ياO رُبَّmany a غَيثٍraincloud قَدalready قَرىhe followed عازِبٍfar-off
يا رُبَّ غَيثٍ قَد قَرى عازِبٍ
أَجَشَّdeep-thundering أَحوىdark-colored فيin جُمادىJumādā مَطيرrain-laden
أَجَشَّ أَحوى في جُمادى مَطير
Oh, many a far-off raincloud he has followed,
O Lord of abundant rain after drought
deep-thundering and dark, pouring rain in Jumādā.
Of a migrant who suffered heat in barren Jumada,
قادَled بِهِwith him أَجرَدُa sleek-coated horse ذوpossessing مَيعَةٍvigor
قادَ بِهِ أَجرَدُ ذو مَيعَةٍ
عَبلاًstout شَواهُits legs غَيرُnot كابٍstumbling عَثورprone to tripping
عَبلاً شَواهُ غَيرُ كابٍ عَثور
A sleek horse, full of vigor, bore him onward,
It led a lean hyena, untiring,
stout-legged, neither stumbling nor prone to falls.
To a camel, lamed, unable to take hurried steps.
فَأَلبَسَso he confused الوَحشَthe wild animals بِحافاتِهِat its fringes
فَأَلبَسَ الوَحشَ بِحافاتِهِ
وَالتَقَطَand he gathered البَيضَthe eggs بِجَنبِbeside السَديرal-Sadīr
وَالتَقَطَ البَيضَ بِجَنبِ السَدير
So he threw the wild game into confusion at its fringes,
It clothed the beast with its own garments
and gathered the eggs beside al-Sadīr.
And gathered eggs by the brushwood.
ذاكَthat man وَقِدماًand long ago يُعجِلُhastens البازِلَthe mature camel الthe (continued next line)
ذاكَ وَقِدماً يُعجِلُ البازِلَ ال
كَوماءَhigh-humped بِالمَوتwith death كَشِبهِlike the form of الحَصيرthe woven mat
كَوماءَ بِالمَوت كَشِبهِ الحَصير
Such was he; of old he would hasten the mature—
That one hastens on maimed feet
high-humped she-camel to death, like a woven mat.
Like the dying, bodies shriveled as matting.
يَبغيpreys عَلَيهاupon her القَومُthe people إِذwhen أَرمَلواthey exhausted their provisions
يَبغي عَلَيها القَومُ إِذ أَرمَلوا
وَساءَand grew bad ظَنُّthe expectation الأَلمَعِيَّthe keen-witted man القرورthe cold-sensitive one
وَساءَ ظَنُّ الأَلمَعِيَّ القرور
The people prey upon her when their provisions run out,
The people seek vengeance on it when orphaned,
and the shrewd, cold-sensitive man's expectations darken.
And the suspicion of the radiant one was aroused.
آبhe returned وَقَدand already غَنَّمَprovided spoils for أَصحابَهُhis companions
آب وَقَد غَنَّمَ أَصحابَهُ
يَلوِيhe turns عَلىtoward أَصحابِهِhis companions بِالبَشيرwith the bearer of good news
يَلوِي عَلى أَصحابِهِ بِالبَشير
He returned, having won spoils for his companions,
It mourned its companions, after gaining them as spoil,
turning toward his companions with the bearer of good news.
Mourning its companions with good tidings.