يَرَونَthey see المَوتَdeath دونيbefore me إِنif رَأَونيthey see me
يَرَونَ المَوتَ دوني إِن رَأَوني
وَصِلَّand a venomous serpent صَفاًa smooth rock لِنابَيهِfor its two fangs ذُبابُkeen tips
وَصِلَّ صَفاً لِنابَيهِ ذُبابُ
They see death before me if they see me,
They see death below me, if they see me,
And a rock-serpent whose two fangs have keen tips,
And a swarm of flies forms rows on his fangs.
مِنَamong المُتَحَرِّماتِthose taking sanctuary بِكَهفِin the cave of طَودٍa mountain
مِنَ المُتَحَرِّماتِ بِكَهفِ طَودٍ
حَرامٍinviolable ماnot يُرامُis sought لَهُfor it جَنابُa precinct
حَرامٍ ما يُرامُ لَهُ جَنابُ
One of those that take sanctuary in the cave of a mountain,
Among the forbidden ones in the cave of Tuwd
Inviolable, whose precinct none ventures to approach.
Is that which the unclean may not approach.
أَبىrefused الحاوونَthe snake charmers أَنthat يَطَئوthey tread حِماهُits sanctuary
أَبى الحاوونَ أَن يَطَئو حِماهُ
وَلاand not تَسريtravel by night بِعَقوَتِهِin its environs الذِئابُthe wolves
وَلا تَسري بِعَقوَتِهِ الذِئابُ
The snake charmers refused to tread its sanctuary,
The lynx refused to tread its sanctuary,
Nor do wolves travel by night in its environs.
Nor do the wolves range freely in it.
كَأَنَّas though دَماًblood أُميرَwas poured عَلىupon قَراهُits back
كَأَنَّ دَماً أُميرَ عَلى قَراهُ
وَقَطراناًand tar أُميرَwas poured بِهِover it كُبابُa copious quantity
وَقَطراناً أُميرَ بِهِ كُبابُ
As though blood had been poured upon its back,
As though the blood of a prince is on its villages,
And tar had been poured over it in abundance.
And its crevices are smeared with tar.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِستَجرَسَhears الأَصواتَthe sounds أَبدىreveals
إِذا ما اِستَجرَسَ الأَصواتَ أَبدى
لِساناًa tongue دونَهُbefore it المَوتُdeath العُبابُsurging
لِساناً دونَهُ المَوتُ العُبابُ
When it hears sounds, it reveals
Whenever it makes loud cries, it displays
A tongue with surging death before it.
A tongue, below which death has built.
يَظَلُّremains نَهارَهُthroughout its day نَوماًasleep سُباتاًin deep slumber
يَظَلُّ نَهارَهُ نَوماً سُباتاً
وَنَزوَتُهُand its spring طُمورٌa high leap وَاِنسِيابُand gliding
وَنَزوَتُهُ طُمورٌ وَاِنسِيابُ
It spends its day asleep, in deep slumber,
Its days it spends in sleep and slumber,
And its spring is a high leap and a glide.
And its outings are at dawn and dusk.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اللَيلُnight أَلبَسَهُclothes it دُجاهُits darkness
إِذا ما اللَيلُ أَلبَسَهُ دُجاهُ
سَرىtravels by night أَصمىkills outright تَصيحُcry out لَهُto it الشِعابُthe ravines
سَرى أَصمى تَصيحُ لَهُ الشِعابُ
When night clothes it in its darkness,
When the night clothes it in its darkness,
It prowls and kills outright; the ravines cry out to it.
It creeps blindly, the cliffs scream at it.
كَأَنَّas though جَرادَةًa locust تَشَرَتspread (reading uncertain) عَلَيهِover it
كَأَنَّ جَرادَةً تَشَرَت عَلَيهِ
جَناحاًa wing فَاِرتَدىso it clothed itself مِنهاfrom it الحُبابُthe serpent
جَناحاً فَاِرتَدى مِنها الحُبابُ
As though a locust had spread over it
As though a locust hovered over it,
A wing, which the serpent then wore as a cloak.
And the seeds scattered from it.
مَتىwhenever ماemphatic particle يَرمِshoots at عَنfrom عَينَيهِits two eyes شَخصاًa figure
مَتى ما يَرمِ عَن عَينَيهِ شَخصاً
فَلَيسَthen there is no إِلىto الحَياةِlife لَهُfor him إِيابُreturn
فَلَيسَ إِلى الحَياةِ لَهُ إِيابُ
Whenever it shoots at a figure from its eyes,
Whenever it glances at someone,
For him, then, there is no return to life.
For him there is no returning to life.
Sol 6.1