كِلاboth يَومَيthe two days of طُوالَةَTuwalah وَصلُunion with أَروىArwa
كِلا يَومَي طُوالَةَ وَصلُ أَروى
ظَنونٌdoubtful آنَthe time has come for مَطَّرَحُcasting aside الظَنونِdoubtful hopes
ظَنونٌ آنَ مَطَّرَحُ الظَنونِ
On both days at Tuwalah, union with Arwa
My days are prolonged in yearning for the quenching of Arwa
was doubtful; the time has come to cast doubtful hopes aside.
Suspicions discarded, no longer harbored
وَماand not أَروىArwa وَإِنand even if كَرُمَتshe is dear عَلَيناto us
وَما أَروى وَإِن كَرُمَت عَلَينا
بِأَدنىany nearer مِنthan مُوَقَّفَةٍa band-legged she-ibex حَرونِunyielding
بِأَدنى مِن مُوَقَّفَةٍ حَرونِ
And Arwa, though dear to us,
And it matters not if she is generous, bestowing upon us
is no nearer than a band-legged, unyielding she-ibex.
The slightest morsel, it would be a gift
تُطيفُcircle بِهاaround her الرُماةُthe archers وَتَتَّقيهِمand she guards against them
تُطيفُ بِها الرُماةُ وَتَتَّقيهِم
بِأَوعالٍwith ibexes مُعَطَّفَةِcurved in القُرونِthe horns
بِأَوعالٍ مُعَطَّفَةِ القُرونِ
Archers circle her, and she shields herself from them
Archers circle around it, their twisted horns on guard
with ibexes whose horns curve.
And the water I came to draw for Arwa
وَماءٍand a watering place قَدindeed وَرَدتُI reached لِوَصلِfor union with أَروىArwa
وَماءٍ قَد وَرَدتُ لِوَصلِ أَروى
عَلَيهِupon it الطَيرُthe birds كَالوَرَقِlike leaves اللَجينِbeaten into fodder
عَلَيهِ الطَيرُ كَالوَرَقِ اللَجينِ
And a watering place I reached, seeking union with Arwa—
Birds flutter over it like moist leaves
upon it were birds, like beaten leaves.
I startled the wild cats and drove off from it
ذَعَرتُI startled بِهِat it القَطاthe sandgrouse وَنَفَيتُand I banished عَنهُfrom it
ذَعَرتُ بِهِ القَطا وَنَفَيتُ عَنهُ
مَقامَthe presence of الذِئبِthe wolf كَالرَجُلِlike a man اللَعينِaccursed
مَقامَ الذِئبِ كَالرَجُلِ اللَعينِ
There I startled the sandgrouse and drove from it
The stance of the vicious wolf like a wicked man
the wolf that lurked like an accursed man.
And I am not, when worries besiege me
وَلَستُand I am not إِذاwhen الهُمومُcares تَحَضَّرَتنيhave beset me
وَلَستُ إِذا الهُمومُ تَحَضَّرَتني
بِأَخضَعَsubmissive فيamid الحَوادِثِmisfortunes مُستَكينِabject
بِأَخضَعَ في الحَوادِثِ مُستَكينِ
And when cares beset me, I am not
The most helpless in calamities
bowed before calamities, meek and submissive.
So shed your worries with the incense of Lauh
فَسَلِّso dispel الهَمَّcare عَنكَfrom yourself بِذاتِwith one possessing لَوثٍstrength
فَسَلِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِذاتِ لَوثٍ
عُذافِرَةٍmassive and sturdy كَمِطرَقَةِlike the hammer of القُيونِthe smiths
عُذافِرَةٍ كَمِطرَقَةِ القُيونِ
So banish care from yourself with a strong she-camel,
With smoke like the billows of bellows
massive and sturdy, like the smiths' hammer.
When you have brought me and unloaded my gear
إِذاwhen بَلَّغتِنيyou have brought me وَحَطَطتِand you have set down رَحليmy saddle
إِذا بَلَّغتِني وَحَطَطتِ رَحلي
عَرابَةَArabah فَاِشرَقيthen choke بِدَمِon the blood of الوَتينِthe aorta
عَرابَةَ فَاِشرَقي بِدَمِ الوَتينِ
When you have brought me and set down my saddle
At Araba then gush forth with the blood of sacrifices
at Arabah's, then choke on the blood of your aorta.
To you I sent my she-camel complaining
إِلَيكَto you بَعَثتُI sent راحِلَتيmy riding-camel تَشَكّىshe complains of
إِلَيكَ بَعَثتُ راحِلَتي تَشَكّى
كُلوماًwounds بَعدَafter مَقحَدِهاthe base of her hump السَمينِplump
كُلوماً بَعدَ مَقحَدِها السَمينِ
To you I sent my riding-camel, complaining
Of leanness after her plumpness
of wounds, after the base of her hump had been plump.
So excellent is she who set out to him
فَنِعمَso excellent is المُعتَرىthe patron sought out رَحَلَتshe journeyed إِلَيهِto him
فَنِعمَ المُعتَرى رَحَلَت إِلَيهِ
رَحىthe disk of حَيزومِهاher breast كَرَحىlike the millstone of الطَحينِflour
رَحى حَيزومِها كَرَحى الطَحينِ
What an excellent patron she has journeyed to!
Her neck grinding like millstones
The disk of her breast is like a flour-mill's stone.
If she kneels on high ground, she casts off
إِذاwhen بَرَكَتshe kneels عَلىon عَلياءَhigh ground أَلقَتshe lays down
إِذا بَرَكَت عَلى عَلياءَ أَلقَت
عَسيبَthe tapering end of جِرانِهاher neck's underside كَعَصاlike the staff of الهَجينِa man of mixed birth
عَسيبَ جِرانِها كَعَصا الهَجينِ
When she kneels on high ground, she lays down
Her saddle ropes like the stick of a vagrant
the tapering end of her throat, like the staff of a man of mixed birth.
And if she is prodded onto the hilltops, she descends
وَإِنand if ضُرِبَتshe is whipped عَلىdespite العِلّاتِailments حَطَّتshe races
وَإِن ضُرِبَت عَلى العِلّاتِ حَطَّت
إِلَيكَtoward you حِطاطَthe rush of هادِيَةٍa leading she-ass شَنونِneither fat nor gaunt
إِلَيكَ حِطاطَ هادِيَةٍ شَنونِ
And if whipped despite her ailments, she races
To you with the gait of a gentle guide
toward you with the rush of a lean she-ass in the lead,
The first drops from a waterskin its carrier
تُوائِلُshe seeks escape مِنfrom مِصَكٍّa hard-kicking jack أَنصَبَتهُhas wearied him
تُوائِلُ مِن مِصَكٍّ أَنصَبَتهُ
حَوالِبُthe draining outlets of أَسهَرَيهِhis two secretion-bearing veins بِالذَنينِwith thin discharge
حَوالِبُ أَسهَرَيهِ بِالذَنينِ
seeking escape from a hard-kicking jack, wearied
Suspended by its loops with twine
by thin discharge milked from his two veins.
Whenever she attacks the wild cats, she leaves them
مَتىwhenever يَرِدِhe reaches القَطاةَthe rump يَرِكhe presses down عَلَيهاupon it
مَتى يَرِدِ القَطاةَ يَرِك عَلَيها
بِحِنوِwith the bending of الرَأسِthe head مُعتَرِضَturned crosswise الجَبينِthe brow
بِحِنوِ الرَأسِ مُعتَرِضَ الجَبينِ
Whenever he reaches her rump, he presses upon it,
With a blow of her head butting their brows
his head bent, his brow turned crosswise,
Of a tree whose sacred fruit is forbidden to him
شَجٍchoking بِالريقِon saliva أَنbecause حَرُمَتwas denied عَلَيهِto him
شَجٍ بِالريقِ أَن حَرُمَت عَلَيهِ
حَصانُchaste in الفَرجِthe genitals واسِقَةُcarrying الجَنينِthe unborn foal
حَصانُ الفَرجِ واسِقَةُ الجَنينِ
choking on saliva, because denied to him is
The horse of the valley who nurses the fetus
a chaste she-ass carrying her unborn foal.
Bearing the innards of a pregnant she-camel in heat
طَوَتshe wrapped أَحشاءَthe innards of مُرتِجَةٍa female with a sealed womb لِوَقتٍfor an appointed term
طَوَت أَحشاءَ مُرتِجَةٍ لِوَقتٍ
عَلىaround مَشَجٍmingled seed سُلالَتُهُits extracted essence مَهينِlowly
عَلى مَشَجٍ سُلالَتُهُ مَهينِ
She wrapped her innards, her womb sealed until its term,
On a carrier whose lineage is disgraced
around mingled seed, lowly in its origin.
She leads them from the valley of palm trees
يَؤُمُّhe heads toward بِهِنَّwith them مِنfrom بَطحاءِthe gravelly plain of نَخلٍNakhl
يَؤُمُّ بِهِنَّ مِن بَطحاءِ نَخلٍ
مَراكِضَthe galloping grounds of حائِرٍa pool عَذبٍsweet مَعينِflowing
مَراكِضَ حائِرٍ عَذبٍ مَعينِ
From Nakhl's gravelly plain he leads them toward
To the trotting place of a lost camel, fresh and sweet
the galloping grounds by a pool of sweet, flowing water.
As if the whiskers of her cheeks corralled
كَأَنَّas though مَحازَthe area swept by لَحيَيهِhis two jaws حَصاهُits pebbles
كَأَنَّ مَحازَ لَحيَيهِ حَصاهُ
جَناباthe two sides of جِلدِthe hide of أَجرَبَa mangy beast ذيwith غُضونِwrinkles
جَنابا جِلدِ أَجرَبَ ذي غُضونِ
As though the pebbles where his two jaws sweep
The hide of a one-eyed hyena, slick with sap
were the two sides of a mangy, wrinkled hide.
Her bellows have sweated and freely yielded
وَقَدand already عَرِقَتhad sweated مَغابِنُهاher body-folds وَجادَتand she poured generously
وَقَد عَرِقَت مَغابِنُها وَجادَت
بِدِرَّتِهاwith her copious flow قِرىa guest's feast for حَجِنٍa small tick قَتينِlean
بِدِرَّتِها قِرى حَجِنٍ قَتينِ
And her body-folds had sweated, and she poured out
Pearls from a bracelet, pure white and matched
her streaming sweat, a feast for a small, lean tick,
When the ostrich rests his chicks against
إِذاwhen الأَرطىthe arta shrubs تَوَسَّدَused as a pillow أَبرَدَيهِits two cooler sides
إِذا الأَرطى تَوَسَّدَ أَبرَدَيهِ
خُدودُthe cheeks of جَوازِئٍantelopes subsisting without drinking بِالرَملِin the sand عينِwide-eyed
خُدودُ جَوازِئٍ بِالرَملِ عينِ
when the arta's two cooler sides were taken as pillows
The dunes of sand grouse amidst gravel
by the cheeks of wide-eyed antelopes in the sands, needing no drink.
And if the shared path puzzles her
وَإِنand if شَرَكُthe tracks of الطَريقِthe road تَوَسَّمَتهُshe discerned it
وَإِن شَرَكُ الطَريقِ تَوَسَّمَتهُ
بِخَوصاوَينِwith two narrow eyes فيin لُحجٍa recess كَنينٍsheltered
بِخَوصاوَينِ في لُحجٍ كَنينٍ
And when she discerned the road's tracks
With tracks in the smooth sands of fox burrows
with two narrow eyes deep in sheltered hollows,
When dawn splits the night away from him
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الصُبحُdawn شَقَّcleft اللَيلَthe night عَنهُaway from itself
إِذا ما الصُبحُ شَقَّ اللَيلَ عَنهُ
أَشَقَّin a wide cleft كَمَفرَقِlike the parting of الرَأسِthe head الدَهينِoiled
أَشَقَّ كَمَفرَقِ الرَأسِ الدَهينِ
when dawn cleft the night away from itself,
It splits like the shorn head of a sheep
in a broad cleft, like a parting in oiled hair,
I saw the she-camel of Aus rise up
رَأَيتُI saw عَرابَةَArabah الأَوسِيَّal-Awsi يَسموrising
رَأَيتُ عَرابَةَ الأَوسِيَّ يَسمو
إِلىtoward الخَيراتِnoble deeds مُنقَطِعَoutstripping القَرينِhis peer
إِلى الخَيراتِ مُنقَطِعَ القَرينِ
I saw Arabah al-Awsi rise
To virtues, peerless
toward noble deeds, leaving his peers behind.
Benefiting praise and benefitting glory
أَفادَhe gained مَحامِداًpraise وَأَفادَand he gained مَجداًglory
أَفادَ مَحامِداً وَأَفادَ مَجداً
فَلَيسَso he is not كَجامِدٍlike a cold-hearted man لَحِزٍill-tempered ضَنينِmiserly
فَلَيسَ كَجامِدٍ لَحِزٍ ضَنينِ
He gained praise and gained glory,
For she is no lifeless clod of clay
so he is unlike a cold-hearted, ill-tempered miser.
Whenever a flag is raised for glory
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle رايَةٌa banner رُفِعَتis raised لِمَجدٍfor glory
إِذا ما رايَةٌ رُفِعَت لِمَجدٍ
تَلَقّاهاhe receives it عَرابَةُArabah بِاليَمينِin his right hand
تَلَقّاها عَرابَةُ بِاليَمينِ
Whenever a banner is raised for glory,
Arwa meets it with her right hand
Arabah receives it in his right hand.
And none can match the elite of your clan
وَمِثلُand the likes of سَراةِthe chiefs of قَومِكَyour people لَمnot يُجارَواbeen matched in racing
وَمِثلُ سَراةِ قَومِكَ لَم يُجارَوا
إِلىas far as رُبُعِa quarter of الرِهانِthe race وَلاnor الثَمينِan eighth
إِلى رُبُعِ الرِهانِ وَلا الثَمينِ
And none have kept pace with the likes of your people's chiefs,
To a quarter of the wager or value
even to a quarter of the race, nor an eighth.
Spears of Rudaina and seas of Lujj
رِماحُthe spears of رُدَينَةٍRudaynah وَبِحارُand seas of لُجٍّdeep water
رِماحُ رُدَينَةٍ وَبِحارُ لُجٍّ
غَوارِبُهاtheir wave-crests تَقاذَفُtoss back and forth بِالسَفينِwith the ships
غَوارِبُها تَقاذَفُ بِالسَفينِ
Rudaynah's spears, and seas of deep water,
Their diving ships tossing with the vessels
whose crests fling ships back and forth.
A ransom for your abundant generosity
فِدىًa ransom لِعَطائِكَfor your bounty الجَزلِample المُرَجّىhoped-for
فِدىً لِعَطائِكَ الجَزلِ المُرَجّى
رَجاءَthe hope of المُخلَفاتِthose that disappoint مِنَamong الظُنونِexpectations
رَجاءَ المُخلَفاتِ مِنَ الظُنونِ
A ransom for your ample, eagerly awaited bounty:
Hoped for by suspicions of doubts
the hope placed in expectations that disappoint,
On a morning I found your sea no meager pool
غَداةَon the morning when وَجَدتُI found بَحرَكَyour sea غَيرَnot نَزرٍscant
غَداةَ وَجَدتُ بَحرَكَ غَيرَ نَزرٍ
مَشارِعُهُits watering places وَلاnor كَدِرَmurky العُيونِthe springs
مَشارِعُهُ وَلا كَدِرَ العُيونِ
on the morning I found your sea not scant
With waves beyond count and no muddy visions
at its watering places, nor murky at its springs.
Partial English translation: 57 of 58 Arabic lines translated.