مَهاةُa female oryx النَقاthe sand dune لَولاbut for الشَوىthe hands and feet وَالمَآبِضُand the knee-hollows
مَهاةُ النَقا لَولا الشَوى وَالمَآبِضُ
وَإِنand even if مَحَضَmade unalloyed الإِعراضَthe rejection ليof me مِنكِfrom you ماحِضُone who makes pure
وَإِن مَحَضَ الإِعراضَ لي مِنكِ ماحِضُ
An oryx of the dunes, but for your hands, feet, and knee-hollows,
even though one has made your rejection of me unalloyed.
رَعَتshe let graze طَرفَهاher gaze فيon هامَةٍa head قَدalready تَنَكَّرَتhad grown strange
رَعَت طَرفَها في هامَةٍ قَد تَنَكَّرَت
وَصَوَّحَand withered مِنهاupon it نَبتُهاits growth وَهوَwhile it was بارِضُnewly sprouting
وَصَوَّحَ مِنها نَبتُها وَهوَ بارِضُ
She let her gaze graze on a head grown strange,
and the growth upon it had withered while still just sprouting.
فَصَدَّتso she turned away وَعاضَتهُand repaid him with أَسىًsorrow وَصَبابَةًand yearning
فَصَدَّت وَعاضَتهُ أَسىً وَصَبابَةً
وَماand no عائِضٌsubstitute مِنهاfor her وَإِنand even if جَلَّwas great عائِضُa substitute
وَما عائِضٌ مِنها وَإِن جَلَّ عائِضُ
So she turned away, repaying him with sorrow and yearning;
no substitute for her, however great, is a substitute.
فَماfor no صُقِلَwas polished السَيفُthe sword اليَمانيYemeni لِمَشهَدٍfor battle
فَما صُقِلَ السَيفُ اليَماني لِمَشهَدٍ
كَماas صُقِلَتwere polished بِالأَمسِyesterday تِلكَthose العَوارِضُside-whiskers
كَما صُقِلَت بِالأَمسِ تِلكَ العَوارِضُ
For no Yemeni sword was polished for battle
as those side-whiskers were polished yesterday.
وَلاnor كَشَفَdispelled اللَيلَthe night النَهارُdaylight وَقَدand already بَداappeared
وَلا كَشَفَ اللَيلَ النَهارُ وَقَد بَدا
كَماas كُشِفَتwere laid bare تِلكَthose الشُؤونُskull seams الغَوامِضُdeep-hidden
كَما كُشِفَت تِلكَ الشُؤونُ الغَوامِضُ
Nor did daylight, when it appeared, dispel the night
as those deep-hidden seams of the skull were laid bare.
وَلاnor عَمِلَتdid خَرقاءُa clumsy woman أَوهَتweakened شَعيبَهاher waterskin
وَلا عَمِلَت خَرقاءُ أَوهَت شَعيبَها
كَماas عَمِلَتdid تِلكَthose الدُموعُtears الفَوائِضُoverflowing
كَما عَمِلَت تِلكَ الدُموعُ الفَوائِضُ
Nor did a clumsy woman who weakened her waterskin
do what those overflowing tears did.
وَأُخرىand another woman لَحَتنيreproached me حينَwhen لَمdid not أَمنَعِwithhold النَوىdeparture
وَأُخرى لَحَتني حينَ لَم أَمنَعِ النَوى
قِياديmy reins وَلَمand did not يَنقُضundo زَماعِيَmy resolve ناقِضُone who undoes
قِيادي وَلَم يَنقُض زَماعِيَ ناقِضُ
And another woman reproached me when I did not withhold from departure
my reins, and no one undid my resolve.
أَرادَتshe wanted بِأَنthat يَحويshould gain الرَغيباتِcoveted rewards وادِعًa man at ease
أَرادَت بِأَن يَحوي الرَغيباتِ وادِعً
وَهَلand does يَفرُسُrend اللَيثُthe lion الطُلىthroats وَهوَwhile he is رابِضُlying at rest
وَهَل يَفرُسُ اللَيثُ الطُلى وَهوَ رابِضُ
She wanted a man at ease to win coveted rewards;
yet does a lion rend throats while lying at rest?
هِيَit is الحُرَّةُthe purebred الوَجناءُstout-cheeked she-camel وَاِبنُand a son of مُلَمَّةٍadversity
هِيَ الحُرَّةُ الوَجناءُ وَاِبنُ مُلَمَّةٍ
وَجَأشٌand a heart عَلىin the face of ماwhat يُحدِثُbrings about الدَهرُtime خافِضُcalm
وَجَأشٌ عَلى ما يُحدِثُ الدَهرُ خافِضُ
It takes a purebred, stout-cheeked she-camel, a son of adversity,
and a heart calm amid whatever time brings.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رَأَتهُthey see him العيسُthe pale camels ظَلَّتthey remain كَأَنَّماas though
إِذا ما رَأَتهُ العيسُ ظَلَّت كَأَنَّما
عَلَيهاupon them مِنَfrom الوِردِrecurring fever اليَمامِيِّof al-Yamamah نافِضُa shivering fit
عَلَيها مِنَ الوِردِ اليَمامِيِّ نافِضُ
Whenever the pale camels see him, they remain as though
a shivering fit of al-Yamamah fever were upon them.
إِلَيكَto you سَرىjourneyed by night بِالمَدحِwith praise قَومٌa company كَأَنَّهُمas though they
إِلَيكَ سَرى بِالمَدحِ قَومٌ كَأَنَّهُم
عَلىupon المَيسِhackberry-wood saddles حَيّاتُsnakes of اللِصابِrock clefts النَضانِضُflicking their tongues
عَلى المَيسِ حَيّاتُ اللِصابِ النَضانِضُ
A company traveled by night to you with praise, as though,
on saddles of hackberry wood, they were tongue-flicking snakes of the clefts.
مُعيدينَreturning again وِردَthe watering at الحَوضِthe pool قَدalready هَدَّمَhad demolished البِلىdecay
مُعيدينَ وِردَ الحَوضِ قَد هَدَّمَ البِلى
نَصائِبَهُits standing stones وَاِنمَحَّand were effaced مِنهُfrom it المَراكِضُthe riding tracks
نَصائِبَهُ وَاِنمَحَّ مِنهُ المَراكِضُ
Returning to drink at the pool, where decay had demolished
its standing stones, and its riding tracks had vanished.
نَشيمُwe watch بُروقاًlightning-flashes مِنfrom نَداكِyour bounty كَأَنَّهاas though they
نَشيمُ بُروقاً مِن نَداكِ كَأَنَّها
وَقَدand already لاحَgleamed أُولاهاtheir first عُروقٌveins نَوابِضُthrobbing
وَقَد لاحَ أُولاها عُروقٌ نَوابِضُ
We watch lightning-flashes from your bounty: they seem,
as their first gleams, like throbbing veins.
فَماand not زِلنَdid they cease يَستَشرينَintensifying حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّماas though
فَما زِلنَ يَستَشرينَ حَتّى كَأَنَّما
عَلىacross أُفُقِthe horizon of الدُنياthe world سُيوفٌswords رَوامِضُflashing
عَلى أُفُقِ الدُنيا سُيوفٌ رَوامِضُ
And they kept intensifying, until it seemed
flashing swords lay across the world's horizon.
فَلَمand did not تَنصَرِمcease إِلّاexcept وَفيwhile in كُلِّevery وَهدَةٍhollow
فَلَم تَنصَرِم إِلّا وَفي كُلِّ وَهدَةٍ
وَنَشزٍand rise لَهاfrom them وادٍa stream مِنَof العُرفِbounty فائِضُoverflowing
وَنَشزٍ لَها وادٍ مِنَ العُرفِ فائِضُ
Nor did they cease until, in every hollow
and rise, a stream of bounty from them overflowed.
أَخاbrother of الحَربِwar كَمhow often أَلقَحتَهاyou made her conceive وَهيَwhile she was حائِلٌnot pregnant
أَخا الحَربِ كَم أَلقَحتَها وَهيَ حائِلٌ
وَأَخَّرتَهاand you delayed her عَنbeyond وَقتِهاher due time وَهيَwhile she was ماخِضُin labor
وَأَخَّرتَها عَن وَقتِها وَهيَ ماخِضُ
Brother of war, how often you have made her conceive when not with child,
and delayed her beyond her term while she was in labor!
إِذاwhen عِرضُthe honor of رِعديدٍa coward تَدَنَّسَwas stained فيin الوَغىbattle
إِذا عِرضُ رِعديدٍ تَدَنَّسَ في الوَغى
فَسَيفُكَthen your sword فيin الهَيجاbattle لِعِرضِكَfor your honor راحِضُa cleanser
فَسَيفُكَ في الهَيجا لِعِرضِكَ راحِضُ
When a coward's honor is sullied in the fray,
your sword in battle washes your honor clean.
إِذاwhen كانَتِbecame الأَنفاسُbreaths جَمراًembers لَدىamid الوَغىbattle
إِذا كانَتِ الأَنفاسُ جَمراً لَدى الوَغى
وَضاقَتand grew tight ثِيابُthe garments of القَومِthe men وَهيَthough they were فَضافِضُample
وَضاقَت ثِيابُ القَومِ وَهيَ فَضافِضُ
When breaths become embers amid battle,
and men's garments tighten, though they are ample,
بِحَيثُwhere القُلوبُthe hearts الساكِناتُcalm خَوافِقٌpounding
بِحَيثُ القُلوبُ الساكِناتُ خَوافِقٌ
وَماءُand the luster of الوُجوهِfaces الأَريَحِيّاتِnoble غائِضُebbing away
وَماءُ الوُجوهِ الأَريَحِيّاتِ غائِضُ
where calm hearts pound,
and the luster of noble faces ebbs away—
فَأَنتَthen you الَّذيthe one تَستَيقِظُawakens الحَربُwar بِاِسمِهِat his name
فَأَنتَ الَّذي تَستَيقِظُ الحَربُ بِاِسمِهِ
إِذاwhen جاضَswerved عَنaway from حَدِّthe edge of الأَسِنَّةِspearheads جائِضُone who flees
إِذا جاضَ عَن حَدِّ الأَسِنَّةِ جائِضُ
you are the one at whose name war awakens,
when a fugitive swerves from the spear-points.
إِذاwhen قَبَضَclamped shut النَقعُthe dust العُيونَthe eyes سَماrose لَهُtoward it
إِذا قَبَضَ النَقعُ العُيونَ سَما لَهُ
هُمامٌa hero عَلىupon جَمرِthe embers of الحَفيظَةِprotective fury قابِضُgripping
هُمامٌ عَلى جَمرِ الحَفيظَةِ قابِضُ
When dust clamps eyes shut, there rises to meet it
a hero gripping the embers of protective fury.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَhas learned الحَزمُprudence الَّذيwhose أَنتَyou رَبُّهُits master
وَقَد عَلِمَ الحَزمُ الَّذي أَنتَ رَبُّهُ
بِأَنthat لاnot يَعيmends العَظمُthe bone الَّذيwhich أَنتَyou هائِضُbreak anew
بِأَن لا يَعي العَظمُ الَّذي أَنتَ هائِضُ
And prudence, whose master you are, has learned
that a bone you break anew will never knit.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَhas learned القِرنُthe opponent المُساميكَvying with your stature أَنَّهُthat he
وَقَد عَلِمَ القِرنُ المُساميكَ أَنَّهُ
سَيَغرَقُwill drown فيin البَحرِthe sea الَّذيwhich أَنتَyou خائِضُwade through
سَيَغرَقُ في البَحرِ الَّذي أَنتَ خائِضُ
And the opponent who vies with you in stature has learned that he
will drown in the sea you wade through,
كَماjust as عَلِمَhave learned المُستَشعِرونَthe would-be poets بِأَنَّهُمthat they
كَما عَلِمَ المُستَشعِرونَ بِأَنَّهُم
بَطاءٌlagging عَنِbehind الشِعرِthe poetry الَّذيthat أَناI قارِضُcompose
بَطاءٌ عَنِ الشِعرِ الَّذي أَنا قارِضُ
just as would-be poets have learned that they
lag behind the verse I compose.
كَأَنّيas though I were دينارٌDinar يُناديcalling أَلاis there not فَتىًa young man
كَأَنّي دينارٌ يُنادي أَلا فَتىً
يُبارِزُto duel إِذwhen نادَيتُI called مَنwho ذاis it that يُعارِضُwill compete
يُبارِزُ إِذ نادَيتُ مَن ذا يُعارِضُ
It was as though I were Dinar calling, 'Is there no young man
to fight a duel?' when I called, 'Who will match me?'
فَلاso do not تُنكِرواmarvel at ذِلَّthe submission of القَوافيthe rhymes فَقَدfor indeed رَأىhas realized
فَلا تُنكِروا ذِلَّ القَوافي فَقَد رَأى
مُحَرَّمُهاtheir untamed verse أَنّيthat I am لَهاtheir الدَهرَfor all time رائِضُtamer
مُحَرَّمُها أَنّي لَها الدَهرَ رائِضُ
So do not marvel at the rhymes' submission; for it has become clear
to their untamed verse that I am their tamer for all time.
Translation model: Sol 6.1