حِبالُthe bonds of سُجَيفَةَSujayfa أمسَتhave become رِثاثاthreadbare
حِبالُ سُجَيفَةَ أمسَت رِثاثا
فَسَقيًاso may rain refresh لَهاthem جُدُدًاnew أَوor رِماثاfrayed
فَسَقيًا لَها جُدُدًا أَو رِماثا
Sujayfa’s bonds have grown threadbare.
So may rain refresh them, new or frayed.
إِذاwhen حَلَّcamp أَهلِيَmy people بِالأَبرَقَينِat al-Abraqayn
إِذا حَلَّ أَهلِيَ بِالأَبرَقَينِ
أُبَيرقِUbayriq ذيwith جُدَدٍstreaks أَوor دَءاثاDa’ath
أُبَيرقِ ذي جُدَدٍ أَو دَءاثا
When my people camp at al-Abraqayn,
at streaked Ubayriq, or Da’ath,
وَحَلَّتand she settles سُجَيفَةُSujayfa مِنwithin أَرضِهاher land
وَحَلَّت سُجَيفَةُ مِن أَرضِها
رَوَابِيَrises يُنبِتنَgrowing حِفرىhifra plants دِماثاsoft-soiled
رَوَابِيَ يُنبِتنَ حِفرى دِماثا
and Sujayfa settles within her own land
on soft-soiled rises growing hifra,
تُتارِبُfrolics with her peers بِيضًاfair-skinned women إِذاwhen اِستَلعَبَتshe grows playful
تُتارِبُ بِيضًا إِذا اِستَلعَبَت
كَأُدمِlike the pale ones الظِباءِof the gazelles تَرُفُّnibbling الكَباثاripe arak berries
كَأُدمِ الظِباءِ تَرُفُّ الكَباثا
she frolics with fair companions when playful,
like pale gazelles nibbling ripe arak berries.
كأَنَّas though حَدائِجَthe litters of أَظعانِهاher departing caravan
كأَنَّ حَدائِجَ أَظعانِها
بِغَيقَةِat Ghayqa لَمّاwhen هَبَطنَthey descended البِراثاthe soft ground
بِغَيقَةِ لَمّا هَبَطنَ البِراثا
It is as though her caravan’s litters,
at Ghayqa, when they descended onto soft ground,
نَواعِمُluxuriant palms عُمٌّlofty عَلىupon مِثَبٍMithab
نَواعِمُ عُمٌّ عَلى مِثَبٍ
عِظامُmassive الجُذُوعِin trunk أُحِلَّتwere planted بُعاثاat Bu‘ath
عِظامُ الجُذُوعِ أُحِلَّت بُعاثا
were luxuriant, lofty palms upon Mithab,
massive-trunked, planted at Bu‘ath,
كَدُهمِlike the dark ones of الرِّكابِthe riding-camels بأثقالِهاwith their burdens
كَدُهمِ الرِّكابِ بأثقالِها
غَدَتset out in the morning مِنfrom سَماهِيجَSamahij أَوor مِنfrom جُواثاJuatha
غَدَت مِن سَماهِيجَ أَو مِن جُواثا
like dark riding-camels with their burdens,
setting out in the morning from Samahij or Juatha.
وَخُوصٍand narrow-eyed camels خَوامِسٍfive days thirsty أَورَدتُهاI led them to water
وَخُوصٍ خَوامِسٍ أَورَدتُها
قُبَيلَjust before الكَوَاكِبِthe stars وِردًاa watering مُلاثاlong-delayed
قُبَيلَ الكَوَاكِبِ وِردًا مُلاثا
And narrow-eyed camels, five days thirsty, I led to water
just before the stars appeared, for a long-delayed drink,
مِنfrom الرَوضَتَينِal-Rawdatayn فَجَنبَيthen along both flanks of رُكَيحٍRukayh
مِن الرَوضَتَينِ فَجَنبَي رُكَيحٍ
كَلَقطِlike the gathering of المُضِلَّتِa woman who has lost something حَليًاjewelry مُباثاscattered
كَلَقطِ المُضِلَّتِ حَليًا مُباثا
from al-Rawdatayn, then along Rukayh’s two flanks,
like a woman gathering the scattered jewels she had lost.
تُواليshe keeps taut الزِمامَthe rein إِذاwhen ماever دَنَتdraw near
تُوالي الزِمامَ إِذا ما دَنَت
رَكائِبُهاher fellow mounts واِختَنَثنَand they sway اِختِناثاwith a swaying gait
رَكائِبُها واِختَنَثنَ اِختِناثا
She keeps the rein taut whenever
her fellow mounts draw near, bending and swaying.
وَذِفرىand a nape كَكَاهِلِlike the withers of ذِيخِa hyena-like wild ass الخَلِيفِthe ravine
وَذِفرى كَكَاهِلِ ذِيخِ الخَلِيفِ
أَصابَhe came upon فَرِقَةَa small herd لَيلِby night فَعاثاand ran riot
أَصابَ فَرِقَةَ لَيلِ فَعاثا
And a nape like the withers of the ravine’s hyena-like wild ass,
which found a herd by night and ran riot among them.
تَلَقَّطَهاhe gathered them individually تَحتَbeneath نَوءِthe seasonal rains of السِمّاكِal-Simak
تَلَقَّطَها تَحتَ نَوءِ السِمّاكِ
وَقَدand already سَمِنَتthey had fattened سَورَةًeager grazing وَاِنتَجاثاand grubbing up plants
وَقَد سَمِنَت سَورَةً وَاِنتَجاثا
He gathered them beneath al-Simak’s seasonal rains,
already fattened by eager grazing and grubbing.
لَوىhe prolonged ظِمئَهاtheir thirst تَحتَbeneath حَرِّthe heat of النُّجومthe stars
لَوى ظِمئَها تَحتَ حَرِّ النُّجوم
يَحبِسُهاhe holds them back كَسَلاًthrough laziness أَوor عَباثاmischief
يَحبِسُها كَسَلاً أَو عَباثا
He prolonged their thirst beneath the heat of the stars,
holding them back through sloth or mischief.
فَلَمّاso when عَصاهُنَّhe thwarted them خابَثنَهُthey played rough with him
فَلَمّا عَصاهُنَّ خابَثنَهُ
بِرَوضَةِin the meadow of آلِيتَAlit قَصراًat evening خِباثاunruly
بِرَوضَةِ آلِيتَ قَصراً خِباثا
So when he thwarted them, they played rough with him
in Alit’s meadow at evening, unruly creatures.
فَأَورَدَهُنَّso he brought them to water مِنَfrom الدَونَكَينِal-Dawnakayn
فَأَورَدَهُنَّ مِنَ الدَونَكَينِ
حَشَارِجَrock pools يَحفِرنَthey dig مِنهاfrom them إِراثاremnants of water
حَشَارِجَ يَحفِرنَ مِنها إِراثا
Then he brought them to drink from al-Dawnakayn’s
rock pools, where they dug out the remaining water,
لَواصِبَnarrow basins قَدalready أَصبَحَتthey had become وَاِنطَوَتand had shrunk
لَواصِبَ قَد أَصبَحَت وَاِنطَوَت
وَقَدand indeed أَطوَلَhad prolonged الحَيُّthe clan عَنهاaway from them لِباثاits stay
وَقَد أَطوَلَ الحَيُّ عَنها لِباثا
narrow basins that had dwindled and shrunk,
the clan having long stayed away from them.
مُدِلٌّself-assured يَعَضُّhe bites إِذاwhenever نَالَهُنّhe reaches them
مُدِلٌّ يَعَضُّ إِذا نَالَهُنّ
مِراراًrepeatedly وَيُدنينَand they bring near فاهُhis mouth لِكاثاkicks
مِراراً وَيُدنينَ فاهُ لِكاثا
Masterful, he bites whenever he catches them,
again and again; they answer his mouth with kicks.
وَصَفراءَand a yellow bow تَلمعُflashes بالنابِلينamong the archers
وَصَفراءَ تَلمعُ بالنابِلين
كَلَمعِlike the gleam of الخَريعِa lissome woman تَحَلَّتshe adorned herself with رِعاثاearrings
كَلَمعِ الخَريعِ تَحَلَّت رِعاثا
And a yellow bow, flashing among the archers,
like the gleam of a lissome woman adorned with earrings,
هَتوفاًresonant إِذاwhen ذاقَهاtest it النازِعونَthe bowmen drawing
هَتوفاً إِذا ذاقَها النازِعونَ
سَمِعتَyou hear لَهاfrom it بَعدَafter حَبضٍa pluck of the string عِثاثاa rattling sound
سَمِعتَ لَها بَعدَ حَبضٍ عِثاثا
loud-voiced: when the bowmen try it,
you hear its rattle after the string is plucked.
تَئِنُّit groans إِلىunder العَجمِtesting وَالأَبهَرينِand the two bow-limbs
تَئِنُّ إِلى العَجمِ وَالأَبهَرينِ
أَنينَlike the groaning of المَريضِa sick man تَشَكّىcomplaining of المُغاثاthe treatment
أَنينَ المَريضِ تَشَكّى المُغاثا
It groans under testing, through its two limbs,
like a sick man groaning, complaining of his treatment.
Sol 6.1