بَكَرَتshe came early عَلَيَّupon me بِسُحرَةٍbefore dawn تَلحانيreproaching me
بَكَرَت عَلَيَّ بِسُحرَةٍ تَلحاني
وَكَفىand sufficient was بِهاin her جَهلاًignorance وَطَيشِand rashness لِسانِof tongue
وَكَفى بِها جَهلاً وَطَيشِ لِسانِ
She came upon me before dawn, reproaching me,
She took me unawares with her sorcery beguiling me
And enough was her ignorance and rashness of tongue.
While ignorance and frivolity were enough for her
وَلَقَدand indeed حَفِظتُI retained وَصاةَthe counsel of مَنone who هُوَhe ناصِحٌa sincere adviser
وَلَقَد حَفِظتُ وَصاةَ مَن هُوَ ناصِحٌ
ليto me عالِمٌwell versed بِمَآقِطِin the trials of الخُلّانِclose friends
لي عالِمٌ بِمَآقِطِ الخُلّانِ
I have indeed heeded the counsel of a sincere adviser
And I had kept the behest of him who was my sincere adviser
To me, well versed in the trials of close friends.
A scholar knowing the ways of the crafty and cunning
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen بَرَتِshe wore away العِظامَthe bones زَجَرتُهاI rebuked her
حَتّى إِذا بَرَتِ العِظامَ زَجَرتُها
زَجرَthe rebuke of الضَنينِthe protective man بِعِرضِهِof his honor الغَضبانِthe angry one
زَجرَ الضَنينِ بِعِرضِهِ الغَضبانِ
Until, when she wore away my bones, I rebuked her
Until when my bones were wasted, I chided her
With the angry rebuke of a man jealous of his honor.
Like one chiding a yearling camel, bursting with rage
فَرَأَيتُهاthen I saw her طَلَحَتshe grew exhausted مَخافَةَfor fear of نَهكَةٍharsh treatment
فَرَأَيتُها طَلَحَت مَخافَةَ نَهكَةٍ
مِنّيfrom me وَبادِرَةٍand an impulsive outburst وَأَيَّand what أَوانِa moment
مِنّي وَبادِرَةٍ وَأَيَّ أَوانِ
Then I saw her exhausted with fear of harsh treatment
So I saw her withdraw, fearing a splitting blow from me
From me, and a sudden outburst—and what a moment!
In horrified haste - what a moment that was!
وَلَقَدand indeed عَلِمتِyou knew وَأَنتِwhile you غَيرُnot حَليمَةٍforbearing
وَلَقَد عَلِمتِ وَأَنتِ غَيرُ حَليمَةٍ
أَلّاthat not يُقَرِّبَنيwould draw me هَوىًpassion لِهوانِto humiliation
أَلّا يُقَرِّبَني هَوىً لِهوانِ
You surely knew, though you lack forbearance,
And you knew, un-Halimah-like,
That no passion would bring me to humiliation.
That no passion should bring me down to ignominy
هَبِلَتكِmay she be bereaved of you أُمُّكِyour mother هَلis there لَدَيكِwith you فَتُرشِديso you may guide
هَبِلَتكِ أُمُّكِ هَل لَدَيكِ فَتُرشِدي
فيin آخِرِthe latter part of الأَيّامِthe days مِنany تِبيانِclarification
في آخِرِ الأَيّامِ مِن تِبيانِ
May your mother lose you! Have you anything to guide me
Foolish woman! Does it not behove you now to guide
In these latter days—any clear explanation?
Me, in my dotage, with good advice?
أَرعىI safeguard الأَمانَةَthe trust لاnot أَخونُI betray وَلاand not أُرىI am seen
أَرعى الأَمانَةَ لا أَخونُ وَلا أُرى
أَبَداًever أَدَمِّنُI frequent continually عَرصَةَthe courtyard of الخَوّانِthe treacherous man
أَبَداً أَدَمِّنُ عَرصَةَ الخَوّانِ
I safeguard a trust; I do not betray, nor am I seen
I keep faith, I am no traitor, I will never be
Ever frequenting a treacherous man's courtyard.
A lodger forever in the abode of treachery
وََتَنكَّرَتand she grew estranged ليfrom me بَعدَafter وُدٍّaffection ثابِتٍsteadfast
وََتَنكَّرَت لي بَعدَ وُدٍّ ثابِتٍ
أَنّىhow تَجامُعُyou share وَصَلِa bond with ذيone possessing الأَلوانِchanging colors
أَنّى تَجامُعُ وَصَلِ ذي الأَلوانِ
And she grew estranged from me after steadfast affection.
And yet you turned from me, after love steadfast
How can you share a bond with one of changing colors?
How do you reconcile this perfidy, changeling?
يَوماًone day طِواعُكَobedient to you فيunder القِيادِthe reins وَتارَةًand another time
يَوماً طِواعُكَ في القِيادِ وَتارَةً
تَلقاكَshe meets you تُنكِرُهاyou fail to recognize her مِنfrom الشَنَآنِhatred
تَلقاكَ تُنكِرُها مِن الشَنَآنِ
One day she follows your reins willingly; at another time,
One day complaisant to be led, another day
She meets you, unrecognizable to you through hatred.
Aloof, disdaining me out of spite
طَوراًat times تُلاقيهِyou meet him أَخاكَas your brother وَتارَةًand another time
طَوراً تُلاقيهِ أَخاكَ وَتارَةً
تَلقاهُyou meet him تَحسَبُهُyou suppose him مِنamong السودانِthe Black men
تَلقاهُ تَحسَبُهُ مِن السودانِ
At times you meet him as your brother; at another time,
At times meeting your brother amiably, at others
You meet him and think him one of the Black men.
Deeming him a blackamoor to be shunned
وَمَريضَةٍand sickly قَفرٍbarren يُحاذَرُis dreaded شَرُّهاits harm
وَمَريضَةٍ قَفرٍ يُحاذَرُ شَرُّها
مِنbecause of هَولِهاits terror قَمِنٍlikely مِنَfrom الحَدَثانِfate's calamities
مِن هَولِها قَمِنٍ مِنَ الحَدَثانِ
And many a sickly, barren waste whose harm is dreaded
A scabby, mangy hag whose evil is to be feared
For its terror, so likely to bring calamities of fate,
So hideous, so obscene, so coarse of face
غَبراءَdust-gray خاضِعَةِlow-lying الصُوىthe waymarks جاوَزتُهاI crossed it
غَبراءَ خاضِعَةِ الصُوى جاوَزتُها
لَيلاًby night بِكاتِمةِon one concealing السُرىnight travel مِذعانِobedient
لَيلاً بِكاتِمةِ السُرى مِذعانِ
Dust-gray, its waymarks low—I crossed it
A dusty crone, abasing herself in the gloaming
By night, on a she-camel silent in night travel and obedient.
As I stole away silently under cover of night
حَرفٍa lean, hardy she-camel تَمُدُّshe stretches زِمامَهاher rein بِعُذافِرٍwith a massive neck
حَرفٍ تَمُدُّ زِمامَها بِعُذافِرٍ
كَالجِذعِlike a palm trunk شُذِّبَwas stripped ليفُهُits fiber الرَيّانِwell-watered
كَالجِذعِ شُذِّبَ ليفُهُ الرَيّانِ
Lean and hardy, she stretches her rein with a massive neck
A shrew who extends her rein with claws
Like a well-watered palm trunk stripped of its fiber.
Like a lopped palm-trunk stripped of its leaves
غَضبىangry لِمَنسِمِهاher footpad has صَياحٌa cry بِالحَصىagainst the pebbles
غَضبى لِمَنسِمِها صَياحٌ بِالحَصى
وَقعَthe striking of القَدومِthe adze بِغَضرَةِupon the green freshness of الأَفنانِthe boughs
وَقعَ القَدومِ بِغَضرَةِ الأَفنانِ
Fierce, her footpad cries out against the pebbles
My rage at her yell was a shower of pebbles
With the sound of an adze striking fresh green boughs.
And the thud of feet in the meadows green
تَستَشرِفُshe peers at الأَشباحَthe shapes وَهيَwhile she مُشيحَةٌintent and wary
تَستَشرِفُ الأَشباحَ وَهيَ مُشيحَةٌ
بِبَصيرَةٍwith a keen eye وَحشِيَّةِwild of الإِنسانِpupil
بِبَصيرَةٍ وَحشِيَّةِ الإِنسانِ
She scans the shapes, intent and wary,
She made out phantoms though blear-eyed she was
With a keen eye, wild in its pupil,
With the wild instincts, not eyes, of a human
خَوصاءَnarrow صافِيَةٍclear تَجودُit gives freely بِمائِهاof its moisture
خَوصاءَ صافِيَةٍ تَجودُ بِمائِها
وَسطَat the middle of النهارِthe day كَنُطفَةِlike a drop of water الحَرّانِthe parched man
وَسطَ النهارِ كَنُطفَةِ الحَرّانِ
Narrow and clear, freely shedding its moisture
A brazen, shameless hussy, who vaunted her wares
At midday, like a parched man's drop of water.
Under the noonday sun like a zealous pedlar
تَنفيit repels الظَهيرَةَthe midday heat وَالغُبارَand the dust بِحاجِبٍwith a brow
تَنفي الظَهيرَةَ وَالغُبارَ بِحاجِبٍ
كَالكَهفِlike a cave صينَتit was protected دونَهُbeneath it بِصِيانِwith protection
كَالكَهفِ صينَت دونَهُ بِصِيانِ
It wards off midday heat and dust with a brow
Repelling the noonday heat and dust with a brow
Like a cave, the eye safely sheltered beneath it.
Like a cave - with a veil she had screened its portal
زَهراءُradiant مُقلَتُهاher eyeball تَردّدَّwandered to and fro فَوقَهاabove it
زَهراءُ مُقلَتُها تَردّدَّ فَوقَها
عِندَat المُعَرَّسِthe night halt مُدلِجُthe night-roamer among القِردانِthe ticks
عِندَ المُعَرَّسِ مُدلِجُ القِردانِ
Bright is her eye; above it wandered
Rosy-cheeked, batting her eyelids above
At the night halt, the night-roaming tick.
As the pimp hovered around the bridegroom at the wedding
أَعيَتproved difficult مَذارِعُهاher limbs عَلَيهِfor it كَأَنَّماas though
أَعيَت مَذارِعُها عَلَيهِ كَأَنَّما
تَنميclimb أَكارِعُهُits little legs عَلىover صَفوانِsmooth stone
تَنمي أَكارِعُهُ عَلى صَفوانِ
Her limbs proved too much for it, as though
Her tricks to seduce him were endless, as though
Its little legs were climbing smooth stone.
She sought to wean him from Safoan's side
فَتَعَجرَفَتthen she grew headstrong وَتَعَرَّضَتand presented herself لِقَلائِصٍto young she-camels
فَتَعَجرَفَت وَتَعَرَّضَت لِقَلائِصٍ
خوصِnarrow العُيونِthe eyes خَواضِعِlowered الأَذقانِthe chins
خوصِ العُيونِ خَواضِعِ الأَذقانِ
Then she grew headstrong and confronted young she-camels
So she flaunted herself and exposed her blemishes -
With narrow eyes and lowered chins.
Timid, soft-eyed, submissive - how false!
شَبَّهتُهاI likened her لَهِقَwhite in السَراةِthe back مُلَمَّعاًdappled
شَبَّهتُها لَهِقَ السَراةِ مُلَمَّعاً
مِنهُof it القَوائِمُthe legs طاوِيَhollow in المُصرانِthe entrails
مِنهُ القَوائِمُ طاوِيَ المُصرانِ
I likened her to a white-backed beast, dappled
I compared her to an arrogant, prancing stud
Upon its legs, and hollow-gutted.
Knock-kneed, bow-legged, splay-hoofed and bandy
فَغَداthen he went forth بِمُعتَدِلَينِwith two straight horns لَمnot يُسلَبُهُماhe was deprived of them
فَغَدا بِمُعتَدِلَينِ لَم يُسلَبُهُما
لاno فيهِماin either of them عِوَجٌcrookedness وَلاand no نَقِدانِdecay
لا فيهِما عِوَجٌ وَلا نَقِدانِ
Then he went forth with two straight horns, neither lost,
Then he came, straight and upright, undamaged
With no bend or decay in either.
No flaws in either, no defects
وَكِلاهُماand both of them تَحتَbeneath الضَبابِthe mist كَأَنَّماas though
وَكِلاهُما تَحتَ الضَبابِ كَأَنَّما
دَهَنَcoated المُثَقِّفُthe spear-straightener ليطَهُits outer surface بِدِهانِwith oil
دَهَنَ المُثَقِّفُ ليطَهُ بِدِهانِ
Both beneath the mist, as though
And both were veiled in mist as though
A spear-straightener had coated each outer surface with oil.
The tanner had anointed them in his pit
وَغَداand he went forth بِسامِعَتيwith the two ears of وَأىًa sturdy wild beast أَعطاهُماhe gave them both
وَغَدا بِسامِعَتي وَأىً أَعطاهُما
حَذَراًwariness وَسَمعاًand hearing خَالِقُthe Creator of الآذانِears
حَذَراً وَسَمعاً خَالِقُ الآذانِ
And he went forth with a sturdy beast's two ears, endowed
And he had given me hearing and - wonder above wonders -
With wariness and hearing by the Creator of ears.
Sight, by the grace of the Creator of ears and eyes
Sol 6.1