سَقانيgave me to drink سُبَيعٌSubayʿ شُربَةَa draught فَرَويتُهاso I drank my fill of it
سَقاني سُبَيعٌ شُربَةَ فَرَويتُها
تَذَكَرتُI remembered مِنهاfrom it أَينَwhere أَمَّheaded for البَوارِدِthe cool waters
تَذَكَرتُ مِنها أَينَ أَمَّ البَوارِدِ
Subayʿ gave me a draught, so I drank my fill of it.
A draught of water quenched my thirst,
It made me recall where he had sought the cool waters.
and I remembered where the flowing springs are.
أَشَتَّscattered بِقَلبيin my heart مَنthe one who هَواهُhis love بِساجَرٍin Sājar
أَشَتَّ بِقَلبي مَن هَواهُ بِساجَرٍ
وَمَنand the one who هُوَhe كوفِيٌّa Kufan هَوىlove مُتَباعِدُfar apart
وَمَن هُوَ كوفِيٌّ هَوى مُتَباعِدُ
He whose love is in Sājar has torn my heart apart,
The one whose love pierced my heart dwells in Sajar,
And he who is Kufan—a love spread far apart.
while my beloved is a Kufan, keeping his distance.
فَقُلتُso I said لِأَصحابيto my companions المُزَجّينَurging onward نَيبَهُمtheir aged she-camels
فَقُلتُ لِأَصحابي المُزَجّينَ نَيبَهُم
كَلاboth جانَبيthe two sides of بابٌBāb لِمَنfor whoever راحَsets out قاصِدُeasily reached
كَلا جانَبي بابٌ لِمَن راحَ قاصِدُ
So I said to my companions, urging their aged she-camels onward:
So I said to my companions, as they were departing,
Both sides of Bāb are easily reached by whoever sets out.
"Neither of my two sides is open to one bent on leaving.
كِلاeach of the two ذَينِكَthose two الحَيَّينِthe two clans أَصبَحَhas become دارُهُits dwelling
كِلا ذَينِكَ الحَيَّينِ أَصبَحَ دارُهُ
نَآنِيَdistant from me إِلاّexcept أَنthat تَخُبَّtrot القَصائِدُthe stout she-camels
نَآنِيَ إِلاّ أَن تَخُبَّ القَصائِدُ
The dwelling of each of those two clans has become
Both your two dear lives have become a home
Distant from me, unless the stout she-camels trot.
whose bowls are filled with nothing but poetry.
وَأَشعَثُand a disheveled man قَدalready شَفَّwasted الهَواجُرُthe midday heats وَجهَهُhis face
وَأَشعَثُ قَد شَفَّ الهَواجُرُ وَجهَهُ
وَعَيساءُand a pale she-camel تَسدوstrides out مَرَّةًat one time وَتُواغِدُand keeps pace with others
وَعَيساءُ تَسدو مَرَّةً وَتُواغِدُ
And a disheveled man, whose face the midday heats had wasted,
Ashʿath's face is bright again now that the nymphs have healed it,
And a pale she-camel, now striding out, now keeping pace,
and ʿAysa begins to spend her nights and awaken at daybreak.
كَأَخنَسَlike a snub-nosed bull مَوشِيِّmottled الأَكارِعِthe shanks راعَهُstartled him
كَأَخنَسَ مَوشِيِّ الأَكارِعِ راعَهُ
بِرَوضَةِin the meadow of مَعروفٍMaʿrūf لَيالٍnights صَوارِدُbitterly cold
بِرَوضَةِ مَعروفٍ لَيالٍ صَوارِدُ
Like a snub-nosed bull with mottled shanks, startled
Like a tongue-tied shepherd guarding horned ewes,
In the meadow of Maʿrūf by chilly nights.
he pastures them in Maruf's meadow during the nights of flowing waters.
رَعىhe grazed غَيرَnot مَذعورٍfrightened بِهنَّduring them وَراقَهُand delighted him
رَعى غَيرَ مَذعورٍ بِهنَّ وَراقَهُ
لُعاعٌtender herbage تَهاداهُpassed it to one another الدَكادِكُthe low sandy mounds واعِدُpromising
لُعاعٌ تَهاداهُ الدَكادِكُ واعِدُ
He grazed unfrightened through them, delighted by
He pastures them unafraid, distracted by their beauty,
Promising tender herbage, passed like gifts among the low mounds.
as playful gazelles and promises distract him.
فَلَمthen did not يَرَsee إِلاّexcept سَبعَةًseven قَدalready رَهَقنَهُthey overtook him
فَلَم يَرَ إِلاّ سَبعَةً قَد رَهَقنَهُ
حَوانيَarched-backed فيon أَعناقِهِنَّtheir necks القَلائِدُthe collars
حَوانيَ في أَعناقِهِنَّ القَلائِدُ
Then he saw nothing but seven hounds that had already overtaken him,
But then he saw only seven who had overwhelmed him—
Arched-backed, with collars around their necks.
gazelles wearing necklaces around their throats.
لَهُنَّfor them عَلَيهِupon him المَوتُdeath وَالمَوتُand death دونَهُbefore him
لَهُنَّ عَلَيهِ المَوتُ وَالمَوتُ دونَهُ
عَلىon حَدِّthe edge of رَوقَيهِhis two horns مُذابٌmolten وَجامِدُand solid
عَلى حَدِّ رَوقَيهِ مُذابٌ وَجامِدُ
They meant death for him, yet death stood before him,
For them it was death and for him death was near,
On the tips of his two horns, molten and solid.
molten and frozen on the edge of his cheeks.
وَلَوand if شاءَhe wished أَنجاهُwould have saved him فَلَمso did not تَلتَبِسclose بِهِwith him
وَلَو شاءَ أَنجاهُ فَلَم تَلتَبِس بِهِ
لَهُhe had غائِبٌa hidden reserve لَمnot يَبتَذِلهُspend it وَشاهِدُand an available one
لَهُ غائِبٌ لَم يَبتَذِلهُ وَشاهِدُ
Had he wished, he could have escaped, and they would not have closed with him;
Had he wished, he could have saved himself, but he was not confounded,
He had hidden strength, unspent, and strength at hand.
for he has an absent one who did not make him suffer and one present before him.
وَلَكِنand yet رَدىhe bounded ثُمَّthen اِرعوىturned back حَلِساًclinging fast بِهِto it
وَلَكِن رَدى ثُمَّ اِرعوى حَلِساً بِهِ
يُمارِسُهاhe grapples with them حيناًfor a while وَحيناًand for a while يُطاردُhe gives chase
يُمارِسُها حيناً وَحيناً يُطاردُ
But he bounded, then turned back, holding fast to it,
But then he yielded to them, from time to time resisting
Grappling with them a while, and giving chase a while.
and from time to time pursuing them playfully.
فَلاso no غَروَaim إِلاّexcept هُنَّthem وَهوand he كَأَنَّهُas though he were
فَلا غَروَ إِلاّ هُنَّ وَهو كَأَنَّهُ
شِهابٌa meteor يُفَرِّيهِنَّrips them apart بِالجَوِin the air واقِدُblazing
شِهابٌ يُفَرِّيهِنَّ بِالجَوِ واقِدُ
So his only aim was those hounds, and he seemed
So it was no wonder, except for them, while he was as if
A blazing meteor, rending them in the air.
he were a shooting star, frightening them in midair.
إِذاwhenever كَرّhe charged فيهاamong them كَرَّةًa charge فَكَأَنَّهاthen as though they were
إِذا كَرّ فيها كَرَّةً فَكَأَنَّها
دَفينُburied نِقالٍworn-out sandals يَختَفَيهِنَّdigs them up سارِدُa cobbler
دَفينُ نِقالٍ يَختَفَيهِنَّ سارِدُ
Whenever he made a charge among them, they seemed
Whenever he tossed in their midst, it was as if
Buried worn-out sandals that a cobbler digs up.
he were a twisting serpent, disappearing among their chests.
Sol 6.1