تأَوَّبَهُreturned to him by night طَيفٌa phantom بِذاتِat Dhāt الجَراثِمِal-Jarāthim
تأَوَّبَهُ طَيفٌ بِذاتِ الجَراثِمِ
فَنامَthen slept رَفيقاهُhis two companions وَلَيسَand he was not بِنائِمِasleep
فَنامَ رَفيقاهُ وَلَيسَ بِنائِمِ
A phantom returned to him by night at Dhāt al-Jarāthim;
A specter haunted him, one of past crimes,
Then his two companions slept, but he was not asleep.
His companions slept, but he was not asleep.
وَهَجَّدَهُand kept him awake عَوراءُa hurtful word مِنfrom ذيone with قَرابَةٍkinship
وَهَجَّدَهُ عَوراءُ مِن ذي قَرابَةٍ
عَلىover رِيبَةٍa suspicion فيin سالِفٍa past time مُتَقادِمِlong gone
عَلى رِيبَةٍ في سالِفٍ مُتَقادِمِ
And a hurtful word from a kinsman kept him awake,
A kinswoman berated him for suspicion
Over a suspicion from the long-distant past.
Of treachery in bygone years.
وَأَخطَبَand a mottled shrike فيin فَنواءَa spreading tree يَنتِفُplucking ريشَهُits feathers
وَأَخطَبَ في فَنواءَ يَنتِفُ ريشَهُ
وَطَيرٍand birds جَرَتflew يَومَon the day of العَقيقِal-ʿAqīq حَوائِمِcircling
وَطَيرٍ جَرَت يَومَ العَقيقِ حَوائِمِ
And a mottled shrike in a spreading tree, plucking its feathers,
He declaimed in the wasteland where feathers are shed
And birds that flew in circles on the day at al-ʿAqīq.
By birds who on the day of battle took flight.
تَعَرَّضَhe presented himself لِلأَبوابِat the doors أَبوابِthe doors of عاصِمٍʿĀṣim
تَعَرَّضَ لِلأَبوابِ أَبوابِ عاصِمٍ
تَعَرُّضَthe approach of مِملالٍone quick to tire لَهاof them غَيرِnot لازِمِpersistent
تَعَرُّضَ مِملالٍ لَها غَيرِ لازِمِ
He approached the doors—the doors of ʿĀṣim—
He knocked at the doors, doors of a fortress,
Like one quick to tire of them, not a persistent visitor.
Knocking without purpose, to no avail.
فَلَمّاand when رَأىhe saw أَنthat غابَwas absent عَنهُfrom him شَفيعُهُhis intercessor
فَلَمّا رَأى أَن غابَ عَنهُ شَفيعُهُ
وَأَخلَفَهُand failed him ماwhat يُرتَجىwas hoped for عِندَwith عاصِمِʿĀṣim
وَأَخلَفَهُ ما يُرتَجى عِندَ عاصِمِ
And when he saw that his intercessor was absent from him,
When he saw his intercessor was gone from him
And what was hoped for from ʿĀṣim had failed him,
And the one from whom favor was hoped had betrayed him,
وَعادَand became ضَماراًinaccessible wealth بَعدَafter عَينٍavailable wealth وَكُذِّبَتand was discredited
وَعادَ ضَماراً بَعدَ عَينٍ وَكُذِّبَت
صَحيفَتُهُhis document وَحيلَand access was barred دونَto الدَراهِمِthe dirhams
صَحيفَتُهُ وَحيلَ دونَ الدَراهِمِ
And it became beyond reach after being at hand, and discredited was
He returned disappointed, after being promised
His document, and access to the dirhams was barred,
His petition granted, but kept from the money,
رَمىhe struck into سَدفَthe gloom of الظَلماءِthe dark night وَاَحتَفَرَand dug through السُرىnight travel
رَمى سَدفَ الظَلماءِ وَاَحتَفَرَ السُرى
بِمرجَمَةٍon a hard-striding she-camel أَوor ذيone with هِبابٍbounding energy مُراجِمِground-pounding
بِمرجَمَةٍ أَو ذي هِبابٍ مُراجِمِ
He struck into the night's gloom and ploughed through the night journey,
He discarded the cloak of darkness and dug a tunnel
On a hard-striding she-camel, or a vigorous, ground-pounding male.
With a pickaxe or some other piercing tool.
بِهِon him لاnot بِهاon her أَرمىI strike across الفَلاةَthe wilderness عَنat the prompting of الهَوىdesire
بِهِ لا بِها أَرمى الفَلاةَ عَن الهَوى
وَأَفرُجُand I dispel غَمَّthe oppression of المُسدِفِthe darkening night المُتلاحِمِdensely massed
وَأَفرُجُ غَمَّ المُسدِفِ المُتلاحِمِ
On him, not her, I strike across the wilderness at desire's bidding,
With it, not with her, I will cast off the wilderness of passion
And part the oppressive gloom of the densely closing night.
And relieve the sorrow of the thwarted fugitive.
بِمُضطَرِبِon one with swaying الضَفرَينِboth flanks مُطَّرِدِstraight and even القَراthe back
بِمُضطَرِبِ الضَفرَينِ مُطَّرِدِ القَرا
طَويلِlong الزَمامِthe rein ذيwith ذِفَرِّa massive neck عُراهِمِpowerfully built
طَويلِ الزَمامِ ذي ذِفَرِّ عُراهِمِ
On one with swaying flanks and a straight, even back,
With the restless pair, driving the carriage
Long-reined, with a massive, powerful neck,
Of great length, the one with clattering hooves,
ضِبِرٍّbrawny مضِرٍّpressing hard بِالنَواجيon swift she-camels إِذاwhen اِشتَكىhe complains
ضِبِرٍّ مضِرٍّ بِالنَواجي إِذا اِشتَكى
عَجاhe draws back شِدقَهُhis mouth-corner عَنfrom فاطِرِerupting النابِthe tusk ناجِمِjutting
عَجا شِدقَهُ عَن فاطِرِ النابِ ناجِمِ
Brawny, pressing the swift she-camels hard; when he complains,
An excellent, precious mare, when she complains
He draws back his mouth, baring an erupted, jutting tusk.
Her cheek answers above the braying grindstones.
مُجِدِّstriving hard يُباريhe races أِينُقاًshe-camels جُرِّدتstripped of loads لَهُfor him
مُجِدِّ يُباري أِينُقاً جُرِّدت لَهُ
مُباعَدَةَwidely spaced الأَيديthe forelegs طِوالَlong الخَراطِمِthe muzzles
مُباعَدَةَ الأَيدي طِوالَ الخَراطِمِ
Striving hard, he races she-camels unburdened for him,
With high spirit she contends with the purebreds
Their forelegs set far apart, their muzzles long.
Whose outstretched necks surpass the date palms.
إِذاwhen عَرَّهاit besets them أُمُّthe main part of الطَريقِthe road تَواهَقَتthey race neck and neck
إِذا عَرَّها أُمُّ الطَريقِ تَواهَقَت
بِمُختَلِفاتِwith alternating الرَجعِreturning swings فَوقَabove المَناسِمِthe footpads
بِمُختَلِفاتِ الرَجعِ فَوقَ المَناسِمِ
When the main road besets them, they race neck and neck,
When the mother of roads presents herself, she prances
With alternating backward swings above their footpads.
With diverse gaits above the milestones.