دَعاhe called مَعاشِرَclans فَاِستَكَّتthen grew deaf مَسامِعُهُمtheir ears
دَعا مَعاشِرَ فَاِستَكَّت مَسامِعُهُم
ياO لَهفَanguish نَفسِيَmy soul لَوif only تَدعوyou call بَنيthe sons of أَسَدِAsad
يا لَهفَ نَفسِيَ لَو تَدعو بَني أَسَدِ
He called on clans, but their ears turned deaf.
He called the groups and they pricked up their ears,
Oh, my soul's anguish! If only you had called the sons of Asad,
"Oh how I yearn, if only you would call the tribe of Asad,
تَدعوyou call إِذاًthen حامِيَa protector of الكُماةِthe armored warriors لاnot كَسِلاًa sluggard
تَدعو إِذاً حامِيَ الكُماةِ لا كَسِلاً
إِذاwhen السُيوفُthe swords بِأَيديin the hands of القَومِthe men كَالوَقَدِlike blazing fire
إِذا السُيوفُ بِأَيدي القَومِ كَالوَقَدِ
You would have called a protector of armored warriors, no sluggard,
Call those who defend the oppressed, not the lazy,
When swords in the men's hands were like blazing fire.
When swords are in the hands of the people like burning brands,
لَوif هُمthey حُماتُكَyour defenders بِالمَحمىon defended ground حَمَوكَthey would shield you وَلَمand not
لَو هُم حُماتُكَ بِالمَحمى حَمَوكَ وَلَم
تُترَكyou are left لِيَومٍto a day أَقامَheld الناسَthe people فيin كَبَدِhardship
تُترَك لِيَومٍ أَقامَ الناسَ في كَبَدِ
Had they been your defenders on defended ground, they would have shielded you, and you would not
If they were your defenders at the battle, they would have protected you and not
Have been left to a day that held men in hardship,
Left you for a day when people dwell in misery,
كَماjust as حَمَيناكَwe shielded you يَومَon the day of النَعفِthe mountain spur مِنof شَطِبٍShatib
كَما حَمَيناكَ يَومَ النَعفِ مِن شَطِبٍ
وَالفَضلُand the advantage لِلقَومِbelonged to the men مِنin ريحٍmight وَمِنand in عَدَدِnumbers
وَالفَضلُ لِلقَومِ مِن ريحٍ وَمِن عَدَدِ
As we shielded you on the day at the spur of Shatib,
As we protected you the day of An-Na’f from Shatib,
And those men had the advantage in might and numbers.
And the superiority belongs to the people in terms of wind and number.
أَوor لَأَتَوكَthey would surely come to you بِجَمعٍwith a host لاno كِفاءَequal لَهُto it
أَو لَأَتَوكَ بِجَمعٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ
قَومٍmen هُمُthey القَومُthe men فيin الأَنأىthe remotest places وَفيand in البُعُدِdistant reaches
قَومٍ هُمُ القَومُ في الأَنأى وَفي البُعُدِ
Or they would surely have come to you with an unmatched host,
Or I would have brought you a group that has no match,
Men who are true men, in the remotest places and far afield,
A people who are the people in the remote and the far,
بِجَحفَلٍwith a great army كَبَهيمِlike the blackness of اللَيلِnight مُنتَجِعٍseeking pasture in
بِجَحفَلٍ كَبَهيمِ اللَيلِ مُنتَجِعٍ
أَرضَthe land of العَدوِّthe enemy لُهامٍvast وافِرِabundant in العَدَدِnumber
أَرضَ العَدوِّ لُهامٍ وافِرِ العَدَدِ
With an army like the blackness of night, seeking pasture
With a great army like the beasts of night taking shelter,
In the enemy's land—a vast host, abundant in number.
The land of the enemy, ferocious and large in number.
القائِدُthe leader of الخَيلَthe horses تَرديthey gallop فيin أَعِنَّتِهاtheir reins
القائِدُ الخَيلَ تَردي في أَعِنَّتِها
وِردَthe coming to water of القَطاthe sandgrouse هَجَّرَتthey set out at noon ظِمأًthirsty إِلىtoward الثَمَدِthe scant waterhole
وِردَ القَطا هَجَّرَت ظِمأً إِلى الثَمَدِ
The leader of horses galloping in their reins,
The leader urges on the horses as they race with their saddle-bags,
Like sandgrouse coming to water, heading thirsty at noon toward a scant waterhole,
The cattle return home thirsty to the watering place.
مِنincluding كُلِّevery عِجلِزَةٍsturdy mare بادٍshowing نَواجِذُهاher molars
مِن كُلِّ عِجلِزَةٍ بادٍ نَواجِذُها
عَلىagainst اللِجامِthe bit تُباريvying with الرَكبَthe riders فيin عَنَدِa wayward course
عَلى اللِجامِ تُباري الرَكبَ في عَنَدِ
Including every sturdy mare, her molars showing
Their brisk she-camels with shaggy hair vie with the riders in speed,
Against the bit, vying with the riders on a wayward course,
Galloping over the saddle with the smooth-tent peg over the hump.
وَكُلِّand every أَجرَدَsleek stallion قَدalready مالَتhas tilted رِحالَتُهُhis saddle
وَكُلِّ أَجرَدَ قَد مالَت رِحالَتُهُ
نَهدِfull المَراكِلِin the flanks فَعمٍstout ناتِئِprominent in الكَتَدِthe withers
نَهدِ المَراكِلِ فَعمٍ ناتِئِ الكَتَدِ
And every sleek stallion whose saddle has already tilted,
And every bare camel, their bags are slanting,
Full-flanked and stout, with prominent withers,
The baggage swaying from side to side on the high wooden saddle.
حَتّىuntil تَعاطَينَthey engaged غَسّاناًGhassan فَحَربَهُمُthen he despoiled them
حَتّى تَعاطَينَ غَسّاناً فَحَربَهُمُ
يَومَon the day of المُرارِal-Murar وَلَمand did not يَلوُواturn back عَلىfor أَحَدِanyone
يَومَ المُرارِ وَلَم يَلوُوا عَلى أَحَدِ
Until they engaged Ghassan, and he despoiled them,
Until they engaged Ghassan in battle,
On the day of al-Murar; they turned back for no one,
On an evil day, and they did not incline to anyone.
لَمّاwhen رَأوكَthey saw you وَبُلجُand the gleaming البيضِwhite swords وَسطَهُمُin their midst
لَمّا رَأوكَ وَبُلجُ البيضِ وَسطَهُمُ
وَكُلُّand every مُطَّرِدِstraight الأُنبوبِshaft كَالمَسَدِlike twisted rope
وَكُلُّ مُطَّرِدِ الأُنبوبِ كَالمَسَدِ
When they saw you, with gleaming white swords in their midst,
When they saw you in the midst of them, with your white mule,
And every straight-shafted spear like twisted rope.
Each with leather bag like the outspread lion’s paw,
غَوَّتled astray بَنوthe sons of أَسَدٍAsad غَسّانَGhassan أَمرَهُمُin their affairs
غَوَّت بَنو أَسَدٍ غَسّانَ أَمرَهُمُ
وَقَلَّand seldom ماever وَقَفَتstood غَسّانُGhassan لِلرَشدِfor sound judgment
وَقَلَّ ما وَقَفَت غَسّانُ لِلرَشدِ
The sons of Asad led Ghassan astray in their affairs,
The tribe of Asad put the Ghassan to flight in their affairs,
And seldom did Ghassan stand by sound judgment.
Rarely did the Ghassan stand firm for what is right."
Sol 6.1