وَراءَكَback with you يانُمَيرُO Numayr فَلاfor there is no أَمامُway forward
وَراءَكَ يانُمَيرُ فَلا أَمامُ
فَقَدfor indeed حَرُمَhas become forbidden الجَزيرَةُal-Jazira وَالشَآمُand al-Sham
فَقَد حَرُمَ الجَزيرَةُ وَالشَآمُ
Back, Numayr! There is no way ahead;
for al-Jazira and al-Sham are now forbidden to you.
لَناbelongs to us الدُنياthe world فَماso whatever شِئناwe wish حَلالٌlawful
لَنا الدُنيا فَما شِئنا حَلالٌ
لِساكِنِهاfor its inhabitants وَماand whatever شِئناwe wish حَرامُforbidden
لِساكِنِها وَما شِئنا حَرامُ
The world is ours: whatever we choose is lawful
for its inhabitants, and whatever we choose is forbidden.
وَيَنفُذُand holds sway أَمرُناour command فيin كُلِّevery حَيٍّtribe
وَيَنفُذُ أَمرُنا في كُلِّ حَيٍّ
فَيُدنيهِso it draws it near وَيُقصيهِand sends it far away الكَلامُa word
فَيُدنيهِ وَيُقصيهِ الكَلامُ
Our command holds sway in every tribe:
a word draws it near and sends it far away.
أَراجِيَةًare you hoping خُوَيلَفَةًKhuwaylafa ذِماماًa pledge of protection
أَراجِيَةً خُوَيلَفَةً ذِماماً
وَراءَكِback with you لاno أَمانَsafety وَلاand no ذِمامُpledge of protection
وَراءَكِ لا أَمانَ وَلا ذِمامُ
Do you hope for protection, Khuwaylafa?
Back with you! No safety and no pledge of protection.
أَلَمhas ... not? تُخبِركِtold you خَيلُكِyour cavalry عَنabout مَقاميmy stand
أَلَم تُخبِركِ خَيلُكِ عَن مَقامي
بِبالِسَat Balis يَومَthe day ضاقَgrew cramped بِهاfor them المَقامُthe space to stand
بِبالِسَ يَومَ ضاقَ بِها المَقامُ
Has your cavalry not told you of my stand
at Balis, the day the ground grew too cramped for them?
وَوَلَّتand turned in flight تَتَّقيshielding themselves from بَعضاًsome بِبَعضٍwith others
وَوَلَّت تَتَّقي بَعضاً بِبَعضٍ
لَهُمfor them وَالأَرضُthough the earth واسِعَةٌwide زِحامُcrowding
لَهُم وَالأَرضُ واسِعَةٌ زِحامُ
They turned and fled, some sheltering behind others,
crowded together, though the earth was wide.
سَرَواthey traveled by night وَاللَيلُwhile the night يَجمَعُناgathers us together وَلَكِنbut
سَرَوا وَاللَيلُ يَجمَعُنا وَلَكِن
يَبوحُreveals بِهِمabout them وَيَكتُمُناand conceals us الظَلامُthe darkness
يَبوحُ بِهِم وَيَكتُمُنا الظَلامُ
They rode by night, and night gathered us together; yet
the darkness betrayed them and concealed us,
إِلىuntil أَنthat صَبَّحَتهُمassailed them at dawn بِالمَناياwith death
إِلى أَن صَبَّحَتهُم بِالمَنايا
كَرائِمُnoble mares فَوقَupon أَظهُرِهاtheir backs كِرامُnoble men
كَرائِمُ فَوقَ أَظهُرِها كِرامُ
until death was brought upon them at dawn
by noble mares with noble men upon their backs,
مِنَamong العَرَشاتِspirited mares تَلحَقُovertake مارَأَتهُwhatever they have seen
مِنَ العَرَشاتِ تَلحَقُ مارَأَتهُ
إِذاwhen طَلَبَتthey give chase وَتُعطىand are offered ماتُسامُwhatever price is asked for them
إِذا طَلَبَت وَتُعطى ماتُسامُ
among the spirited mares that overtake whatever they see
when they give chase, and fetch whatever price is asked.
تَنازَعُrace one another بيwith me وَبِالفُرسانِand with the horsemen حَوليaround me
تَنازَعُ بي وَبِالفُرسانِ حَولي
تُجَفِّلُهُمputting them to flight كَماas جَفَلَfled النَعامُostriches
تُجَفِّلُهُم كَما جَفَلَ النَعامُ
They race, bearing me and the horsemen around me,
putting them to flight as ostriches flee.
بَطَحناwe laid low مِنهُمُfrom among them مَرجَMarj بنَson of جَحشٍJahsh
بَطَحنا مِنهُمُ مَرجَ بنَ جَحشٍ
فَلَمso did not يَقِفواthey stand عَلَيهِover him وَلَمand did not يُحامواthey defend
فَلَم يَقِفوا عَلَيهِ وَلَم يُحاموا
We felled Marj ibn Jahsh among them,
but they neither stood over him nor fought in his defense.
أَقولُI say لِمُطعِمٍto Mut‘im لَمّاwhen اِلتَقَيناwe met
أَقولُ لِمُطعِمٍ لَمّا اِلتَقَينا
وَقَدand already وَلّىhe turned to flee وَفيand in يَدِيَmy hand الحُسامُthe keen sword
وَقَد وَلّى وَفي يَدِيَ الحُسامُ
I said to Mut‘im when we met,
as he turned to flee, the keen sword in my hand:
أَتَجعَلُdo you put بَينَناbetween us عِشرينَtwenty كَعباًspear-shaft joints
أَتَجعَلُ بَينَنا عِشرينَ كَعباً
وَتَهرُبُand you flee سَوأَةًshame لَكَon you ياغُلامُO boy
وَتَهرُبُ سَوأَةً لَكَ ياغُلامُ
“Do you set a twenty-jointed spear between us
and flee? Shame on you, boy!”
أَحَلَّكُمُhe made you dwell بِدارِin the abode of الضَيمِhumiliation قَسراًby force
أَحَلَّكُمُ بِدارِ الضَيمِ قَسراً
هُمامٌa valiant hero لايُضامُcannot be wronged وَلاand cannot يُرامُbe assailed
هُمامٌ لايُضامُ وَلا يُرامُ
You were forced into the abode of humiliation
by a hero whom none can wrong or assail.
Sol 6.1