أُبعِدتِmay you be banished مِنas a بَغلَةٍmule مُوَاكِلَةٍsluggish; needing urging
أُبعِدتِ مِن بَغلَةٍ مُوَاكِلَةٍ
تَرمَحُنِيshe kicks me تَارَةًat times وَتَقمُصُand bucks بيwith me
تَرمَحُنِي تَارَةً وَتَقمُصُ بي
Away with you, you freeloading mule!
Away with you, you sluggish mule!
You kick me one moment and buck beneath me the next.
She sometimes kicks me and bucks beneath me.
تَكَادُshe nearly عِندwhen المَسِيرِmoving تَقطَعُنيtears me apart
تَكَادُ عِند المَسِيرِ تَقطَعُني
رَاكِبُهاher rider رَاكِبٌa rider عَلَىon قَتَبِa camel's pack-saddle
رَاكِبُها رَاكِبٌ عَلَى قَتَبِ
When we set out, you nearly tear me in two.
When she moves, she nearly tears me apart;
Her rider might as well be astride a hard pack-saddle.
Her rider rides upon a camel's pack-saddle.
إنif قُمتُI rise عندat الإسرَاجِsaddling أثفِرُهاI fit her crupper
إن قُمتُ عند الإسرَاجِ أثفِرُها
تَطرِفُshe strikes مِنِّيof mine العَينَينِboth eyes بالذَّنبِwith her tail
تَطرِفُ مِنِّي العَينَينِ بالذَّنبِ
When I rise at saddling-time to fit her crupper,
If, at saddling-time, I rise to fit her crupper,
she strikes both my eyes with her flank.
She strikes both my eyes with her tail.
وعِندَand when شَدِّtightening الحِزامِthe girth تَنهشُنيshe bites me
وعِندَ شَدِّ الحِزامِ تَنهشُني
مَانِعَةًresisting لِلِّجَامِthe bridle واللَّبَبِand the breast strap
مَانِعَةً لِلِّجَامِ واللَّبَبِ
And when the girth is tightened, she bites me.
And when I tighten the girth, she bites me,
She fights the bridle and the breast-strap.
Resisting the bridle and breast strap.
لَيسَthere is no لهاfor her سِيرَةٌgait سِوَىexcept الوَثبَىleaping
لَيسَ لها سِيرَةٌ سِوَى الوَثبَى
كَرَقصِlike the dancing of زَنجٍthe Zanj يَنزونَthey leap لِلطَّرَبِfor joy
كَرَقصِ زَنجٍ يَنزونَ لِلطَّرَبِ
She has no gait except to bound,
She has no gait but leaping,
like Zanj dancers leaping in delight.
Like the dancing of the Zanj, who leap for joy.
وَهيَand she إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle عَلَفتُهاI feed her جَهَدَتshe exerts herself
وَهيَ إذا ما عَلَفتُها جَهَدَت
لاnot تَأتَليshe slackens فيin الجهَادِthe struggle عَنout of حَرَبِrage
لا تَأتَلي في الجهَادِ عَن حَرَبِ
Whenever I give her fodder, she puts forth all her strength,
And when I feed her, she exerts herself,
never holding back from the struggle of battle.
Sparing no effort in her struggle, driven by rage.
قَدalready أكَلَتshe has eaten كُلَّall ماthat اشتَرَيتُI bought لَهَاfor her
قَد أكَلَت كُلَّ ما اشتَرَيتُ لَهَا
مِنfrom رِزقِthe allowance of شَعبَانَShaʿban أمسyesterday فيin رَجَبِRajab
مِن رِزقِ شَعبَانَ أمس في رَجَبِ
She has already devoured everything I bought her
She has eaten everything I bought for her
yesterday in Rajab, out of Sha‘ban’s pay.
From Shaʿban's allowance, yesterday in Rajab.
تَمُرُّshe goes through فيماthrough whatever نَمَىhas grown لِعَلفَتِهَاfor her fodder
تَمُرُّ فيما نَمَى لِعَلفَتِهَا
إنif لَمnot تُعَلَّلshe is appeased بالشَّوكِwith thorns والقَصَبِand reeds
إن لَم تُعَلَّل بالشَّوكِ والقَصَبِ
She runs through whatever accrues for her fodder,
She runs through whatever has grown for her fodder,
unless she is tided over with thorns and reeds.
Unless she is appeased with thorns and reeds.
