck قَطاتَينِQatatayn فَسالَso flowed لِواهُماtheir sandy tract
أَصابَ قَطاتَينِ فَسالَ لِواهُما
فَواديthen the valley of البَدِيِّal-Badi فَاِنتَحيthen it headed لِلأَريضِtoward al-Arid
فَوادي البَدِيِّ فَاِنتَحي لِلأَريضِ
It drenched Qatatayn, and their sandy tract ran with water,
It struck two wildcats so their wounds poured forth
Then the valley of al-Badi, before turning toward al-Arid.
Into the valley's basin, so I moved to the smooth ground
بِلادٌlands عَريضَةٌbroad وَأَرضٌand earth أَريضَةٌfertile
بِلادٌ عَريضَةٌ وَأَرضٌ أَريضَةٌ
مَدافِعُchannels for غَيثٍrain فيin فَضاءٍan open expanse عَريضِbroad
مَدافِعُ غَيثٍ في فَضاءٍ عَريضِ
Broad lands and fertile earth,
A wide land and smooth earth
Channels for rain across a broad expanse.
Repelling a downpour in a wide open space
فَأَضحىso by morning it began يَسُحُّpouring الماءَwater عَنfrom كُلِّeach فَيقَةٍfresh milk between milkings
فَأَضحى يَسُحُّ الماءَ عَن كُلِّ فَيقَةٍ
يَحوزُsweeps together الضِبابَthe spiny-tailed lizards فيin صَفاصِفَlevel, treeless plains بيضِwhite
يَحوزُ الضِبابَ في صَفاصِفَ بيضِ
By morning it poured water at each fresh milking,
So it began to sweep the water off every cleft
Sweeping the lizards into white, level plains.
And gather the mist into white folds
فَأَسقيso I pray rain for بِهِwith it أُختيmy sister ضَعيفَةَDa‘ifa إِذsince نَأَتshe went far away
فَأَسقي بِهِ أُختي ضَعيفَةَ إِذ نَأَت
وَإِذand since بَعُدَbecame distant المَزارُthe place to visit غَيرَexcept القَريضِpoetry
وَإِذ بَعُدَ المَزارُ غَيرَ القَريضِ
So I pray its rain upon my sister Da‘ifa, since she is far away,
I watered with it my weak sister when she came
And since the way to her is distant, save through verse.
Since the wellspring was far, not near
وَمُرقَبَةٌand a lookout كَالزِجِّlike a spear's butt-spike أَشرَفتُI rose above فَوقَهاatop it
وَمُرقَبَةٌ كَالزِجِّ أَشرَفتُ فَوقَها
أُقَلِّبُI turn about طَرفيmy gaze فيin فَضاءٍan open expanse عَريضِbroad
أُقَلِّبُ طَرفي في فَضاءٍ عَريضِ
And a lookout like a spear's butt-spike—I climbed atop it,
A watchtower like a flagpole I looked out from atop
Turning my gaze across a broad expanse.
Turning my gaze in the wide open space
فَظِلتُso I stayed through the day وَظَلَّand stayed الجَونُthe black horse عِنديbeside me بِلَبدِهِwith his saddlecloth
فَظِلتُ وَظَلَّ الجَونُ عِندي بِلَبدِهِ
كَأَنّيas though I أُعَدّيI spare from strain عَنfrom جَناحٍa wing مَهيضِbroken anew
كَأَنّي أُعَدّي عَن جَناحٍ مَهيضِ
So I stayed through the day, and the black horse stayed beside me with his saddlecloth,
I remained and the atmosphere stayed by me with its moisture
As though I were sparing a wing broken anew.
As if I were adding wings to a broken palm frond
فَلَمّاthen when أَجَنَّhid الشَمسَthe sun عَنّيfrom me غِؤورُهَاits sinking
فَلَمّا أَجَنَّ الشَمسَ عَنّي غِؤورُهَا
نَزَلتُI descended إِلَيهِto him قائِماًstanding بِالحَضيضِat the foot of the slope
نَزَلتُ إِلَيهِ قائِماً بِالحَضيضِ
Then, when the sun's descent hid it from my sight,
So when the sun veered its setting away from me
I descended to him as he stood at the foot of the slope.
I went down to it standing on the gravel
يُباريrivals شَباةَthe sharp point of الرُمحِthe spear خَدٌّa cheek مُذَلَّقٌtapered
يُباري شَباةَ الرُمحِ خَدٌّ مُذَلَّقٌ
كَصَفحِlike the flat of السِنانِthe spearhead الصُلَّبِيِّsteel النَحيضِhoned thin
كَصَفحِ السِنانِ الصُلَّبِيِّ النَحيضِ
A tapered cheek rivals the spear's sharp point,
A cheek as smooth as an ostrich feather blade
Like the flat of a steel spearhead honed thin.
Like the sword's polished steel surface
أُخَفِّضُهُI quiet him بِالنَقرِwith tongue-clicks لَمّاonce عَلَوتُهُI mounted him
أُخَفِّضُهُ بِالنَقرِ لَمّا عَلَوتُهُ
وَيَرفَعُand he lifts طَرفاًa gaze غَيرَnot جافٍharsh غَضيضِdowncast
وَيَرفَعُ طَرفاً غَيرَ جافٍ غَضيضِ
I quiet him with clicks once I have mounted him,
I lower it by tapping whenever it rises high
And he lifts a gaze neither harsh nor downcast.
And it lifts an eye that is not dry or dirty
وَقَدand often أَغتَديI set out at dawn وَالطَيرُwhile the birds فيin وُكُناتِهاtheir nests
وَقَد أَغتَدي وَالطَيرُ في وُكُناتِها
بِمُنجَرِدٍon a sleek steed عَبلِstout اليَدَينِthe two forelegs قَبيضِswift
بِمُنجَرِدٍ عَبلِ اليَدَينِ قَبيضِ
Often I set out at dawn while the birds are in their nests,
It grew excited and the birds in their nests
On a sleek steed, stout in the forelegs and swift.
With clutched hands filled with milkweed
لَهُhe has قَصرَياtwo hindmost ribs of عيرٍa wild ass وَساقاand two shanks of نَعامَةٍan ostrich
لَهُ قَصرَيا عيرٍ وَساقا نَعامَةٍ
كَفَحلِlike a bull of الهَجانِpurebred white camels يَنتَحيhe turns aside لِلعَضيضِto bite
كَفَحلِ الهَجانِ يَنتَحي لِلعَضيضِ
He has a wild ass's hindmost ribs and an ostrich's shanks,
It has the legs of a male ostrich and the legs of an ostrich hen
Like a bull of the purebred white camels, he turns aside to bite.
Like the stallion of a herd shying from a wolf pack
يَجِمُّhe regains strength عَلىupon الساقَينِthe two legs بَعدَafter كَلالِهِhis weariness
يَجِمُّ عَلى الساقَينِ بَعدَ كَلالِهِ
جُمومَthe replenishing of عُيونِthe springs of الحِسيِthe sandy waterbed بَعدَafter المَخيضِthe stirring
جُمومَ عُيونِ الحِسيِ بَعدَ المَخيضِ
He regains strength upon his legs after weariness,
It gathers its eyelids over the eyes after tiring
As springs beneath the sand refill after being stirred.
Like the swoop of an eagle after the hunt
ذَعَرتُI startled بِهاwith her سِرباًa herd نَقِيّاًunblemished جُلودُهُits hides
ذَعَرتُ بِها سِرباً نَقِيّاً جُلودُهُ
كَماjust as ذَعَرَstartled السَرحانُthe wolf جَنبَthe flank of الرَبيضِthe resting herd
كَما ذَعَرَ السَرحانُ جَنبَ الرَبيضِ
With her I startled a herd whose hides were unblemished,
I startled with it a flock, pure white of skin
As a wolf startles the flank of a resting herd.
As gazelles startle next to a wolf
وَوالىand he pursued in succession ثَلاثاًthree وَاِثنَتَينِand two وَأَربَعاًand four
وَوالى ثَلاثاً وَاِثنَتَينِ وَأَربَعاً
وَغادَرَand he left أُخرىanother فيin قَناةِthe channel of الرَفيضِal-Rafid
وَغادَرَ أُخرى في قَناةِ الرَفيضِ
And he pursued three in succession, and two, and four,
It pursued three, two, and four
And left another in the channel of al-Rafid.
And left others in the path of flowing water
فَآبَso he returned إِياباًa return غَيرَnot نَكدٍreluctant مُواكِلٍneeding to be urged
فَآبَ إِياباً غَيرَ نَكدٍ مُواكِلٍ
وَأَخلَفَand he replenished ماءًwater (sweat) بَعدَafter ماءٍwater (sweat) فَضيضِpoured out
وَأَخلَفَ ماءً بَعدَ ماءٍ فَضيضِ
So back he came, neither reluctant nor needing to be urged,
Then it came back without fatigue or reluctance
And brought forth fresh sweat after sweat had poured away.
And left water after water gushing
وَسِنٍّand a mature wild bull كَسُنَّيقٍlike Sunniq سَناءًin loftiness وَسُنَّماًand stature
وَسِنٍّ كَسُنَّيقٍ سَناءً وَسُنَّماً
ذَعَرتُI startled بِمِدلاجِwith a night-traveling mount الهَجيرِthe midday heat نَهوضِquick to rise
ذَعَرتُ بِمِدلاجِ الهَجيرِ نَهوضِ
And a mature wild bull, like Sunniq in height and stature,
With teeth like lances, formed and shaped
I startled with a mount that crosses noon's heat as though by night, quick to rise.
I startled with the sword's blade unsheathed
أَرىI see المَرءَthe man ذاpossessing الأَذوادِcamel herds يُصبِحُbecomes مُحرَضاًwasted by illness
أَرى المَرءَ ذا الأَذوادِ يُصبِحُ مُحرَضاً
كَإِحراضِlike the wasting of بَكرٍa young male camel فيin الدِيارِthe dwellings مَريضِsick
كَإِحراضِ بَكرٍ في الدِيارِ مَريضِ
I see the owner of camel herds become wasted by sickness,
I see the man with helpers becoming enflamed
Like the wasting of a young camel, sick among the dwellings.
Like the enflaming of a camel in the abode of the sick
كَأَنَّas though الفَتىthe young man لَمhad not يَغنَlived فيamong الناسِthe people ساعَةًan hour
كَأَنَّ الفَتى لَم يَغنَ في الناسِ ساعَةً
إِذاwhen اِختَلَفَmoved against each other اللَحيانِthe two jawbones عِندَat الجَريضِdeath's choking agony
إِذا اِختَلَفَ اللَحيانِ عِندَ الجَريضِ
As though the young man had not lived among people for even an hour,
It's as if the lad never sang among people for a moment
When his two jawbones work against each other in death's choking agony.
When the two jaws met at the camel's knee
Sol 6.1