طَرَقَتvisited by night أُسَيماءُUsayma الرِحالَthe saddles وَدونَناand between us
طَرَقَت أُسَيماءُ الرِحالَ وَدونَنا
مِنfrom فَيدِFayd غَيقَةَGhayqah ساعِدٌSaʿid فَكَثيبُthen Kathib
مِن فَيدِ غَيقَةَ ساعِدٌ فَكَثيبُ
Usayma came by night to the saddles, though between us stood
The travelers have embarked on their journey, and below us
Saʿid and then Kathib, in Fayd of Ghayqah;
Lies a plain stretching from Jufaydah’s valley to Kuthayb.
فَالطَودُthen al-Tawd فَالمَلَكاتُthen al-Malakat أَصبَحَcame to lie دونَهاbetween us and her
فَالطَودُ فَالمَلَكاتُ أَصبَحَ دونَها
فَفِراعُthen the heights of قُدسَQuds فَعُمقُهاthen its depths فَحُسوبُthen Husub
فَفِراعُ قُدسَ فَعُمقُها فَحُسوبُ
Then al-Tawd and al-Malakat stood between us and her,
Beyond lie the hills, the angels, obscured before our eyes-
Then the heights of Quds, its depths, and Husub.
The sacred heights of Jerusalem and its depths.
فَلَئِنso if indeed صَرمتِyou severed الحَبلَthe cord ياO اِبنَةَdaughter of مالِكٍMalik
فَلَئِن صَرمتِ الحَبلَ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ
وَالرَأيُand judgment فيهِconcerning it مُخطِىءٌerring وَمُصيبُand correct
وَالرَأيُ فيهِ مُخطِىءٌ وَمُصيبُ
So if indeed you have cut the cord, O daughter of Malik,
If you have decided, daughter of Malik, to cast off restraint
And judgment in this may err or strike true,
Though counsel about that course may be right or wrong,
فَتَعَلَّميthen know أَنّيthat I اِمرِأٌa man ذوpossessing مِرَّةٍfirm resolve
فَتَعَلَّمي أَنّي اِمرِأٌ ذو مِرَّةٍ
فيماin whatever اَلَمَّbefalls مِنَof الخُطوبِthe calamities صَليبُunyielding
فيما اَلَمَّ مِنَ الخُطوبِ صَليبُ
Then know that I am a man of firm resolve,
Know that I am a man who has endured tribulation
Unyielding before whatever calamities befall.
And suffered many sorrows throughout my life.
أَدعُI abandon الدَناءَةَbaseness لاnot أُلابِسُI associate with أَهلَهاits people
أَدعُ الدَناءَةَ لا أُلابِسُ أَهلَها
وَلَدَيَّand I possess مِنof كَيسِthe shrewdness of الزَمانِtime نَصيبُa share
وَلَدَيَّ مِن كَيسِ الزَمانِ نَصيبُ
I abandon baseness and do not associate with its people,
I spurn baseness; I do not clothe myself with it.
And I have my share of time’s shrewdness.
My share of good and ill in this world is sufficient.
وَمُعَبَّدٍand a beaten tract بَيضُeggs of القَطاsandgrouse بِجُنوبِهِalong its sides
وَمُعَبَّدٍ بَيضُ القَطا بِجُنوبِهِ
وِمِنَand of النَواعِجِwhite camels رِمَّةٌcrumbling bones وَصَليبُand a bare skeleton
وِمِنَ النَواعِجِ رِمَّةٌ وَصَليبُ
And on a beaten tract, with sandgrouse eggs along its sides,
White partridges shelter on its southern slopes,
And crumbling bones and bare skeletons of white camels,
And a few mountain cows and some crosses.
نَفَّرتُI frightened away آمِنَthe undisturbed طَيرِهِits birds وَسِباعِهِand its beasts of prey
نَفَّرتُ آمِنَ طَيرِهِ وَسِباعِهِ
بِبُغامِwith the lowing of مِجذامِone swift in الرَواحِthe evening march خَبوبُa brisk trotter
بِبُغامِ مِجذامِ الرَواحِ خَبوبُ
I startled its undisturbed birds and beasts of prey
I scared off the secure birds and beasts of prey
With the lowing of a swift evening traveler, a brisk trotter—
With the howling of my hungry, threadbare camel.
أَجُدٍa sturdy she-camel كَأَنَّas though الرَحلَthe saddle فوقَupon مُقَلَّصٍa lean wild ass
أَجُدٍ كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ فوقَ مُقَلَّصٍ
عاريbare of flesh at النَواهِقِthe cheekbones لاحَهُwore it lean التَقريبُcantering
عاري النَواهِقِ لاحَهُ التَقريبُ
A sturdy she-camel, as though the saddle sat upon a lean wild ass,
I feel as though my camel is stumbling over uneven ground
Bare at the cheekbones, worn lean by cantering.
Baring his gums, his loose teeth displayed.
عَدَلَturned aside النُهاقُbraying لِسانَهُits tongue فَكَأَنَّهُso it is like
عَدَلَ النُهاقُ لِسانَهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ
إِمّاwhenever تَخَمَّطَit swells in rage لِلشُحاجِto bray harshly نَقيبُa chieftain
إِمّا تَخَمَّطَ لِلشُحاجِ نَقيبُ
Braying has turned its tongue aside, so it is like
He sticks out his tongue as if
A chieftain whenever it swells in rage to bray.
Scratching for locusts with his front teeth.
وَلَقَدand indeed هَبَطتI descended to الغَيثَrain-fed pasture يَدفَعُthrusts forward مَنكَبيmy shoulder
وَلَقَد هَبَطت الغَيثَ يَدفَعُ مَنكَبي
طِرفٌa noble steed كَسافِلَةِlike the lower shaft of القَناةِa spear ذَنوبُlong-tailed
طِرفٌ كَسافِلَةِ القَناةِ ذَنوبُ
And I have descended to rain-fed pasture, my shoulder thrust forward
And rain came pelting down, battering my shoulders,
By a noble, long-tailed steed, like the lower shaft of a spear.
Its edge like the lower end of an upturned bucket.
نَمِلٌrestless إِذاwhen ضُفِرَis drawn tight اللِجامَthe bridle كَأَنَّهُas though it were
نَمِلٌ إِذا ضُفِرَ اللِجامَ كَأَنَّهُ
رَجُلٌa man يُنَوِّهُsignals aloft بِاليَدَينِwith both hands سَليبُrobbed
رَجُلٌ يُنَوِّهُ بِاليَدَينِ سَليبُ
Restless when the bridle is drawn tight, it is like
When the bit is attached, the ants seem
A robbed man signaling with both hands.
Like a man waving both hands in welcome.
حامٍhotly pursuing عَلىon دُبُرِthe heels of الشِياهِthe wild ewes كَأَنَّهُas though it were
حامٍ عَلى دُبُرِ الشِياهِ كَأَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen جَدَّit exerts itself سَجلٌa full bucket نَزُّهُits moisture مَصبوبُpoured out
إِذا جَدَّ سَجلٌ نَزُّهُ مَصبوبُ
Hot on the heels of the wild ewes, it is like,
The ram moves backwards before the ewes as if
When it runs in earnest, a full bucket with its water pouring out.
He were an ardent lover serenading his beloved.
بَرِدٌhail تُقَحِّمُهُdrives it headlong الدَبورُthe west wind مَراتِباًtiered heights
بَرِدٌ تُقَحِّمُهُ الدَبورُ مَراتِباً
مُلقىcast down ضَواحيopen slopes بَينِهِنَّbetween them لُهوبُravines
مُلقى ضَواحي بَينِهِنَّ لُهوبُ
Hail driven headlong by the west wind over tiered heights,
Hailstones were driven on me rapidly
Scattered across open slopes, with ravines between them.
Scattered between them tongues of flame.
مُتَطَلِّعٌstraining upward بِالكَفِّagainst the hand يَنهَضُit rises مُقدِماًadvancing
مُتَطَلِّعٌ بِالكَفِّ يَنهَضُ مُقدِماً
مُتَتابِعٌunbroken فيin جَريِهِits running يَعبوبُa swift, powerful steed
مُتَتابِعٌ في جَريِهِ يَعبوبُ
Straining against the hand, it rises and presses forward,
Peering ahead with my hand, I rose and went on,
Unflagging in its running, a swift, powerful steed.
Following steadily in my course.
رَبِذُnimble الخِلافِin alternating strides إِذاwhen اِتلَأَبَّit stretches out وَرِجلُهُand its hind leg
رَبِذُ الخِلافِ إِذا اِتلَأَبَّ وَرِجلُهُ
فيin وَقعِهاits footfall وَلَحاقِهاand its catching up تَحنيبُa bowing of the leg
في وَقعِها وَلَحاقِها تَحنيبُ
Nimble in alternating strides when it stretches out, its hind leg
The dissenter, when events confront him, though his leg
Shows a bowing as it lands and catches up.
In their impact and speed may stumble.
Sol 6.1