كَأَنَّas though النُقدَthe nuqd plant وَالعَلَسيَّand the ʿalasī plant أَجنىhad borne fruit
كَأَنَّ النُقدَ وَالعَلَسيَّ أَجنى
وَنعّمَand made luxuriant نَبتَهits growth وادٍa valley مَطيرُrich in rain
وَنعّمَ نَبتَه وادٍ مَطيرُ
As though the nuqād sheep and the ʿAlāsī breed had bent low to graze—
As though the nuqd and ʿalasī had borne fruit,
how lush the herbage of a valley drenched with rain!
and a rain-rich valley had made their growth luxuriant;
وَمَرضىand sickly ones مِنamong دَجاجِthe chickens of الرومِthe Romans حُمرٍred
وَمَرضى مِن دَجاجِ الرومِ حُمرٍ
زَواهِفَcrawling لاnot تَموتُdying وَلاand not تَطيرُflying
زَواهِفَ لا تَموتُ وَلا تَطيرُ
And red, sickly hens from the land of Rome,
and sickly ones among the Romans’ red chickens,
creeping things that neither die nor fly.
crawling, neither dying nor flying;
وَثامِرُand fruit-bearing growth of كَربَلٍkarbal وَعَميمُand luxuriant growth of دِفلىoleander
وَثامِرُ كَربَلٍ وَعَميمُ دِفلى
عَلَيهاupon it وَالنَدىand the dew سَبِطٌfreely flowing يَمورُsurges
عَلَيها وَالنَدى سَبِطٌ يَمورُ
Its fruiting plants are karbal and dense oleander;
and fruiting karbal and luxuriant oleander
over them, the smooth dew ripples and sways.
upon it, while the dew flows freely and surges.
فَإِنّيfor indeed I لاno وَأُمِّكَby your mother لاnot أُساريI travel by night with
فَإِنّي لا وَأُمِّكَ لا أُساري
لِقاحَthe milch camels of الجارِthe neighbor ماas long as سَمَرconverses at night السَميرُthe night-talker
لِقاحَ الجارِ ما سَمَر السَميرُ
For no—by your mother—I do not journey by night
For I—no, by your mother—will not travel by night with
after the neighbor’s breeding she-camels, so long as night-talkers converse.
the neighbor’s milch camels, as long as night-talkers converse.
لَقَدindeed ماحَتhave poured forth عَلَيكَupon you مؤبَّداتٌeverlasting satires
لَقَد ماحَت عَلَيكَ مؤبَّداتٌ
يَلوحُstand out لهُنَّbelonging to them أَندابٌscars سُفورُuncovered
يَلوحُ لهُنَّ أَندابٌ سُفورُ
Indeed, long-strayed she-camels have come swaying toward you,
Indeed, everlasting satires have poured down upon you;
their scars showing plain and bare upon them.
their scars stand out, plainly exposed.
