وَدِّعbid farewell to أُمامَةَUmamah وَالتَوديعُand farewell تَعذيرُa perfunctory gesture
وَدِّع أُمامَةَ وَالتَوديعُ تَعذيرُ
وَماand what use is وَداعُكَyour farewell مَنone whom قَفَّتdeparted بِهِwith him العيرُthe caravan
وَما وَداعُكَ مَن قَفَّت بِهِ العيرُ
Bid Umamah farewell; farewell is only a token gesture.
Bid farewell to Ummama though parting is but an excuse,
And what use is your farewell to one the caravan has carried away?
Your farewell is not from one stopped by luggage camels.
وَماand not رَأَيتُكَI saw you إِلّاexcept نَظرَةًa glance عَرَضَتoccurred by chance
وَما رَأَيتُكَ إِلّا نَظرَةً عَرَضَت
يَومَon the day of النِمارَةِal-Nimarah وَالمَأمورُand the one commanded مَأمورُunder orders
يَومَ النِمارَةِ وَالمَأمورُ مَأمورُ
And I saw you only in a chance glimpse,
I saw you but a fleeting glance,
on the day at al-Nimarah; one under orders must obey.
The day they rode out and the commander gave orders.
إِنَّindeed القُفولَthe homeward return إِلىto حَيٍّa tribe وَإِنeven if بَعُدواthey are far away
إِنَّ القُفولَ إِلى حَيٍّ وَإِن بَعُدوا
أَمسَواthey reached evening وَدونَهُمُand between me and them ثَهلانُThahlan فَالنيرُthen al-Nayr
أَمسَوا وَدونَهُمُ ثَهلانُ فَالنيرُ
Truly, the journey home is to a tribe, though they are far away;
Surely returning to loved ones, though far away,
at evening, Thahlan, then al-Nayr, lie between us.
Is like evening for them with the saddles still warm.
هَلwill تُبَلِّغنيهِمُbring me to them حَرفٌa lean she-camel مُصَرَّمَةٌwith her milk cut off
هَل تُبَلِّغنيهِمُ حَرفٌ مُصَرَّمَةٌ
أُجدُstrong الفَقارِthe vertebrae وَإِدلاجٌand night travel وَتَهجيرُand midday travel
أُجدُ الفَقارِ وَإِدلاجٌ وَتَهجيرُ
Will a lean she-camel, her milk cut off, carry me to them,
Can fragments of parchment convey a message for me,
strong-backed, with travel by night and in the midday heat?
Full of yearning and twisting of fiber?
قَدalready عُرِّيَتshe has been unsaddled نِصفَhalf حَولٍa year أَشهُراًmonths جُدُداًnew
قَد عُرِّيَت نِصفَ حَولٍ أَشهُراً جُدُداً
يَسفيsweeps عَلىover رَحلِهاher saddle بِالحيرَةِat al-Hirah المورُwindblown dust
يَسفي عَلى رَحلِها بِالحيرَةِ المورُ
She has been left unsaddled for half a year, through successive months;
Half a year has passed, fresh new months,
at al-Hirah, windblown dust sweeps over her saddle.
As she wanders confused, the camels led on.
وَقارَفَتand she neared illness وَهيَwhile she لَمdid not تَجرَبcatch mange وَباعَand sold لَهاfor her
وَقارَفَت وَهيَ لَم تَجرَب وَباعَ لَها
مِنَsome of الفَصافِصِthe lucerne بِالنُمِّيِّfor coin سِفسيرُa trader
مِنَ الفَصافِصِ بِالنُمِّيِّ سِفسيرُ
She has neared illness, though she has caught no mange; and for her was sold
Though untried, she took the risk and was sold for her
some lucerne, for coin, by a trader.
Cheap ornaments and flimsy garments.
لَيسَتshe does not تَرىsee حَولَهاaround her إِلفاًa companion وَراكِبُهاand her rider
لَيسَت تَرى حَولَها إِلفاً وَراكِبُها
نَشوانُdrunk فيin جَوَّةِthe courtyard of الباغوثِal-Baghuth مَخمورُwine-befuddled
نَشوانُ في جَوَّةِ الباغوثِ مَخمورُ
She sees no companion around her, while her rider
She sees no friends around her, only her rider
is drunk in al-Baghuth's courtyard, wine-befuddled.
Drunk on wine in the litter of a sand grouse.
تُلقيlay الإِوَزّينَthe geese فيin أَكنافِthe edges of دارَتِهاher enclosure
تُلقي الإِوَزّينَ في أَكنافِ دارَتِها
بَيضاًeggs وَبَينَand between يَدَيهاher forelegs التِبنُthe straw مَنشورُspread out
بَيضاً وَبَينَ يَدَيها التِبنُ مَنشورُ
The geese lay, around the edges of her enclosure,
She casts the little bustards in the fold of her refuge
eggs, while straw is spread out before her.
White in front of her, the hay strewn about.
لَولاwere it not for الهُمامُthe noble lord الَّذيwho تُرجىare hoped for نَوافِلُهُhis gifts
لَولا الهُمامُ الَّذي تُرجى نَوافِلُهُ
لَقالَhe would surely say راكِبُهاher rider فيamong عُصبَةٍa band سيرواset out
لَقالَ راكِبُها في عُصبَةٍ سيروا
Were it not for the noble lord whose gifts are hoped for,
Were it not for the virtues hoped for as bonus,
her rider would say among a band, 'Set out!'
Her rider would say to his friends "let's move on."
كَأَنَّهاas though she were خاضِبٌstaining أَظلافَهُhis cloven hooves لَهِقٌbright white
كَأَنَّها خاضِبٌ أَظلافَهُ لَهِقٌ
قَهدُpure white الإِهابِthe hide تَرَبَّتهُreared him الزَنانيرُal-Zananir
قَهدُ الإِهابِ تَرَبَّتهُ الزَنانيرُ
She is like a bright-white wild bull, staining his cloven hooves,
As if dye stained the edges, worn out, fatigued,
pure white of hide, reared by al-Zananir.
The camel's hump dusty from the howdah's straps.
أَصاخَhe listened مِنat نَبأَةٍa faint sound أَصغىhe inclined لَهاtoward it أُذُناًan ear
أَصاخَ مِن نَبأَةٍ أَصغى لَها أُذُناً
صِماخُهاits ear canal بِدَخيسِby the thick base of الرَوقِthe horn مَستورُhidden
صِماخُها بِدَخيسِ الرَوقِ مَستورُ
He listened at a faint sound, turning an ear toward it,
From a report she heard, listening intently,
its ear canal hidden by the horn's thick base,
Her bridle muffled in coarse fabric.
مِنfrom حِسِّthe sound of أَطلَسَa ragged huntsman تَسعىrun تَحتَهُbeneath him شِرَعٌhounds
مِن حِسِّ أَطلَسَ تَسعى تَحتَهُ شِرَعٌ
كَأَنَّas though أَحناكَهاtheir jaws السُفلىlower مَآشيرُsaws
كَأَنَّ أَحناكَها السُفلى مَآشيرُ
at the sound of a ragged huntsman, with hounds running beneath him,
With sensitivity of a smooth wool cloak they hurry underneath,
as though their lower jaws were saws.
As if her lower lip was shaved bare.
يَقولُsays راكِبُهاtheir rider الجِنِّيُّthe jinn-like one مُرتَفِقاًleaning on his elbow
يَقولُ راكِبُها الجِنِّيُّ مُرتَفِقاً
هَذاthis one لَكُنَّfor you (feminine plural) وَلَحمُand the flesh of الشاةِthe sheep مَحجورُforbidden
هَذا لَكُنَّ وَلَحمُ الشاةِ مَحجورُ
Their jinn-like rider says, leaning on his elbow:
Her demon rider complains, bargaining,
'This one is for you; sheep's flesh is forbidden.'
"At least let us have mutton, even just scraps."
Sol 6.1