تَقولُshe says سُلَيمىSulayma لِجاراتِهاto her female neighbors
تَقولُ سُلَيمى لِجاراتِها
أَرىI see ثابِتاًThabit يَفَناًaged حَوقَلاdecrepit
أَرى ثابِتاً يَفَناً حَوقَلا
Sulayma says to her neighbors:
Suleima says to her neighbors,
“I see Thabit old and decrepit.”
"I see Thabit weak and frail,
لَهاfor her الوَيلُwoe ماوَجَدَتshe has not found ثابِتاًThabit
لَها الوَيلُ ماوَجَدَت ثابِتاً
أَلَفَّclumsy اليَدَينِof the hands وَلاnor زُمَّلاa coward
أَلَفَّ اليَدَينِ وَلا زُمَّلا
Woe to her! She has not found Thabit
Woe to her, she found Thabit
Clumsy of hand, nor a coward,
With limp hands and no strength.
وَلاnor رَعِشَtrembling الساقِof leg عِندَduring الجِراءِracing
وَلا رَعِشَ الساقِ عِندَ الجِراءِ
إِذاwhen بادَرَhe hastens ahead الحَملَةُthe charge الهَيضَلاthe mighty host
إِذا بادَرَ الحَملَةُ الهَيضَلا
Nor trembling-legged when racing,
His legs don't tremble in fright
When he hastens to charge the mighty host.
When the brave men attack.
يَفوتُhe outstrips الجِيادَfine steeds بِتَقريبِهِwith his cantering gait
يَفوتُ الجِيادَ بِتَقريبِهِ
وَيَكسوand he cloaks حَوادِهاtheir leaders القَسطَلاdust clouds
وَيَكسو حَوادِها القَسطَلا
He outstrips fine steeds at a canter,
He misses his steed when called
And cloaks their leaders in dust.
And covers his shame with lies.
وَيَعتَرِقُand he overtakes النَقنَقَthe male ostrich المُسبَطِرُّlong-striding
وَيَعتَرِقُ النَقنَقَ المُسبَطِرُّ
وَالجَأبُand the sturdy wild ass ذاhaving العانَةِa herd of wild asses المِسحَلاloud-braying
وَالجَأبُ ذا العانَةِ المِسحَلا
And outpaces the long-striding male ostrich,
The boastful one is humiliated
And the sturdy, loud-braying wild ass with his herd.
And the arrogant is brought low.
وَأَدهَمَand a black night قَدindeed جُبتُI pierced جِلبابَهُits cloak
وَأَدهَمَ قَد جُبتُ جِلبابَهُ
كَماas اِجتابَتِdonned الكاعِبُthe maiden with budding breasts الخَيعَلاthe sleeveless shift
كَما اِجتابَتِ الكاعِبُ الخَيعَلا
And I have pierced a black night's cloak,
And Ahdam's cloak is torn
As a maiden with budding breasts dons her sleeveless shift,
As the truthful one tears the liar's robes.
إِلىuntil أَنthat حَداdrove onward الصُبحُdawn أَثنائَهُits folds
إِلى أَن حَدا الصُبحُ أَثنائَهُ
وَمَزَّقَand tore apart جِلبابَهُits cloak الأَيلَلاpitch-dark (reading uncertain)
وَمَزَّقَ جِلبابَهُ الأَيلَلا
Until dawn drove its folds away
Until dawn ended his exploits
And tore apart its pitch-dark cloak.
And the night shredded his cloak,
عَلىintent on شَيمِwatching نارٍa fire تَنَوَّرتُهاI sighted its light
عَلى شَيمِ نارٍ تَنَوَّرتُها
فَبُتُّso I spent the night لَهاtoward it مُدبِراًretreating مُقبِلاapproaching
فَبُتُّ لَها مُدبِراً مُقبِلا
Keeping watch on a fire I had sighted,
Over embers that consumed him
I spent the night withdrawing from it and drawing near.
I fled him turning this way and that.
فَأَصبَحتُthen morning found me وَالغولُand the female ghoul ليto me جارَةٌa female neighbor
فَأَصبَحتُ وَالغولُ لي جارَةٌ
فَياso, O جارَتاmy female neighbor أَنتِyou (feminine) ماhow أَهوَلاterrifying
فَيا جارَتا أَنتِ ما أَهوَلا
By morning, the ghoul was my neighbor.
So I woke and the ghoul was my neighbor,
O my neighbor, how terrifying you are!
Oh neighbor, how awful you are!
وَطالَبتُهاand I demanded of her بُضعَهاher sexual favors فَاِلتَوَتthen she twisted away
وَطالَبتُها بُضعَها فَاِلتَوَت
بِوَجهٍwith a face تَهَوَّلَgrew terrifying فَاِستَغوَلاthen became ghoul-like
بِوَجهٍ تَهَوَّلَ فَاِستَغوَلا
And I demanded her sexual favors; she twisted away,
I asked her for my virginity back
With a face that grew fearsome and ghoul-like.
But she turned with a twisted face.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her ياO! اِنظُريlook! (feminine) كَيso that تَرَيyou may see (feminine)
فَقُلتُ لَها يا اِنظُري كَي تَرَي
فَوَلَّتso she turned away فَجُنتُthen I became (reading uncertain) لَهاto her أَغوَلاmore ghoul-like
فَوَلَّت فَجُنتُ لَها أَغوَلا
So I said to her, “Look, so you may see!”
I said look and see what you see,
She turned away; then I [became?] a greater ghoul to her.
She turned and I lunged to attack.
فَطارَthen it flew بِقِحفِwith the skullcap of اِبنَةِthe daughter of الجِنِّthe jinn ذوone with
فَطارَ بِقِحفِ اِبنَةِ الجِنِّ ذو
سَفاسِقَstreaks on a blade قَدalready أَخلَقَit had worn out المِحمَلاthe baldric
سَفاسِقَ قَد أَخلَقَ المِحمَلا
Then a blade struck off the crown of the jinn's daughter's skull,
The daughter of a Jinn flew off
Streaked, it had already worn its baldric thin.
Having created this burden.
إِذاwhenever كُلَّit grew dull أَمهَيتُهُI whetted it بِالصَفاon smooth stone
إِذا كُلَّ أَمهَيتُهُ بِالصَفا
فَحَدَّso it grew sharp وَلَمand did not أُرِهِI let it see صَيقَلاa sword-polisher
فَحَدَّ وَلَم أُرِهِ صَيقَلا
Whenever it grew dull, I whetted it on smooth stone,
When I confronted her gently
So it grew keen, though I had shown it no sword-polisher.
She fled before I could draw my sword,
عَظاءَةَa lizard قَفرٍof the wilderness لَهاshe had حُلَّتانِtwo robes
عَظاءَةَ قَفرٍ لَها حُلَّتانِ
مِنfrom وَرَقِleaves الطَلحِthe acacia لَمnot تُغزَلاwere spun (both robes)
مِن وَرَقِ الطَلحِ لَم تُغزَلا
A lizard of the wilderness, she had two robes,
A hill whose saddles are stitched
Of acacia leaves, never spun.
From untwisted palm leaves.
فَمَنso whoever سالَasked أَينَwhere ثَوَتshe dwelt جارَتيmy female neighbor
فَمَن سالَ أَينَ ثَوَت جارَتي
فَإِنَّthen indeed لَهاshe has بِاللَوىat al-Liwa مَنزِلاa dwelling
فَإِنَّ لَها بِاللَوى مَنزِلا
So whoever asks where my neighbor has settled,
Let whoever asks where my neighbor went,
Indeed, she has a dwelling at al-Liwa.
Know she has a home in the twisted valley.
وَكُنتُand I would إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) هَمَمتُI intended اِعتَزَمتُI resolved firmly
وَكُنتُ إِذا ما هَمَمتُ اِعتَزَمتُ
وَأَحرِand how likely! إِذاwhen قُلتُI said أَنthat أَفعَلاI act
وَأَحرِ إِذا قُلتُ أَن أَفعَلا
And whenever I formed an intention, I resolved firmly,
Whenever I decide and determine
And when I say I will act, I am bound to do it.
To do a thing, I do it."
Sol 6.1