حيِّgreet الديارَthe dwellings مَحاerased مَعارِفَrecognizable features رَسمِهاtheir traces
حيِّ الديارَ مَحا مَعارِفَ رَسمِها
طولَthe long duration of البِلىdecay وَتَراوُحُand the succession of الأَحقابِages
طولَ البِلى وَتَراوُحُ الأَحقابِ
Greet the dwellings; their familiar traces have been erased
Revive the abodes whose features time has erased
By long decay and the succession of ages.
Despite the long ravages and revolving epochs
فَكَأَنَّماso it is as though كَتبَwrote اليَهودُthe Jews رُسومَهاtheir outlines
فَكَأَنَّما كَتبَ اليَهودُ رُسومَها
إِلّاexcept الكَنيفَthe enclosure وَمُعقِدَand the fastening place of الأَطنابِthe tent ropes
إِلّا الكَنيفَ وَمُعقِدَ الأَطنابِ
So it is as though the Jews had inscribed their outlines,
As though the Jews inscribed its lines
Except for the enclosure and the anchoring place of the tent ropes.
Save the synagogue and builder of the spider's web
قَفراًdesolate كَأَنَّكَas though you لَمnot تَكُنhad been تَلهوmaking merry بِهاin them
قَفراً كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَكُن تَلهو بِها
فيin نِعمَةٍease بِأَوانسٍwith companionable maidens أَترابِof like age
في نِعمَةٍ بِأَوانسٍ أَترابِ
Desolate, as though you had never made merry there
Desolate as if you never frolicked there
In ease, with companionable maidens of like age.
In bounty and intimate gatherings of loved ones
فَاِترُكso abandon تَذَكُّرَremembering ماwhat مَضىhas passed منof عِيشَةٍa life
فَاِترُك تَذَكُّرَ ما مَضى من عِيشَةٍ
وَمَحِلَّةٍand a dwelling خَلَفِruined المَقامِthe dwelling-site يَبابِdesolate
وَمَحِلَّةٍ خَلَفِ المَقامِ يَبابِ
So stop recalling the life that has passed,
Forget the past life
And a dwelling, its site ruined and desolate.
And home behind the dwelling long collapsed
وَاِذكُرand remember بَلاءَprowess مَعاشِرٍcompanies of men وَاِشكُرهُمand thank them
وَاِذكُر بَلاءَ مَعاشِرٍ وَاِشكُرهُم
سارواthey marched بِأَجمَعِهمall of them together مِنَfrom الأَنصابِthe standing stones
ساروا بِأَجمَعِهم مِنَ الأَنصابِ
And remember the prowess of those companies of men, and thank them.
Remember instead the company of fellows and thank them
They marched, all together, from the standing stones—
Together they left from the idols
أَنصابِstanding stones of مَكَّةَMecca عامِدينَheading لِيثرِبٍfor Yathrib
أَنصابِ مَكَّةَ عامِدينَ لِيثرِبٍ
فيin ذىِone having غَياطِلَthicket-like masses جَحفَلٍa mighty host جَبجابِvast
في ذىِ غَياطِلَ جَحفَلٍ جَبجابِ
The stones of Mecca—bound for Yathrib,
Idols of Mecca, their goal Yathrib
In a vast, mighty host of thicket-dense ranks.
Through empty barren tracts and twisting canyons
يَدعُit leaves الحُزونَthe rugged ground مَناهِجاpaths مَعلومَةًclearly marked
يَدعُ الحُزونَ مَناهِجا مَعلومَةً
فيacross كُلِّevery نَشزٍrise ظاهِرٍprominent وِشعابِand ravines
في كُلِّ نَشزٍ ظاهِرٍ وِشعابِ
It leaves the rugged ground as clearly marked paths,
Leaving the saddened familiar routes
Across every prominent rise and ravine.
Through every open plain and winding valley
فيهِin it الجيادُthe fine steeds شَوازِبٌlean مَجنونَةٌarmored
فيهِ الجيادُ شَوازِبٌ مَجنونَةٌ
قُبُّhollow البُطونِbellies لَواحِقُdrawn tight الأَقرابِflanks
قُبُّ البُطونِ لَواحِقُ الأَقرابِ
In it are fine steeds, lean and armored,
Where the steeds gallop wildly
Hollow-bellied, with flanks drawn tight,
With bulging stomachs and outstretched necks
مِنof كُلِّevery سَلهَبَةٍlong-limbed mare وَأَجرَدَand a sleek stallion سَلهَبٍlong-limbed
مِن كُلِّ سَلهَبَةٍ وَأَجرَدَ سَلهَبٍ
كَالسيدِlike a wolf بادَرseized quickly غَفلَةَheedlessness الرُقابِthe watchers
كَالسيدِ بادَر غَفلَةَ الرُقابِ
Of every long-limbed mare and sleek, long-limbed stallion,
Of every smooth and fully shorn sorrel
Like a wolf that seizes the watchers’ unguarded moment.
Like the master brandishing his sword to heads turned away
جَيشٌan army عُيينةُʿUyayna قاصِدٌadvancing بِلوائِهِwith his banner
جَيشٌ عُيينةُ قاصِدٌ بِلوائِهِ
فيهِin it وَصَخرٌand Ṣakhr قائِدُcommander of الأَحزابِthe confederates
فيهِ وَصَخرٌ قائِدُ الأَحزابِ
A host—ʿUyayna advances with his banner
An army with Uyainah leading its banners
In it, and Ṣakhr commands the confederates.
And Sakhra commanding the factions
قَرمانِtwo chiefs كَالبَدرينِlike two full moons أَصبَحَhas become فيهماin both of them
قَرمانِ كَالبَدرينِ أَصبَحَ فيهما
غَيثُlife-giving rain الفَقيرِthe poor man وَمَعقِلُand a stronghold for الهُرّابِfugitives
غَيثُ الفَقيرِ وَمَعقِلُ الهُرّابِ
Two chiefs like two full moons; in them are now found
Like two full moons they appeared
Rain for the poor and a stronghold for fugitives.
A rain for the poor and refuge for the dispossessed
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen وَرَدواthey reached المَدينَةَMedina وَاِرتَدَواand donned
حَتّى إِذا وَرَدوا المَدينَةَ وَاِرتَدَوا
لِلمَوتِfor death كُلَّevery مَجّرَّبtried-and-tested قَضّابِkeen-cutting
لِلمَوتِ كُلَّ مَجّرَّب قَضّابِ
Until, when they reached Medina and donned
Until they reached Medina and returned
For death every tried-and-tested, cleaving sword,
To death every experienced warrior
شَهراًa month وَعشراًand ten days قاهِرينَoverpowering مُحَمَّداًMuhammad
شَهراً وَعشراً قاهِرينَ مُحَمَّداً
وَصِحابُهُand his companions فيin الحَربِwar خَيرُthe best صِحابِcompanions
وَصِحابُهُ في الحَربِ خَيرُ صِحابِ
For a month and ten days, overpowering Muhammad—
For ten months suppressing Muhammad
And his companions are the finest companions in war—
And his companions the finest of comrades
نادَواthey called out بِرحلَتِهمfor their departure صَبيحَةَon the morning قُلتُمُyou all said
نادَوا بِرحلَتِهم صَبيحَةَ قُلتُمُ
كِدناwe nearly نَكونُwould be بِهاin it مَعَamong الخُيّابِthose who failed
كِدنا نَكونُ بِها مَعَ الخُيّابِ
They called for their departure on the morning you said:
They declared one morn their departure
“We nearly found ourselves there among those who failed.”
"We almost joined them!" you exclaimed
لَولاhad it not been for الخَنادِقُthe trenches غادَرواthey would have left مِنfrom جَمعِهمtheir host
لَولا الخَنادِقُ غادَروا مِن جَمعِهم
قَتلىslain men لِطَيرٍfor birds سُغَّبٍfamished وَذِئابِand wolves
قَتلى لِطَيرٍ سُغَّبٍ وَذِئابِ
But for the trenches, they would have left, from their host,
Were it not for the trenches many corpses
Slain men for famished birds and wolves.
Would have been left for the birds and beasts
Sol 6.1