مُعاوِيَO Muʿāwiya لَمْdid not أَكدْI nearly managed آتيكَcome to you تَهْويshe speeds along
مُعاوِيَ لَمْ أَكدْ آتيكَ تَهْوي
بِرَحْليwith my saddle رادَةُswaying الأصْلابِthe loins نابُan old she-camel
بِرَحْلي رادَةُ الأصْلابِ نابُ
O Muʿāwiya, I barely managed to reach you, as she sped
Mu'awiya, I barely come to you growing weak
bearing my saddle—an old she-camel with swaying loins.
With my camel, the backs of the heroes grow tired
قَرِيحُsore الظَّهْرِthe back يَفْرَحُrejoices أَنْto يَراهاsee her
قَرِيحُ الظَّهْرِ يَفْرَحُ أَنْ يَراها
إذاwhen وَضَعَتْshe lays aside وِلّيتَهاher saddlecloth الغُرابُthe raven
إذا وَضَعَتْ وِلّيتَها الغُرابُ
Her back is sore; glad to see her
The saddle rubs into the back happily when it sees it
is the raven, when she lays aside her saddlecloth.
If the crow has laid its saddlecloth
تَجُوبُshe traverses الأرضَthe earth نَحْوَكَtoward you ماnot تَأَنَّىshe lingers
تَجُوبُ الأرضَ نَحْوَكَ ما تَأَنَّى
إذاwhen ماfor emphasis الأُكْمُthe hillocks قَنَّعَهاveils them السَّرابُthe mirage
إذا ما الأُكْمُ قَنَّعَها السَّرابُ
She crosses the earth toward you without lingering,
It roams the earth towards you without tiring
when the mirage veils the hillocks.
If the mirage has clothed the dune for it
وكُنْتَand you were المُرْتَجىthe one hoped for وبِكَand to you اسْتَغاثَتْshe appealed for aid
وكُنْتَ المُرْتَجى وبِكَ اسْتَغاثَتْ
لتُنْعِشَهاso you might revive her إذاwhen بَخُلَgrew miserly السَّحابُthe clouds
لتُنْعِشَها إذا بَخُلَ السَّحابُ
And you were her hope, and she sought your aid,
You were the one hoped for and in you she called out
that you might revive her when the clouds grew miserly.
To revive her if the clouds were stingy
Sol 6.1