يَاO دَارَdwelling of كَبْشَةَKabsha تِلْكَthat one لَمْdid not تَتَغَيَّرِchange
يَا دَارَ كَبْشَةَ تِلْكَ لَمْ تَتَغَيَّرِ
بِجُنُوبِon the flanks of ذِيDhū خشُبٍKhushub فَحَزْمِthen the ridge of عَصَنْصَرِʿAṣanṣar
بِجُنُوبِ ذِي خشُبٍ فَحَزْمِ عَصَنْصَرِ
O dwelling of Kabsha, there, unchanged,
O Dar Kabsha, you have not changed
On the flanks of Dhū Khushub, then the ridge of ʿAṣanṣar,
With the southern side of wooden stakes and bundles of palm fronds
فَجُنُوبِthen the flanks of عَرْوَىʿArwā فَالقِهَادِthen al-Qihād غَشِتُهَاI visited it
فَجُنُوبِ عَرْوَى فَالقِهَادِ غَشِتُهَا
وَهْناًlate at night فَهَيَّجَthen stirred ليfor me الدُّمُوعَthe tears تَذَكُّرِيmy remembrance
وَهْناً فَهَيَّجَ لي الدُّمُوعَ تَذَكُّرِي
Then ʿArwā’s flanks, then al-Qihād—I visited it
With southern porches covered in moss
Late at night, and my remembrance set my tears flowing.
It weakly aroused in me tears of remembrance
تَمْشيwalk بهاin it حِزَقُflocks of النَّعَامِostriches كَأَنَّهَاas though they were
تَمْشي بها حِزَقُ النَّعَامِ كَأَنَّهَا
بُعْرَانُcamels of كَلاَّءٍa fodder-gatherer يَلُحْنَloom بِأَيْصَرِwith a grass-net
بُعْرَانُ كَلاَّءٍ يَلُحْنَ بِأَيْصَرِ
Flocks of ostriches walk there, as though they were
With it walk the heels of ostriches as though they are
A fodder-gatherer’s camels, looming with grass-nets.
Young she-camels bleating yellow
وقَلُوصِand many a young she-camel مَأْرُبَةٍfor a need بَغَيْتُI sought هِبَابَهَاher lively pace
وقَلُوصِ مَأْرُبَةٍ بَغَيْتُ هِبَابَهَا
فيat مَوْرِدٍa watering-place نَائِيfar from المَوَارِدِthe watering-places مَصْدَرِdeparture
في مَوْرِدٍ نَائِي المَوَارِدِ مَصْدَرِ
And many a young she-camel for my needs—I sought her lively pace
And the small domes of Ma'rib whose rain I desired
At a watering-place far from others, and on departing.
In a remote spring of springs originating
عَمِلٍtireless قَوَائِمُهَاher legs عَلَىupon مُتَقَعْقِعٍa rattling frame
عَمِلٍ قَوَائِمُهَا عَلَى مُتَقَعْقِعٍ
عَكِصِknotted المَرَاتِبِin its joints خَارِجٍjutting out مُنَتَشِّرِsplayed
عَكِصِ المَرَاتِبِ خَارِجٍ مُنَتَشِّرِ
Tireless of leg, with a rattling frame above,
With pillars built on shaky ground
Knotted in its joints, jutting out and splayed.
Leaning over steps scattered
وَرَدَتْshe reached water وقَدْand already بَلَغَhad reached الفِتَانُthe saddle-cover وَضِينَهَاher girth-strap
وَرَدَتْ وقَدْ بَلَغَ الفِتَانُ وَضِينَهَا
غَلَساًin dawn-darkness ولَمْand did not تُوصِلْtravel continuously night and day ولَمْand did not تَتَهَجَّرِtravel in midday heat
غَلَساً ولَمْ تُوصِلْ ولَمْ تَتَهَجَّرِ
She reached the water, her saddle-cover already at her girth,
And it came when the seductions reached their peak
In dawn-darkness, without continuous night-and-day travel or journeying in noon’s heat:
Sticky yet not fertile nor inhabited
قُلُبَاًwells مُنَكزَةًfirmly pegged جَوَائِزُthe crossbeams of عَرْشِهَاtheir well-frames
قُلُبَاً مُنَكزَةً جَوَائِزُ عَرْشِهَا
تَنْفِيcast out الدِّلاَءَthe buckets بِآجَنٍwith stagnant water مُتَمَذِّرِputrid
تَنْفِي الدِّلاَءَ بِآجَنٍ مُتَمَذِّرِ
Wells with the crossbeams of their frames firmly pegged,
A heart bored, the fringes of its throne
Spitting back buckets of stagnant, putrid water;
Repel worms with broken rotten pieces
جُوفاًhollow إِذَاwhen نُهِزَتْthey were stirred تَرَنَّمَresounded جُولَهَاtheir inner walls
جُوفاً إِذَا نُهِزَتْ تَرَنَّمَ جُولَهَا
كَتَرَنُّمِlike the ringing of المَكُّوكِthe drinking-cup عِنْدَbeside المِزْهَرِthe lute
كَتَرَنُّمِ المَكُّوكِ عِنْدَ المِزْهَرِ
Hollow wells—when stirred, their walls resounded
Hollow, so when shaken it hums gently
Like the ringing of a drinking-cup beside the lute.
Like the humming of a spindle by the flowers
فَتَزَاوَرَتْthen she veered aside مِنْfrom طَيِّهits stone lining وحِيَاضِهِand its troughs
فَتَزَاوَرَتْ مِنْ طَيِّه وحِيَاضِهِ
ونَقِيِّand the dunes of خِيمٍKhīm كَالنِّسَاءِlike women الحُسَّرِbareheaded
ونَقِيِّ خِيمٍ كَالنِّسَاءِ الحُسَّرِ
She turned aside from its stone lining and its troughs,
So they visited from its folds and courtyard
And Khīm’s dunes, like bareheaded women.
And pure tent like veiled women
عَبَّتْshe drank deeply بِمِشْفَرِهَاwith her lip وَفضْلِand the loose length of زِمَامِهَاher halter-rein
عَبَّتْ بِمِشْفَرِهَا وَفضْلِ زِمَامِهَا
فيin فَضْلَةٍa remnant مِنْof مَاصِعٍbitter water مُتَكَدِّرِmuddy
في فَضْلَةٍ مِنْ مَاصِعٍ مُتَكَدِّرِ
She drank deeply, dipping her lip and her halter’s slack
Tied with its noseband and extra rein
In a remnant of bitter, muddy water.
In an extra amount of intertwined thick mud
فَبَعَثْتُهَاthen I urged her on تَقِصُfollowing المَقَاصِرعthe paths (uncertain reading) بَعْدَمَاafter
فَبَعَثْتُهَا تَقِصُ المَقَاصِرع بَعْدَمَا
كَرَبَتْneared its end حَيَاةُthe life of النَّارِthe fire لِلْمُتَنَوِّرِfor the watcher of its glow
كَرَبَتْ حَيَاةُ النَّارِ لِلْمُتَنَوِّرِ
Then I urged her on, tracing the paths, after
So I sent it to chase the enemy after
The fire’s life had nearly ended for the watcher of its glow.
The life of fire became difficult for the enlightened one
قَبَّاءُُslender-bellied قَدْalready لَحِقَتْhas caught up خَسِيسَةُthe smallest سِنِّهَاof her teeth
قَبَّاءُُ قَدْ لَحِقَتْ خَسِيسَةُ سِنِّهَا
واسْتُعْرِضَتْand she grew broad بِبَضِيعِهَاwith her flesh المُتَبَتِّرِmassed in chunks
واسْتُعْرِضَتْ بِبَضِيعِهَا المُتَبَتِّرِ
Slender-bellied, her smallest tooth has caught up,
An old naughty she-camel whose defective merchandise was displayed
And she has broadened with her flesh in thick masses.
And as if its canine teeth were with the lost
وكَأَنَّand as though نَابَيْهَاher two fangs بِأَخْطَبِin the dusky green of ضَالَةٍa wild lote-tree
وكَأَنَّ نَابَيْهَا بِأَخْطَبِ ضَالَةٍ
مُسْتَنْقِعَانِboth steeped عَلَىupon فُضُولِthe hanging folds of المِشْفَرِthe camel’s lip
مُسْتَنْقِعَانِ عَلَى فُضُولِ المِشْفَرِ
And as though her two fangs, in a wild lote-tree’s dusky green,
Two stagnant ponds on the edges of the chisel
Were steeped, above the hanging folds of her lip.
And as if my ride above the hunch of a trotter
وكَأَنَّand as though رَحْلِيَmy saddle فَوْقَabove أَحْقَبَa white-bellied wild ass قَارِحٍfully mature
وكَأَنَّ رَحْلِيَ فَوْقَ أَحْقَبَ قَارِحٍ
يَحْدُوdriving سلائِبَshe-asses bereft of their young مِنْfrom among بَنَاتِthe daughters of الأَخْدَرِal-Akhdar
يَحْدُو سلائِبَ مِنْ بَنَاتِ الأَخْدَرِ
And as though my saddle rode a full-grown, white-bellied wild ass,
Galloping the dunes of the daughters of the dunes
Driving bereaved she-asses, daughters of al-Akhdar.
It no longer neighs for it
لَمْdid not يَعْدُgo beyond أَنْthat فَتَقَsplit open النَّهيقُthe braying لَهَاتَهُhis uvula
لَمْ يَعْدُ أَنْ فَتَقَ النَّهيقُ لَهَاتَهُ
ورَأَيْتُand I saw قَارِحَهُhis adult tooth كَلَزِّlike the spike of المِجْمَرِthe brazier
ورَأَيْتُ قَارِحَهُ كَلَزِّ المِجْمَرِ
His braying had only just split open his throat,
And I saw its trotter swift like burning coal
And I saw his adult tooth like the spike of a brazier.
Smooth the stupidity of the difficult contrary to it
مُسْتَنْتِلٍthrusting out هُلْبَthe coarse hair of العَسِيبِthe tail خِلاَفَهُbehind him
مُسْتَنْتِلٍ هُلْبَ العَسِيبِ خِلاَفَهُ
وخِلاَفَهَاand behind them كَلَقَىlike the cast-off debris of الخَلِيفِthe ravine المُعْصِرِrain-swept
وخِلاَفَهَا كَلَقَى الخَلِيفِ المُعْصِرِ
His tail’s coarse hair thrust out behind him,
And contrary to it like squeezing the pressed caliph
And behind them, like debris from a rain-swept ravine.
Running the side of the shoulder from its sides
يَعْدُوhe runs مَنَاطَlevel with the attachment of الكِفْلِthe saddle-pad مِنْalong جَنَبَاتِهَاtheir flanks
يَعْدُو مَنَاطَ الكِفْلِ مِنْ جَنَبَاتِهَا
لاَnot مُعْجَلٍhurried رَهَقاًunder pressure ولاَnor مُتَأخِّرِlagging behind
لاَ مُعْجَلٍ رَهَقاً ولاَ مُتَأخِّرِ
He runs beside their flanks, at saddle-pad height,
Neither too fast out of breath nor too slow
Neither hurried under pressure nor falling behind.
Braying nonsense its words pouring
جَارٍrunning بِجَحْفَلَةٍwith a lower lip يَمُجُّhe spits out لُفَاظَهَاits spittle
جَارٍ بِجَحْفَلَةٍ يَمُجُّ لُفَاظَهَا
سُمُطٍhairless كَمَكُّوكِlike the cup of النَّصَارَىthe Christians المُصْفَرِyellow
سُمُطٍ كَمَكُّوكِ النَّصَارَى المُصْفَرِ
Running, with a lower lip whose spittle he spits out,
Arrogant like the spinning of monks with yellow robes
Hairless, like the Christians’ yellow cup.
Its saddlebags cover the utensils of its milk
تَكْسُوclothe سَنَابِكُهَاtheir hooves شُكُولَthe markings of لَبَانِهِhis chest
تَكْسُو سَنَابِكُهَا شُكُولَ لَبَانِهِ
نَقْعَاًwith dust كَأَنَّas though بِهَاin them دَوَاخِنَsmoke-plumes of مُخْدِرِa shelter-dweller
نَقْعَاً كَأَنَّ بِهَا دَوَاخِنَ مُخْدِرِ
Their hooves clothe the markings of his chest
Steaming as if there were pots on them steaming
In dust, as though they bore a shelter-dweller’s plumes of smoke.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1