لَقَدْIndeedقَضَيْناwe spentالصَّباحَthe morningفِيinمَرَحٍjoyوَسُرُورٍ،and happiness,فِيinهَذاthisالْوادِيvalleyالْجَمِيلِ،beautiful,الْحَبِيبِbelovedإِلَىtoالْقُلُوبِ،hearts,وهاand hereنَحْنُweأُولاءِ:are those:نَقْضِيwe spendالْمَساءَthe eveningحَزِيناتٍ،sadness,مُوجَعاتٍpainfulمُقْرَّحاتِpiercingالْعُيُونِ.the eyes.
Indeed, we spent the morning in joy and happiness, in this beautiful valley, beloved to the hearts, and here we are: we spend the evening in sadness, painful and piercing to the eyes.
لَقَدْIndeedأَغارَتِattackedالشَّقْراواتُthe blondesعَلَىonدِيارِنا،our homes,وانْتَهَبْنَand plunderedماwhatتَرَكْنا،we left,مِنْfromبَيْظٍeggsوَأَطْفالٍand childrenأَعِزَّاءٍdearعَلَيْنا،to us,هُمْtheyمَناطُthe anchorsآمالِناof our hopesوَأَعْقِدُand the knotsرَجائِنا،of our expectations,واتَّخَذْنَهُنَّand took themعَبِيدًاas slavesلَهُنَّfor themوَأَرِقَّاءَ،and servants,لِيُؤَدِّينَto performفِيinقَرْيَةِthe villageالأَعْداءِ —of the enemies —أَعْمالَthe work ofالْخَدَمِthe servantsوَالْعَبِيدِ،and slaves,وَلَيْسَand there is notلَنَاfor usمِنْofأَمَلٍhopeفِيinعَوْدَةِthe return ofأَبْنائِناour sonsبَعْدَafterالْيَوْمِ!…today!…
Indeed, the blondes attacked our homes, and plundered what we left, of eggs and dear children to us, they are the anchors of our hopes and the knots of our expectations, and took them as slaves for them and servants, to perform - in the village of the enemies - the work of the servants and the slaves, and there is not for us of hope in the return of our sons after today!...
فَبَكَتْSo they criedبَناتُThe daughters«الشَّيْصَبانِ»The Shaybanجَمِيعًا،together,حِينَwhenسَمِعْنَthey heardهَذِهِtheseالْكَلِمَاتِwordsالدَّامِيَةَthe bleeding…...
So the daughters of the Shayban cried together when they heard these bleeding words ...
وَصَمَتَتْAnd she was silent«أُمُّ مَشْغُولٍ»"Mother of the busy"لَحَظاتٍmomentsيَسِيرَةً،briefثُمَّthenاسْتَأْنَفَتْ،she resumedقائِلَةً:saying:«لَيْسَتْ"This is notهَذِهِthisأَوَّلَthe firstمَرَّةٍtimeيَدْهَمُناattacks usفِيهاin itأُولَئِكَthoseالأَعْداءُ.the enemies."
And she was silent, "Mother of the busy," for a brief moment, then she resumed, saying: "This is not the first time those enemies attack us."
بَلْButهِيَit isالْمَرَّةُthe timeالثَّالِثَةُ،the third,فِيماas far asأَعْلَمُ.I know.فَقَدْIndeed,أَلِفَتِthey have become accustomed toالشَّقْراواتُthe blondesالْخَبِيثاتُthe wicked onesأَنْtoيُغِرْنَenticeعَلَىonوادِيناour valleyوandيَنْتَهِبْنَplunderأَسْلابَنا؛our spoils;وَيُخَرِّبْنَand they destroyبُيُوتَنا،our homes,وَيَسْتَعْبِدْنَand enslaveأَبْناءَناour sonsوandبَنَاتِنا.our daughters.
But it is the third time, as far as I know. Indeed, the wicked blondes have become accustomed to enticing our valley and plundering our spoils; and they destroy our homes, and they enslave our sons and our daughters.
فَماSo whatحِيلَتُناis our solutionالآنَ؟now?لَيْسَThere is notلَناfor usمِنْofحِيلَةٍa solutionإِلاexceptأَنْthatنُصْلِحَwe fixماwhatخَرَّبَتْهُthey destroyedالشَّقْراواتُthe blond girlsمِنْfromقَرْيتِنا،our village,وand…»..."
So what is our solution now? There is no solution for us except that we fix what the blond girls have destroyed from our village, and ...
فانْبَعَثَThen a voice aroseصَوْتٌa soundضَعِيفٌweakمِنْfromآخِرِthe end ofالْقاعَةِthe hallيَقُولُ:saying:«عُذْرًا"Excuse me——ياOسَيِّدَتِيmy lady!أُمَّMother ofمَشْغُولٍbusy——واغْفِرِيand forgiveلِيfor meمُقاطَعَتِيmy interruptionإِيَّاكِ!of you!"
Then a weak voice arose from the end of the hall, saying: "Excuse me — O my lady! Mother of the busy one — and forgive me for my interruption of you!"
لَقَدْIndeedتَهَدَّمَhas collapsedنِصْفُhalfبَيْتِنا،of our house,وَandيُخَيَّلُit seemsإِلَيَّto meأَنَّناthat weغَيْرُare notآمِنِينَsafeعَلَىonحَياتِنا،our lives,وَحَياةِand the lives ofذَرارِينا.our children.
Indeed, half of our house has collapsed, and it seems to me that we are not safe on our lives, and the lives of our children.
وَلَنْAnd we will notنَشْعُرَfeelبِطُمَأْنِينَةٍpeaceفِيinهَذاthisالْوادِي،valley,فَقَدْfor indeedأَلِفَتِgot used toالشَّقْراواتُthe blondأَنْtoيُغِرْنَseduceعَلَيْهِ،us,وَيُفاجِئْنَناand surprise usبِأَحْداثِهِنَّ،with their events,بَيْنَbetweenحِينٍmomentsوَآخَرَ.and another.أَلاIsn't itيَجْدُرُworthبِناus— إِذَنْ —thenأَنْtoنَبْحَثَsearchعَنْforمَكانٍa placeآخَرَ،another,نَتَّخِذُهُwe takeمَقَرًّاa headquartersلَناfor usفِيinغَيْرِother thanهَذاthisالوادِي؟the valley?
And we will not feel peace in this valley, for indeed the blond have got used to seducing us, and surprising us with their events, between moments and another. Isn't it worth us - then - to search for another place, to take it as a headquarters for us in other than this valley?
فَصاحَتِThe eloquence ofالنِّمالُthe ants——كُلُّهاAll of them——قائِلَةً:said:لَقَدْIndeedأَحَسَنْتِyou have done wellوَandأَصَبْتِ،you have hit the mark,وَبِفَصْلِand with clarityالْخِطابِof the speechنَطَقْتِ!you spoke!
The eloquence of the ants — all of them — said: "Indeed, you have done well and you have hit the mark, and with clarity of the speech you spoke!"
فِيinالوادِيthe valleyالْجَدِيدِthe new
In the New Valley
فَنَهَضَتْThen she rose«أُمُّ(Mother ofمازِنٍ»Mazin)قائِلَةً:saying:«لَقَدِ"Indeed Iاهْتَدَيْتُhave found— فِي— inهَذاthisالصَّباحِ —morning —إِلَىtoوَادٍa valleyخَصِيبٍ،fertile,فِيinمَوْقِعٍa location,بَدِيعٍ،wonderful,لاnotيَبْعُدُis farعَنَّاfrom usكَثِيرًا،much,وَهُوَand it isفِيinآخَرِanotherغابَةٍforest,صَغِيرَةٍ،small,وَأَرْضُهُand its landفِيinهَذِهِthisالأَيَّامِdays,طِينِيَّةٌmuddy,رَطِبَةٌ،wet,فَهِيَso it isأَصْلَحُthe best forالْمَوادِّthe materialsلِبِناءِfor buildingجُدْرانِwalls ofبُيُوتِنا؛our houses;لَأَنَّهاbecause itقَوِيَّةٌis strong.لاdoes notتَهُدُّهاbring it down.الرِّياحُ.the winds.
Then Mother of Mazin said: "Indeed I have found — in this morning — a fertile valley, in a wonderful location, not far from us, and it is in another small forest, and its land these days is muddy and wet, so it is the best material for building the walls of our houses; because it is strong and does not bring it down by winds.
وَنَحْنُAnd weالآنَnowفِيinفَصْلِthe season ofالْبُرْقُوقِ،the mulberry,وَلَدَيْناand we haveمُتَّسَعٌampleمِنَofالْوَقْتِ،time,لِتَشْييدِto buildدُورِنا،our homes,قَبْلَbeforeحُلُولِthe arrival ofفَصْلِthe season ofالشِّتاءِ.the winter.
And we are now in the season of mulberries, and we have ample time to build our homes before the arrival of winter.
فانْبَعَثَتْThen there roseأَصْواتٌvoicesعِدَّةٌseveralقائِلَةًsayingلَقَدْIndeedأَصَبْتِyou have succeededفِيinاقْتِراحِكِyour suggestionياOأُمَّmotherمازِنٍMazinوَandنَحْنُweعَلَىuponرَأْيكِyour opinionفِيماin whatتُقَرِّرِينَyou decide
Then there rose several voices, saying: "Indeed you have succeeded in your suggestion, O mother Mazin, and we are upon your opinion in what you decide."