لِمَنِwhose الدِيارُthe dwellings كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were سُطورُlines of writing
لِمَنِ الدِيارُ كَأَنَّهُنَّ سُطورُ
بِلِوىat the sand-bend of زَرودَZarud سَفىscattered عَلَيهاupon them المورُwindblown dust
بِلِوى زَرودَ سَفى عَلَيها المورُ
Whose are these dwellings, like lines of writing,
For whom are the abodes that look like written lines
At Zarud's sand-bend, where windblown dust has drifted over them?
On which the ink has flowed from a polished inkwell?
نُؤيٌa drainage trench وَأَطلَسُand an ash-gray remnant كَالحَمامَةِlike a dove ماثِلٌstanding
نُؤيٌ وَأَطلَسُ كَالحَمامَةِ ماثِلٌ
وَمُرَفَّعٌand raised شُرُفاتُهُits upper edges مَحجورُenclosed with stones
وَمُرَفَّعٌ شُرُفاتُهُ مَحجورُ
A drainage trench, and an ash-gray remnant standing like a dove,
A lofty palace like a hovering dove
And a stone-ringed structure with its upper edges raised.
With elevated chambers all locked up.
وَالحَوضُand the basin أَلحَقَbrought level بِالخَوالِفِwith the tent-poles نَبتُهُits vegetation
وَالحَوضُ أَلحَقَ بِالخَوالِفِ نَبتُهُ
سَبِطٌpliant عَلاهُrose over it مِنَfrom السِماكِal-Simak (a star) مَطيرُa rain-heavy cloud
سَبِطٌ عَلاهُ مِنَ السِماكِ مَطيرُ
The basin's growth has brought it level with the tent-poles—
And the basin adjoining the courtyard, its vegetation -
Pliant growth, over which rose a rain-heavy cloud from al-Simak.
Abundant, watered by rains from the clouds above.
لِأَسيلَةِbelonging to a smooth-featured woman الخَدَّينِthe two cheeks جازِئَةٍa doe content with moist herbage لَهاshe has
لِأَسيلَةِ الخَدَّينِ جازِئَةٍ لَها
مِسكٌmusk يُعَلُّis repeatedly applied بِجَيبِهاat her neckline وَعَبيرُand blended perfume
مِسكٌ يُعَلُّ بِجَيبِها وَعَبيرُ
They belong to a smooth-cheeked doe, content with herbage, who has
For the smooth-cheeked maiden, enough as her provision -
Musk repeatedly applied at her neckline, and blended perfume.
Some musk that bulges out of her pocket, and some scent.
وَإِذاand when تَقومُshe rises إِلىtoward الطِرافِthe leather tent تَنَفَّسَتshe breathes
وَإِذا تَقومُ إِلى الطِرافِ تَنَفَّسَت
صُعُداًin deep sighs كَماas يَتَنَفَّسُbreathes المَبهورُone out of breath
صُعُداً كَما يَتَنَفَّسُ المَبهورُ
And when she rises to go to the leather tent, she breathes
And when she gets up to go to the edge, she breathes
In deep sighs, as one out of breath breathes.
Air like one bewildered taking deep breaths.
فَتَبادَرَتthen raced one another عَيناكَyour two eyes إِذwhen فارَقتَهاyou parted from her
فَتَبادَرَت عَيناكَ إِذ فارَقتَها
دِرَراًin copious streams وَأَنتَthough you عَلىat الفِراقِparting صَبورُsteadfast
دِرَراً وَأَنتَ عَلى الفِراقِ صَبورُ
Then your eyes raced to weep when you parted from her,
Then your eyes brimmed over as you bid her farewell,
In copious streams, though you are steadfast at parting.
Shedding tears while you showed patience over the separation.
ياO طولَlength of لَيلِكَyour night لاnot يَكادُalmost يُنيرُgrows light
يا طولَ لَيلِكَ لا يَكادُ يُنيرُ
جَزَعاًin anguish وَلَيلُكَthough your night بِالجَريبِat al-Jarib قَصيرُshort
جَزَعاً وَلَيلُكَ بِالجَريبِ قَصيرُ
How long your night is! It scarcely grows light,
Oh how long your night is, it almost fails to get illuminated,
Through anguish, though your night at al-Jarib is short.
Grieving, while your night at the encampment is short.
وَصَريمَةٍand a firm resolve بَعدَafter الخِلاجِwavering قَطَعتُهاI carried it through
وَصَريمَةٍ بَعدَ الخِلاجِ قَطَعتُها
بِالحَزمِwith determination إِذwhen جَعَلَتbegan رَحاهُits millstone تَدورُto turn
بِالحَزمِ إِذ جَعَلَت رَحاهُ تَدورُ
And after wavering, I carried a firm resolve through,
And after hardship, I ended a long relationship with determination,
With determination, when wavering's millstone began to turn,
When she let her departure wander aimlessly.
بِجُلالَةٍon a massive she-camel سُرُحِfree-striding in النَجاءِswift travel كَأَنَّهاas though she were
بِجُلالَةٍ سُرُحِ النَجاءِ كَأَنَّها
بَعدَafter الكَلالَةِexhaustion بِالرِدافِwith a rear-rider عَسيرُan unbroken she-camel
بَعدَ الكَلالَةِ بِالرِدافِ عَسيرُ
On a massive she-camel, free and swift in stride, as though
With glorious riding camels, wide-backed, tall,
Even after weariness, she were unbroken under a rear-rider.
Moving with difficulty after exhaustion.
وَرَعَتand she grazed جُنوبَthe sides of السِدرِthe lote trees حَولاًa year كامِلاًcomplete
وَرَعَت جُنوبَ السِدرِ حَولاً كامِلاً
وَالحَزنُand the rugged uplands فَهيَso she يَزِلُّslips عَنهاoff her الكورُthe camel-saddle
وَالحَزنُ فَهيَ يَزِلُّ عَنها الكورُ
She grazed beside the lote trees for a whole year,
They pastured around the jujubes in a full circle,
And on the rugged uplands, so her saddle slips off her.
While sorrow - does it ever stop tormenting them?
فَبَنىso built up عَلَيهاupon her النِيُّfat فَهيَso she is جُلالَةٌa massive she-camel
فَبَنى عَلَيها النِيُّ فَهيَ جُلالَةٌ
ماnot إِنfor emphasis يُحيطُencircles بِجَوزِهاaround her middle التَصديرُthe breast-girth
ما إِن يُحيطُ بِجَوزِها التَصديرُ
So fat has built up upon her, and she is massive;
So the Prophet built next to it, thus it is glorious,
No breast-girth can encircle her middle.
What surrounds its beauty cannot be fully encompassed.
وَكَأَنَّand as though رَحليmy saddle فَوقَatop أَحقَبَa white-flanked wild ass قارِحٍfull-grown
وَكَأَنَّ رَحلي فَوقَ أَحقَبَ قارِحٍ
بِالشَيِّطَينِat al-Shayyitayn نُهاقُهُhis braying التَعشيرُtenfold braying
بِالشَيِّطَينِ نُهاقُهُ التَعشيرُ
And my saddle seems to rest on a white-flanked, full-grown wild ass
As if my riding camel atop a lofty dune
At al-Shayyitayn, whose braying comes in ten calls.
With howdahs on both sides fully covered.
جَونٍdark-coated يُطارِدُpursues سَمحَجاًa long-bodied she-ass حَمَلَتshe conceived لَهُby him
جَونٍ يُطارِدُ سَمحَجاً حَمَلَت لَهُ
بِعَوازِبِin the remote parts of القَفَراتِthe wastes فَهيَso she is نَزورُseldom-bearing
بِعَوازِبِ القَفَراتِ فَهيَ نَزورُ
Dark-coated, pursuing a long-bodied she-ass that conceived by him,
A passionate young camel chasing a roe deer that carried for it
In the remote wastes; she seldom bears young.
Among the spiny shrubs - so it is rare game.
وَكَأَنَّand as though نَقعَهُماthe dust of them both بِبُرقَةِat the stony sands of ثادِقٍThadiq
وَكَأَنَّ نَقعَهُما بِبُرقَةِ ثادِقٍ
وَلِوىand the sand-bend of الكَثيبِthe dune سُرادِقٌa pavilion مَنشورُspread out
وَلِوى الكَثيبِ سُرادِقٌ مَنشورُ
And as though the dust they raise at Thadiq's stony sands
As if their descending at a flash of lightning
And at the dune's bend were an outspread pavilion.
And the folding of a dune, a widespread pavilion.
يَنحوhe heads toward بِهاwith her مِنfrom بُرقِthe stony sand tracts of عَيهَمَAyham طامِياًbrimming water
يَنحو بِها مِن بُرقِ عَيهَمَ طامِياً
زُرقَblue الجِمامِthe pools رِشاؤُهُنَّtheir water-drawing rope قَصيرُshort
زُرقَ الجِمامِ رِشاؤُهُنَّ قَصيرُ
He leads her from Ayham's stony sands toward brimming water—
Heading with it from the lightning of confused darkness,
Blue pools whose well-ropes are short.
Their blue garments - their trailing edges are short.
وَرَداًthey both came to water وَقَدand already نَفَضاthey both searched المَراقِبَthe lookout-heights عَنهُماaround them both
وَرَداً وَقَد نَفَضا المَراقِبَ عَنهُما
وَالماءُand the water لاnot سُدُمٌfouled through neglect وَلاnor مَحضورُfrequented by people
وَالماءُ لا سُدُمٌ وَلا مَحضورُ
They came to drink, having searched the lookout-heights around them,
Like a flower shedding its petals upon them,
The water neither fouled by neglect nor frequented by people.
While the water is neither still nor turbulent.
أَوor فَوقَatop أَخنَسَa snub-nosed wild bull ناشِطٍranging freely بِشَقيقَةٍin a sandy valley
أَو فَوقَ أَخنَسَ ناشِطٍ بِشَقيقَةٍ
لَهَقٌpure white بِغائِطِin a hollow of قَفرَةٍa wilderness مَحبورُcontented
لَهَقٌ بِغائِطِ قَفرَةٍ مَحبورُ
Or on a snub-nosed wild bull, ranging through a sandy valley,
Or atop a prancing red camel with a swift she-camel,
Pure white, contented in a hollow of the wilderness.
Panting on the edge of an arid wilderness.
باتَتspent the night لَهُfor him بِكَثيبِat the sand-dune of حَربَةَHarbah لَيلَةٌa night
باتَت لَهُ بِكَثيبِ حَربَةَ لَيلَةٌ
وَطفاءُcloud-heavy بَينَbetween جُمادَيَينِthe two Jumada months دَرورُpouring rain
وَطفاءُ بَينَ جُمادَيَينِ دَرورُ
At Harbah's dune, a night passed over him,
There passed for it in the dune of Harbah a night,
Heavy with cloud, between the two Jumada months, pouring rain.
While extinction between two inert objects endures.
حَرِجٌhard-pressed يُلاوِذُseeks shelter بِالكِناسِin the covert كَأَنَّهُas though he were
حَرِجٌ يُلاوِذُ بِالكِناسِ كَأَنَّهُ
مُتَطَوِّفٌone making ritual circuits حَتّىuntil الصَباحِmorning يَدورُhe circles
مُتَطَوِّفٌ حَتّى الصَباحِ يَدورُ
Hard-pressed, he seeks refuge in his covert, as though
A startled creature taking refuge behind the boulders,
A pilgrim, circling round until morning.
As if circling until the morning revolves.
وَالماءُand the water يَركَبُrides over جانِبَيهِhis two flanks كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَالماءُ يَركَبُ جانِبَيهِ كَأَنَّهُ
قُشُبُnew الجُمانِthe pearl-beads وَطَرفُهُand his gaze مَقصورُheld fixed
قُشُبُ الجُمانِ وَطَرفُهُ مَقصورُ
And water rides upon his flanks, as though it were
And the water rides its sides as if it is
Fresh pearl-beads, while his gaze stays fixed.
The curved side of a bow, with an end tied.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis الصُبحُdawn شَقَّsplit open عَمودَهُits shaft of light
حَتّى إِذا ما الصُبحُ شَقَّ عَمودَهُ
وَعَلاهُand rose over him أَسطَعُa blazing light لاnot يُرَدُّis turned back مُنيرُradiant
وَعَلاهُ أَسطَعُ لا يُرَدُّ مُنيرُ
Until, when dawn opened its shaft of light,
Until when the morning sliced its pillar through,
And a brilliant, irresistible light rose over him,
And the most brilliant illumination prevailed that cannot be repelled.
أَوفىhe mounted عَلىonto عَقدِthe knotted crest of الكَثيبِthe sand-dune كَأَنَّهُas though he were
أَوفى عَلى عَقدِ الكَثيبِ كَأَنَّهُ
وَسطَamong القِداحِthe lot-arrows مُعَقَّبٌa sinew-bound shaft مَشهورُconspicuous
وَسطَ القِداحِ مُعَقَّبٌ مَشهورُ
He mounted the dune's knotted crest, as though
It fulfilled upon the knot of the dune as if
A sinew-bound shaft, conspicuous among the lot-arrows.
It is the middle of the flints that are well known.
وَحَصىand the pebbles of الكَثيبِthe sand-dune بِصَفحَتَيهِby his two flanks كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وَحَصى الكَثيبِ بِصَفحَتَيهِ كَأَنَّهُ
خَبَثُslag of الحَديدِiron أَطارَهُنَّsent them flying الكيرُthe bellows
خَبَثُ الحَديدِ أَطارَهُنَّ الكيرُ
And the dune's pebbles by his flanks seemed
And the pebbles of the dune on its surface are like
Iron slag sent flying by the bellows.
The slag of iron that the bellows blew.
Sol 6.1