لِمَنِwhose الدِيارُthe dwellings غَشيتَهاyou visited them بِالفَدفَدِon the open plain
لِمَنِ الدِيارُ غَشيتَها بِالفَدفَدِ
كَالوَحيِlike writing فيin حَجَرِthe stone of المَسيلِthe watercourse المُخلِدِenduring
كَالوَحيِ في حَجَرِ المَسيلِ المُخلِدِ
Whose are the dwellings you visited on the open plain,
like writing on the enduring stone of a watercourse?
دارٌa dwelling لِسَلمىbelonging to Salma إِذwhen هُمُthey لَكَto you جيرَةٌneighbors
دارٌ لِسَلمى إِذ هُمُ لَكَ جيرَةٌ
وَإِخالُand I think أَنthat قَدalready أَخلَفَتنيshe failed me مَوعِديmy tryst
وَإِخالُ أَن قَد أَخلَفَتني مَوعِدي
Salma's dwelling, when her people were your neighbors,
and I think she has failed to keep her tryst with me.
إِذwhen تَستَبيكَshe captivates you بِجيدِwith the neck of آدَمَpale-tawny عاقِدٍcurved-horned
إِذ تَستَبيكَ بِجيدِ آدَمَ عاقِدٍ
يَقروseeks out طُلوحَthe acacias of الأَنعَمينِal-An‘amayn فَثَهمَدِthen Thahmad
يَقرو طُلوحَ الأَنعَمينِ فَثَهمَدِ
When she captivated you with the neck of a pale-tawny, curved-horned gazelle,
seeking the acacias of al-An‘amayn, then Thahmad,
وَمُؤَشَّرٍand finely notched teeth حُمشِthin اللِثاتِthe gums كَأَنَّماas though
وَمُؤَشَّرٍ حُمشِ اللِثاتِ كَأَنَّما
شَرِكَتshared in مَنابِتُهُits tooth-roots رَضيضَpowdered الإِثمِدِantimony kohl
شَرِكَت مَنابِتُهُ رَضيضَ الإِثمِدِ
and with finely notched teeth and slender gums, as though
their roots were mingled with powdered antimony.
دَعهاleave her وَسَلِّand dispel الهَمَّthe sorrow عَنكَfrom you بِجَسرَةٍwith a sturdy she-camel
دَعها وَسَلِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِجَسرَةٍ
تَنجوruns swiftly نَجاءَwith the speed of الأَخدَرِيِّthe wild ass المُفرَدِsolitary
تَنجو نَجاءَ الأَخدَرِيِّ المُفرَدِ
Leave her, and dispel your sorrow with a sturdy she-camel,
that races with the speed of a solitary wild ass.
كَمُصَلصِلٍlike a loud-braying ass يَعدوruns عَلىafter بَيدانَةٍa wild she-ass
كَمُصَلصِلٍ يَعدو عَلى بَيدانَةٍ
حَقباءَwhite-bellied مِنfrom حُمُرِthe wild asses of القَنانِal-Qanan مُشَرَّدِdriven apart
حَقباءَ مِن حُمُرِ القَنانِ مُشَرَّدِ
Like a loud-braying ass racing after a wild she-ass,
white-bellied, of al-Qanan's wild asses—he himself a stray.
صافاthe two summered يَطوفُhe roams بِهاwith her عَلىover قُلَلِthe crests of الصُوىthe rocky knolls
صافا يَطوفُ بِها عَلى قُلَلِ الصُوى
وَشَتاand they wintered كَذَلقِlike the sharp tip of الزُجِّthe spear-ferrule غَيرَnot مُقَهَّدِenfeebled
وَشَتا كَذَلقِ الزُجِّ غَيرَ مُقَهَّدِ
They summered, he roaming with her over the crests of rocky knolls,
and wintered, he sharp as a spear-ferrule's tip, unflagging.
خافاthe two feared عَميرَةَ‘Amira أَنthat يُصادِفَhe might encounter وِردَهاher watering visit
خافا عَميرَةَ أَن يُصادِفَ وِردَها
وَاِبنُand the son of البُلَيدَةِal-Bulayda قاعِدٌsitting بِالمَرصَدِin ambush
وَاِبنُ البُلَيدَةِ قاعِدٌ بِالمَرصَدِ
They feared ‘Amira might encounter her at her watering,
and Ibn al-Bulayda sat in ambush.
فَأَجازَهاso he led her across تَنفيscatter سَنابِكُهُhis hooves الحَصىthe pebbles
فَأَجازَها تَنفي سَنابِكُهُ الحَصى
مُتَحَلِّبَthe seepage-place of الوَشَلَينِal-Washalayn (the two springs) قارِبَnear ضَرغَدِDarghad
مُتَحَلِّبَ الوَشَلَينِ قارِبَ ضَرغَدِ
So he led her past—his hooves scattering pebbles—
the seepage-place of al-Washalayn, near Darghad.
باتاthey spent the night وَباتَتand there passed لَيلَةٌa night سَمّارَةٌwakeful
باتا وَباتَت لَيلَةٌ سَمّارَةٌ
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen تَلَعَrose النَهارُthe daylight مِنَfrom الغَدِthe following day
حَتّى إِذا تَلَعَ النَهارُ مِنَ الغَدِ
They spent the night, and it was a sleepless night,
until daylight rose on the following day.
وَرَأىand he saw العُيونَthe springs وَقَدand already وَنىhad slackened تَقريبُهاher canter
وَرَأى العُيونَ وَقَد وَنى تَقريبُها
ظَمَأًfrom thirst فَخَشَّso he plunged بِهاwith her خِلالَthrough الغَرقَدِthe boxthorn
ظَمَأً فَخَشَّ بِها خِلالَ الغَرقَدِ
And he saw the springs, her canter having slackened
from thirst, so he plunged with her through the boxthorn.
تَنجوshe races كَذَلِكَlike that أَوor نَجاءَwith the flight of فَريدَةٍa solitary wild cow
تَنجو كَذَلِكَ أَو نَجاءَ فَريدَةٍ
ظَلَّتshe spent the day تَتَبَّعُseeking out مَرتَعاًpasture بِالفَرقَدِwith her calf
ظَلَّت تَتَبَّعُ مَرتَعاً بِالفَرقَدِ
She races so, or with the flight of a solitary wild cow,
that spent the day seeking pasture with her calf.
بَيناwhile تُراعيهِshe watches over him بِكُلِّin every خَميلَةٍthicket
بَينا تُراعيهِ بِكُلِّ خَميلَةٍ
يَجريflows عَلَيهاover it الطَلُّthe dew ظاهِرُهاits surface نَديdewy
يَجري عَلَيها الطَلُّ ظاهِرُها نَدي
While she watched over him in every lush thicket—
dew flowing over it, its surface moist—
غَفَلَتshe grew heedless فَخالَفَهاso they came behind her السِباعُthe predators فَلَمand did not تَجِدfind
غَفَلَت فَخالَفَها السِباعُ فَلَم تَجِد
إِلّاexcept الإِهابَthe hide تَرَكنَهُthey left it بِالمَرقَدِat the resting-place
إِلّا الإِهابَ تَرَكنَهُ بِالمَرقَدِ
she grew heedless; predators came behind her, and she found nothing
but the hide they had left where he had lain.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنجابَlifted away عَنهاfrom her لَيلُهاher night
حَتّى إِذا ما اِنجابَ عَنها لَيلُها
وَتَلَدَّدَتand she turned bewilderedly بِالرَملِin the sand أَيَّutter تَلَدُّدِbewildered turning
وَتَلَدَّدَت بِالرَملِ أَيَّ تَلَدُّدِ
At last, when her night lifted away from her,
and she turned this way and that in the sand, utterly bewildered,
وَرَأَيتَهاand you saw her نَكباءَturned aside تَحسِبُyou suppose أَنَّهاthat she
وَرَأَيتَها نَكباءَ تَحسِبُ أَنَّها
طُلِيَتshe was coated بِقارٍwith pitch أَوor كُحَيلٍtar مُعقَدِthickened
طُلِيَت بِقارٍ أَو كُحَيلٍ مُعقَدِ
you saw her turned aside and thought that she
had been coated with pitch or thickened tar.
وَتَيَمَّمَتand she headed for عُرضَthe expanse of الفَلاةِthe wilderness كَأَنَّهاas though she were
وَتَيَمَّمَت عُرضَ الفَلاةِ كَأَنَّها
غَرّاءُbright white مِنfrom قِطَعِfragments of السَحابِthe clouds الأَقهَدِpale gray-white
غَرّاءُ مِن قِطَعِ السَحابِ الأَقهَدِ
And she headed across the wilderness, as though she were
a bright-white fragment of pale-gray cloud.
وَإِلىand toward سِنانٍSinan سَيرُهاher journey وَوَسيجُهاand her swift pace
وَإِلى سِنانٍ سَيرُها وَوَسيجُها
حَتّىuntil تُلاقِيَهُshe meets him بِطَلقِwith open الأَسعُدِarms
حَتّى تُلاقِيَهُ بِطَلقِ الأَسعُدِ
And toward Sinan are her journey and her swift pace,
until she meets him, the open-handed man.
نِعمَexcellent is الفَتىthe young man المُرِّيُّof Murra أَنتَyou إِذاwhen هُمُthey
نِعمَ الفَتى المُرِّيُّ أَنتَ إِذا هُمُ
حَضَرواthey gathered لَدىbeside الحُجُراتِthe enclosures نارَthe fire of المَوقِدِthe kindler
حَضَروا لَدى الحُجُراتِ نارَ المَوقِدِ
How fine a man of Murra you are, when they
gather beside the enclosures at the kindler's fire.
خَلِطٌsociable أَلوفٌcompanionable لِلجَميعِfor everyone بَيتِهِhis house
خَلِطٌ أَلوفٌ لِلجَميعِ بَيتِهِ
إِذsince لاnot يُحَلُّlodging is taken بِحَيِّزِin the quarter of المُتَوَحِّدِthe recluse
إِذ لا يُحَلُّ بِحَيِّزِ المُتَوَحِّدِ
Sociable and companionable, his house is for everyone,
for no one lodges in a recluse's quarter.
يَسِطُtakes the center of البُيوتَthe houses لِكَيso that يَكونَhe may be مَظِنَّةًa likely resort
يَسِطُ البُيوتَ لِكَي يَكونَ مَظِنَّةً
مِنfrom حَيثُwhere توضَعُis laid out جَفنَةُthe large food-bowl of المُستَرفِدِthe seeker of bounty
مِن حَيثُ توضَعُ جَفنَةُ المُستَرفِدِ
He dwells amid the houses, to be the expected resort
where the food-bowl is laid out for the seeker of bounty.
عَوَّدتَyou have trained قَومَكَyour people إِنَّindeed كُلَّevery مُبَرِّزٍman of distinction
عَوَّدتَ قَومَكَ إِنَّ كُلَّ مُبَرِّزٍ
مَهماwhatever يُعَوَّدhe is trained in شيمَةًa character trait يَتَعَوَّدِhe grows accustomed
مَهما يُعَوَّد شيمَةً يَتَعَوَّدِ
You have trained your people—for every man of distinction,
whatever trait he is taught, grows accustomed to it—
حَزماًprudence وَبِرّاًand piety لِلإِلَهِtoward God وَشيمَةًand a disposition
حَزماً وَبِرّاً لِلإِلَهِ وَشيمَةً
تَعفوeffaces عَلىover خُلُقِthe conduct of المُسيءِthe wrongdoer المُفسِدِthe mischief-maker
تَعفو عَلى خُلُقِ المُسيءِ المُفسِدِ
in prudence, devotion to God, and a disposition
that effaces the conduct of the mischief-making wrongdoer.
وَإِذاand when يُلاقيhe encounters نَجدَةًan ordeal of valor مَعلومَةًwell-known
وَإِذا يُلاقي نَجدَةً مَعلومَةً
يَصلىare scorched الكُماةُthe armored warriors بِحَرِّهاby its heat لَمdid not يَبلُدِfalter
يَصلى الكُماةُ بِحَرِّها لَم يَبلُدِ
And when he faces a well-known ordeal of valor,
whose heat scorches armored warriors, he does not falter.
لَمdid not يَلقَهاmeet it إِلّاexcept بِشِكَّةِwith the battle-gear of حازِمٍa prudent man
لَم يَلقَها إِلّا بِشِكَّةِ حازِمٍ
يَخشىfears الحَوادِثَcalamities عازِمٍresolute مُستَعدِدِwell-prepared
يَخشى الحَوادِثَ عازِمٍ مُستَعدِدِ
He meets it only with the battle-gear of a prudent man,
who fears calamities, resolute and well prepared,
وَمُفاضَةٍand an ample coat of mail كَالنَهيِlike a pool تَنسُجُهُweaves it الصَباthe east wind
وَمُفاضَةٍ كَالنَهيِ تَنسُجُهُ الصَبا
بَيضاءَgleaming white كَفَّتgathered up فَضلَهاits excess length بِمُهَنَّدِwith an Indian sword
بَيضاءَ كَفَّت فَضلَها بِمُهَنَّدِ
and an ample coat of mail, like a pool the east wind weaves,
gleaming white, its trailing length gathered with an Indian sword,
صَدقٍsound إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle هُزَّis brandished أُرعِشَis set quivering مَتنُهُits blade
صَدقٍ إِذا ما هُزَّ أُرعِشَ مَتنُهُ
عَسَلانَthe loping of ذِئبِa wolf of الرَدهَةِthe rocky pool المُستَورِدِcoming to drink
عَسَلانَ ذِئبِ الرَدهَةِ المُستَورِدِ
sound: when brandished, its blade is set quivering,
like the lope of a wolf coming to a rocky pool to drink.
Sol 6.1