ياO كَعبُKaʿb إِنَّكَindeed you لَوif قَصَّرتَyou confined yourself عَلىto
يا كَعبُ إِنَّكَ لَو قَصَّرتَ عَلى
حُسنِgoodness of النِدامِthe drinking companions وَقِلَّةِand little الجُرمِwrongdoing
حُسنِ النِدامِ وَقِلَّةِ الجُرمِ
O Kaʿb, had you confined yourself to
O Ka'b, if only you had been content with
Pleasant drinking company and little wrongdoing,
The beauty of regret and paucity of crime,
وَسَماعِand listening to مُدجِنَةٍa dusky woman تُعَلِّلُناshe entertains us
وَسَماعِ مُدجِنَةٍ تُعَلِّلُنا
حَتّىuntil تَؤوبَyou return تَناوُمَfeigned sleep of العُجمِthe non-Arabs
حَتّى تَؤوبَ تَناوُمَ العُجمِ
And hearing a dusky songstress entertain us
And hearing the cooing of a dove that makes excuses for us
Until you returned, feigning sleep like the non-Arabs,
Until it returns from the non-Arabs’ lands,
لَصَحَوتُI would have sobered up وَالنَمرِيُّand al-Namri يَحسِبُهاhe reckons it
لَصَحَوتُ وَالنَمرِيُّ يَحسِبُها
عَمَّpaternal uncle of السِماكِal-Simak وَخالَةَand maternal aunt of النَجمِthe star
عَمَّ السِماكِ وَخالَةَ النَجمِ
I would have sobered up, while al-Namri reckons it
I would have awakened while Numayri thought it
Al-Simak's paternal uncle and the star's maternal aunt.
Was the entire cosmos and aunt of the stars.
هَلهِلmake frail لِكَعبٍfor Kaʿb بِعدَماafter وَقَعَتit landed
هَلهِل لِكَعبٍ بِعدَما وَقَعَت
فَوقَabove الشُؤونِthe skull's sutures بِمِعصَمٍwith a wrist فَعمِfleshy
فَوقَ الشُؤونِ بِمِعصَمٍ فَعمِ
Make frail for Kaʿb—after the blow landed
Cry out to Ka'b after what befell him
Above the skull's sutures, with a fleshy wrist—
When tasks fell upon a stalwart wrist,
جَسَداًa body بِهِon it نَضحُspattering of الدِماءِblood كَماjust as
جَسَداً بِهِ نَضحُ الدِماءِ كَما
قَنَأَتturned crimson أَنامِلُfingertips of قاطِفِa picker of الكَرمِgrapevines
قَنَأَت أَنامِلُ قاطِفِ الكَرمِ
A body spattered with blood, just as
A body through which blood flows copiously
A grape-picker's fingertips turned crimson.
As fingers of grape-pickers drip.
وَالخَمرُand wine لَيسَتis not مِنof أَخيbrother
وَالخَمرُ لَيسَت مِن أَخي
كَyour وَلَكِنand yet قَدmay تَخونُbetray بِآمِنِtoward one secure in الحِلمِjudgment
كَ وَلَكِن قَد تَخونُ بِآمِنِ الحِلمِ
And wine is no brother
Wine is not like my brother
Of yours; yet it may betray one of steady judgment,
But can betray one confident of forbearance.
وَتُزَيِّنُand makes seem fair الرَأيَthe opinion السَفيهَfoolish إِذاwhen جَعَلَتbegan
وَتُزَيِّنُ الرَأيَ السَفيهَ إِذا جَعَلَت
شَمولُthe north wind of رِياحِهاits winds تَنميgrows stronger
شَمولُ رِياحِها تَنمي
And makes foolish counsel seem fair when
It adorns foolish opinion when its breezes’
Its northerly wind begins to swell.
Prevalence grows.
وَأَناand I اِمرُؤٌa man مِنfrom آلِthe family of مُرَّةَMurra إِنif
وَأَنا اِمرُؤٌ مِن آلِ مُرَّةَ إِن
أَكلِمكُمI wound you لاnot تَرفَأواyou stitch up كَلميthe wound I inflict
أَكلِمكُم لا تَرفَأوا كَلمي
And I am a man of the house of Murra; if
I am a man of the family of Murra. If
I wound you, you will not mend the wound I inflict.
I speak to you, do not recoil from my words,
مِنfrom أُسرَةٍa clan ليof mine إِنif لَقيتُهُمI meet them
مِن أُسرَةٍ لي إِن لَقيتُهُم
حاميdefenders of الحَقيقَةِhonor دافِقيthose driving back الظُلمِinjustice
حامي الحَقيقَةِ دافِقي الظُلمِ
From a clan of mine—should I meet them—
From a family to which, if I meet them,
Defenders of honor, driving injustice back.
I am a protector of the truth, assailer of injustice.
Sol 6.1