إِنَّindeed الخَليطَthe companions أَجَدّواresolved upon البَينَdeparture فَاِنفَرَقواand so they parted
إِنَّ الخَليطَ أَجَدّوا البَينَ فَاِنفَرَقوا
وَذاكَand that مِنهُمfrom them عَلىtoward ذيone with حاجَةٍa need خُرُقُharshness
وَذاكَ مِنهُم عَلى ذي حاجَةٍ خُرُقُ
Indeed, the companions resolved to depart and went their separate ways.
And that was harsh treatment from them toward one in need.
لَمnot يُطلِعوكَthey informed you عَلىabout ماwhat فيin نُفوسِهِمُtheir souls
لَم يُطلِعوكَ عَلى ما في نُفوسِهِمُ
وَلَمand not يَكُنthere was لَكَfor you فيin أَيمانِهِمtheir oaths عَلَقُa hold
وَلَم يَكُن لَكَ في أَيمانِهِم عَلَقُ
They did not reveal to you what was in their hearts,
Nor did their oaths give you anything to hold on to.
شَكّواthey hesitated قَليلاًbriefly بِأَمرٍover a matter ثُمَّthen سَرَّحَهُمsent them forth
شَكّوا قَليلاً بِأَمرٍ ثُمَّ سَرَّحَهُم
جَذبُthe pull القَرينَةِof inner disposition وَالأَهواءُand desires فَاِنصَفَقواand so they scattered
جَذبُ القَرينَةِ وَالأَهواءُ فَاِنصَفَقوا
They hesitated briefly over a matter, then were driven off
By the pull of their inner nature and desires, and so they scattered.
كانواthey were بِلَيلٍby night عَصاهُمtheir staff وَهيَand it واحِدَةٌone
كانوا بِلَيلٍ عَصاهُم وَهيَ واحِدَةٌ
فَأَصبَحواand they reached morning وَعَصاهُمand their staff غُدوَةًat daybreak شِقَقُsplinters
فَأَصبَحوا وَعَصاهُم غُدوَةً شِقَقُ
At night they had been together, their staff still one;
But morning found them with their staff in splinters.
بَعدَafter المُدَمَّنِthe long encampment مِنهُمof theirs وَالحُلولَand settling لَهُمfor them
بَعدَ المُدَمَّنِ مِنهُم وَالحُلولَ لَهُم
وَسامِرُand the evening company الحَيِّof the tribe يُدعىwas summoned وَسطَهُمin their midst خِرَقُbands of people
وَسامِرُ الحَيِّ يُدعى وَسطَهُم خِرَقُ
After their long encampment and their settling there,
And the tribe's evening company being summoned among them, band by band.
وَالدَهرُand time لَيسَis not بِمَأمونٍtrustworthy تَخالُجُهُits wrenching changes
وَالدَهرُ لَيسَ بِمَأمونٍ تَخالُجُهُ
عَلىtoward الأَحِبَّةِloved ones وَالأَهواءُand desires تَنصَفِقُveer apart
عَلى الأَحِبَّةِ وَالأَهواءُ تَنصَفِقُ
And time's wrenching changes cannot be trusted
Where loved ones are concerned, while desires veer apart.
خافواthey feared الجِنانَthe jinn وَفَرّواand they fled مِنfrom مُسَوَّمةٍmarked horses
خافوا الجِنانَ وَفَرّوا مِن مُسَوَّمةٍ
يُلوىis wound بِأَعناقِهاaround their necks الكَتّانُflax وَالأَبَقُand hemp
يُلوى بِأَعناقِها الكَتّانُ وَالأَبَقُ
They feared the jinn and fled from marked horses,
Around whose necks flax and hemp were twisted.
فَأَصبَحَand by morning الحَيُّthe tribe يُحدىwas urged on by camel-song بَينَbetween ذيDhu أُرُلٍUrul
فَأَصبَحَ الحَيُّ يُحدى بَينَ ذي أُرُلٍ
وَبَينَand between أَسفَلَthe lower part of واديthe valley of دَومَةِDumah الحِزِقُthe bands
وَبَينَ أَسفَلَ وادي دَومَةِ الحِزِقُ
By morning the tribe was urged onward by camel-song between Dhu Urul
And the lower valley of Dumah, in bands.
مُنَكِّبينَleaving aside أُفاقاًUfaq عَنto أَيامِنِهِمtheir right
مُنَكِّبينَ أُفاقاً عَن أَيامِنِهِم
وَعَنand to شَمائِلِهِمtheir left ذوDhu الغِينَةِal-Ghinah القَرِقُthe level tract
وَعَن شَمائِلِهِم ذو الغِينَةِ القَرِقُ
Leaving Ufaq off to their right,
And, to their left, the level tract of Dhu al-Ghinah.
تَبَّعتُهُمI followed them بَصَريmy gaze حَتّىuntil تَدَمَّنَهُمhid them
تَبَّعتُهُم بَصَري حَتّى تَدَمَّنَهُم
مِنَof الجَمادِal-Jamad وَواديand the valley of الغابَةِal-Ghabah البُرَقُthe mottled hillocks
مِنَ الجَمادِ وَوادي الغابَةِ البُرَقُ
I followed them with my gaze until they were hidden
By the mottled hillocks of al-Jamad and Wadi al-Ghabah.
وَفيand among الظَعائِنِthe women in howdahs لَوif أَلمَمتَyou drew near بَهكَنَةٌa soft, full-figured woman
وَفي الظَعائِنِ لَو أَلمَمتَ بَهكَنَةٌ
بِالزَعفَرانِwith saffron لَعوبٌplayful جَيبُهاher gown's opening شَرِقُsaturated
بِالزَعفَرانِ لَعوبٌ جَيبُها شَرِقُ
And among the women in howdahs, had you drawn near, was a soft, full-figured woman,
Playful, her gown's opening saturated with saffron.
لاnot تَطعَمُshe eats الزادَthe food إِلّاexcept أَنthat تُهَبَّshe is roused لَهُto it
لا تَطعَمُ الزادَ إِلّا أَن تُهَبَّ لَهُ
كَماjust as يُصادىis coaxed عَلَيهِto it الطاعِمُthe eater السَنِقُthe glutted one
كَما يُصادى عَلَيهِ الطاعِمُ السَنِقُ
She eats no food unless she is roused to it,
As a glutted eater is coaxed to eat.
وَلاnor تَأَرّىshe lingers لِماover what فيin القِدرِthe cooking pot تَرصُدُهُwatching it
وَلا تَأَرّى لِما في القِدرِ تَرصُدُهُ
وَلاnor تَقومُshe rises بِأَعلىat the beginning of الفَجرِdawn تَنتَطِقُshe girds herself
وَلا تَقومُ بِأَعلى الفَجرِ تَنتَطِقُ
Nor does she linger over what is in the pot, watching it,
Nor rise at the first light of dawn to gird herself.
ثُمَّthen اِنصَرَفتُI turned away بِمِجذامٍon a swift camel عُذافِرَةٍpowerfully built
ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتُ بِمِجذامٍ عُذافِرَةٍ
سَنَّtended الرَبيعَthrough spring بِهاwith her تِرعيَّةٌa skilled herdsman أَنِقُfond of fine pasture
سَنَّ الرَبيعَ بِها تِرعيَّةٌ أَنِقُ
Then I turned away on a swift, powerfully built she-camel,
Tended through spring by a skilled herdsman fond of fine pasture,
فيin عازِبٍa remote pasture نامَslept لَيلُthe night السارِياتِof the night-roaming clouds بِهِin it
في عازِبٍ نامَ لَيلُ السارِياتِ بِهِ
مِنَof الأَوائِلِthe earliest clouds وَاِنحَلَّتand came undone بِهِin it النُطُقُthe girdles
مِنَ الأَوائِلِ وَاِنحَلَّت بِهِ النُطُقُ
In a remote pasture where night-roaming clouds slept through the night,
The earliest clouds, whose girdles came undone there.
لَمnot يُؤذِهاtroubled her الصَيفَduring summer طَوفُthe circling الحالِبِينَof the milkers بِهاaround her
لَم يُؤذِها الصَيفَ طَوفُ الحالِبِينَ بِها
وَلَمand not تَغِطَّbellowed عَلَيهاover her الجِلَّةُthe mature camel-stallions الفُنُقُthe pampered ones
وَلَم تَغِطَّ عَلَيها الجِلَّةُ الفُنُقُ
In summer, milkers circling her had not troubled her,
Nor had mature, pampered camel-stallions bellowed over her.
يَسريcrawls القُرادُthe tick عَلَيهاover her ثُمَthen تُزلِقُهُmake it slip off
يَسري القُرادُ عَلَيها ثُمَ تُزلِقُهُ
مِنهاof her مَغابِنُskin-folds مُسوَدٌblackened بِهاin them العَرَقُthe sweat
مِنها مَغابِنُ مُسوَدٌ بِها العَرَقُ
A tick crawls over her, then is sent sliding off
By her skin-folds, where the sweat is dark.
تَخديshe strides swiftly عَلىon يَسَراتٍstrong legs فيin فَقارَتِهاher backbone
تَخدي عَلى يَسَراتٍ في فَقارَتِها
كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were صُقوبُtrunks العَرعَرِof juniper السُحُقُtowering
كَأَنَّهُنَّ صُقوبُ العَرعَرِ السُحُقُ
She strides swiftly on legs set in her backbone,
As though they were trunks of towering junipers.
قَريَتُهاher back لَوif يَنيslackens جَذبيmy pulling خَزامَتَهاher nose-ring
قَريَتُها لَو يَني جَذبي خَزامَتَها
كادَتshe would almost مِنَfrom الرَحلِthe saddle وَالأَنساعِand the girth-straps تَنزَلِقُslip free
كادَت مِنَ الرَحلِ وَالأَنساعِ تَنزَلِقُ
Her back, had my pull upon her nose-ring slackened,
Would almost have slipped free of the saddle and girths.
لَولاwere it not for الجَديلُthe braided rein وَأَنساعٌand girth-straps مُظاهَرَةٌdoubled
لَولا الجَديلُ وَأَنساعٌ مُظاهَرَةٌ
وَالضَربُand beating بِالسَوطِwith the whip حَتّىuntil بَلَّهاsoaked her العَلَقُsticky blood
وَالضَربُ بِالسَوطِ حَتّى بَلَّها العَلَقُ
Had it not been for the braided rein and doubled girth-straps,
And the whip's blows, until sticky blood drenched her,
أَلقَتshe would cast off قُتُودِيَmy saddle-frames بِالمَوماةِin the desert وَاِنزَهَقَتand sped away
أَلقَت قُتُودِيَ بِالمَوماةِ وَاِنزَهَقَت
كَأَنَّهاas though she were قارِبٌa water-seeking wild ass أَقرابَهُits flanks لَهِقُwhite
كَأَنَّها قارِبٌ أَقرابَهُ لَهِقُ
She would have flung my saddle-frames into the desert and raced away,
Like a wild ass seeking water, white along its flanks.
يَطيرُflies مَروُflint لَيانٍLayan عَنaway from مَناسِمِهاher footpads
يَطيرُ مَروُ لَيانٍ عَن مَناسِمِها
كَماjust as تَطايَرَscattered عِندَbefore الجَهبَذِthe money-assayer الوَرَقُsilver coins
كَما تَطايَرَ عِندَ الجَهبَذِ الوَرَقُ
The flints of Layan fly away from her footpads,
As silver coins scatter before the money-assayer.
Sol 6.1