أَعاذِلُO reproacher إِنَّindeed الرُزءَthe bereavement مِثلُone like اِبنِthe son of مالِكٍMalik
أَعاذِلُ إِنَّ الرُزءَ مِثلُ اِبنِ مالِكٍ
زُهَيرٍZuhayr وَأَمثالُand the likes of اِبنِthe son of نَضلَةَNadlah واقِدِWaqid
زُهَيرٍ وَأَمثالُ اِبنِ نَضلَةَ واقِدِ
O reproacher, calamity is losing one like Ibn Malik—
I plead, verily tribulation is like Ibn Malik
Zuhayr—and the likes of Ibn Nadlah, Waqid,
And the likes of Zuhair and Ibn Nadla's peers,
وَمِثلُand like السَدوسِيَّينِthe two Sadusis ساداthe two ruled وَذَبذَباand the two shook
وَمِثلُ السَدوسِيَّينِ سادا وَذَبذَبا
رِجالَthe men of الحِجازِthe Hijaz مِنfrom among مَسودٍone ruled وَسائِدِand a ruler
رِجالَ الحِجازِ مِن مَسودٍ وَسائِدِ
And like the two Sadusis, who ruled and shook
And like the two Sa'ds, Sa'd and Dhubdhab,
The men of the Hijaz, subjects and lords alike.
Men of Hijaz, from Masud and Sa'id.
أَقَبّاboth slender الكُشوحِthe flanks أَبيَضانِboth fair كِلاهُماboth of them
أَقَبّا الكُشوحِ أَبيَضانِ كِلاهُما
كَعالِيَةِlike the upper shaft of الخَطِّيِّthe Khatti spear وارىwell-fleshed in الأَزانِدِthe forearms
كَعالِيَةِ الخَطِّيِّ وارى الأَزانِدِ
Both slender-waisted, both fair,
Two shaven old men, both white,
Like the upper shaft of a Khatti spear, with well-fleshed forearms.
Like Khaali'at al-Khati and I see decrepit ones.
أُعاذِلُO reproacher أَبقيreserve لِلمَلامَةِfor blame حَظَّهاits share
أُعاذِلُ أَبقي لِلمَلامَةِ حَظَّها
إِذاwhen راحَdeparted عَنّيfrom me بِالجَلِيَّةِwith the plain truth عائِديmy sickbed visitor
إِذا راحَ عَنّي بِالجَلِيَّةِ عائِدي
O reproacher, leave blame its share,
I plead, I leave blame for blame's sake
When my sickbed visitor departs from me, bearing the plain truth,
When my confidant leaves me for good.
فَقالواthen they said تَرَكناهُwe left him تَزَلزَلُtrembles نَفسُهُhis soul
فَقالوا تَرَكناهُ تَزَلزَلُ نَفسُهُ
إِذاwhen أَسنَدونيthey propped me up أَوor كَذاlike this غَيرَnot سانِدِleaning on a support
إِذا أَسنَدوني أَو كَذا غَيرَ سانِدِ
Then they say, 'We left him, his soul trembling,'
So they said: we left him unstable
When they prop me up, or leave me thus, unsupported;
Whether supported or not supported.
وَقامَand rose بَناتيmy daughters بِالنِعالِwith sandals حَواسِراًbareheaded
وَقامَ بَناتي بِالنِعالِ حَواسِراً
وَأَلصَقنَand they laid on ضَربَblows of السِبتِtanned leather تَحتَbeneath القَلائِدِthe necklaces
وَأَلصَقنَ ضَربَ السِبتِ تَحتَ القَلائِدِ
And my daughters rise with sandals, bareheaded,
And my daughters stood insolently
And land blows of tanned leather beneath their necklaces.
And tied the lashes of Saturday under necklaces.
يَوَدّونَthey wish لَوif only يَفدونَنيthey ransom me بِنُفوسِهِمwith their own lives
يَوَدّونَ لَو يَفدونَني بِنُفوسِهِم
وَمَثنىand doubled quantities of الأَواقيounces وَالقِيانِand singing slave-girls النَواهِدِfull-breasted
وَمَثنى الأَواقي وَالقِيانِ النَواهِدِ
They wish they could ransom me with their own lives,
They wish they could ransom me with their souls
And doubled ounces, and full-breasted singing slave-girls.
And pairs of sandals and the cups, protectors.
وَقَدand already أَرسَلواthey sent فُرّاطَهُمtheir forerunners فَتَأَثَّلواthen they prepared
وَقَد أَرسَلوا فُرّاطَهُم فَتَأَثَّلوا
قَليباًa well سَفاهاits earth-heaps كَالإِماءِlike slave-women القَواعِدِseated
قَليباً سَفاها كَالإِماءِ القَواعِدِ
And they have sent their forerunners, who made ready
And they sent their undertaker so he pretended
A well, its earth-heaps like seated slave-women,
A fool like the sitting slave-girls.
مُطَأطَأَةًlow-sunk لَمnot يُنبِطوهاthey made it yield water وَإِنَّهاand indeed it
مُطَأطَأَةً لَم يُنبِطوها وَإِنَّها
لَيَرضىsurely is satisfied بِهاwith it فُرّاطُهاits forerunners أُمَّas mother of واحِدِone
لَيَرضى بِها فُرّاطُها أُمَّ واحِدِ
Low-sunk; they struck no water in it, and it
Bent over, they didn't straighten her, and yet
Surely satisfies its forerunners as the mother of one.
Their undertaker would be pleased with her as one mother.
قَضَواthey completed ماwhat قَضَواthey completed مِنof رَمِّهاputting it in order ثُمَّthen أَقبَلواthey came
قَضَوا ما قَضَوا مِن رَمِّها ثُمَّ أَقبَلوا
إِلَيَّto me بِطاءَslow in المَشيِwalking غُبرَdusty in السَواعِدِthe forearms
إِلَيَّ بِطاءَ المَشيِ غُبرَ السَواعِدِ
They did what they did to put it in order, then came
They did what they did of her litter, then came
To me, slow of step, their forearms dusty,
To me slowly, dust on their wrists,
يَقولونَthey say لَمّاwhen جُشَّتِwas hollowed out البِئرُthe well أَورِدواbring him to water
يَقولونَ لَمّا جُشَّتِ البِئرُ أَورِدوا
وَلَيسَand there is not بِهاin it أَدنىthe slightest ذُفافٍtrickle of water لِوارِدِfor one coming to draw
وَلَيسَ بِها أَدنى ذُفافٍ لِوارِدِ
Saying, when the well was hollowed out, 'Bring him to water!'
Saying: when the well was dug, they made me enter.
Though it holds not the least trickle for anyone coming to draw.
And there was no water at all for one entering.
فَكُنتُso I was ذَنوبَthe bucket of البِئرِthe well لَمّاwhen تَبَسَّلَتit became forbidden
فَكُنتُ ذَنوبَ البِئرِ لَمّا تَبَسَّلَت
وَسُربِلتُand I was clad in أَكفانيmy shrouds وَوُسِّدتُand I was pillowed on ساعِديmy forearm
وَسُربِلتُ أَكفاني وَوُسِّدتُ ساعِدي
So I was the well's bucket when it became forbidden,
So I was the sins of the well when it yawned open
And I was clad in my shrouds, my forearm made my pillow.
And I donned my shrouds and stuffed my arms.
أَعاذِلَO reproacher لاnot إِهلاكُexhausting مالِيَmy wealth ضَرَّنيharmed me
أَعاذِلَ لا إِهلاكُ مالِيَ ضَرَّني
وَلاnor وَارِثيmy heir إِنif ثُمَّرَwas made to grow المالُthe wealth حامِديone who praises me
وَلا وَارِثي إِن ثُمَّرَ المالُ حامِدي
O reproacher, exhausting my wealth did not harm me,
I plead, my money's destruction didn't hurt me,
Nor will my heir thank me if the wealth is made to grow.
Nor my heir, if the money becomes dormant.
Sol 6.1