لَعَمريBy my life لَقَدindeed راعَتalarmed أُمَيمَةَUmayma طَلعَتيmy appearance
لَعَمري لَقَد راعَت أُمَيمَةَ طَلعَتي
وَإِنَّand indeed ثَوائيmy stay عِندَهاwith her لَقَليلُtruly brief
وَإِنَّ ثَوائي عِندَها لَقَليلُ
By my life, the sight of me alarmed Umayma,
By my life, Umayma has surely noticed my ascent,
though my stay with her is brief indeed.
Yet my visits to her are few.
تَقولُshe says أَراهُI see him بَعدَafter عُروَةَUrwa لاهِياًcarefree
تَقولُ أَراهُ بَعدَ عُروَةَ لاهِياً
وَذلِكَand that رُزءٌa bereavement لَوif عَلِمتِyou knew جَليلُgrave
وَذلِكَ رُزءٌ لَو عَلِمتِ جَليلُ
She says, “I see him carefree after Urwa.”
She says, “I see him, after Urwa, distracted in play,”
Yet that, if you knew, is a grievous loss.
That is an insult, if she but knew my worth.
وَلاand do not تَحسَبيyou suppose أَنّيthat I تَناسَيتُI pretended to forget عَهدَهُhis memory
وَلا تَحسَبي أَنّي تَناسَيتُ عَهدَهُ
وَلكِنَّbut صَبريmy patience ياO أُمَيمَUmayma جَميلُdignified
وَلكِنَّ صَبري يا أُمَيمَ جَميلُ
Do not think I have put his memory out of mind;
Do not think I have forgotten his promise,
but my patience, O Umayma, is dignified.
But my patience, O Umayma, is beautiful.
أَلَمdid you not تَعلَميknow أَنthat قَدalready تَفَرَّقَparted قَبلَناbefore us
أَلَم تَعلَمي أَن قَد تَفَرَّقَ قَبلَنا
خَليلاtwo companions in صَفاءٍpure affection مالِكٌMalik وَعَقيلُand Aqil
خَليلا صَفاءٍ مالِكٌ وَعَقيلُ
Did you not know that, before us, there had parted
Do you not know that before us parted
two friends of pure affection, Malik and Aqil?
Dear friends - Malik, Safwan and Aqil?
أَبىrefused الصَبرَpatience أَنّيthat I لاnot يَزالُceases يَهيجُنيstirs me
أَبى الصَبرَ أَنّي لا يَزالُ يَهيجُني
مَبيتٌa night's lodging لَناof ours فيماin times that خَلاpassed وَمَقيلُand a midday resting place
مَبيتٌ لَنا فيما خَلا وَمَقيلُ
Patience is denied me: I am still stirred
Patience refused that it should cease to stir me
by our old night's lodging and our midday resting place.
A night lodging for us, while others rest.
وَأَنّيand that I إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) الصُبحُdawn آنَستُI discerned ضَوءَهُits light
وَأَنّي إِذا ما الصُبحُ آنَستُ ضَوءَهُ
يُعاوِدُنيreturns to me قِطعٌa bout of sorrow عَلَيَّupon me ثَقيلُheavy
يُعاوِدُني قِطعٌ عَلَيَّ ثَقيلُ
And whenever I discern the light of dawn,
When dawn lights I glimpse at first,
a bout of sorrow returns, heavy upon me.
Sorrow returns, weighing heavy on me.
أَرىI see الدَهرَtime لاnot يَبقىendures عَلىdespite حَدَثانِهِits calamities
أَرى الدَهرَ لا يَبقى عَلى حَدَثانِهِ
أَقَبُّa lean-bellied wild ass تُباريهِrace alongside him جَدائِدُdry-uddered she-asses حولُunpregnant
أَقَبُّ تُباريهِ جَدائِدُ حولُ
I see that none endures time's calamities—
I see time does not stay with its renewals,
not a lean-bellied wild ass, with dry-uddered, unpregnant females racing him.
New moons succeeding those gone by.
أَبَنَّthey displayed عِقاقاًpregnancy ثُمَّthen يَرمَحنَthey kick at ظَلمَهُhis bullying
أَبَنَّ عِقاقاً ثُمَّ يَرمَحنَ ظَلمَهُ
إِباءًin refusal وَفيهِand in him صَولَةٌa fierce charge وَذَميلُand a smooth trot
إِباءً وَفيهِ صَولَةٌ وَذَميلُ
They make a show of pregnancy, then kick at his bullying,
The son of Uqba turned stubborn, but his darkness dissipated,
refusing him, while he charges fiercely and trots smoothly.
Wilfullness, fury and spite left in him.
يَظَلُّhe remains by day عَلىon البَرزِthe open ground اليَفاعِthe elevated كَأَنَّهُas though he were
يَظَلُّ عَلى البَرزِ اليَفاعِ كَأَنَّهُ
مِنَfrom الغارِjealousy وَالخَوفِand fear المُحِمِّimminent وَبيلُa heavy club
مِنَ الغارِ وَالخَوفِ المُحِمِّ وَبيلُ
He stands all day on the open, high ground as though,
He remained above the lofty dunes as though
from jealousy and impending fear, he were a heavy club.
From the cave, fear, confusion and trial.
وَظَلَّand there lingered لَهاfor them يَومٌa day كَأَنَّas though أُوارَهُits scorching heat
وَظَلَّ لَها يَومٌ كَأَنَّ أُوارَهُ
ذَكاthe blaze of النارِfire مِنfrom فَيحِthe spreading heat of الفُروغِthe vents طَويلُlong
ذَكا النارِ مِن فَيحِ الفُروغِ طَويلُ
A long day lingered over them, its scorching heat like
A day lingered as if its shadows
a fire's blaze, with heat streaming from its vents.
Were flames from the burning sparks lasting long.
فَلَمّاthen when رَأَينَthey saw الشَمسَthe sun صارَتit had become كَأَنَّهاas though it were
فَلَمّا رَأَينَ الشَمسَ صارَت كَأَنَّها
فُوَيقَjust above البَضيعِal-Badi‘ فيamid الشُعاعِthe rays خَميلُa fleecy cloth
فُوَيقَ البَضيعِ في الشُعاعِ خَميلُ
Then, when they saw the sun had become like
When he saw the sun, it was as if
a fleecy cloth amid the rays, just above al-Badi‘,
A sheep skin in the rays, wrinkled.
فَهَيَّجَهاthen he roused them وَاِنشامَand plunged into نَقعاًdust كَأَنَّهُas though it were
فَهَيَّجَها وَاِنشامَ نَقعاً كَأَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen لَفَّهاit enveloped them ثُمَّthen اِستَمَرَّstreamed onward سَحيلُan unplied cord
إِذا لَفَّها ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّ سَحيلُ
he roused them and plunged into dust, which seemed,
It roused her, and the she-camel grunted as if
when it enveloped them and streamed on, an unplied cord.
When kneaded, the sour milk flows.
مُنيباًreturning وَقَدand already أَمسىevening had come تَقَدَّمَhad gone ahead to وِردَهاtheir watering place
مُنيباً وَقَد أَمسى تَقَدَّمَ وِردَها
أُقَيدِرُa short little hunter مَحموزُtoughened القِطاعِthe limbs نَذيلُlowly
أُقَيدِرُ مَحموزُ القِطاعِ نَذيلُ
As he returned at evening, their watering place had been reached first
Returning, he had approached her usual watering place,
by a short little hunter, tough-limbed and lowly.
The well rope its pulley creaking.
فَلَمّاthen when دَنَتthey drew near بَعدَafter اِستِماعٍlistening رَهَفنَهُthey sharpened it
فَلَمّا دَنَت بَعدَ اِستِماعٍ رَهَفنَهُ
بِنَقبِat the pass of الحِجابِal-Hijab وَقعُهُنَّtheir hoofbeats رَجيلُfirm
بِنَقبِ الحِجابِ وَقعُهُنَّ رَجيلُ
Then, when they drew near after listening keenly,
As she drew near, after hearing the soft sound
at al-Hijab's pass, their hoofbeats were firm.
Of her anklet within her skirt as she walked gracefully.
يُفَجّينَthey spread apart بِالأَيديwith their forelegs عَلىon ظَهرِthe surface of آجِنٍstagnant water
يُفَجّينَ بِالأَيدي عَلى ظَهرِ آجِنٍ
لَهُit has عَرمَضٌpondweed مُستَأسِدٌdensely flourishing وَنَجيلُand creeping grass
لَهُ عَرمَضٌ مُستَأسِدٌ وَنَجيلُ
They spread their forelegs over the surface of stagnant water,
They startled her with their hands on the back
thick with luxuriant pondweed and creeping grass.
Of a he-camel, fierce, with a thick neck.
فَلَمّاthen when رَأىhe saw أَنthat لاno نَجاءَescape وَضَمَّهُand pressed him
فَلَمّا رَأى أَن لا نَجاءَ وَضَمَّهُ
إِلىtoward المَوتِdeath لِصبٌa narrow cleft حافِظٌconfining وَقَفيلُand sealed
إِلى المَوتِ لِصبٌ حافِظٌ وَقَفيلُ
Then, when he saw there was no escape, and he was pressed
When he saw no escape, and it drew him
toward death by a cleft that held him fast and was sealed,
To death, a devoted, firm guardian.
وَكانَand was هُوَhe الأَدنىthe nearest فَخَلَّthen pierced فُؤادَهُhis heart
وَكانَ هُوَ الأَدنى فَخَلَّ فُؤادَهُ
مِنَfrom among النَبلِthe arrows مَفتوقُspread wide الغِرارِthe cutting edges بَجيلُstout
مِنَ النَبلِ مَفتوقُ الغِرارِ بَجيلُ
he was the nearest, and his heart was pierced
He was the closest, so his heart was emptied
by a stout arrow with cutting edges spread wide.
Of arrows, split open, the leather quiver.
كَأَنَّas though النَضِيَّthe arrowshaft بَعدَafter ماthat طاشَshot forth مارِقاًpassing clean through
كَأَنَّ النَضِيَّ بَعدَ ما طاشَ مارِقاً
وَراءَbehind يَدَيهِhis two forelegs بِالخَلاءِin the open طَميلُa worn cord
وَراءَ يَدَيهِ بِالخَلاءِ طَميلُ
The shaft, after it shot clean through, seemed
As if the wild ass, when it bolted away,
an old cord, behind his forelegs in the open.
Left behind the remnant of its tail.
وَلاnor أَمعَرُbare الساقَينِin both shanks ظَلَّhe stayed by day كَأَنَّهُas though he were
وَلا أَمعَرُ الساقَينِ ظَلَّ كَأَنَّهُ
عَلىon مُحزَئِلّاتِthe lofty summits of الإِكامِthe hills نَصيلُan arrowhead
عَلى مُحزَئِلّاتِ الإِكامِ نَصيلُ
Nor a bare-shanked bird of prey, standing all day as though
Not straightening its legs, its shadow still as if
an arrowhead on the lofty summits of the hills.
It climbed the sandy hills slowly.
رَأىhe saw أَرنَباًa hare مِنon دونِهاthis side of her غَولُa long stretch of أَشرُجٍravines
رَأى أَرنَباً مِن دونِها غَولُ أَشرُجٍ
بَعيدٌfar-reaching عَلَيهِنَّover them السَرابُthe mirage يَزولُshifts
بَعيدٌ عَلَيهِنَّ السَرابُ يَزولُ
He saw a hare; between them lay a stretch of ravines,
It saw a rabbit, beyond it the deceitful mirage
far-reaching, with the mirage shifting over them.
Of a hyena, distant, soon to disappear.
فَضَمَّthen he folded جَناحَيهِhis two wings وَمِنand on دونِthis side of ماwhat يَرىhe sees
فَضَمَّ جَناحَيهِ وَمِن دونِ ما يَرى
بِلادٌlands وُحوشٌwild أَمرُعٌlush tracts وَمُحولُand barren tracts
بِلادٌ وُحوشٌ أَمرُعٌ وَمُحولُ
He folded his wings; between him and what he saw lay
So it folded its wings, and beyond what it saw,
wild country, lush tracts and barren stretches.
A wilderness, beasts fleeter and swifter.
تُوائِلُshe seeks refuge مِنهُfrom him بِالضَراءِin the brush كَأَنَّهاas though she were
تُوائِلُ مِنهُ بِالضَراءِ كَأَنَّها
سَفاةٌa grass awn لَهاit has فَوقَabove التُرابِthe dust زَليلُa gliding motion
سَفاةٌ لَها فَوقَ التُرابِ زَليلُ
She seeks refuge from him in the brush, as though she were
The vanguards among them in the barren land as if
a grass awn gliding above the dust.
They were insolent, above the soil, despised.
يُقَرِّبُهُbrings him nearer النَهضُflight النَجيحُsure لِماto what يَرىhe sees
يُقَرِّبُهُ النَهضُ النَجيحُ لِما يَرى
وَمِنهُand from him بُدُوٌّan appearance مَرَّةًat one time وَمُثولُand a poised stance
وَمِنهُ بُدُوٌّ مَرَّةً وَمُثولُ
His sure flight brings him nearer to what he sees;
Success in its endeavor brought it close to what it saw,
now he appears, now he stands poised.
While farther off, a nomad, pausing and moving on.
فَأَهوىthen he swooped لَهاat her فيin الجَوِّthe air فَاِختَلَّand pierced قَلبَهاher heart
فَأَهوى لَها في الجَوِّ فَاِختَلَّ قَلبَها
صَيودٌa keen hunter لِحَبّاتِfor the kernels of القُلوبِhearts قَتولُa deadly killer
صَيودٌ لِحَبّاتِ القُلوبِ قَتولُ
Then he swooped upon her through the air and pierced her heart—
Then it swooped down from the air, and its heart wavered,
a hunter of hearts' very kernels, deadly.
Hunting the hearts of doves, destructive.
Sol 6.1