تأَوَّبَreturned at night عينَthe eye ابنِof the son الزبيرِof al-Zubayr سُهودُهاits sleeplessness
تأَوَّبَ عينَ ابنِ الزبيرِ سُهودُها
وَوَلّىand departed عَلىamid ماwhat قَدalready عَراهاhad befallen it هُجودُهاits sleep
وَوَلّى عَلى ما قَد عَراها هُجودُها
Sleeplessness returned at night to Ibn al-Zubayr's eye,
The eyes of Ibn al-Zubayr grew dim with sorrow
And its sleep fled amid all that had befallen it.
And turned away from what unveiled them in shame
كأنas though سوادَthe dark pupil العَينِof the eye أَبطنَcontained within نَحلَةًa bee
كأن سوادَ العَينِ أَبطنَ نَحلَةً
وَعاوَدَهاand returned to it مِمّاfrom what تَذكَّرُit remembers عِيدُهاits recurring torment
وَعاوَدَها مِمّا تَذكَّرُ عِيدُها
As though the pupil of the eye contained a bee,
As if the blackness of the eyes harbored a beehive
And memory brought its recurring torment back—
That returned to it, reminded of its feast
مُخَصَّرةًslender-waisted مِنfrom نَحلِthe bees جيحانَof Jayhan صعبَةًfierce
مُخَصَّرةً مِن نَحلِ جيحانَ صعبَةً
لَوىtwisted بِجناحَيهاby its two wings وَليدٌa boy يَصيدُهاhunting it
لَوى بِجناحَيها وَليدٌ يَصيدُها
A slender-waisted, fierce bee from Jayhan's bees,
An extract of Jaihan's harsh bees
Its two wings twisted by a boy hunting it,
Whose wings a young one twisted to catch it
مِنof اللَيلِthe night وَهناًa while after nightfall أَوor شَظيَّةَa splinter سُنبلٍof a grain-ear
مِن اللَيلِ وَهناً أَو شَظيَّةَ سُنبلٍ
أَذاعَتscattered بِهِit الأَرواحُthe winds يُذريwinnows حَصيدُهاtheir cut grain
أَذاعَت بِهِ الأَرواحُ يُذري حَصيدُها
A while into the night—or a splinter of a grain-ear,
From the night, feeble or shreds of wheat
Scattered by the winds as their cut grain was winnowed.
Whose spirits the winds scattered, winnowing its harvest
إِذاwhen طُرِفتit is pricked أَذرتit sheds دُموعًtears كَأَنَّهاas though they were
إِذا طُرِفت أَذرت دُموعً كَأَنَّها
نَثيرُa scattering جُمانٍof pearls بانَcame loose عَنهاfrom them فَريدهاtheir central jewel
نَثيرُ جُمانٍ بانَ عَنها فَريدها
When pricked, it sheds tears as though they were
When glanced at, it shed tears as if
A scattering of pearls whose central jewel has come loose.
A scattering of pearls unveiled its solitary pearl
وَبتُّand I spent the night كَأَنَّas though الصَدرَthe breast فيهِwithin it ذُبالَةٌa wick
وَبتُّ كَأَنَّ الصَدرَ فيهِ ذُبالَةٌ
شَباتpiercing intensity حَرّهاof its heat القِنديلthe lamp ذاكٍblazing وَقودُهاits fuel
شَبات حَرّها القِنديل ذاكٍ وَقودُها
And I spent the night as though my breast held a wick,
My heart inside was as if a lamp
With a lamp's piercing heat, its fuel blazing.
Lit up by an oil lamp, its wick kindled
فَقُلتُso I said أُناجيspeaking privately to النَفسَmy soul بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهاand it
فَقُلتُ أُناجي النَفسَ بَيني وَبَينَها
كَذاكَthus اللَياليthe nights نَحسُهاtheir ill fortune وَسُعودهاand their good fortunes
كَذاكَ اللَيالي نَحسُها وَسُعودها
So I said, in private conversation with my soul:
So I soliloquized within myself
Such are the nights, with their ill fortunes and good.
Such are the nights, their evil and good fortune
فَلاso do not تَجزَعيdespair مِمّاover what أَلَمَّhas befallen فانَّنيfor I
فَلا تَجزَعي مِمّا أَلَمَّ فانَّني
أَرىsee سنةًa year لَمnot يَبقَremains إِلّاexcept شَريدُهاits straggling remnant
أَرى سنةً لَم يَبقَ إِلّا شَريدُها
So do not despair at what has befallen you, for I
Do not despair at what has pained you
See a year of which only a straggling remnant remains.
For I see an era none of which remains but its fugitives
أَتانيcame to me وَعُرضُand the breadth الشامِof al-Sham بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهاand them
أَتاني وَعُرضُ الشامِ بَيني وَبَينَها
أَحاديثُreports وَالأَنباءُand news ينميspreads بَعيدُهاits far-off reports
أَحاديثُ وَالأَنباءُ ينمي بَعيدُها
There reached me, with the breadth of al-Sham between me and them,
Reports and news came to me from Syria
Reports—and far-off news spreads—
Growing its distance between it and I
بِأَنَّthat أَباAbu (father of) حَسّانَHassan تَهدمُdemolishes دارَهُhis house
بِأَنَّ أَبا حَسّانَ تَهدمُ دارَهُ
لُكَيزٌLukayz سَعَتset to work فُسّاقُهاher wicked men وَعَبيدُهاand her slaves
لُكَيزٌ سَعَت فُسّاقُها وَعَبيدُها
That Abu Hassan's house was being demolished
That Abu Hassaan's house was destroyed
By Lukayz, whose wicked men and slaves had set to work.
By Lakhmite gangs extensive in numbers and slaves
جزتmay repay مُضَراًMudar عَنّيon my behalf الجَوازيthe requitals بِفعلِهاfor her deed
جزت مُضَراً عَنّي الجَوازي بِفعلِها
وَلاand may not أَصبحتdawn الاexcept بِشَرٍّwith evil جُدودُهاher fortunes
وَلا أَصبحت الا بِشَرٍّ جُدودُها
May retribution repay Mudar, on my behalf, for her deed,
Who did Mudar a favor with their deeds
And may her fortunes bring nothing but ill at dawn.
And I did not wake except with continuous sorrows
فَماso what خَيرُكُمyour worth لاneither سَيِّداًa chief تنصرونَهُyou defend him
فَما خَيرُكُم لا سَيِّداً تنصرونَهُ
وَلاnor خائِفاًa frightened man انif جاءَcomes يَوماًone day طَريدُهاher fugitive
وَلا خائِفاً ان جاءَ يَوماً طَريدُها
So what good are you? You defend neither a chief
What good are you, protecting no master
Nor a frightened man, should her fugitive come one day.
Nor fearful one if a day comes, expelling him
أَخذلانَهُdo you abandon him? فيon كُلِّevery يَومِday كَريهَةٍof peril
أَخذلانَهُ في كُلِّ يَومِ كَريهَةٍ
وَمسألةand begging ماwhenever أَنthat يُناديcalls out وَليدُهاher boy
وَمسألة ما أَن يُنادي وَليدُها
Do you abandon him on every day of peril,
Abandoning him every hateful day
Yet beg whenever her boy calls out?
And not answering when his child calls
لأمكُمُupon your mother الوَيلاتُwoes أَنّىwherever أُتيتُمُyou are encountered
لأمكُمُ الوَيلاتُ أَنّى أُتيتُمُ
جَماعاتِin throngs أَقوامٍof men كَثيرٍgreat عَديدُهاtheir number
جَماعاتِ أَقوامٍ كَثيرٍ عَديدُها
Woe to your mother, wherever you are encountered,
Woe unto you, however did you come
In throngs of men, vast in number!
To be hordes of numerous and countless people
فَيالَيتَكُمwould that you مِنfrom بَعدِafter خُذلانِكمyour abandonment لَهُof him
فَيالَيتَكُم مِن بَعدِ خُذلانِكم لَهُ
جوارٍslave girls عَلىupon الأَعناقِthe necks منهاof them عُقودُهاtheir necklaces
جوارٍ عَلى الأَعناقِ منها عُقودُها
Would that, after your abandonment of him, you were
I wish you after abandoning him
Slave girls, with their necklaces upon their necks.
Had a covenant upon your necks, its knots tightening
أَلَمdid you not تَغضَبواgrow angry تَبّاًruin لَكُمupon you إِذاwhen سطتassailed بكمagainst you
أَلَم تَغضَبوا تَبّاً لَكُم إِذا سطت بكم
مَجوسُthe Magians القُرىof the villages فيin دارِكُمyour home وَيَهودُهاand their Jews
مَجوسُ القُرى في دارِكُم وَيَهودُها
Did you not grow angry—ruin upon you—when you were assailed
Are you not angry, may you perish
By the villages' Magians and Jews within your own home?
When the Magians of the towns and its Jews gain power over you
تَرَكتمyou left أَباAbu (father of) حَسّانَHassan تُهدَمُbeing demolished دارُهُhis house
تَرَكتم أَبا حَسّانَ تُهدَمُ دارُهُ
مُشَيَّدَةًloftily built أَبوابُهاits doors وَحَديدُهاand its ironwork
مُشَيَّدَةً أَبوابُها وَحَديدُها
You left Abu Hassan while his house was being demolished,
You left Abu Hassaan's house to be destroyed
Loftily built, with its doors and ironwork.
Erected, its doors and iron locks
يهدِّمُهاdemolishes it العِجُليُّal-Ijli فيكمamong you بشُرطةٍwith a police force
يهدِّمُها العِجُليُّ فيكم بشُرطةٍ
كَماjust as نَبَّbleated فيamong شَبلِthe young التُيوسِof the he-goats عتودُهاtheir young he-goat
كَما نَبَّ في شَبلِ التُيوسِ عتودُها
Al-Ijli demolishes it among you with a police force,
Destroyed by the Ghassanid among you with a police force
As their young buck bleats among the he-goats' young.
As the sharecropper drove his plow into the fertile land's soil
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed لَفَّwrapped اليَهويُّal-Yahwi ثَوبَهُhis garment
لَعَمري لَقَد لَفَّ اليَهويُّ ثَوبَهُ
عَلىaround غَدرةٍan act of treachery شَنعاءَheinous باقٍenduring نَشيدُهاits song
عَلى غَدرةٍ شَنعاءَ باقٍ نَشيدُها
By my life, al-Yahwi has indeed wrapped his garment
By my life, the Jew wrapped his garb
Around a heinous treachery whose song will endure.
Upon villainous treachery, its song lasting
فَلَوbut had كانَbeen مِنof قَحطانَQahtan أَسماءُAsma شَمَّرَتmustered
فَلَو كانَ مِن قَحطانَ أَسماءُ شَمَّرَت
كَتائبُbattalions مِنof قَحطانَQahtan صُعرٌhaughtily averted خُدودُهاtheir cheeks
كَتائبُ مِن قَحطانَ صُعرٌ خُدودُها
But had Asma been of Qahtan, there would have mustered
If the Asma were from Qahtan, the brigades
Battalions of Qahtan, their cheeks haughtily averted.
From Qahtan would have grim-faced warriors
فَفيso in رَجَبٍRajab أَوor غُرَّةِthe beginning الشَهرِof the month بَعدَهُafter it
فَفي رَجَبٍ أَو غُرَّةِ الشَهرِ بَعدَهُ
تَزوركُمُwill visit you حُمرُred المَناياdeaths وَسودُهاand their black ones
تَزوركُمُ حُمرُ المَنايا وَسودُها
So in Rajab, or at the start of the following month,
So in Rajab or at the new moon after it
Deaths, red and black, will visit you.
The red deaths will visit you and their darkness
ثَمانونَeighty أَلفاًthousand دينُthe faith عُثمانَof Uthman دينُهمtheir faith
ثَمانونَ أَلفاً دينُ عُثمانَ دينُهم
كَتائِبُbattalions فيهاamong them جبرَئيلُGabriel يَقودُهاleading them
كَتائِبُ فيها جبرَئيلُ يَقودُها
Eighty thousand, Uthman's faith their faith,
Eighty thousand, the religion of Uthman their religion
Battalions with Gabriel among them, leading them.
Brigades led by Gabriel guiding them
فَمَنso whoever عاشَlives مِنكُمamong you عاشَwill live عَبداًas a slave وَمَنand whoever يَمُتdies
فَمَن عاشَ مِنكُم عاشَ عَبداً وَمَن يَمُت
فَفيthen in النارِthe Fire سُقياهُhis drink هناكthere صَديدُهاits pus
فَفي النارِ سُقياهُ هناك صَديدُها
So whoever among you lives will live a slave, and whoever dies,
Whoever of you survives, survives a slave
Will be in the Fire; his drink there will be its pus.
And whoever dies, in the Fire his drink boiling there
Sol 6.1