لِمَنْto whom الدَّيَارُthe dwellings بِجَانِبِbeside الأَحْفَارِal-Ahfar
لِمَنْ الدَّيَارُ بِجَانِبِ الأَحْفَارِ
فَبَتِيلand at Batil دَمْخٍDamkh أَوْor بِسَلْعِat Salʿ جُزارِJuzar
فَبَتِيل دَمْخٍ أَوْ بِسَلْعِ جُزارِ
Whose are the dwellings beside al-Ahfar,
For whom are the dwellings by the excavations
and at Batil Damkh, or at Salʿ Juzar?
A stinking mud or a butcher’s wares,
أَمْسَتْhave become تَلُوحُstand out كَأَنَّهَاas though they were عَامِيَّةًa year old
أَمْسَتْ تَلُوحُ كَأَنَّهَا عَامِيَّةً
والعَهْدُand the last acquaintance كَانَwas بِسَالِفِin bygone الإِعْصَارِages
والعَهْدُ كَانَ بِسَالِفِ الإِعْصَارِ
They now stand out as though only a year old,
They appear wavering as if they were nomadic
though our last acquaintance was in ages long past.
While in the past they were in raging storms
خَلَدَتْhave endured ولَمْbut did not يَخْلُدْendure بِهَاin them مَنْthose who حَلّهَاsettled in them
خَلَدَتْ ولَمْ يَخْلُدْ بِهَا مَنْ حَلّهَا
ذَاتُDhat النِّطَاقِal-Nitaq فَبُرْقَةُthen Burqat الإمْهَارِal-Imhar
ذَاتُ النِّطَاقِ فَبُرْقَةُ الإمْهَارِ
They endured, but those who settled there did not—
They remained while those who inhabited them did not
Dhat al-Nitaq, then Burqat al-Imhar,
The slender waisted, flashes of unsheathed swords
فَرِيَاضُthen the meadows of ذِيDhu بَقَرٍBaqar فَحَزْمُthen the ridge of شَقِيقَةٍShaqiqah
فَرِيَاضُ ذِي بَقَرٍ فَحَزْمُ شَقِيقَةٍ
قَفْرٌdesolate وقَدْthough once يَغْنَيْنَwere inhabited غَيْرَnot قِفَارِwastelands
قَفْرٌ وقَدْ يَغْنَيْنَ غَيْرَ قِفَارِ
then the meadows of Dhu Baqar, then Shaqiqah's ridge:
Courtyards of cattle and bundles of aromatic plants
desolate, though once inhabited, not wastelands.
A wasteland that may satisfy others than the destitute
بَعْدَafter المُرَوَّحِthe evening-returning herd والعَزِيبِand the far-pastured herd كَأَنَّهُas though it were
بَعْدَ المُرَوَّحِ والعَزِيبِ كَأَنَّهُ
حَرَجُa dense thicket of السَّلِيلِthe valley مُمَنَّعُwell defended الأَدْبَارِthe rear
حَرَجُ السَّلِيلِ مُمَنَّعُ الأَدْبَارِ
After herds brought home at dusk and pastured far away, resembling
After the fans and the isolated abodes as if they are
a valley's dense thicket, well guarded at the rear;
The confused track of foxes, inaccessible from behind
والعَادِيَاتِand galloping mares البَرْدَthe cold كُلَّevery عَشِيَّةٍevening
والعَادِيَاتِ البَرْدَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
قُبَّlean البُطُونِbellies كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were صَوَارِيmasts
قُبَّ البُطُونِ كَأَنَّهُنَّ صَوَارِي
and mares galloping through the cold each evening,
And the racers at nightfall everyday
lean-bellied, as though they were masts;
Paunches of the camels as if they were cisterns
والمُسْمِعَاتِand singing women لَدَىamong الشُّرُوبِdrinking parties كَأَنَّهَاas though they were
والمُسْمِعَاتِ لَدَى الشُّرُوبِ كَأَنَّهَا
أَدْمُwhite الظِّبَاءِgazelles نَوَاعِمُsoft الأَبْشَارهskins
أَدْمُ الظِّبَاءِ نَوَاعِمُ الأَبْشَاره
and singing women among drinking parties, like
And the feminine listeners during drinking as if they are
white gazelles, soft of skin;
Tawny gazelles, soft complexioned
وَمَجَالِسٍand assemblies تَمْشيwalk الغَطَارِفُnoble men بَيْنَهَاamong them
وَمَجَالِسٍ تَمْشي الغَطَارِفُ بَيْنَهَا
كالجِنِّlike jinn لَيْسَnot لَبُوسُهُمْtheir garments بِنِمَارِstriped woolen cloaks
كالجِنِّ لَيْسَ لَبُوسُهُمْ بِنِمَارِ
and assemblies among which noble men walked,
And the gatherings in which mysteries move about
like jinn, their garments not striped woolen cloaks.
Like jinn with no garments of prestige
وإِذَاand when الشَّمَالُthe north wind تَرَوَّحَتْblew بِعَشِيَّةٍin the evening
وإِذَا الشَّمَالُ تَرَوَّحَتْ بِعَشِيَّةٍ
تَرْمِيpelts البُيُوتَthe tents بِيَابِسِwith the dry wood of الأَحْظَارِthe fences
تَرْمِي البُيُوتَ بِيَابِسِ الأَحْظَارِ
And when the north wind rose in the evening,
And when the north wind blows at nightfall
hurling dry fence-wood at the tents,
It hurls the houses with dry wood
أَلْفَيْتَنَاyou found us مَرْفُوعَةًraised حُجُرَاتُهَاtheir tent-sides
أَلْفَيْتَنَا مَرْفُوعَةً حُجُرَاتُهَا
لِلضَّيْفِfor the guest عِنْدَat مَزَاحِفِthe gathering-places of الأَيْسَارِthe arrow-lot players
لِلضَّيْفِ عِنْدَ مَزَاحِفِ الأَيْسَارِ
you would find us with our tent-sides raised
We found them with their chambers
for the guest, where the arrow-lot players gathered,
Raised for the guest at the arrival of the left side
فيin مَجْلِسٍa gathering يُغْلُونَthey bid high for كلَّevery عَبِيطَةٍa sound slaughter-camel
في مَجْلِسٍ يُغْلُونَ كلَّ عَبِيطَةٍ
فيin مَحْفِلٍan assembly سَبِطِينَopen-handed غَيْرِnot زِمِارِfew in number
في مَحْفِلٍ سَبِطِينَ غَيْرِ زِمِارِ
in a gathering where they bid high for every sound slaughter-camel,
In a session where they recite every uncouth poem
in an assembly of open-handed men, no scanty band.
In a gathering, august, without lutes
ومُعَرَّسٍand a night-camp تَجِبُthrob القُلُوبُthe hearts مَخَافَةًin fear
ومُعَرَّسٍ تَجِبُ القُلُوبُ مَخَافَةً
مِنْهُof it وتُبْدِيand reveal خَافِيَthe hidden part of الأَسْرَارِthe secrets
مِنْهُ وتُبْدِي خَافِيَ الأَسْرَارِ
And many a night-camp makes hearts throb in fear
And a wedding where hearts are filled with awe
of it, and reveal their hidden secrets.
Of it and reveal hidden secrets
تَنْتَابُهُyou frequent it غَرِضِينَrestless عِنْدَbeside صَوَافِنٍhorses standing at rest
تَنْتَابُهُ غَرِضِينَ عِنْدَ صَوَافِنٍ
وضَوَامِرٍand lean camels يَصْرِفْنَcreak بِالأَكْوِارِwith the saddle-frames
وضَوَامِرٍ يَصْرِفْنَ بِالأَكْوِارِ
You frequent it, restless, beside horses standing at rest
He approaches them with purposes at nightfalls
and lean camels, their saddle-frames creaking.
And pots they pass around
حَتَّىuntil إذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle الصُّبْحُdawn شَقَّsplit أَدِيمَهُits skin
حَتَّى إذَا مَا الصُّبْحُ شَقَّ أَدِيمَهُ
لِلْقَوْمِfor the company أَوْقَدُواthey sped off عَلَىupon الإِبْصَارِseeing clearly
لِلْقَوْمِ أَوْقَدُوا عَلَى الإِبْصَارِ
Until, when dawn split its skin open
Until when the dawn tore its cover
for the company, they sped off once they could see.
For the tribe, they ignited the sights
جَدَّتْgrew earnest قَرِيَنَتُهُمْtheir resolve عَلَىupon مَاwhat خَيَّلَتْit portended
جَدَّتْ قَرِيَنَتُهُمْ عَلَى مَا خَيَّلَتْ
وغَدَتْand went forth at dawn تُبَشِّرُheralding طَيْرُهُمْtheir omen-birds بِغِوَارِof a raid
وغَدَتْ تُبَشِّرُ طَيْرُهُمْ بِغِوَارِ
Their resolve grew firm upon what was portended,
Their wives pretended as they imagined
and their omen-birds went forth at dawn, heralding a raid.
And went to give glad tidings to their birds with dust
وضَرَبْنَand they set out مِنْfrom نَظَرNazar وأَعْرَضَand came into view سَارِحٌa grazing herd
وضَرَبْنَ مِنْ نَظَر وأَعْرَضَ سَارِحٌ
سَبطُlong and drooping المَشَافِرِcamel lips سَاقِطُshedding الأَوْبَارِcamel-hair
سَبطُ المَشَافِرِ سَاقِطُ الأَوْبَارِ
And they set out from Nazar; a grazing herd came into view,
And they set out looking and a rider turned away
long-lipped, its coat shedding.
With sagging lips and fallen mane
يَقْطَعْنَthey cross عَرْضَthe breadth of الأَرْضِthe earth غَيْرَnot لوَاغِبٍweary
يَقْطَعْنَ عَرْضَ الأَرْضِ غَيْرَ لوَاغِبٍ
وكَأَنَّand as though مُحْزِنَهَاits rugged ground لهُنَّto them صَحَارِيdesert plains
وكَأَنَّ مُحْزِنَهَا لهُنَّ صَحَارِي
They cross the breadth of the earth, unwearied,
They crossed the width of the earth without deviation
as though its rough ground were desert plains to them.
As if its expanse is a meadow for them
فَقَضَيْنَso they accomplished مَاwhat قَضَّيْنَthey carried out ثُمَّthen تَرَكْنَهُمْthey left them
فَقَضَيْنَ مَا قَضَّيْنَ ثُمَّ تَرَكْنَهُمْ
عُزُبَdeserted المَبَاءَةِthe dwelling-place غُيَّبَabsent الأَنْفَارِthe groups of men
عُزُبَ المَبَاءَةِ غُيَّبَ الأَنْفَارِ
So they did what they did, then left them—
Then they did what they did and left them
with their camps deserted and their men gone.
Unmarried, absent, hidden from sight
Sol 6.1