لَعَمرُكَby your life وَالمَناياand the fates of death غالِباتٌprevailing
لَعَمرُكَ وَالمَنايا غالِباتٌ
لِكُلِّfor every بَنيsons of أَبٍa father مِنهاfrom them ذَنوبُa bucketful; allotted share
لِكُلِّ بَني أَبٍ مِنها ذَنوبُ
By your life, the fates of death prevail;
every father's sons have their bucketful of them.
لَقَدindeed لاقىmet المَطِيَّthe riding camels بِجَنبِbeside عُفرٍʿUfr
لَقَد لاقى المَطِيَّ بِجَنبِ عُفرٍ
حَديثٌtidings لَوif عَجِبتَyou marveled لَهُat it عَجيبُwondrous
حَديثٌ لَو عَجِبتَ لَهُ عَجيبُ
Indeed, beside ʿUfr, the riding camels were met
by tidings—wondrous, if you would marvel at them.
أَرِقتُI lay sleepless لِذِكرِهِfrom remembering it مِنfrom غَيرِother than; without نَوبٍa visiting affliction
أَرِقتُ لِذِكرِهِ مِن غَيرِ نَوبٍ
كَماas يَهتاجُis stirred مَوشِيٌّpatterned; ornamented ثَقيبُpierced; perforated
كَما يَهتاجُ مَوشِيٌّ ثَقيبُ
I lay sleepless remembering it, without a fresh affliction,
as a patterned, perforated reed is stirred—
سَبِيٌّa captive مِنfrom يَراعَتِهِits reed bed نَفاهُdrove it away
سَبِيٌّ مِن يَراعَتِهِ نَفاهُ
أَتِيٌّa torrent from afar مَدَّهُswelled it صُحَرٌbare plains وَلوبُand lava fields
أَتِيٌّ مَدَّهُ صُحَرٌ وَلوبُ
a captive, driven from its reed bed
by a torrent swollen by bare plains and lava fields.
إِذاwhen نَزَلَتalighted سَراةُthe nobles of بَنيthe sons of عَدِيٍّʿAdi
إِذا نَزَلَت سَراةُ بَني عَدِيٍّ
فَسَلهُمthen ask them كَيفَhow ماfirst part of 'fought' صَعَهُمremainder of 'fought them' حَبيبُHabib
فَسَلهُم كَيفَ ما صَعَهُم حَبيبُ
When the nobles of Banu ʿAdi alight,
ask them how Habib fought them.
يَقولواthey will say قَدindeed وَجَدناwe found خَيرَthe best طِرفٍa noble, spirited man
يَقولوا قَد وَجَدنا خَيرَ طِرفٍ
بِرُقيَةَat Ruqayya لاnot يُهَدُّis daunted وَلاnor يَخيبُfails
بِرُقيَةَ لا يُهَدُّ وَلا يَخيبُ
They will say: we found the finest nobleman
at Ruqayya, neither daunted nor failing.
دَعاهُcalled him صاحِباهُhis two companions حينَwhen خَفَّتgrew light; sped away
دَعاهُ صاحِباهُ حينَ خَفَّت
نَعامَتُهُمtheir band, literally their ostrich وَقَدand already حُفِزَwere jolted القُلوبُthe hearts
نَعامَتُهُم وَقَد حُفِزَ القُلوبُ
His two companions called him when
their ostrich sped away, their hearts already shaken.
مَرَدٌّa return قَدalready يَرىhe could see ماwhat كانَwas فيهِin it
مَرَدٌّ قَد يَرى ما كانَ فيهِ
وَلكِنbut إِنَّماonly يُدعىis called upon النَجيبُthe noble man
وَلكِن إِنَّما يُدعى النَجيبُ
A return to battle—he could see what it entailed;
yet only the noble man is called upon.
فَأَلقىthen he flung aside غِمدَهُhis scabbard وَهَوىand swooped إِلَيهِمtoward them
فَأَلقى غِمدَهُ وَهَوى إِلَيهِم
كَماas تَنقَضُّdives خائِتَةٌa swooping bird of prey طَلوبُeagerly hunting
كَما تَنقَضُّ خائِتَةٌ طَلوبُ
He flung aside his scabbard and swooped toward them,
as a swooping, prey-seeking bird dives,
مُوَقَّفَةُdark-marked at the tips القَوادِمِthe primary wing-feathers وَالذُنابىand the tail feathers
مُوَقَّفَةُ القَوادِمِ وَالذُنابى
كَأَنَّas though سَراتَهاher back اللَبَنُmilk الحَليبُfreshly drawn
كَأَنَّ سَراتَها اللَبَنُ الحَليبُ
her primaries and tail feathers dark-marked,
her back like freshly drawn milk.
نَهاهُمwarned them off ثابِتٌThabit عَنهُfrom him فَقالواso they said
نَهاهُم ثابِتٌ عَنهُ فَقالوا
تُعَيِّبُناwould shame us العَشائِرُthe clans لَوif يَؤوبُhe returns
تُعَيِّبُنا العَشائِرُ لَو يَؤوبُ
Thabit warned them away from him, but they said:
the clans would shame us if he returned.
عَلىalthough أَنَّindeed الفَتىthe young man الخُثَمِيَّthe Khuthami سَلّىassuaged
عَلى أَنَّ الفَتى الخُثَمِيَّ سَلّى
بِنَصلِwith the blade of السَيفِthe sword حاجَةَthe need of مَنone who يَغيبُdeparts
بِنَصلِ السَيفِ حاجَةَ مَن يَغيبُ
Yet the Khuthami youth assuaged
with his sword-blade the need of one about to depart.
وَقالَand he said تَعَلَّمواknow أَنthat لاno صَريخٌrescuer
وَقالَ تَعَلَّموا أَن لا صَريخٌ
فَأُسمِعَهُso I might make him hear وَلاnor مَنجىًa place of escape قَريبُnearby
فَأُسمِعَهُ وَلا مَنجىً قَريبُ
And he said: know that there is no rescuer
for me to call to, nor any escape nearby,
وَأَنand that لاno غَوثَhelp إِلّاexcept مُرهَفاتٌkeen-edged blades
وَأَن لا غَوثَ إِلّا مُرهَفاتٌ
مُسالاتٌlong and tapering وَذوand one bearing رُبَدٍdark mottling خَشيبُrough; unpolished
مُسالاتٌ وَذو رُبَدٍ خَشيبُ
and no help except keen-edged blades,
long and tapering, and a rough, dark-mottled weapon.
فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you إِنif تُنازِلُنيyou face me in combat تُنازَلwill be faced in combat
فَإِنَّكَ إِن تُنازِلُني تُنازَل
فَلاso let not تَكذِبكَdeceive you بِالمَوتِabout death الكَذوبُthe habitual liar
فَلا تَكذِبكَ بِالمَوتِ الكَذوبُ
For if you face me in combat, you shall be met in combat;
so let the liar not deceive you about death.
كَأَنَّas though مُحَرَّباًa battle-hardened one مِنfrom among أُسدِthe lions of تَرجٍTarj
كَأَنَّ مُحَرَّباً مِن أُسدِ تَرجٍ
يُنازِلُهُمhe fights them لِنابَيهِfrom his two fangs قَبيبُa clacking
يُنازِلُهُم لِنابَيهِ قَبيبُ
As though a battle-hardened lion of Tarj
were fighting them, his two fangs clacking.
وَلكِنbut خَبِّرواtell قَوميmy people بَلائيmy deeds in battle
وَلكِن خَبِّروا قَومي بَلائي
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle اِسّاءَلَتasked one another عَنّيabout me الشُعوبُthe peoples
إِذا ما اِسّاءَلَت عَنّي الشُعوبُ
But tell my people of my deeds in battle
when the peoples ask one another about me,
وَلاand do not تُخنواspeak abusively عَلَيَّagainst me وَلاnor تَشِطّواgo beyond bounds
وَلا تُخنوا عَلَيَّ وَلا تَشِطّوا
بِقَولِin speech of الفَخرِboasting إِنَّindeed الفَخرَboasting حوبُa sin
بِقَولِ الفَخرِ إِنَّ الفَخرَ حوبُ
and do not revile me or go beyond bounds
in boastful speech: boasting is a sin.
Sol 6.1