كَمhow many قَطَعناwe crossed مِنَof البِلادِthe lands وَكَمand how many جُبناwe traversed
كَم قَطَعنا مِنَ البِلادِ وَكَم جُبنا
طِباقاًtracts of land مَوصولَةًjoined بِطِباقِto tracts of land
طِباقاً مَوصولَةً بِطِباقِ
How many lands we crossed, how many we roamed—
How many lands we crossed, and how many we traversed,
tract upon tract, each joined to the next.
tract upon tract, each joined to another.
تَشتَكيcomplain خَيلناour horses السَّنابِكthe hooves مِمَّاbecause of what
تَشتَكي خَيلنا السَّنابِك مِمَّا
عَضَّهُنَّgnawed at them الوَجىhoof-soreness وَبُعدُand the distance السَّياقِthe driving onward
عَضَّهُنَّ الوَجى وَبُعدُ السَّياقِ
Our horses complain in their hooves of what
Our horses complain of their hooves, because
road-soreness and the long driving have bitten into them.
hoof-soreness and the long drive have gnawed at them.
مُحقِباتcarrying behind their saddles صورforms الظِّباءِthe gazelles فَكَمso how many صَكdeed (first fragment)
مُحقِبات صور الظِّباءِ فَكَم صَك
كdeed (final fragment) طَلاقٍdivorce يَحمِلنَهُthey carry it وَعِتاقِand manumission
ك طَلاقٍ يَحمِلنَهُ وَعِتاقِ
Bearing behind them the forms of gazelles—how many writ—
Bearing gazelles’ forms behind their saddles—how many
—s of divorce and manumission they carry!
deeds of divorce and manumission they carry!
تُصبِحُawakens الحُرَّةُthe freeborn woman الكَريمَةُnoble قَدalready آgave notice (first fragment)
تُصبِحُ الحُرَّةُ الكَريمَةُ قَد آ
ذَنَgave notice (final fragment) مِنهاfrom her حَليلُهاher husband بِفراقِof separation
ذَنَ مِنها حَليلُها بِفراقِ
The noble, freeborn woman wakes: her husband has an—
The freeborn, noble woman awakens, already
—nounced that he is parting from her.
notified by her husband of his parting from her.
أَمَّلَتshe hoped for عَقبَهُafter it التَّلاقيreunion وَلَمand did not تَدknow (first fragment)
أَمَّلَت عَقبَهُ التَّلاقي وَلَم تَد
رِknow (final fragment) بِأَنَّof the fact that الفراقَthe separation عاقthwarted التَّلاقيreunion
رِ بِأَنَّ الفراقَ عاق التَّلاقي
She hoped reunion would follow it, never know—
She hoped for reunion afterward, and did not
—ing that separation had barred reunion.
know that parting had thwarted reunion.
