لَعَمرُكَBy your life إِنَّindeed الذِئبَthe wolf يَومَthe day when سَماapproached لَناtoward us
لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ الذِئبَ يَومَ سَما لَنا
عَلىin pursuit of حاجَةٍa need مِنfrom جَوَّةٍJawwah لَصَديقُindeed a friend
عَلى حاجَةٍ مِن جَوَّةٍ لَصَديقُ
By your life, the wolf, the day he came toward us,
By your life, the wolf one day was our guide
from Jawwah, seeking what he needed, was a friend indeed.
To fulfill a need, to a dear friend,
بِأَسفَلِat the lower end of شِعبٍa ravine مِنin عُرَيقَةَʿUrayqah قابِلٍfacing
بِأَسفَلِ شِعبٍ مِن عُرَيقَةَ قابِلٍ
يَكادُit nearly بِأَيديwith the forefeet of الناعِجاتِthe swift she-camels يَضيقُbecomes too narrow
يَكادُ بِأَيدي الناعِجاتِ يَضيقُ
At the lower end of a ravine facing us in ʿUrayqah,
At the foot of a cliff, a meeting place,
scarcely wide enough for the swift she-camels’ forefeet,
Nearly caught by the shepherdesses’ hands.
عَشِيَّةَthe evening when كَرَّcharged back الباهِلِيّانِthe two men of Bāhila وِاِرتَمَتand she bounded away
عَشِيَّةَ كَرَّ الباهِلِيّانِ وِاِرتَمَت
بِرَحلىَwith my saddle مِقدامُboldly advancing العَشِيِّat dusk زَهوقُracing ahead
بِرَحلىَ مِقدامُ العَشِيِّ زَهوقُ
the evening the two men of Bāhila charged back, and she bounded away
At dusk the camels knelt down to rest,
with my saddle—bold at dusk, racing ahead.
The evening caravan leader’s mount was skittish.
وَماand not كانَwas ذِئبٌa wolf سانِحٌcrossing from left to right لِيَرُدَّنيto turn me back
وَما كانَ ذِئبٌ سانِحٌ لِيَرُدَّني
وَلاnor الطَيرُthe birds فيin كَهفٍa cave لَهُنَّthey have نَعيقُharsh cries
وَلا الطَيرُ في كَهفٍ لَهُنَّ نَعيقُ
And no wolf crossing from left to right could have turned me back,
No howling wolf could turn me back,
nor the birds in a cave with their harsh cries.
Nor birds nesting whose cries were feverish.
وَآخِرُand the last عَهديof my encounters مِنwith حُمَيدَةَḤumaydah نَظرَةٌa glance
وَآخِرُ عَهدي مِن حُمَيدَةَ نَظرَةٌ
وَقَدwhile already حانَthe time had come مِنof شَمسِthe sun of النَهارِthe day خُفوقُsetting
وَقَد حانَ مِن شَمسِ النَهارِ خُفوقُ
And my last sight of Ḥumaydah was a glance,
My last view of Humaydah was a glance,
when the time had come for the day’s sun to sink.
As the sun was setting, its glow vanished.
بِبَرِّيَّةٍin a wilderness لاnot يَشتَكيcomplain of السَيرَtravel أَهلُهاits people
بِبَرِّيَّةٍ لا يَشتَكي السَيرَ أَهلُها
بِهاin it العيشُlife مِثلُlike السابِرِيِّfine Sābirī cloth رَفيقُsoft
بِها العيشُ مِثلُ السابِرِيِّ رَفيقُ
In a wilderness whose people do not complain of travel,
In an open land where people don’t complain of travel,
there life is soft as fine Sābirī cloth.
Living there is like having an easygoing companion.
Sol 6.1