وَأَعوَجَand Aʿwaj مِنfrom آلِthe line of الصَريحِal-Ṣarīḥ كَأَنَّهُas though he were
وَأَعوَجَ مِن آلِ الصَريحِ كَأَنَّهُ
بِذيat Dhū الشَثِّal-Shathth سيدٌa wolf آخِرَat the end of اللَيلthe night جائِعُhungry
بِذي الشَثِّ سيدٌ آخِرَ اللَيل جائِعُ
And Aʿwaj, of al-Ṣarīḥ’s line, as though he were
at Dhū al-Shathth a wolf, hungry at night’s end.
بَغىsought كَسبَهُhis sustenance أَطرافَat the edges of لَيلٍnight كَأَنَّهُas though he were
بَغى كَسبَهُ أَطرافَ لَيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ
وَلَيسَand there was no بِهِin him ظَلعٌlameness مِنَfrom الخَمصِhunger ظالِعُlimping
وَلَيسَ بِهِ ظَلعٌ مِنَ الخَمصِ ظالِعُ
He sought his sustenance at the edges of night, as though he were,
though free of lameness, limping from hunger.
فَلَمّاthen when أَباهُrefused him الرِزقُsustenance مِنfrom كُلِّevery وِجهَةٍdirection
فَلَمّا أَباهُ الرِزقُ مِن كُلِّ وِجهَةٍ
جُنوبَalong the flanks of المَلاal-Malā وَأَيأَسَتهُand made him despair المَطالِعُthe lookouts
جُنوبَ المَلا وَأَيأَسَتهُ المَطالِعُ
And when sustenance failed him from every quarter
along al-Malā’s flanks, and the lookouts left him hopeless,
طَوىfolded up نَفسَهُhimself طَيَّlike the folding of الحَريرِsilk كَأَنَّهُas though he were
طَوى نَفسَهُ طَيَّ الحَريرِ كَأَنَّهُ
حَوىa coil حَيَّةِof a snake فيon رَبوَةٍa knoll وَهوَwhile he was جائِعٌhungry
حَوى حَيَّةِ في رَبوَةٍ وَهوَ جائِعٌ
he folded himself up as silk is folded, as though he were
a snake’s coil on a knoll, still hungry.
فَلَمّاthen when أَصابَتstruck مَتنَهُhis back الشَمسُthe sun حَكَّهُhe scratched it
فَلَمّا أَصابَت مَتنَهُ الشَمسُ حَكَّهُ
بِأَعصَلَwith a crooked fang فيin جُذمورِهِits root السُمًّthe venom ناقِعُdeadly
بِأَعصَلَ في جُذمورِهِ السُمًّ ناقِعُ
Then, when the sun struck his back, he scratched it
with a crooked fang, deadly venom in its root.
وَقامَand rose فَأَقعىthen squatted on his haunches قاعِداًsitting يُقسِمُapportioning المُنىwishes
وَقامَ فَأَقعى قاعِداً يُقسِمُ المُنى
رَجاءَin hope وَمَطّىand stretched صُلبَهُhis spine وَهوَwhile he was قابِعُcrouching
رَجاءَ وَمَطّى صُلبَهُ وَهوَ قابِعُ
And he rose, then sat on his haunches, apportioning wishes
in hope, and stretched his spine while crouching.
وَفَكَّكَand worked loose لِحيَيهِhis two jaws فَلَمّاthen when تَعادَياthey drew apart
وَفَكَّكَ لِحيَيهِ فَلَمّا تَعادَيا
صَأىyelped ثُمَّthen وَلّىturned away وَالبِلادُand the lands بلاقِعُbarren wastes
صَأى ثُمَّ وَلّى وَالبِلادُ بلاقِعُ
And he worked his jaws loose; when they drew apart,
he yelped, then turned away, and the lands were barren wastes.
وَهَمَّand thought بِأَمرٍof a course of action ثُمَّthen أَزمَعَresolved on غَيرَهُsomething other than it
وَهَمَّ بِأَمرٍ ثُمَّ أَزمَعَ غَيرَهُ
وَإِنand if ضاقَgrew scarce رِزقٌsustenance مَرَّةًonce فَهوَthen it is واسِعُample
وَإِن ضاقَ رِزقٌ مَرَّةً فَهوَ واسِعُ
And he thought of one course, then resolved on another.
And if sustenance is scarce at one time, it is ample at another.
وَعارَضَand crossed أَطرافَthe fringes of الصَباthe east wind فَكَأَنَّهُso, as though he were
وَعارَضَ أَطرافَ الصَبا فَكَأَنَّهُ
حُبابُripples غَديرٍof a pool هَزَّهُstirred it الريحُthe wind راجِعُrolling back
حُبابُ غَديرٍ هَزَّهُ الريحُ راجِعُ
And he crossed the east wind’s fringes, as though he were
the back-rolling ripples of a pool stirred by the wind.
Translation model: Sol 6.1