قدoften أَغتديI set out early قبلَbefore وُجوبِbecoming obligatory الفَرضِthe prescribed prayer
قد أَغتدي قبلَ وُجوبِ الفَرضِ
والجَفْنُand the eyelid قدalready وَدَّعَbade farewell to طيبَthe sweetness of الغُمْضِsleep
والجَفْنُ قد وَدَّعَ طيبَ الغُمْضِ
Often I set out before the prescribed prayer is due,
I may oversleep before the obligatory dawn prayer
And the eyelid has already bid sweet sleep farewell,
And my eyelids may bid farewell to the sweet slumber
وبارقُand the lightning الأُفْقِof the horizon كليلُfeeble الوَمْضِin flashing
وبارقُ الأُفْقِ كليلُ الوَمْضِ
كأنَّهas though it were عِرْقٌa vein ضَعيفُweak in النَّبْضِthe pulse
كأنَّه عِرْقٌ ضَعيفُ النَّبْضِ
And the horizon's lightning flickers faintly,
The horizon's lightning is like a faint pulse
As though it were a vein with a feeble pulse,
As if it were a weak vein's throbbing
بكلِّwith every وافيfully noble الطَّرَفَينِboth lines of descent مَحْضِof pure stock
بكلِّ وافي الطَّرَفَينِ مَحْضِ
مُبْتَذَلِfreely spent الوَفْرِample wealth مَصونِguarded العِرْضِhonor
مُبْتَذَلِ الوَفْرِ مَصونِ العِرْضِ
With every man of pure stock, noble on both sides,
With the eyes of the faithful of perfect vision
Whose wealth is freely spent and whose honor is guarded.
Of abundant generosity and protected honor
قدalready نَصَبواthey have set للحائنِfor the doomed one المُنقَضِّswooping down
قد نَصَبوا للحائنِ المُنقَضِّ
قِدّاًa leather thong يَعَضُّit bites السَّاقَthe leg أيَّwhat a عَضِّbite
قِدّاً يَعَضُّ السَّاقَ أيَّ عَضِّ
They have set for the doomed, swooping bird
They set up for the vicious aggressor
A leather thong that bites the leg—what a bite!
A foreleg that bites whichever leg dares to bite
ضُعْفَdoubles of عُيونٍeyes لمnot تُشَنْmarred بِغَضِّby lowered gaze
ضُعْفَ عُيونٍ لم تُشَنْ بِغَضِّ
لهاthey have مَآقٍeye-corners رَسَبَتْsunk فيinto الأرضِthe earth
لها مَآقٍ رَسَبَتْ في الأرضِ
Doubled eyes, never marred by lowered gaze,
The weakness of eyes that were not malicious
Their eye-corners sunk into the earth.
With burrows that dug into the ground
طارِقُهاtheir visitor فيin قَلَقٍrestlessness ونَفْضِand shaking
طارِقُها في قَلَقٍ ونَفْضِ
يَضْرِبُit strikes بعضَsome of ريشِهِits feathers ببَعْضِagainst others
يَضْرِبُ بعضَ ريشِهِ ببَعْضِ
Their visitor is restless and shaking,
Their restless flutter in distress and scattering
Beating some of its feathers against others,
Striking some of its feathers against others
بينَbetween عُلُوٍّa rise مُوبقٍdeadly وخَفْضِand a descent
بينَ عُلُوٍّ مُوبقٍ وخَفْضِ
ونَهْضِand rising لاno مُنتَفعٍِbenefit gained بِنَهْضِby rising
ونَهْضِ لا مُنتَفعٍِ بِنَهْضِ
Between a deadly rise and a descent,
Between a perilous ascent and descent
And rising, with no gain from rising.
And a rise that benefits not from the rise
فكمand how often رَمَتْit has struck ذاone possessing بَسْطَةٍa broad span ِبقَبْضِwith a tight grip
فكم رَمَتْ ذا بَسْطَةٍ ِبقَبْضِ
وأمسكَتْand it has held بِكراًa virgin علىfor مُفتَضِّa deflowerer
وأمسكَتْ بِكراً على مُفتَضِّ
How often it has met a broad wingspan with a tight grip,
So it cast with outstretched hand in grasping
And held a virgin for one who would deflower her,
And it held back the innocent to the enjoyment
معاجِلٍhastening سِوارَهاher bracelet بِفَضِّby breaking open
معاجِلٍ سِوارَها بِفَضِّ
ياO لَكِfor you منas an آلةِinstrument of رِزْقٍsustenance غَضِّfresh
يا لَكِ من آلةِ رِزْقٍ غَضِّ
Hastening to break her bracelet open.
Of a hasty one who fettered its wrist freely
O, what a tool for fresh sustenance you are!
O you who are a means of cheap provision
تملأُyou fill كفَّيْthe two palms of رائدٍa forager وتُرضيand you satisfy
تملأُ كفَّيْ رائدٍ وتُرضي
You fill a forager's two palms and satisfy him.
Filling the hands of a guide and satisfying