جَرداءُhairless صَلعاءُbald لَمdid not يُبقِleave الزَمانُtime لَهاfor her
جَرداءُ صَلعاءُ لَم يُبقِ الزَمانُ لَها
إِلّاexcept لِساناًa tongue مُلِحّاًinsistent بِالمَلاماتِin reproaches
إِلّا لِساناً مُلِحّاً بِالمَلاماتِ
Hairless and bald, time has left her
Bald and bare, time left her naught
only a tongue relentless in reproach.
But a tongue, salty with blame.
لَطَمتُهاI slapped her لَطمَةًa slap طارَتflew عَمامَتُهاher turban
لَطَمتُها لَطمَةً طارَت عَمامَتُها
عَنfrom صَلعَةٍa bald head لَيسَthere are not فيهاin it خَمسُfive شَعراتِhairs
عَن صَلعَةٍ لَيسَ فيها خَمسُ شَعراتِ
I gave her a slap, and her turban flew
I slapped her - off flew her turban
off a bald head with not even five hairs.
From a bald pate with scarce five hairs.
كَأَنَّهاas though it were بَيضَةُthe helmet of الشاريthe Kharijite warrior إِذاwhen بَرَقَتit gleams
كَأَنَّها بَيضَةُ الشاري إِذا بَرَقَت
بِالمَأزِقِin the press of battle الضَنكِcramped بَينَamong المَشرَفِيّاتِthe Mashrafi swords
بِالمَأزِقِ الضَنكِ بَينَ المَشرَفِيّاتِ
As though it were a Kharijite warrior’s helmet when it gleams
Like an ostrich egg when it gleams
in the cramped press of battle among Mashrafi swords.
In dire plight amid thorns and crags.
لَهاit has حُروفٌridges نَواتٍprotruding فيin جَوانِبِهاits sides
لَها حُروفٌ نَواتٍ في جَوانِبِها
كَقِسمَةِlike an allotment of الأَرضِland حيزَتwas marked off بِالتُخوماتِby boundaries
كَقِسمَةِ الأَرضِ حيزَت بِالتُخوماتِ
It has ridges jutting out along its sides,
She has withered letters at her sides
like an allotment of land marked off by boundaries.
Like frontiers parceling out the earth.
وَكاهِلٌand an upper back كَسِنامِlike the hump of العيسِthe pale camels جَرَّدَهُstripped it bare
وَكاهِلٌ كَسِنامِ العيسِ جَرَّدَهُ
طولُthe length of السِفارِtravel وَإِلحاحُand the persistent pressure of القُتوداتِthe saddle frames
طولُ السِفارِ وَإِلحاحُ القُتوداتِ
And an upper back like a pale camel’s hump stripped bare by
Her shoulder like a horse's withers, bared
long travel and the relentless pressure of saddle frames.
By ceaseless missions and gifts refused.
Sol 6.1