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Mohammad Ahmad

Translating a very significant collection Arab poem ( Mu'lka Umru' al-Qais )- part 2

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41- إِلى مِثْلِها يَرْنو الَحليمُ صَبابَةَ إِذا ما اسبَكَرَّتْ بينَ درْعٍ ومجْوَلِ
For such a woman, the wise man yearns to such wife
A time when she wore two garments showing relief
42- تَسَلَّتْ عَماياتُ الرِّجالِ عَنِ الصبا وليسَ فُؤَادي عن هواكِ بُمنْسَلِ
Despite all of men who were blind to see her charming youth,
My heart is ever inclined to her and no time is being loath
43- أَلا رُبَّ خصْمٍ فيكِ أَلْوَى رَدَدْتُه نصيحٍ على تَعذا لهِ غيرِ مُؤتَلِ
O God would any blamer You are to him a "Foe"
I would never mind to those if the helper were "You"
44- وَليلٍ كمَوْجِ الْبَحْرِ أَرْخَى سُدولَهُ عليَّ بأَنْواعِ الُهمُومِ ليبْتَلي
A night orderly loosing its ends like the sea
It accumulated all griefs as well to examine me
45- فَقلْتُ لَهُ لَّما تَمَطَّى بصُلْبِهِ وَأَرْدَفَ أَعْجَازاً وَناءَ بكَلْكَلِ
I have said to the night when I feel it is apparently endless,
Even spreading its backsides wholly and seems motionless,
46- أَلا أَيُّها الَّليْلُ الطَّويلُ أَلا انْجَلي بصُبْحٍ وما الإِصْباحُ مِنكَ بأَمْثَل
O, long night I wish you allowed the day to break
Mornings anyway are not better when have to wake.
47- فيا لكَ مِن لَيْلٍ كأَنَّ نُجومَهُ بأَمْراسِ كتَّانٍ إِلى صُمِّ جندَلِ
What an overlong night you are and speed heighten
Your stars to solid rocks by flax robes were tighten.
48- وَقِرْبَةِ أَقْوامٍ جَعَلْتُ عِصَامَها على كاهِلٍ منِّي ذَلُولٍ مُرَحَّل
A village of known tribes giving me a generous host
Lent me a camel and my shoulder to those was in debt
49- وَوَادٍ كجَوْفِ الْعَيرِ قَفْرٍ قطعْتُهُ بهِ الذئبُ يَعوي كالَخليعِ الُمعَيَّلِ
I passed by a deep valley where wolf did prowl
As far as it is hungry and to feed pups, it did howl
50- فقُلتُ لهُ لما عَوى: إِنَّ شأْنَنا قليلُ ألْغِنى إِنْ كنتَ لَّما تَموَّلِ
I said to the wolf when I heard its howling," Be quiet"
I am a poor and to seek your needs on us is not right.
51- كِلانا إِذا ما نالَ شَيْئاً أَفاتَهُ وَمَنْ يْحترِث حَرْثي وحَرْثَك يهزِل
Both of us if had to gain a wealth yet a little to gain
Who have this way of life, surely will waste away in vain.
52- وَقَدْ أَغْتَدي والطَّيُر في وُكُناتِها بُمنْجَرِدٍ قَيْدِ الاوابِدِ هيْكلِ
Perhaps I go early to wilderness and birds still perched.
And by my fast steed the wild animals can be reached.
53- مِكَر مِفَرِّ مُقْبِلٍ مُدْبِرٍ مَعاً كجُلْمُودِ صَخْرٍ حطَّهُ السَّيْل من عَلِ
A fast steed is aware to run forward and backward
Like a blunder which by flood cast down to a road.
54- كُمَيْتٍ يَزِل الّلبْدُ عن حالِ مَتْنِهِ كما زَلَّتِ الصَّفْواءُ بالُمَتَنِّزلِ
A slippery back brown-red horse so rider may not control
As a stone cast away by rain and hastily will roll
55- على الذَّبْلِ جَيَّاشٍ كَأَنَّ اهتزامَهُ إِذا جاشَ فيهِ حميُهُ غَليُ مِرْجَلِ
Besides it has slim abdomen it has a vigorous clatter
Its neighs burst inside its chest as if a boiling water
56- مِسَحِّ إِذا ما السَّابحاتُ على الوَنَى أَثَرْنَ الْغُبارَ بالكَديدِ المرَكلِ
A horse could run fast while racing and so much proud
Dust will rise up while by hooves touching the ground
57- َزِلّ الْغُلامَ الخِفُّ عَنْ صَهَواتِهِ وَيُلْوي بأَثَوابِ الْعَنيفِ الُمثَقَّلِ
A horse cannot be ridden because it is hasty and fierce.
Young boy or a little expert may slip while riding at once.
58- دَريرٍ كَخُذْروفِ الْوَليدِ أمَرَّهُ تَتابُعُ كفّيْهِ بخيْطٍ مُوَصَّلِ
Its clattering sound is like a whirl that boys ran it overhead
A fast horse like this stone-string play while it does raid
This play usually of an ancient time the boys used to do it by tying a string to a pierced stone then to move it strongly so that it makes a whirling sound.

59- لَهُ أَيْطَلا ظَبْي وسَاقا نَعامةٍ وَإِرْخاءُ سِرحانٍ وَتَقْرِيبُ تَتْفُلِ
With waist of deer, legs of ostrich and a wolfish heart
And as a cub while it replaces its rear feet by its front
60- ضليعٍ إِذا استَدْبَرْتَهُ سَدَّ فَرْجَهُ بضاف فُوَيْقَ الأَرْض ليس بأَعزَلِ
It has well-curved ribs and flanks and fine tail to show
If looked from back, its hind legs shields rear not to view
61- كأنَّ على الَمتْنَينِ منهُ إِذا انْتَحَى مَدَاكَ عَروسٍ أَوْ صَلايَةَ حنظلِ
Its withers are solid as if bride's tamper of ancient time
Or a grindstone on which they crushed a colocynth rime
62- كأنَّ دِماءَ الهادِياتِ بِنَحْرِهِ عُصارَةُ حِنَّاءٍ بشَيْبٍ مُرَجَّلِ
Its front while chased wild animals perhaps becomes red
It turns as a henna colour as far as by blood of hunts shed
Here the poet makes a similarity that when this a fast steed chased the hunts and touched by a body the killed hunts its front will be spotted by the blood of hunted wild animals.

63- فَعَنَّ لنا سِرْبٌ كأنَّ نِعاجَهُ عَذارَى دَوارٍ في مُلاءٍ مُذَيّلِ
A herd of antelopes passed against us no more and fled
Its females as if un-sunned virgins by sin un-smeared
Here the poet resembles those fleeing wild animals as if the females of the herd are virgins who usually wearing long white robes, going for an idol encircling it so perhaps for nothing to repent. This habit is pre-Islam habit

64- فأَدْبَرْنَ كالجِزْعِ المَفصَّل بَيْنَهُ بِجِيدِ مُعَمِّ في الْعَشيرةِ مُخْوَلِ
So herd turn back displaying as boys' Yemenite beads
Likely are black and white coloured similar to those herds
Of course, two lines are not sufficient to versify all contents of the above lines. Here the poet personifies the colour of those turning back herds by the colours of Yemeni beads from which they made a necklace for a wellborn boy on that time.
However, the colour of this necklace is matched between black and white, which is similar to the colour of the antelopes.
65- فأَلحَقَنا بالهادِياتِ ودُونَهُ جَواحِرُها في صَرَّةٍ لم تُزَيَّلِ
As this horse is fast, all fleeing hunts can be hunted easily
Yet the hunts were not separated but the horse passed rapidly
66- فَعادى عِداءً بَيْنَ ثوْرٍ وَنَعْجَةٍ درَاكاً وَلَمْ يَنْضَحْ بِماءٍ فَيُغْسَلِ
An aux and caw, it passed while going on chase
It is never sweated while continuing the race
67- فظَلَّ طُهاةُ اللّحْم من بَيْنِ مُنْضجِ صَفِيفَ شِواءٍ أَوْ قَدِيرٍ مُعَجَّلِ
Then the meat is abundant to the cooks there
Cooked or grilled meat, as others would prefer
68- وَرُحْنَا يَكادُ الطّرْفُ يَقْصُر دُونَهُ مَتَى مَا تَرَقَّ الْعَيْنُ فيهِ تَسَفّلِ
A horse of a full good property of that wellborn steed
Eyes still looking it all side yet further look they need
69- فَبَاتَ عَلَيْهِ سَرْجُهُ وَلِجامُهُ وباتَ بِعَيْني قائِماً غَيْرَ مُرْسَلِ
On a saddle and rein, it would sleep night
Pasturing not until the day displaying light
70- أَصَاحِ تَرَى بَرْقاً أُرِيكَ وَمِيضَهُ كَلمْعِ الْيَدَيْنِ فِي حَبيِّ مُكلّلِ
O, friend, just look up to that lightening flashes the light
Is it not similar to hand waves through a cloudy night?
71- يضِيءُ سَنَاهُ أَوْ مَصَابِيحُ راهِبٍ أَمَالَ السَّلِيطَ بالذُّبَالِ الُمُفَتَّلِ
Its gleam as a lantern of monk distantly throws the light
If the monk adjusted it down the wick will flame upright
72- قَعَدْتُ لَهُ وَصُحْبَتي بَيْنَ ضَارِجٍ وَبَيْنَ الْعُذَيْبِ بَعْدَ مَا مُتَأَمَّلي
From a distant place I looked up to that flashing cloud
Fellows with me to see an image got up flashing round
Here in this image of looking up to the clouds while just breaking up a lightning, the poet could imagine that lightnings while smelling the rain smell are being too close but indeed are distantly flashing and gathering all sides to rain.
73- على قَطَن بالشَّيْم أيْمنُ صَوْتهِ وَأَيْسَرُهُ على الْسِّتَارِ فَيُذْبُلِ
Clouds methinks! Topped (Katn) at right side
While (Yathbul) has been on left side to guide
(These between brackets are names of mountains in Mecca.)
74- فَأَضْحَى يَسُحُّ الْماءَ حوْلَ كُتَفْيَهٍ يَكُبُّ على الأذْقانِ دَوْجَ الكَنَهْبَلِ
A torrential rain poured on these mountains at that day
Still came down until a flood drifted big trees on its way
Here in verse above the poet mentioned a word (chins) of course chins of men but the meaning is just a metaphor, the poet transferring on referring to trees or indeed the shrubs that mainly planted on desert which are mostly thick growing like the chin. Here the poet referred to such trees are big, it maybe also a metaphor referring to the abundant rains.
75- وَمَرَّ على الْقَنّانِ مِنْ نَفَيَانِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ منْه العُصْمَ من كلّ منزِلِ
The rain still heavily poured on (Qinan) mountain.
Until all ibexes ran away from their cavern
76- وَتَيْماءَ لَمْ يَتْرُكْ بها جِذْعَ نَخْلَةٍ وَلا أُطُماً إِلا مَشِيداً بِجَنْدَلِ
(Tymma) also had been much rained and I want to mention
No palm trees, no buildings remain except those of firm construction.
77- كَأَنَّ ثَبيراً فِي عَرانِينِ وَبْلهِ كَبيرُ أْنَاسٍ فِي بِجَاد مُزَمَّلِ
(Thabber) mountain firstly had its lot of a heavy rain
As a tribe's chief cloaked with fancy attire among men
In above verses the poet makes a certain mountain as it named above likely as a chief of tribe who always the advantages will go to him.
78- كَأَنَّ ذُرَى رَأْسِ الُمجَيْمِرِ غُدْوَةً من السَّيْلِ وَالأَغْثَاءِ فَلْكَهُ مِغْزلِ
The peak of al- Mujemer hill is like the spindle's roller
As far as the flood pushed logs and scum to its center.
Here a good image the poet has to resemble a certain hill that its name above mentioned to be alike the spindle on its middle due to the much logs and scum carried by flooding water to its middle position.

79- وَألْقَى بصَحراءِ الْغَبيطِ بَعاعَهُ نزُولَ اليماني ذي العِيابِ المحمَّلِ
Chabeet desert then heavily has been fertile so mainly rained
As a Yemeni merchant who has plenty goods to be displayed
Still the images one follows another; the last one above carries an image of a certain deserted land as its name mentioned on the beginning above that turns flourishing after it has been rained by much rain. Likely, a merchant of ancient time came to Arab dwelling places riding on donkey back however to displacing his goods and that is especially on welfare years. The abundant rain is contrasting with the displaying goods of the Yemeni merchant.

80- كَأَنَّ مَكاكّي الجِواءِ غُدَيَّةً صُبِحْنَ سُلافاً من رَحيقٍ مُفَلْفَلِ
Birds there turned as if were drunk on an acrid wine
Seeing the rain, they sang cheerfully and so much fine.
Here poet has mentioned a type of bird it has never a name nowadays or changed for another name but it is a type of sparrows but larger. The general name is a desert bird
.
81- كانَّ الْسِّباعَ فِيهِ غَرْقَى عَشِيَّةً بِأَرْجَائِهِ الْقُصْوَى أَنَابِيشُ عُنْصُلِ
The beast of prey as far as by rain and mud drown,
At that evening, they turned like spotted wild onion.
This type of wild plants always when heavy rain comes down it will be spotted by mud, and then the poet used it for similarity between the images of wild animals living in desert and this type of plant.
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