أذلكَis it that أمor كُدْرِيَّةٌa dusky sandgrouse هاجroused وِرْدَهاher journey to water
أذلكَ أم كُدْرِيَّةٌ هاج وِرْدَها
منof القيظsummer heat يومٌa day واقِدٌblazing وسَمُومُand a scorching wind
من القيظ يومٌ واقِدٌ وسَمُومُ
Is it that, or a dusky sandgrouse whose journey to water was stirred
Is it so, or is it a roiled rose whose bloom
by a blazing summer day and a scorching wind?
Was scorched by a sweltering day and poisonous airs?
غدتْshe set out at dawn كَنواةlike the stone of القَسْبdry dates لاnot مُضْمحِلَّةٌwasted away
غدتْ كَنواة القَسْب لا مُضْمحِلَّةٌ
وناةٌsluggish ولاnor عَجْلىquick الفُتورslackening سؤومُeasily wearied
وناةٌ ولا عَجْلى الفُتور سؤومُ
She set out like the stone of a dry date, neither wasted
It became like erect unwithering reedgrass
and sluggish, nor quick to flag and tire.
In bloom still, nor soon overtaken by languor.
تُواشِكُshe hastens رَجْعَthe backward motion of المَنْكبِينthe two shoulders وترتميand she flings herself
تُواشِكُ رَجْعَ المَنْكبِين وترتمي
إلىtoward كَلْكَلa breast للهادياتِfor the leading birds قَدُومُa forerunner
إلى كَلْكَل للهادياتِ قَدُومُ
She quickens her shoulders' backstroke and flings herself
It was about to incline its stem and tumble
breast-first, outstripping the birds in the lead.
Down to a basin for the maidens' advent.
فماso not انخفضتْshe descended حتىuntil رأتْshe saw ماwhat يسرُّهاpleases her
فما انخفضتْ حتى رأتْ ما يسرُّها
وفَيْءُand the shade الضُّحىof late morning قدalready مالshifted فهوso it was ذميمُscant
وفَيْءُ الضُّحى قد مال فهو ذميمُ
She did not descend until she saw what pleased her—
But no sooner it inclined than it saw what delighted it,
the morning shade had shifted and was scant—
And the noon shade had shifted, so it remained bleak.
أَباطِحgravelly streambeds وانتصَّتْand she stood erect علىat حيثwhere تستقىshe drinks
أَباطِح وانتصَّتْ على حيث تستقى
بهاin them شَرَكٌa snare للوارداتِfor birds coming to water مُقِيمُset in place
بها شَرَكٌ للوارداتِ مُقِيمُ
gravelly streambeds; she stood erect where she would drink,
It revived and coiled itself where it could drink
where a snare stood ready for birds coming to water.
With a company of visitors lingering.
سقتْهاwatered them سيولُtorrents المُدْجِناتِdark rainclouds فأصبحتْso they became
سقتْها سيولُ المُدْجِناتِ فأصبحتْ
عَلاجِيمَdeep waters تَجْريthey flow مرَّةًsometimes وتدومُand they stand still
عَلاجِيمَ تَجْري مرَّةً وتدومُ
Torrents from dark rainclouds had watered them, so they became
Watered by overflow of watered, it became
deep pools, sometimes flowing, sometimes still.
In the morning fresh, flowing and lasting.
فلمّاthen when استقتْshe drank منfrom باردcool الماءthe water وانجلىand cleared away
فلمّا استقتْ من بارد الماء وانجلى
عنfrom النفسthe soul منهاfrom her لَوْحةٌburning thirst وهمومُand cares
عن النفس منها لَوْحةٌ وهمومُ
When she had drunk the cool water, and there had lifted
When it had its full draught of the cold water and shook off
from her soul the burning thirst and cares,
From its breath something that burdened and troubled it,
دعَتْshe called باسمهاby her own name حينwhen استقتْshe drank فاستقلَّهاso they bore her aloft
دعَتْ باسمها حين استقتْ فاستقلَّها
قَوادِمُprimary flight feathers حجنٌcurved رِيشُهنّtheir plumage ملِيمُclosely fitted
قَوادِمُ حجنٌ رِيشُهنّ ملِيمُ
she called her own name when she had drunk; then she was borne aloft
It called out its name when it drank its fill, so
by curved primary feathers, their plumage closely fitted,
Light troops of maidens came, their plumage defiled.
بجَوْزٍwith a torso كحُقِّlike the casket of الهاجريّةa woman of Hajar زانَهadorned it
بجَوْزٍ كحُقِّ الهاجريّة زانَه
بأطرافwith the tips of عودِthe rod of الفارسيِّthe Persian وُشُومُtattooed patterns
بأطراف عودِ الفارسيِّ وُشُومُ
with a torso like a Hajar woman's casket, adorned
With a walnut like the cheek of a village belle
with tattooed patterns traced by the tips of a Persian's rod.
Adorned at the ends with Indian aloes' spires.
Sol 6.1