تَوَهَّمتُI thought I saw بِالخَيفِat al-Khayf رَسماًa dwelling’s trace مُحيلاtimeworn
تَوَهَّمتُ بِالخَيفِ رَسماً مُحيلا
لِعَزَّةَbelonging to ‘Azza تَعرِفُyou recognize مِنهُfrom it الطَلولاthe ruined traces
لِعَزَّةَ تَعرِفُ مِنهُ الطَلولا
I thought I saw at al-Khayf a timeworn trace,
I fancied in the dark a wondrous shape
Of ‘Azza’s dwelling—you recognize its ruined remains.
That lofty 'Azzah's keen eyes recognise
تَبَدَّلَit took instead بِالحِيِّin place of the tribe صَوتَthe cry of الصَدىthe owl
تَبَدَّلَ بِالحِيِّ صَوتَ الصَدى
وَنَوحَand the lament of الحَمامَةِthe dove تَدعوshe calls to هَديلاHadil, the male dove
وَنَوحَ الحَمامَةِ تَدعو هَديلا
It has exchanged its people for the owl’s cry,
The echo's voice was changed in the ravines
And the dove’s lament, calling to Hadil.
And the dove lamented with a plaintive cry
مَتىwhen أَرَيَنَّshall I ever see كَماas قَدonce أَرىI used to see
مَتى أَرَيَنَّ كَما قَد أَرى
لِعَزَّةَof ‘Azza بِالمَحوِat al-Mahw يَوماًone day حُمولاlitter-bearing camels
لِعَزَّةَ بِالمَحوِ يَوماً حُمولا
When shall I see again, as I once saw,
When shall I see, as I was wont to see
‘Azza’s litter-bearing camels, one day at al-Mahw,
Loftiest 'Azzah by fate one day laid low?
بِقاعِon the plain of النَقيعِal-Naqi‘ فَحِصنِthen at the fortress of الحِمىal-Hima
بِقاعِ النَقيعِ فَحِصنِ الحِمى
يُباهينَthey rival بِالرَقمِwith patterned cloth غَيماًa cloud مُخيلاpromising rain
يُباهينَ بِالرَقمِ غَيماً مُخيلا
On al-Naqi‘’s plain, then at Hisn al-Hima,
On the hill-slopes of Naqi' and fort Himá
Vying in patterned cloth with a cloud promising rain?
Vapours in pride the written lines outgo
أَنَحنَthey lowered القُرونَthe braids فَغَلَّلنَهاthen perfumed them
أَنَحنَ القُرونَ فَغَلَّلنَها
كَعَقلِlike the tethers of العَسيفِthe hired servant غَرابيبَjet-black ميلاslanting
كَعَقلِ العَسيفِ غَرابيبَ ميلا
They lowered their braids, then perfumed them,
Have we bent the necks of the centuries? Nay,
Like a hireling’s tethers, jet-black and slanting.
Like camel's nose-ring we have bent them low
كَأَنّيas though I أَكُفُّI hold back وَقَدand already أَمعَنَتit has gone far
كَأَنّي أَكُفُّ وَقَد أَمعَنَت
بِهاwith her مِنfrom سُمَيحَةَSumayha غَرباًa large water-bucket سَجيلاbrimming
بِها مِن سُمَيحَةَ غَرباً سَجيلا
As though I were holding back—now the caravan has gone far
As though I checked her, yet to Samahat
With her—a great, brimming bucket from Sumayha.
The glooms of eve she westwards headlong flew
وَماand no أُمُّmother of خِشفٍa fawn تَرعىshe grazes بِهِin it
وَما أُمُّ خِشفٍ تَرعى بِهِ
أَراكاًarak trees عَميماًluxuriant وَدَوحاًand spreading trees ظَليلاshady
أَراكاً عَميماً وَدَوحاً ظَليلا
No mother of a fawn, grazing there
No mother-ostrich is there who will guard
On luxuriant arak and broad, shady trees,
An 'Arak-tree leafless, a lonely palm
وَإِنand if هِيَshe قامَتshe stands فَماthen no أَثلَهُits tamarisk
وَإِن هِيَ قامَت فَما أَثلَهُ
بِعَلياon high ground تُناوِحُsways against ريحاًa wind أَصيلاin late afternoon
بِعَليا تُناوِحُ ريحاً أَصيلا
Nor, if she stands, that place’s tamarisk tree,
And if she rose, none like her ever breathed
On high ground, swaying against a wind in late afternoon,
The morning breeze, so nobly panting, calm
بِأَحسَنَany lovelier مِنهاthan her وَإِنand if أَدبَرَتshe turns away
بِأَحسَنَ مِنها وَإِن أَدبَرَت
فَإِرخٌthen a wild heifer بِجُمَّةَat Jumma تَقروshe seeks خَميلاa leafy thicket
فَإِرخٌ بِجُمَّةَ تَقرو خَميلا
Is lovelier than she; and if she turns away,
Fairer than she, though she turn back in scorn
She is a wild heifer at Jumma, seeking a leafy thicket.
The sand grouse in the valley gladly camp
يَجولُmoves freely الوِشاحُthe sash بِأَقرابِهاabout her flanks
يَجولُ الوِشاحُ بِأَقرابِها
وَتَأبىand refuse خَلاخِلُهاher anklets أَنto تَجولاmove freely
وَتَأبى خَلاخِلُها أَن تَجولا
Her sash moves freely about her flanks,
The litter wanders with her kith and kin
While her anklets refuse to move.
But her anklets refuse all wandering
وَتَمشيand she walks الهُوَيناgently and slowly إِذاwhen أَقبَلَتshe approaches
وَتَمشي الهُوَينا إِذا أَقبَلَت
كَماas بَهَرَoverpowered الجَزعَthe valley bend سَيلاًa torrent ثَقيلاheavy
كَما بَهَرَ الجَزعَ سَيلاً ثَقيلا
And she walks gently and slowly when she approaches,
And the wild cows as they draw nigh do pace
As a valley bend checks a heavy torrent:
As the flooded torrents a hillside rend
فَطوراًso at times يَسيلُit flows عَلىalong قَصدِهِits direct course
فَطوراً يَسيلُ عَلى قَصدِهِ
وَطَوراًand at times يُراجِعُit turns back كَيso that لاnot يَسيلاit flows
وَطَوراً يُراجِعُ كَي لا يَسيلا
So at times it flows straight along its course,
Now smoothly flowing and now turning back
And at times it draws back, so as not to flow.
Lest they should burst their banks as they descend
كَماas مالَswayed أَبيَضُa fair-skinned man ذوpossessing نَشوَةٍdrunkenness
كَما مالَ أَبيَضُ ذو نَشوَةٍ
بِصَرخَدَat Sarkhad باكِرَdrank early كَأساًa cup شَمولاwine
بِصَرخَدَ باكِرَ كَأساً شَمولا
As a fair-skinned man sways in his drunkenness,
As the white warrior of tried prowess reeled
At Sarkhad, having taken a cup of wine at dawn.
At dawn by Sarakhid with brimming cup
فَإِنso if شِئتَyou wish قُلتَyou say لَهُto him صادِقاًtruthfully
فَإِن شِئتَ قُلتَ لَهُ صادِقاً
وَجَدتُكَI found you بِالقُفِّat al-Quff ضَبّاًa spiny-tailed lizard جَحولاhulking
وَجَدتُكَ بِالقُفِّ ضَبّاً جَحولا
Then, if you wish, you can tell him truthfully:
Then if you told him truly, you would say
“I found you at al-Quff, a hulking spiny-tailed lizard,
I found you by the wadi-side entrapped
مِنَof اللاءِthose that يَحفِرنَthey burrow تَحتَbeneath الكُدىthe hard rock layers
مِنَ اللاءِ يَحفِرنَ تَحتَ الكُدى
وَلاand do not يَبتَغينَthey seek الدِماثَthe soft ground السُهولاthe level ground
وَلا يَبتَغينَ الدِماثَ السُهولا
One of those that burrow beneath hard rock,
From the evening-potions that hollow out
And do not seek soft, level ground.
The rocks, nor seek they the smooth easy paths
وَجَرَّبتَand you tested صِدقِيَmy faithfulness عِندَduring الحِفاظِthe defense of honor
وَجَرَّبتَ صِدقِيَ عِندَ الحِفاظِ
وَلَكِنand yet تَعاشَيتَyou feigned blindness أَوor كُنتَyou were فيلاa fool
وَلَكِن تَعاشَيتَ أَو كُنتَ فيلا
And you have tested my faithfulness in defending honor,
You proved my troth before the wise and learnt
Yet you feigned blindness—or were a fool.”
Or else you shunned or played the elephant
Sol 6.1