إِنِّيIndeed I عَلَىdespite جَنابَةِremoteness التَنَحِّيwithdrawal
إِنِّي عَلَى جَنابَةِ التَنَحِّي
وَعَضِّand the bite of ذاكَthat المَغْرَمِdebt المُلِحِّunrelenting
وَعَضِّ ذاكَ المَغْرَمِ المُلِحِّ
I, despite the remoteness of my withdrawal,
and the bite of that unrelenting debt,
لاnot أَبْتَغِيI seek سَيْبthe bounty of اللَّئِيمthe base man القُحِّthoroughgoing
لا أَبْتَغِي سَيْب اللَّئِيم القُحِّ
قَدْindeed كادَhe nearly مِنْfrom نَحْنَحَةٍthroat-clearing وَأَحِّand an 'ahem'
قَدْ كادَ مِنْ نَحْنَحَةٍ وَأَحِّ
do not seek the bounty of a thoroughgoing scoundrel.
With throat-clearing and an 'ahem,' he nearly
يَحْكِيhe imitates سُعالَthe cough of الشَرِقthe choking man الأَبَحِّthe hoarse one
يَحْكِي سُعالَ الشَرِق الأَبَحِّ
عَبدِa slave of الْمِقَدَّيْنal-Miqaddayn (unclear designation) أَنْوحAnūḥ (uncertain name or epithet) الأَفْحِthe hoarse one
عَبدِ الْمِقَدَّيْن أَنْوح الأَفْحِ
imitates the cough of a choking, hoarse man—
slave of al-Miqaddayn, Anūḥ the hoarse.
بادِيshowing الكُدَىhard bedrock يُعْيِيit defeats انْتِحاتَchiseling النَقْحِscraping
بادِي الكُدَى يُعْيِي انْتِحاتَ النَقْحِ
تَراهُyou see him يَرْبُوhe swells بِطْنَةَbelly-swelling المُجِحِّthe heavily pregnant creature
تَراهُ يَرْبُو بِطْنَةَ المُجِحِّ
His rocky hardness shows; he defies all chiseling and scraping.
You see him swell like a heavily pregnant creature's belly,
لُؤْماًin baseness وَإِنْand even if خَادَعْتَهُyou coax him بِالمَسْحِwith flattery
لُؤْماً وَإِنْ خَادَعْتَهُ بِالمَسْحِ
صَارَhe turns إِلَىto تَعَلُّلٍexcuse-making وَأَزْحِand holding back
صَارَ إِلَى تَعَلُّلٍ وَأَزْحِ
with baseness; and even if you coax him with flattery,
he turns to excuses and holding back.
وَعَجَباًand wonder لِلآمِنِat the secure man المُضَحِّيout in broad daylight
وَعَجَباً لِلآمِنِ المُضَحِّي
وَقَدْand indeed أُصادِيI confront بِالمُقَامِin the encounter الصِرْحِopen
وَقَدْ أُصادِي بِالمُقَامِ الصِرْحِ
And how strange the man secure in open daylight,
while I confront, in an open encounter,
أَوْقاًa burden وَأَعْداءًand enemies ثِقَالَheavy الرَزْحcrushing weight
أَوْقاً وَأَعْداءً ثِقَالَ الرَزْح
ياO خَيَّmy brother لاnot أَفْرَقI fear أَنْthat تَفِحِّيyou hiss
يا خَيَّ لا أَفْرَق أَنْ تَفِحِّي
a burden and enemies of crushing weight.
O brother, I do not fear your hissing,
أَوor أَنْthat تَحِفِّيyou whirr كرَحَىlike the millstone of المُرَحِّيthe miller
أَو أَنْ تَحِفِّي كرَحَى المُرَحِّي
إِنِّيIndeed I أَنَاI myself الدامِغُthe skull-crusher وَالمُصَحِّيand the clearer-away
إِنِّي أَنَا الدامِغُ وَالمُصَحِّي
or your whirring like a miller's grindstone.
I am the skull-crusher and the one who clears away,
بِالنارِwith fire عَنْaway from أُمِّthe mother of الفِراخِthe chicks الوُكْحِthe hardy ones
بِالنارِ عَنْ أُمِّ الفِراخِ الوُكْحِ
يَخْشَعُcowers لِيbefore me شَيْطانُthe demon of كُلِّevery طَمْحِheadstrong one
يَخْشَعُ لِي شَيْطانُ كُلِّ طَمْحِ
with fire, from the mother of the hardy chicks.
The demon of every headstrong one cowers before me.
وَيْلٌwoe لِمَنْto whoever حارَبَنِيwars with me وَصُلْحِيand my peace
وَيْلٌ لِمَنْ حارَبَنِي وَصُلْحِي
صُلْحٌpeace لِمَنْfor whoever باشَرَنِيdeals with me بِنُصْحِwith sincerity
صُلْحٌ لِمَنْ باشَرَنِي بِنُصْحِ
Woe to whoever wars with me; and my peace
is peace for whoever deals with me sincerely.
إِنِّيIndeed I لأَسْقِيI surely give drink to الشانِئِينَthe haters جَدْحِيmy mixed brew
إِنِّي لأَسْقِي الشانِئِينَ جَدْحِي
قَواتِلاًlethal draughts مِنْfrom غَلَثِيِّa mixture of الذَرْحِblister-beetles
قَواتِلاً مِنْ غَلَثِيِّ الذَرْحِ
I surely give my haters my mixed brew,
deadly draughts from a mixture of blister-beetles.
قَدْalready ذاقَhave tasted هاماتُthe heads of العِدَىthe foes مِنْfrom نَطْحِيmy butting
قَدْ ذاقَ هاماتُ العِدَى مِنْ نَطْحِي
صُلْبَhard الحِجاجَيْنِthe two eye-sockets رَحِيبَwide الجُرْحِthe wound
صُلْبَ الحِجاجَيْنِ رَحِيبَ الجُرْحِ
The heads of foes have tasted my butting,
hard at both eye-sockets, wide in its wound,
مِنْfrom صَقْعِthe striking of قَرْنَيْهِits two horns دَوَامِيbleeding القَرْحِsores
مِنْ صَقْعِ قَرْنَيْهِ دَوَامِي القَرْحِ
بِحَيْثُwhere شَجَّاthe two gashed مِنْfrom كِفاحِhead-on combat الكَفْحِfrontal blows
بِحَيْثُ شَجَّا مِنْ كِفاحِ الكَفْحِ
from its two horns' blows, with bleeding sores,
where the two gashed in head-on combat,
آثارَmarks of ثُعْلThuʿl (unclear reference) كَالرِحالِlike saddles الرُكْحِbroad
آثارَ ثُعْل كَالرِحالِ الرُكْحِ
وَأَنَاand I فيin تَحَلُّمِيmy forbearance وَفَشْحِيand my relieving
وَأَنَا في تَحَلُّمِي وَفَشْحِي
marks of Thuʿl, like broad saddles.
And while I show forbearance and lift
عَنْfrom نَفَسِthe soul of المُكْرُوبِthe anguished one حَرَّthe heat of اللَفْحِthe scorching blast
عَنْ نَفَسِ المُكْرُوبِ حَرَّ اللَفْحِ
فيon كُلِّevery يَوْمٍday مُسْمَهِرِّfierce الصَمْحِharshness
في كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مُسْمَهِرِّ الصَمْحِ
the scorching blast's heat from the anguished soul,
on every day of fierce harshness,
يُرْهِبُterrifies زَأرِيmy roar كَلَبَاتِfits of rabid fury النَبْحِbarking
يُرْهِبُ زَأرِي كَلَبَاتِ النَبْحِ
وَالمُخدِراتِand the lair-dwellers فيin الإِجامِthe thickets المُلْحِgray
وَالمُخدِراتِ في الإِجامِ المُلْحِ
my roar terrifies barking fits of fury
and the lair-dwellers in the gray thickets.
وَالبُزْلَand the mature camels قَدْalready دَوَّخْتُهاI subdued them بِالْكَبْحِby reining in
وَالبُزْلَ قَدْ دَوَّخْتُها بِالْكَبْحِ
خَواضِعاًsubmissive مِنْfrom صادِماتِcrashing blows الرَنْحِstaggering
خَواضِعاً مِنْ صادِماتِ الرَنْحِ
And mature camels I have subdued with the rein,
bowed beneath blows that make them stagger.
ذاكَthat وَأُنحيand I direct العَضَّthe bite حينَwhen أُنْحِيI bear down
ذاكَ وَأُنحي العَضَّ حينَ أُنْحِي
وَسَمُّand the venom of أَنْيابِيmy fangs جُرازa ruthless cutter الذَبْحِslaughter
وَسَمُّ أَنْيابِي جُراز الذَبْحِ
That is so; I aim my bite when I bear down,
and my fangs' venom is a ruthless blade of slaughter.
وَناضِبِand depleted of الماءِwater قَلِيلِscant الشَبْحِvisible forms
وَناضِبِ الماءِ قَلِيلِ الشَبْحِ
أَزْوَرَturning aside بِالرَكْبِwith the riders رَكُوضِmaking gallop الرُمْحِthe spear
أَزْوَرَ بِالرَكْبِ رَكُوضِ الرُمْحِ
And a waterless tract, with few forms in sight,
turning the riders aside, setting their spears bounding,
صِيرَانُهُits wild-cattle herds فَوْضَىscattered freely بِكُلِّacross every نَدْحِopen expanse
صِيرَانُهُ فَوْضَى بِكُلِّ نَدْحِ
يَحْجُجْنَthey make pilgrimage بِالقَيْظِin summer heat حِفافَthe edges of الرَدْحِthe broad shelter
يَحْجُجْنَ بِالقَيْظِ حِفافَ الرَدْحِ
its wild-cattle herds roam free in every open expanse,
making for the edges of broad shelter in summer heat,
حَجَّthe pilgrimage of النَصَارىthe Christians العِيدَthe feast يَوْمَon the day of الفِصْحِEaster
حَجَّ النَصَارى العِيدَ يَوْمَ الفِصْحِ
كَأَنَّas though أَصْواتthe calls of الصَدَىthe owl ذِيwith الضَبْحِa panting cry
كَأَنَّ أَصْوات الصَدَى ذِي الضَبْحِ
like Christians' pilgrimage to the feast on Easter day.
As though the calls of the gasping owl
بِاللَيْلat night أَصْواتthe voices of النِياحthe mourners الصُدْحِthe loud-voiced ones
بِاللَيْل أَصْوات النِياح الصُدْحِ
يَسْقِيgives drink بِهِin it الجُونُthe dark bird فِراخَthe chicks of الضِحِّsunlight
يَسْقِي بِهِ الجُونُ فِراخَ الضِحِّ
at night were the voices of loud-crying mourners.
There the dark bird gives drink to the chicks in the sun,
زُغْباًdowny بِمُلْقىًat a resting place عِنْدَbeside قَيْضِthe shell of المُحِّthe yolk
زُغْباً بِمُلْقىً عِنْدَ قَيْضِ المُحِّ
قَطَعْتُهُI crossed it وَالآلُwhile the mirage جارِيflowing السَبْحِswimming motion
قَطَعْتُهُ وَالآلُ جارِي السَبْحِ
downy where they lie, beside the yolk's shell.
I crossed it while the mirage flowed as though swimming,
وَالسَيْفand the sword أَدْنَىthe nearest صاحِبٍcompanion مِنْto كَشْحِيmy flank
وَالسَيْف أَدْنَى صاحِبٍ مِنْ كَشْحِي
بِشَمَّرِيَّاتِon swift ones among القِلاصِthe young she-camels المُرْحِthe lively ones
بِشَمَّرِيَّاتِ القِلاصِ المُرْحِ
and the sword was the closest companion to my flank,
on swift, lively young she-camels,
قَدْalready عَضَّbit أَنْساعٌgirth-straps بِهِاinto them كَالوُشْحِlike sashes
قَدْ عَضَّ أَنْساعٌ بِهِا كَالوُشْحِ
صُهْبِtawny الذَفارَىthe spots behind the ears طَيِّباتِsweet-smelling النَتْحِsweat
صُهْبِ الذَفارَى طَيِّباتِ النَتْحِ
with girth-straps biting into them like sashes,
tawny behind the ears, sweet-smelling in their sweat,
إِذاwhen جَرَىflowed مِنْهاfrom them انْفِصَادُan outpouring of الرَشْحِperspiration
إِذا جَرَى مِنْها انْفِصَادُ الرَشْحِ
وَقَدْand already جَرَىflowed فَوْقَover المِتانِthe backs الفُضْحِthe pale-reddish ones
وَقَدْ جَرَى فَوْقَ المِتانِ الفُضْحِ
when perspiration burst forth and ran from them;
and over their pale-reddish backs there flowed
أَبْيَضُwhite froth مِنْfrom رَقْراقِهِنَّtheir shimmering sweat الوُضْحِthe clear kind
أَبْيَضُ مِنْ رَقْراقِهِنَّ الوُضْحِ
وَالرِيحُand the wind تُذْرِيwinnows الخَرْقَthe wasteland بَعْدَafter الكَسْحِsweeping
وَالرِيحُ تُذْرِي الخَرْقَ بَعْدَ الكَسْحِ
white froth from their clear, shimmering sweat,
while the wind winnowed the waste after sweeping it,
فيin عَمِقdeep الأَجْوافِhollows نائِيfar-reaching النَدْحِopen expanse
في عَمِق الأَجْوافِ نائِي النَدْحِ
خاوempty مَسَاقِيهِits watering places شَطُونِfar-flung اللُجْحِrecesses
خاو مَسَاقِيهِ شَطُونِ اللُجْحِ
in a land of deep hollows and far-reaching expanses,
its watering places empty, its recesses far away.
Sol 6.1