رَأَتنيshe saw me قَدalready شَحَبتُI grew pale وَسَلَّand wasted جِسميmy body
رَأَتني قَد شَحَبتُ وَسَلَّ جِسمي
طِلابُpursuit النازِحاتِfar-ranging ones مِنَof الهُمومِcares
طِلابُ النازِحاتِ مِنَ الهُمومِ
She saw me grown pale, my body worn thin
She saw me grow pale and my body waste away,
by the pursuit of far-ranging cares.
Seekers of relief from worries,
وَكَمand how many لاقَيتُI faced بَعدَكِafter you مِنof أُمورٍaffairs
وَكَم لاقَيتُ بَعدَكِ مِن أُمورٍ
وَأَهوالٍand terrors أَشُدُّI tighten لَهاfor them حَزيميmy belt
وَأَهوالٍ أَشُدُّ لَها حَزيمي
And how many trials I have faced since parting from you,
And how much have I faced after you
and terrors for which I tighten my belt.
Of matters and terrors harder for me to bear.
أُكَلِّفُهاI burden her وَتَعلَمُand she knows أَنَّthat هَوئيmy resolve
أُكَلِّفُها وَتَعلَمُ أَنَّ هَوئي
يُسارِعُhastens فيinto بُنىthe foundations of الأَمرِthe undertaking الجَسيمِmighty
يُسارِعُ في بُنى الأَمرِ الجَسيمِ
I burden her; she knows that my resolve
I take them on and they know my inclination
rushes into the fabric of a mighty undertaking.
Hastens towards the structure of grave affairs,
وَخَصمٍand an adversary قَدalready أَقَمتُI straightened الدَرءَthe crookedness مِنهُin him
وَخَصمٍ قَد أَقَمتُ الدَرءَ مِنهُ
بِلاwithout نَزِقِrashness الخِصامِdispute وَلاnor سَؤومِweariness
بِلا نَزِقِ الخِصامِ وَلا سَؤومِ
And many an adversary whose crookedness I have set straight,
And an opponent whom I have warded off harm from
without rashness in dispute or weariness.
Without the malignity of conflict and ill omens,
وَمَولىًand an ally قَدalready دَفَعتُI warded off الضَيمَoppression عَنهُfrom him
وَمَولىً قَد دَفَعتُ الضَيمَ عَنهُ
وَقَدand already أَمسىhe had become بِمَنزِلَةِin the plight of المَضيمِthe oppressed
وَقَد أَمسى بِمَنزِلَةِ المَضيمِ
And many an ally from whom I have warded off oppression,
And a lord whom I have averted injustice from
when he had fallen into the plight of the oppressed.
And he has attained the station of the oppressed,
وَخَرقٍand a desert waste قَدalready قَطَعتُI crossed بِيَعمَلاتٍon sturdy she-camels
وَخَرقٍ قَد قَطَعتُ بِيَعمَلاتٍ
مُمَلّاتِworn out المَناسِمِthe footpads وَاللُحومِand flesh
مُمَلّاتِ المَناسِمِ وَاللُحومِ
And many a desert waste I have crossed on sturdy she-camels,
And a rent which I have mended with patches
worn in their footpads and their flesh.
That fill the gashes and the flesh,
كَساهُنَّclothed them الهَواجِرُthe midday heats كُلَّevery يَومٍday
كَساهُنَّ الهَواجِرُ كُلَّ يَومٍ
رَجيعاًrenewed sweat بِالمَغابِنِin the folds كَالعَصيمِlike dried dye
رَجيعاً بِالمَغابِنِ كَالعَصيمِ
The midday heats clothed them every day
Like the shawls of nomads that are patched
with renewed sweat in their folds, like dried dye.
Every day with scraps like tattered cloaks,
إِذاwhen هَجَدَslept القَطاthe sandgrouse أَفزَعنَthey startled مِنهُfrom it
إِذا هَجَدَ القَطا أَفزَعنَ مِنهُ
أَوامِنَunafraid ones فيin مُعَرَّسَهِits resting-place الجُثومِcrouching
أَوامِنَ في مُعَرَّسَهِ الجُثومِ
When the sandgrouse slept, they startled some of them,
When the wild cats growl they take fright at it
crouching unafraid in their resting-place.
And seek refuge in their filthy lairs,
رَحَلنَthey set out لِشُقَّةٍfor a long journey وَنَصَبنَand grew weary نَصباًwith exhaustion
رَحَلنَ لِشُقَّةٍ وَنَصَبنَ نَصباً
لِوَغراتِfrom the scorching heat of الهَواجِرِthe noonday heats وَالسَمومِand the burning wind
لِوَغراتِ الهَواجِرِ وَالسَمومِ
They set out on a long journey and toiled to exhaustion
They departed to hardship and great tribulation
from the fierce noon heats and the burning wind.
For the nomads and poison of asps,
فَكُنَّso they became سَفينَهاits ships وَضَرَبنَand they heaved جَأشاًin their breasts
فَكُنَّ سَفينَها وَضَرَبنَ جَأشاً
لِخَمسٍfor five days فيin مُلَجِّجَةٍan engulfing waste أَزومِmercilessly harsh
لِخَمسٍ في مُلَجِّجَةٍ أَزومِ
So they became its ships, their breasts heaving
So they were their ships and endured with stoicism
for five days through an engulfing, merciless waste.
Five in a turbulent, stormy sea,
أَجَزتُI crossed إِلىto مَعارِفِهاits landmarks بِشُعثٍon shaggy mounts
أَجَزتُ إِلى مَعارِفِها بِشُعثٍ
وَأَطلاحٍand exhausted camels مِنَof العيدِيِّthe ʿĪdī stock هيمِthirst-parched
وَأَطلاحٍ مِنَ العيدِيِّ هيمِ
I crossed to its landmarks on shaggy mounts,
I came to their settlements disheveled
and exhausted, thirst-parched camels of the ʿĪdī stock.
And unkempt, covered in dust,
فَخُضنَso they waded through نِياطَهاits far reaches حَتّىuntil أُنيخَتthey were made to kneel
فَخُضنَ نِياطَها حَتّى أُنيخَت
عَلىat عافٍeffaced مَدارِجُهُits approaches سَدومِa disused well
عَلى عافٍ مَدارِجُهُ سَدومِ
Then they waded through its far reaches until made to kneel
They probed with their tent pegs until they pitched
at a long-disused well, its approaches effaced.
On level ground with passages like Sodom’s,
فَلاso no وَأَبيكَby your father ماnot حَيٌّa clan كَحَيٍّlike a clan
فَلا وَأَبيكَ ما حَيٌّ كَحَيٍّ
لِجارٍfor a neighbor حَلَّwho settled فيهِمamong them أَوor عَديمِa destitute man
لِجارٍ حَلَّ فيهِم أَو عَديمِ
No, by your father, no clan compares with ours
No, by your father, none alive is like
for a neighbor settled among them, or a destitute man,
A neighbor who has lodged among them or a guest,
وَلاnor لِلضَيفِfor the guest إِنwhen طَرَقَتstruck by night بِلَيلٌa cold, damp wind
وَلا لِلضَيفِ إِن طَرَقَت بِلَيلٌ
بِأَفنانِagainst the branches of العِضاهِthe thorn-trees وَبِالهَشيمِand against the dry brush
بِأَفنانِ العِضاهِ وَبِالهَشيمِ
nor for a guest when a cold, damp night-wind strikes
Nor for the traveler if the night surprises him
the branches of thorn-trees and the dry brush,
With mouthfuls of lint and straw.
وَروِّحَتِand were driven home at dusk اللِقاحُthe milk-camels بِغَيرِwithout دَرٍّmilk-flow
وَروِّحَتِ اللِقاحُ بِغَيرِ دَرٍّ
إِلىto الحُجُراتِthe enclosures تُعجِلُhurrying بِالرَسيمِat a quick trot
إِلى الحُجُراتِ تُعجِلُ بِالرَسيمِ
and the milk-camels are driven home at dusk, yielding no milk,
The winds blew freely without rain
to the enclosures, hurrying at a quick trot;
To the rooms, hastening the cool breeze,
وَخَوَّدَand hastened فَحلُهاtheir breeding male مِنfrom غَيرِother than شَلٍّdriving
وَخَوَّدَ فَحلُها مِن غَيرِ شَلٍّ
بِدارَracing الريحِthe wind تَخويدَwith the swift stride of الظَليمِthe male ostrich
بِدارَ الريحِ تَخويدَ الظَليمِ
and their breeding male hastens without being driven,
And its youths wandered without any guide
racing the wind with a male ostrich's stride.
In the abode of winds, wandering in the gloom.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle دَرُّهاtheir milk-flow لَمdid not يَقرِfeed ضَيفاًa guest
إِذا ما دَرُّها لَم يَقرِ ضَيفاً
ضَمِنَّthey guaranteed لَهُfor him قِراهُhis guest-meal مِنَfrom الشُحومِthe fat
ضَمِنَّ لَهُ قِراهُ مِنَ الشُحومِ
When their milk-flow cannot feed a guest,
When its houses lack provisions for a guest
they guarantee him a guest-meal from their fat.
Their cooking pots provide for him from the fats,
فَلاso not نَتَجاوَزُwe pass over العَطِلاتِthe milkless she-camels مِنهاamong them
فَلا نَتَجاوَزُ العَطِلاتِ مِنها
إِلىto البَكرِthe young male camel المُقارِبِof middling quality وَالكَزومِand the stunted camel
إِلى البَكرِ المُقارِبِ وَالكَزومِ
So we do not pass over the milkless she-camels among them
We do not slight their lean cuts
in favor of a middling young male or a stunted camel;
For the virgin hump and haunches,
وَلَكِنّاbut we نُعِضُّwe make bite السَيفَthe sword مِنهاamong them
وَلَكِنّا نُعِضُّ السَيفَ مِنها
بِأَسوُقِinto the shanks of عافِياتِabundant in اللَحمِflesh كومِhigh-humped she-camels
بِأَسوُقِ عافِياتِ اللَحمِ كومِ
but we make the sword bite among them
But we bite with the sword from them
into the shanks of fleshy, high-humped she-camels.
At the markets of meaty forelegs heaped up,
وَكَمand how many فيناamong us إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle المَحلُdrought أَبدىrevealed
وَكَم فينا إِذا ما المَحلُ أَبدى
نُحاسَthe mettle of القَومِthe people مِنof سَمحٍan openhanded man هَضومِself-denying
نُحاسَ القَومِ مِن سَمحٍ هَضومِ
And how many men among us, when drought reveals
And how many among us when the abode displays
the people's mettle, are openhanded and self-denying!
The people's meanness despite easy living,
يُباريhe vies with الريحَthe wind لَيسَhe is not بِجانِبِيٍّaloof
يُباري الريحَ لَيسَ بِجانِبِيٍّ
وَلاnor دَفِنٍburied مُروءَتُهُhis manly virtue لَئيمِbase
وَلا دَفِنٍ مُروءَتُهُ لَئيمِ
He vies with the wind, not one who stands apart,
They vie with the wind, no weaklings they,
nor a base man whose manly virtue lies buried.
Their manliness not buried away, worthless.
إِذاwhen عُدَّis reckoned القَديمُancient glory وَجَدتَyou find فيناamong us
إِذا عُدَّ القَديمُ وَجَدتَ فينا
كَرائِمَthe choicest of ماwhat يُعَدُّis reckoned مِنَfrom القَديمِthe past
كَرائِمَ ما يُعَدُّ مِنَ القَديمِ
When ancient glories are reckoned, you find among us
If you count the ancients, you will find among us
the choicest of all that is reckoned from the past.
Generosities like those counted among the ancients,
وَجَدتَyou find الجاهَprestige وَالآكالَand revenues فيناamong us
وَجَدتَ الجاهَ وَالآكالَ فينا
وَعادِيَّand age-old المَآثِرِglorious deeds وَالأَرومِand ancestral roots
وَعادِيَّ المَآثِرِ وَالأَرومِ
You find rank and wealth among us,
You will find glory and hospitality among us,
and age-old glorious deeds and ancestral roots.
Subduers of great deeds and archers.
Sol 6.1