A Prayer for a Favor
This poem is apparently addressed to Sultan Qābūs of Oman and is an application for the sultan’s favor and generosity. Literally, the poem is addressed to a female camel (Ar. nāqa, Omani Ar. bōsh), which is often a metaphorical stand-in for the ṣāḥib al-jalāla (“His Excellency,” i.e., the sultan) in poetry due to the munificence of both. Note that this poem is indifferent to the constraint of monorhyme.
| Poem | Translation |
|---|---|
| 1) sen heṣbaḥ ḫaṭf // w-hōfel ṣlīb | They have become emaciated // with tight bellies |
| 2) we-ḳlatsen medd // we-ǧhēm līrīḳ | Their lips drooped // when they set forth to eat in the morning |
| 3) we-mġōren flēš // nḥawleb enfīź | And afterwards when it [the she-camel] disappeared // we milked a mirage |
| 4) ʾēnāʾ ār ṭafṭayf // w-beh ṯeḳṯīḳ | The rainclouds held back // though they were full of goodness |
| 5) w-bād eḥyēl // lōbōd māṯīḳ | Even though after many years // they had been trustworthy |
| 6) yešzaḥyem lā // wet ber ḏe-nhīr | They [the camels] never stray [though they are hungry] // even for a day |
| 7) baḫta ḏ-lābōr // ṭar ḏ-mendəhīl | Lucky is he who has crossed to the other side // atop a place full of blessings [good pasturage] |
| 8) lābēris nṭift // ḏerḳāt ḏe-ṭwīb | Her [the camel’s?] speech is clean // my(?) hope is that you are comfortable |
| 9) w-kermərōm ḏyeh ṭlīb // w-ṯārōna ḏ-yertəyīḳ | The noble ones [whose favor] is sought after // [even?] a pack of predators would be satisfied [by them] |
| 10) w-bālī yerḥamh // we-fdōh men eźeyḳ | My God have mercy on him // and keep discomfort far away |
| 11) w-bād wēlēf // lādād swīḳ | After everything that has happened // no one will reveal it. |