جُلُبّانَةٌ وَرهاءُ تَخصي حمارَها

جُلُبّانَةٌ وَرهاءُ تَخصي حمارَها

بِفي مَن بَغى خَيراً إِليها الجَلامِدُ

بِفي مَن بَغى خَيراً إِليها الجَلامِدُ

A coarse, foolish woman who castrates her donkey;

A mother donkey and her filly decorate themselves,

boulders in the mouth of anyone who wishes her well!

With hoofs that injure those who wish them good.

عُرَيبِيةٌ لا ناحضٌ مِن قَدامَةٍ

عُرَيبِيةٌ لا ناحضٌ مِن قَدامَةٍ

وَلا مُعصِرٌ تَجري عَليها القَلائِدُ

وَلا مُعصِرٌ تَجري عَليها القَلائِدُ

A little Arab woman, neither worn thin by great age

A she-ass neither ridden at the front or back,

nor a nubile girl with necklaces flowing over her.

Nor worked at the olive press with the cattle.

إِزاءُ مَعاشٍ لا يَزالُ نِطاقُها

إِزاءُ مَعاشٍ لا يَزالُ نِطاقُها

شَديداً وَفيها سَورَةٌ وَهيَ قاعِدُ

شَديداً وَفيها سَورَةٌ وَهيَ قاعِدُ

A mainstay of livelihood, her girdle is always

Always tightening her belt against hardship,

tight; she has fierce energy, though past childbearing.

Tough, keeping her legs folded beneath her.

مُداخَلَةُ الأَرساغِ في كلِّ إِصبَعٍ

مُداخَلَةُ الأَرساغِ في كلِّ إِصبَعٍ

من الرجل مِنها واليَدين زَوائِدُ

من الرجل مِنها واليَدين زَوائِدُ

Her wrist-and-ankle joints are closely set; on every digit

Her fetlocks are interwoven on every toe,

of her foot and both hands are extra growths.

With plaits running down both legs from each.

كأَن مَكانَ العِقدِ مِنها إِذا بَدا

كأَن مَكانَ العِقدِ مِنها إِذا بَدا

صفاً مِنَ حَزيزٍ سهَّلَتهُ الموارِدُ

صفاً مِنَ حَزيزٍ سهَّلَتهُ الموارِدُ

The place of her necklace, when it shows, seems like

When her anklets appear it's as though they were

a smooth rock from a stony ridge, smoothed by watercourses.

A washed stream bed smoothed by the running brook.

تَتابَعَ أَعوامٌ عَليها هَزَلنَها

تَتابَعَ أَعوامٌ عَليها هَزَلنَها

وأَقبلَ عامٌ يُنعِشُ النّاسَ واحِدُ

وأَقبلَ عامٌ يُنعِشُ النّاسَ واحِدُ

Years followed one another over her and made her thin,

Years passed over her, mocking,

then a single year came, reviving the people.

Then came one that revived men and was unique.

عَضَمَّرةٌ فيها بقاءٌ وَشِدَّةٌ

عَضَمَّرةٌ فيها بقاءٌ وَشِدَّةٌ

وَوالٍ لَها بادي النَّصيحَةِ جاهِدُ

وَوالٍ لَها بادي النَّصيحَةِ جاهِدُ

Tough and wiry, she has endurance and strength,

Old but lasting, hardy,

and a guardian, openly well-wishing and striving hard for her.

With a guardian watching over her, his advice intent.

إِذا ما دعا أَجيادَ جاءت خَناجِرٌ

إِذا ما دعا أَجيادَ جاءت خَناجِرٌ

لَهاميمُ لا يَمشي إِليهن قائِدُ

لَهاميمُ لا يَمشي إِليهن قائِدُ

Whenever he called 'Ajyad!', hulking she-camels came,

When the noble ladies came, swords flashing,

huge and choice; no driver walks out to them.

Uncontrolled, with no chief to guide them.

فَجاءَت بِمعيوفِ الشَّريعَةِ مُكلِعٍ

فَجاءَت بِمعيوفِ الشَّريعَةِ مُكلِعٍ

أُرِسّت عَليهِ بِالأَكفِّ السَّواعِدُ

أُرِسّت عَليهِ بِالأَكفِّ السَّواعِدُ

Then she brought a grimy skin, shunned at the watering place;

She brought forth, following religious law,

forearms were braced upon it, pressing with their palms.

Hands all smeared from the birthing fluid.

فَما زالَ يُسقي المَحضَ حَتى كأَنّهُ

فَما زالَ يُسقي المَحضَ حَتى كأَنّهُ

أَجيرُ أُناسٍ أَغضَبوهُ مُباعدُ

أَجيرُ أُناسٍ أَغضَبوهُ مُباعدُ

He kept pouring pure milk into it until it seemed

Her teats continued dripping milk, until

a hired hand whose employers had angered him, keeping aloof.

She seemed a hired hand whose absence they resented.

فَجاءَت بِذي أَونَين أُعبِرَ شاتُهُ

فَجاءَت بِذي أَونَين أُعبِرَ شاتُهُ

وَعُمر حَتى قيلَ هَل هوَ خالِدُ

وَعُمر حَتى قيلَ هَل هوَ خالِدُ

Then she brought a two-sided skin, its sheep left unshorn,

Then she brought one whose crossing she announced by her trot,

and it lived so long that people asked, 'Is it immortal?'

And he lived until it was said he would never die.

وَغرّرَه حَتى استَدارَ كأَنَّهُ

وَغرّرَه حَتى استَدارَ كأَنَّهُ

عَلى القَروِ عُلفوفٌ مِن التُّركِ راقِدُ

عَلى القَروِ عُلفوفٌ مِن التُّركِ راقِدُ

And he filled it to the brim until it grew round, like

She pampered him until he rounded out, as though

a hulking, shaggy Turk sleeping on the wooden trough.

He was a foal from Turkey's horses stabled on the hill.

فَلمّا أَدى واستَربَعته تَرنَّمت

فَلمّا أَدى واستَربَعته تَرنَّمت

أَلا كلُّ شيءٍ ما خَلا اللَّهَ بائِدُ

أَلا كلُّ شيءٍ ما خَلا اللَّهَ بائِدُ

Then, when it was full and she had hoisted it, she sang:

When she had trained him and taught him manners, she sang,

'Indeed, everything except God must perish.'

"All things perish, but Allah does not."

فَذاقَتهُ مِن تَحتِ اللِّفافِ فَسرَّها

فَذاقَتهُ مِن تَحتِ اللِّفافِ فَسرَّها

جَراجِرُ مِنهُ وَهوَ ملآنُ سانِدُ

جَراجِرُ مِنهُ وَهوَ ملآنُ سانِدُ

Then she tasted it beneath the wrapping, and was pleased

She tasted him gently beneath the coverings, and it delighted her

by its gurgling, full and propped up.

To hear his soft groans, though she was fully sated.

إِذا مالَ مِن نَحو العراقي أَمَّرَهُ

إِذا مالَ مِن نَحو العراقي أَمَّرَهُ

إِلى نَحرِها مِنهُ عِنانٌ مناكِدُ

إِلى نَحرِها مِنهُ عِنانٌ مناكِدُ

When it tilted on the crossbar side, it was steered

If he inclined away, toward Iraq, she turned his head

toward her upper chest by an obstinate rein of its.

Toward her chest, pulling the reins against his neck.

يَميلُ عَلى وَحشيّه فيُميلُهُ

يَميلُ عَلى وَحشيّه فيُميلُهُ

لإِنسيه مِنها عِراكٌ مناجِدُ

لإِنسيه مِنها عِراكٌ مناجِدُ

It leans onto its outer side, then is tilted

He would lean toward his wild side, and she

toward its inner side by her forceful wrestling.

Inclined him to her gentle, human, domesticated nature.

فَلمّا تَجلّى اللَّيلُ عَنها وأَبصَرَت

فَلمّا تَجلّى اللَّيلُ عَنها وأَبصَرَت

وَفي سُدَف اللَّيلِ الشُّخوصُ الأَباعِدُ

وَفي سُدَف اللَّيلِ الشُّخوصُ الأَباعِدُ

Then, when the night lifted from her and she could see

When night revealed itself to them and she saw

the distant shapes amid the night's gloom,

The distant stars shining in night's dome,

يُقالُ لَها جِدّي هَوَيتِ وَبادِري

يُقالُ لَها جِدّي هَوَيتِ وَبادِري

غِناءَ الحَمامِ أَن تَميعَ المَزايِدُ

غِناءَ الحَمامِ أَن تَميعَ المَزايِدُ

she was told, 'Make haste—may you fall!—and hurry

She was told, "Come, rouse yourself and hurry!

before the doves' song, lest the waterskins leak.'

Rival the moaning doves before the other hens respond!"

فَعضّت تَراقيهِ بصَفراءَ جَعدَةٍ

فَعضّت تَراقيهِ بصَفراءَ جَعدَةٍ

فَعَنها تُصاديهِ وَعنها تُراوِدُ

فَعَنها تُصاديهِ وَعنها تُراوِدُ

Then she bit its collarbones with a yellow, wrinkled hand;

She snapped her yellow plaits against his flank

away from her she coaxes it, and away from her she cajoles.

Answering his call, enticing and inviting him.

تأوَّبها في لَيلِ نَحسٍ وَقِرَّةٍ

تأوَّبها في لَيلِ نَحسٍ وَقِرَّةٍ

خَليلي أَبو الخَشخاشِ واللَّيلُ بارِدُ

خَليلي أَبو الخَشخاشِ واللَّيلُ بارِدُ

She was visited on a night of ill omen and bitter cold

She led him on an unlucky, cold night

by my friend Abu al-Khashkhash; the night was cold.

To meet her lover Abu Khushkhush while the night was cold.

فَقامَ يُصاديها فَقالَت تُريدُني

فَقامَ يُصاديها فَقالَت تُريدُني

عَلى الزّادِ شَكلٌ بَينَنا مُتَباعِدُ

عَلى الزّادِ شَكلٌ بَينَنا مُتَباعِدُ

He rose to coax her, and she said, 'You want me

He came to her and she said, "You would trick me

for food; our ways are far apart.'

out of my food! There should be distance between us!"

إِذا قالَ مَهلاً أَسجِحي حَملَقت لَهُ

إِذا قالَ مَهلاً أَسجِحي حَملَقت لَهُ

بِزرقاءَ لَم تَدخُل عَليها المراودُ

بِزرقاءَ لَم تَدخُل عَليها المراودُ

When he said, 'Easy now; be gentle,' she glared at him

When he said "Wait!" she looked at him sadly

with a blue eye that kohl-sticks had never touched.

With blazing blue eyes untouched by his entreaty.

كأَن حِجاجَي رأَسِها في مثلَّمٍ

كأَن حِجاجَي رأَسِها في مثلَّمٍ

مِنَ الصَّخرِ جَونٍ خَلَّقته المواردُ

مِنَ الصَّخرِ جَونٍ خَلَّقته المواردُ

The two brow-ridges of her head seemed set in a chipped mass

As though the stones of her hooves were the old

of dark rock, worn smooth by the watercourses.

rough rock split by the running brooks.

إِذا الحَملُ الرِّبعِي عارضَ أُمَّه

إِذا الحَملُ الرِّبعِي عارضَ أُمَّه

عَدَت وَكَرى حَتّى تحنّ الفراقدُ

عَدَت وَكَرى حَتّى تحنّ الفراقدُ

Whenever the spring-born lamb comes alongside its mother,

When the three month old foal rivaled his mother,

she dashes swiftly until the calves low.

She returned to her stall, moaning for her absent one.

فَقامَت بِأثناءٍ مِنَ اللَّيلِ ساعةً

فَقامَت بِأثناءٍ مِنَ اللَّيلِ ساعةً

سَراها الدَّواهي واستنامَ الخرائِدُ

سَراها الدَّواهي واستنامَ الخرائِدُ

Then she rose in the middle of the night, at an hour

She stood for a time in the night, an hour

when calamities roamed and the sheltered maidens slept.

Gladdened by the glow-worms while the mourners slept.

فَظَلَّ نِساءُ الحيِّ يَحشون كُرسُفاً

فَظَلَّ نِساءُ الحيِّ يَحشون كُرسُفاً

رؤوسَ عظامٍ أَوضحتها القَصائِدُ

رؤوسَ عظامٍ أَوضحتها القَصائِدُ

The tribe's women kept stuffing cotton

The women of the tribe came crowding round

into bone-ends that the odes had laid bare.

With the skulls of titanic beasts bared by the elegies.

وَجاءَت بِضِئنِيٍّ كأَنَّ دَوِيَّه

وَجاءَت بِضِئنِيٍّ كأَنَّ دَوِيَّه

تَرنمُ رَعدٍ جاوَبته الرَّواعِدُ

تَرنمُ رَعدٍ جاوَبته الرَّواعِدُ

And she brought a sheepskin bag whose booming seemed

She brought forth one whose roar was like

the chant of thunder answered by thundering clouds.

The rumbling thunder answered by lightning's brilliant veins.