إذاif أصبحbecomes الجزّارُthe butcher للسِربِto the flock راعياًa shepherd
إذا أصبح الجزّارُ للسِربِ راعياً
ففيthen on كلِّevery يومٍday منهfrom it شِلْوٌa carcass ممزقُtorn apart
ففي كلِّ يومٍ منه شِلْوٌ ممزقُ
If the butcher becomes the flock's shepherd,
If a butcher becomes the shepherd of a flock
Then each day a mangled carcass comes from its midst.
Each day there is slaughtered lamb torn apart
لحاmay curse اللهُGod جزاراًa butcher يتلُّthrows down ضحيةًa victim
لحا اللهُ جزاراً يتلُّ ضحيةً
وَركبتُهand his knee عبءٌa weight عَلَىupon الصدرِthe chest مطبقُpressing down
وَركبتُه عبءٌ عَلَى الصدرِ مطبقُ
God curse a butcher who throws down a victim,
May God curse a butcher sharpening his knife
And his knee is a crushing weight upon her chest.
His knee a burden pressing down on the chest
ظلالُshadows الدمِthe blood المسفوحِspilled تبدوappear بعينهin his eye
ظلالُ الدمِ المسفوحِ تبدو بعينه
وَمنand from دونbeneath نابَيْهhis two fangs السنانُthe spear-point المذلَّقsharpened
وَمن دون نابَيْه السنانُ المذلَّق
Shadows of spilled blood appear in his eye,
The shadows of spilled blood appear in his eyes
And the sharpened spear-point falls short of his fangs.
And beneath his fangs, bared teeth grinning
وَحمرةُand the redness نعليهhis two sandals وَزنارهand his girdle وَماand what
وَحمرةُ نعليه وَزناره وَما
عَلىon صدرِهhis chest عنof خوْضِهhis wading through الدمَblood ينطِقspeaks
عَلى صدرِه عن خوْضِه الدمَ ينطِق
And the redness of his sandals and his girdle, and what
The redness of his shoes, belt, and what
Is on his chest, speak of his wading through blood.
Speaks on his chest of his wading in blood
حناhe bent فَوْقَهاover her كالذئبِlike a wolf فوقover فريسةٍprey
حنا فَوْقَها كالذئبِ فوق فريسةٍ
وَماand not كلُّevery حانٍone who bends لوif تدبرتَyou reflected مشفقcompassionate
وَما كلُّ حانٍ لو تدبرتَ مشفق
He bent over her like a wolf over its prey,
He hovers over it like a wolf over prey
But not everyone who bends is compassionate, if you reflect.
Not every slaughterer, if you ponder, is gentle
وَفيand in فمهhis mouth سكِّينةٌa knife وَكلاهماand both of them
وَفي فمه سكِّينةٌ وَكلاهما
إلىfor دمِهاher blood منfrom شهوةٍlust يتمطقsmacks lips
إلى دمِها من شهوةٍ يتمطق
And in his mouth is a knife, and both of them
In his mouth a knife, both of them
Smack their lips in lust for her blood.
To its blood from desire sucking
فشدَّso he gripped فماًa mouth منهاof hers بيسراهwith his left hand لاوياًtwisting
فشدَّ فماً منها بيسراه لاوياً
إلىtoward الأرضِthe ground خَدّاًa cheek فهوَso it is بالترْبِto the dust ملصقpressed
إلى الأرضِ خَدّاً فهوَ بالترْبِ ملصق
Then he gripped her mouth with his left hand, twisting
He forcefully grabs it with his left hand
Her cheek to the ground, pressing it into the dust.
Cheek to the ground, stuck in the dirt
تكادalmost وَلمand not yet تذبحbe slaughtered منfrom الضيقِconstriction نفسُهاher soul
تكاد وَلم تذبح من الضيقِ نفسُها
ومماand from what تعانيهshe endures it منof الكربanguish تزْهَقdeparts
ومما تعانيه من الكرب تزْهَق
Her soul, though she is not yet slaughtered, almost—from constriction
It almost dies of anxiety before slaughter
And from the anguish she endures—departs.
And what it suffers of anguish, it expires
وَدرَّتْand swelled عروقٌveins حينwhen شَدَّhe tightened خناقَهاher throat
وَدرَّتْ عروقٌ حين شَدَّ خناقَها
لهاfor her اللهُGod قبلbefore الذبحslaughter توشكis about to تخنقbe strangled
لها اللهُ قبل الذبح توشك تخنق
And her veins swelled as he tightened his grip on her throat.
Veins gushed when he tightened his strangle
God help her! Before slaughter, she is almost strangled.
God, before slaughter, it is about to suffocate
وَلمand not أرهاI saw her تزدادُgrow more إلاّexcept وَداعةًgentleness
وَلم أرها تزدادُ إلاّ وَداعةً
فماso what بالهis the matter with him يزدادgrows more عنفاًviolence وَيحنقand becomes enraged؟
فما باله يزداد عنفاً وَيحنق؟
And I saw her grow only gentler;
I did not see it become more than gentle
Why, then, does he grow more violent and enraged?
So why does he grow more violent and enraged?
جَرَتْran مديةُthe knife الجزّارthe butcher بَدأa first pass وَعوْدةًand a return
جَرَتْ مديةُ الجزّار بَدأ وَعوْدةً
عَلَىacross نحرِهاher throat تفريslits وَتبريand pares وَتَهْرَقُand spills
عَلَى نحرِها تفري وَتبري وَتَهْرَقُ
The butcher's knife ran back and forth
The butcher's victim began a farewell
Across her throat, slitting, paring, and spilling blood.
On its neck thrashing, squealing, and shrieking
وَقدand already بَرَقَتْflashed حمرُthe red ones المناياdeaths وَزرقُهاand their blue ones
وَقد بَرَقَتْ حمرُ المنايا وَزرقُها
عَلَىat مَنْهلٍa watering place للموتِof death كالمُهْلِlike molten metal يوبقdestroys
عَلَى مَنْهلٍ للموتِ كالمُهْلِ يوبق
And the reds and blues of death have flashed
The red of death and its blueness flashed
At death's watering place, which destroys like molten metal.
At a basin of death like a terrible storm
عَلىupon نحرِهاher throat لونٌa color منof الموتِdeath أحمرred
عَلى نحرِها لونٌ من الموتِ أحمر
وفيand in شفرةِthe blade الجزّارِthe butcher آخرُanother أزرقblue
وفي شفرةِ الجزّارِ آخرُ أزرق
On her throat is a red hue of death,
On its neck a red hue of death
And in the butcher's blade another, blue.
And on the butcher’s blade the last blue
ترىshe sees الموتَdeath ألواناًcolors تروعterrify رهيبةًdreadful
ترى الموتَ ألواناً تروع رهيبةً
فتشخَصُso stare fixedly عيناهاher two eyes بهat it وتحدِّقand gaze intently
فتشخَصُ عيناها به وتحدِّق
She sees death in dreadful colors that terrify,
It sees the colors of death, terrible and alarming
So her eyes fix on it and stare.
So its eyes stare at it intensely
أطلَّloomed عليهاover her وَهوwhile it was أزرقُblue لامعٌgleaming
أطلَّ عليها وَهو أزرقُ لامعٌ
وَسالَand flowed عليهاover her وَهوwhile it was أحمرُred مشرقradiant
وَسالَ عليها وَهو أحمرُ مشرق
It loomed over her, gleaming blue,
He loomed over it, shiny and blue
And flowed over her, radiant red.
And poured over it, bright and red
تحاولُshe tries إِذْwhen ذاقتهshe tasted it بصقَspitting out لسانِهاher tongue
تحاولُ إِذْ ذاقته بصقَ لسانِها
لوif only انَّthat لساناًa tongue للمرارةfor bitterness يُبصقis spat out
لو انَّ لساناً للمرارة يُبصق
She tries, when she tastes it, to spit out her tongue,
When it tasted him, its tongue tried to spit
If only a tongue could be spat out for bitterness!
If only a tongue could spit bitterness
فمضّتْso she bit down عليهon it حينwhen آلماcaused pain الردىdeath
فمضّتْ عليه حين آلما الردى
لتقطَعَهto sever it منfrom كرهِloathing ماwhat تتذوقshe tastes
لتقطَعَه من كرهِ ما تتذوق
So she bit down on it when death brought pain,
It attacked him when the calamity pained it
To sever it in loathing of what she tastes.
To cut him off from the hatred it tastes
تَخَبَّطُshe thrashes منfrom حرِّheat السلاحِthe weapon بنحرِهاat her throat
تَخَبَّطُ من حرِّ السلاحِ بنحرِها
وَبالريقand on saliva والأنفاسِand breaths والدمand blood تشرقshe chokes
وَبالريق والأنفاسِ والدم تشرق
She thrashes from the weapon's heat at her throat,
It thrashes from the heat of the weapon on its neck
And chokes on saliva, breath, and blood.
And with saliva, breath, and blood gushing
تغطُّshe gurgles عَلىamid نَزْفِdraining الدماءِblood وَنَضْحِهاand its spattering
تغطُّ عَلى نَزْفِ الدماءِ وَنَضْحِها
وَيدركهاand overtakes her بُهْرُbreathlessness الذبيحِthe slaughtered victim فتشهَقُso she gasps
وَيدركها بُهْرُ الذبيحِ فتشهَقُ
She gurgles as the blood drains and spatters,
It covers the spurting of blood and its flowing
And the breathlessness of the slaughtered overtakes her; she gasps.
And the victim’s share reaches it, so it gasps
إذاwhen زَفَرَتْshe exhales درَّpours out النجيعُgore كأنهas though it were
إذا زَفَرَتْ درَّ النجيعُ كأنه
لهيبٌa flame يطيلlengthens النفخُblowing منهfrom it ويدلقand pours out
لهيبٌ يطيل النفخُ منه ويدلق
When she exhales, gore pours out, as though it were
When it moans, the barn sounds
A flame that blowing lengthens and pours forth.
Like flames that prolong the blowing and ignite
تهمُّshe tries بلفظِto expel النفسِthe breath منfrom حَرَجِconstriction بهاwithin her
تهمُّ بلفظِ النفسِ من حَرَجِ بها
وقدand already عجزتْshe is unable عنto ردِّهاdrawing it back حينwhen تنشقshe inhales
وقد عجزتْ عن ردِّها حين تنشق
She tries to cast out her breath from the constriction within her,
It attempts with its last breath, distressed by it
And she cannot draw it back when she inhales.
And failed to return it when splitting
تَرَدَّدَwent back and forth بينbetween النحرِthe throat والسَحْرِand the lungs نفسُهاher breath
تَرَدَّدَ بين النحرِ والسَحْرِ نفسُها
كلاboth غايتهاits ends الموتُdeath دامٍbloody وَضيِّقand constricted
كلا غايتها الموتُ دامٍ وَضيِّق
Her breath went back and forth between throat and lungs;
Its soul wavered between neck and spell
At both its ends lies death, bloody and constricted.
Both endings are death, perpetual and confined
فرقَّso grew tender لهاfor her قلبيmy heart وَلانَand softened وَلمand have not تزلْceased
فرقَّ لها قلبي وَلانَ وَلم تزلْ
دموعيmy tears عَلَىover أمثالِهاthose like her تترقرقwell up
دموعي عَلَى أمثالِها تترقرق
So my heart grew tender for her and softened, and still
It saddened my heart and softened it, and still
My tears well up for others like her.
My tears over the likes of it flow
وَكمand how many منof ضحاياvictims تقشعرُّshudder لصرْعِهاat their felling
وَكم من ضحايا تقشعرُّ لصرْعِها
جلودٌskins وترتاعُand are terrified النفوسُsouls وَتفرقand are afraid
جلودٌ وترتاعُ النفوسُ وَتفرق
And how many victims, at whose felling
How many victims shudder at its fall
Skins shudder, and souls recoil in terror and fear!
Skins tremble and souls shudder and flee
وَأفجعُand the most heartrending أنواعِkinds of الأضاحيsacrifices ضحيةٌa victim
وَأفجعُ أنواعِ الأضاحي ضحيةٌ
يقدمُهاhe offers her للذئبِto the wolf راعٍa shepherd وَينعقand calls to his flock
يقدمُها للذئبِ راعٍ وَينعق
And the most heartrending kind of sacrifice is a victim
The most heartbreaking sacrifices are those
A shepherd offers to the wolf while calling to his flock.
Offered by a shepherd to the wolf, howling
Sol 6.1