روَّحَهاhe brought them back at evening مخمسةًon a five-day watering cycle خمائصاًhollow-bellied
روَّحَها مخمسةً خمائصاً
جُبّاًwith wasted humps منfrom الإعياءexhaustion أوor وقائصاneck-broken
جُبّاً من الإعياء أو وقائصا
He brought them back at evening, five days between drinks, hollow-bellied,
I comforted her, tired and worn,
Their humps wasted by exhaustion, or their necks broken,
Exhausted, limping wearily along,
قرومَهاtheir mighty camel stallions الجِلَّةَthe full-grown ones والقلائصاand the young she-camels
قرومَها الجِلَّةَ والقلائصا
موبرةًwool-covered تحسبهاyou think them قصائصاshorn beasts
موبرةً تحسبها قصائصا
Their mighty, full-grown camels and their young she-camels,
Her neck drooping, her strength all gone,
Wool-covered, yet you would think them shorn.
A withered thing you'd think had no life long.
زادincreased الربيعُspring وغدتand they became نواقصاdiminished
زاد الربيعُ وغدت نواقصا
إذاwhen مشتthey walked علىon الحصىthe pebbles حوائصاswerving aside
إذا مشت على الحصى حوائصا
Spring grew richer, and they grew leaner.
When spring returned she was but skin and bone,
When they walked upon the pebbles, swerving aside,
Walking with care lest she strike a stone.
عادturned back بهاwith them لذّاعُهits fierce sting قوامصاbounding
عاد بها لذّاعُه قوامصا
تسألthey ask بالماءfor water القطاthe sandgrouse الفواحصاthe ground-scratchers
تسأل بالماء القطا الفواحصا
Its fierce sting sent them bounding again.
Her master took her back, a welcome boon,
They asked the ground-scratching sandgrouse for water.
She begged water from the rain with panting moan,
إذاwhen السحابthe clouds اغترّهاbeguiled them مُراقِصاdancing
إذا السحاب اغترّها مُراقِصا
ردّتْthey turned back عليهtoward it أعيناًeyes أخاوصاnarrow and sunken
ردّتْ عليه أعيناً أخاوصا
When the clouds beguiled them, dancing,
When clouds would mock her, speeding past so fast,
They turned back toward them narrow, sunken eyes.
She gazed at them with eyes of longing vast,
يغدوcomes forth السفاthe grit لموقهنat their inner eye-corners باخصاgouging
يغدو السفا لموقهن باخصا
حتىuntil لحقنthey reached طيِّعاًthe yielding وعائصاand the intractable
حتى لحقن طيِّعاً وعائصا
Grit came to gouge the corners of their eyes,
At dawn the travelers left, their beasts athirst
Until they reached the yielding and the intractable alike.
Till they could reach the well, though like to burst.
يفلينthey comb منfrom روضthe meadow of الحمىthe protected pasture العقائصاthe braids
يفلين من روض الحمى العقائصا
ويحتلبنand they milk اللُّمَّعَthe gleaming ones النشائصاthe high-rising clouds
ويحتلبن اللُّمَّعَ النشائصا
They combed the braids of the protected pasture's meadow,
They drained the lovely meadows' channels dry
And milked the gleaming clouds rising high.
And milked the udder that was wrinkled, shy.
ياO لكfor you ربعاًa dwelling بالنخيلamong the palms شاخصاstanding forth
يا لك ربعاً بالنخيل شاخصا
أينwhere الظباءthe gazelles تقنصhunt القوانصاthe hunters
أين الظباء تقنص القوانصا
Ah, what a dwelling, standing forth among the palms!
O what a lovely place with palms outspread!
Where are the gazelles that hunt the hunters,
Where are the gazelles that grazed and fled
بأوجهٍwith faces لمdid not تعرفknow الوَصاوصاthe veils' eye-slits
بأوجهٍ لم تعرف الوَصاوصا
وأنملٍand fingers يبسطنهاthey spread them رواخصاsoft and supple
وأنملٍ يبسطنها رواخصا
With faces that never knew a veil's eye-slits,
With faces that no blemish ever marred,
And fingers they spread out, tender and supple?
Hooves that scattered the pebbles near and far,
إذاwhen ضممنthey clasped فيin الدجىthe darkness القَرابصاthe saddle-bows
إذا ضممن في الدجى القَرابصا
نمَّbetrayed عليهنagainst them الحُليُّthe jewelry آبصاglittering
نمَّ عليهن الحُليُّ آبصا
When they clasped the saddle-bows in the darkness,
When in the gloaming they were folded in,
Their glittering jewelry betrayed them.
Their jeweled collars shone beneath their chin.
أيامin the days when أرعيكI let you graze الهوىlove مخالصاsincerely devoted
أيام أرعيك الهوى مخالصا
مناوئاًopposing غيّthe folly of الصباyouth مناوصاstruggling to escape
مناوئاً غيّ الصبا مناوصا
In the days when I let you graze on love, sincerely devoted,
For days, desire, I tended you with care,
Opposing youth's folly, struggling to escape it,
Enduring absence, separation's snare,
ذلكthat حتىuntil عدتُI became ظلاًّa shadow قالصاshrinking
ذلك حتى عدتُ ظلاًّ قالصا
قلsay لامرىءto a man نابلنيtraded shafts with me القوارصاstinging words
قل لامرىء نابلني القوارصا
So it was, until I became a shrinking shadow.
Until I wasted away in despair,
Tell a man who traded stinging shafts with me,
Say to the one whose slander was not fair,
مستخفياًhiding himself وذمَّand disparaged فضلىmy merit ناقصاdeficient
مستخفياً وذمَّ فضلى ناقصا
عمَّكengulfed you جهلٌignorance أتعبwearied الخصائصاthe distinguished few
عمَّك جهلٌ أتعب الخصائصا
In hiding, and disparaged my merit, himself deficient:
Scorning my merit, ranking me not there,
Ignorance has engulfed you and wearied the discerning.
In your ignorance you judge what you can't know
عشlive حاسداًenvious ماas long as شئتyou wish أوor قلspeak خارصاfabricating lies
عش حاسداً ما شئت أو قل خارصا
تعلقُyou encounter منيfrom me قُلقُلاًa nimble, restless man محارصاeagerly competing
تعلقُ مني قُلقُلاً محارصا
Live envious as long as you wish, or speak fabrications;
Live on in envy, hate me, be my foe!
You encounter in me a nimble, eager challenger,
I will oppose, though shaken by your blow,
مصابراًpatiently contending with أقرانَهhis peers مرابصاlying in wait
مصابراً أقرانَه مرابصا
حتىuntil يَردَّhe sends back كلَّevery مخزٍone who humiliates ناكصاretreating
حتى يَردَّ كلَّ مخزٍ ناكصا
Patiently contending with his peers, lying in wait,
Patient, though stung by unkind acts you sow,
Until he sends every would-be humiliator back in retreat.
Till every slanderer is laid low,
حرّمتُI forbade شرباًdrinking ماas long as رزقتُI was allotted خابصاa muddler
حرّمتُ شرباً ما رزقتُ خابصا
ياO لكfor you دَرّاًa flow of milk لوif only تكونyou were خالصاpure
يا لك دَرّاً لو تكون خالصا
I forswore drink while a muddler was my lot.
I shun the gifts of those I disavow.
What a flow of milk you would be, were you pure!
Would you were pure gold and perfect in show!
إنif تردyou approach الجمرthe live coals تجدهyou find it قابصاpinching
إن ترد الجمر تجده قابصا
قبلكbefore you أقذيتI cast grit into the eyes of عِداًenemies أخاوصاnarrow-eyed
قبلك أقذيت عِداً أخاوصا
If you approach the live coals, you will find them pinching.
But if tried by fire, you'd melt and flow.
Before you, I cast grit into the eyes of narrow-eyed enemies,
Before you I endured a treacherous band,
تنصّthey raise نحويtoward me أعيناًeyes شواخصاstaring fixedly
تنصّ نحوي أعيناً شواخصا
تلفُّتَthe turning glance of العانةِthe wild-ass herd راعتstartled قانصاa hunter
تلفُّتَ العانةِ راعت قانصا
Who raised fixed, staring eyes toward me,
Who smiled at me while scheming underhand.
Like a wild-ass herd turning after startling a hunter.
When she who blames glanced sidelong in disdain,
ففتُّهاso I outstripped them بمهَليat my leisure حرائصاeager
ففتُّها بمهَلي حرائصا
فوتَas the outstripping of الرؤوسthe heads أعيتِexhausted الأخامصاthe arches of the feet
فوتَ الرؤوس أعيتِ الأخامصا
I outpaced them at my leisure, eager though they were,
I gently chided her with soft refrain,
As heads outstrip the arches of the feet, leaving them exhausted.
The heads withdrew, the busy tongues were still,
فقلso speak مطيلاًat length فيّabout me أوor ملاخصاbriefly
فقل مطيلاً فيّ أو ملاخصا
تشرِyou buy المناياthe deaths منfrom فميmy mouth رخائصاcheaply
تشرِ المنايا من فمي رخائصا
So speak about me at length or briefly:
Say what you will of me, reproach your fill!
You will buy deaths cheaply from my mouth.
Death's drought will one day in my mouth distill,
وربماand perhaps عفوتI pardoned عنكyou ماحصاscrutinizing
وربما عفوت عنك ماحصا
جهدُthe utmost effort of البعوضmosquitoes أنthat يكونit be قارصاa biter
جهدُ البعوض أن يكون قارصا
And perhaps I may pardon you after scrutiny:
Perhaps I'll pardon you and wish no ill.
The utmost a mosquito can do is bite.
The gnat still strives to criticize and sting!
Sol 6.1