قالَت سُلَيمى لَستَ بِالحادي المُدِل

قالَت سُلَيمى لَستَ بِالحادي المُدِل

ما لَكَ لا تَملِكُ أَعضادَ الإِبِل

ما لَكَ لا تَملِكُ أَعضادَ الإِبِل

Sulayma said, “You are no self-assured camel-driver.

Sulaima said, "You are not a guide,

What ails you, that you cannot control the camels’ straying bands?

Why can't you own the camel's pillars?

رُبَّ اِبنِ عَمٍّ لِسُلَيمى مُشمَعِل

رُبَّ اِبنِ عَمٍّ لِسُلَيمى مُشمَعِل

في الشَولِ وَشواشٌ وَفي الحَيِّ رَفِل

في الشَولِ وَشواشٌ وَفي الحَيِّ رَفِل

Many a cousin of Sulayma’s is swift and vigorous,

The cousin is a flame for Sulaima,

nimble among the dry she-camels, swaggering among the tribe,

Noisy in Al-Shawl, clamorous and active in Hayy Rafil.

أَحوَسَ بَينَ القَومِ بِالرُمحِ الخَطِل

أَحوَسَ بَينَ القَومِ بِالرُمحِ الخَطِل

عاذِلَتي أَبقي قَليلاً مِن عَذَل

عاذِلَتي أَبقي قَليلاً مِن عَذَل

roving boldly among the men with a long, swaying spear.”

Squinting through the spear Al-Khatil,

My reproacher, hold back a little of your blame;

My lover, leave me with some punishment,

وَإِن تَقولي هالِكٌ أَقُل أَجَل

وَإِن تَقولي هالِكٌ أَقُل أَجَل

قَرَّبتُ عَنساً خُلِقَت خَلقَ الجَمَل

قَرَّبتُ عَنساً خُلِقَت خَلقَ الجَمَل

and if you say I am doomed, I shall say, “Yes.”

And if you say I will perish, make my death nearer.

I brought forward a sturdy she-camel, built like a he-camel.

I saddled a she-camel created like a camel,

لا تَشتَكي ما لَقِيَت مِنَ العَمَل

لا تَشتَكي ما لَقِيَت مِنَ العَمَل

إِلّا أَصاريفَ نِيارٍ قَد هَزَل

إِلّا أَصاريفَ نِيارٍ قَد هَزَل

She does not complain of the toil she has endured,

Don't complain about the work you did,

save the ravages of scorching heat that has worn her thin.

Except the expenses of a day that became less.

كَأَنَّها وَالنَسعُ عَنها قَد فَضَل

كَأَنَّها وَالنَسعُ عَنها قَد فَضَل

وَنَهَلَ السَوطُ بِدَفَّيها وَعَل

وَنَهَلَ السَوطُ بِدَفَّيها وَعَل

As though she—with her girth hanging slack,

As if the bridle and the hobble have been removed from it

and the whip having drunk deep at her flanks—were a wild bull,

And the whip marked its shoulders.

مُوَلَّعٌ يَقرو صَريماً قَد بَقَل

مُوَلَّعٌ يَقرو صَريماً قَد بَقَل

صَبَّ عَلَيهِ قانِصٌ لَمّا غَفَل

صَبَّ عَلَيهِ قانِصٌ لَمّا غَفَل

piebald, ranging over a sandy tract newly green.

A burning lover eating ripe fruits,

A hunter loosed upon him, when he was unwary—

Poured on him a bowl when he was inattentive

وَالشَمسُ كَالمِرآةِ في كَفِّ الأَشَل

وَالشَمسُ كَالمِرآةِ في كَفِّ الأَشَل

مُقَلَّداتِ القِدِّ يَقرونَ الدَغَل

مُقَلَّداتِ القِدِّ يَقرونَ الدَغَل

with the sun like a mirror in a palsied man’s palm—

And the sun is like a mirror in the palm of the one-eyed.

rawhide-collared hounds, scouring the thickets.

Wearing the anklets, they eat unripe dates.

ثُمَّ تَرَدّى جانِبَيهِ وَأَدَل

ثُمَّ تَرَدّى جانِبَيهِ وَأَدَل

وَزَلَّ كَالإِبريقِ بِالمَتنِ القَبَل

وَزَلَّ كَالإِبريقِ بِالمَتنِ القَبَل

Then he lunged to either side and grew bold,

Then he collapsed on his side and bent down,

and glided like a ewer along the rising ridge.

And slipped like a waterskin on the curved side.

كَأَنَّهُ مُسَربَلٌ وَقَد فَعَل

كَأَنَّهُ مُسَربَلٌ وَقَد فَعَل

مُلاءَ كَتّانٍ وَرَيطاً ما اِحتَمَل

مُلاءَ كَتّانٍ وَرَيطاً ما اِحتَمَل

As though he were robed—and indeed he was—

As if he is wearing a garment and he did,

in linen sheets and fine cloth covering his whole frame,

A linen filled with cotton that can't withstand

إِلّا الشَوى مِنهُ وَإِلّا المُكتَحَل

إِلّا الشَوى مِنهُ وَإِلّا المُكتَحَل

except his extremities and his kohl-darkened eyes.

Except being roasted by fire or kohl."