أَباO Abu (father of) العَشائِرِal-Asha'ir (the clans) إِنif أُسِرتَyou were captured فَطالَماthen how often
أَبا العَشائِرِ إِن أُسِرتَ فَطالَما
أَسَرَتcaptured لَكَfor you البيضُthe gleaming swords الخِفافُthe light ones رِجالاmen
أَسَرَت لَكَ البيضُ الخِفافُ رِجالا
O Abu al-Asha'ir, if you have been captured, how often
O chief of the tribes, though you are captive,
the light, gleaming blades have taken men captive for you!
The valiant white swords have long held others captive for you
لَمّاwhen أَجَلتَyou wheeled المُهرَthe colt فَوقَabove رُؤوسِهِمtheir heads
لَمّا أَجَلتَ المُهرَ فَوقَ رُؤوسِهِم
نَسَجَتwove لَهُfor him حُمرُred الشُعورِhair عِقالاa hobble
نَسَجَت لَهُ حُمرُ الشُعورِ عِقالا
When you wheeled the colt above their heads,
When you delayed paying the ransom above their heads
red locks wove a hobble for him.
The red forelocks wove braids for it
ياO مَنyou who إِذاwhen حَمَلَurged الحَصانَthe stallion عَلىdespite الوَجىhoof soreness
يا مَن إِذا حَمَلَ الحَصانَ عَلى الوَجى
قالَsaid اِتَّخِذuse حُبُكَthe woven mesh التَريكِof helmets نِعالاas shoes
قالَ اِتَّخِذ حُبُكَ التَريكِ نِعالا
O you who, when urging a stallion on despite sore hooves,
O you who, when the steed bears down in battle
said, 'Use the helmets' woven mesh as shoes!'
Says: don your sandals of thick leather
ماكُنتَyou would not have been نَهزَةَeasy prey for آخِذٍa captor يَومَon the day of الوَغىbattle
ماكُنتَ نَهزَةَ آخِذٍ يَومَ الوَغى
لَوif كُنتَyou had أَوجَدتَprovided الكُمَيتَthe bay horse مَجالاroom to maneuver
لَو كُنتَ أَوجَدتَ الكُمَيتَ مَجالا
You would not have been a captor's easy prey on battle day,
You were no easy prey on the day of battle
had you given the bay horse room to maneuver.
Had you but found open ground for the Cumayt
حَمَلَتكَcarried you نَفسٌa soul حُرَّةٌfreeborn وَعَزائِمٌand firm resolves
حَمَلَتكَ نَفسٌ حُرَّةٌ وَعَزائِمٌ
قَصَّرنَthey made low مِنamong قُلَلِthe summits of الجِبالِthe mountains طِوالاlofty ones
قَصَّرنَ مِن قُلَلِ الجِبالِ طِوالا
A freeborn soul and firm resolves carried you,
A free soul and great resolves bore you away
which made the mountains' towering peaks seem low,
And the mountains seemed to you shortened from their peaks
وَرَأَينَand they saw بَطنَthe valley of العَيرِal-'Ayr ظَهرَthe uplands of عُراعِرٍ'Ura'ir
وَرَأَينَ بَطنَ العَيرِ ظَهرَ عُراعِرٍ
وَالرومَand the Byzantines وَحشاًas wild beasts وَالجِبالَand the mountains رِمالاas sand
وَالرومَ وَحشاً وَالجِبالَ رِمالا
and saw the valley of al-'Ayr as the uplands of 'Ura'ir,
You saw the saddle-backs in the valley of `Ara`ir
and the Byzantines as wild beasts, and the mountains as sand.
And the Byzantines as wild beasts and the mountains as sand dunes
أَخذوكَthey seized you فيin كَبِدِthe heart of المَضايِقِthe narrow passes غيلَةًby treachery
أَخذوكَ في كَبِدِ المَضايِقِ غيلَةً
مِثلَlike النِساءِwomen تُرَبِّبُrear الرِئبالاthe lion
مِثلَ النِساءِ تُرَبِّبُ الرِئبالا
They seized you by treachery in the heart of the narrow passes,
They took you by surprise in the defiles
as women rear a lion.
Like frightened women screaming from every side
أَلّاwhy not? دَعَوتَyou called أَخاكَyour brother وَهوَwhile he was مُصاقِبٌnearby
أَلّا دَعَوتَ أَخاكَ وَهوَ مُصاقِبٌ
يَكفيhe handles العَظيمَthe grave matter وَيَدفَعُand repels الأَهوالاthe terrors
يَكفي العَظيمَ وَيَدفَعُ الأَهوالا
Why did you not call your brother, close at hand,
Why did you not call on your brother, while he wields the sword
who handles grave dangers and wards off terrors?
Able to ward off the direst calamity and repel mortal dangers
أَلّاwhy not? دَعَوتَyou called أَباAbu (father of) فِراسٍFiras إِنَّهُindeed he
أَلّا دَعَوتَ أَبا فِراسٍ إِنَّهُ
مِمَّنamong those who إِذاwhen طَلَبَseeks المُمَنَّعَthe unassailable نالاattains it
مِمَّن إِذا طَلَبَ المُمَنَّعَ نالا
Why did you not call Abu Firas? He is
Why did you not call on Abu Firas, for he
one who attains the unassailable whenever he seeks it.
Is one who, when the prize is hard to reach, attains it
وَرَدَتarrived بُعَيدَshortly after الفَوتِthe missed chance أَرضَكَyour land خَيلَهُhis cavalry
وَرَدَت بُعَيدَ الفَوتِ أَرضَكَ خَيلَهُ
سَرعىswift كَأَمثالِlike the likes of القَطاsandgrouse أَرسالاin flocks
سَرعى كَأَمثالِ القَطا أَرسالا
His cavalry reached your land just after the chance was lost,
His horses answered your need though too late
swift as sandgrouse, flock after flock.
Galloping like fleet gazelles unleashed
زَلَلٌa misstep مِنَby الأَيّامِthe days فيكَconcerning you يُقيلُهُhe redresses it
زَلَلٌ مِنَ الأَيّامِ فيكَ يُقيلُهُ
مَلِكٌa king إِذاwhen عَثَرَstumbles الزَمانُTime أَقالاhe sets it right
مَلِكٌ إِذا عَثَرَ الزَمانُ أَقالا
A misstep of the days at your expense, redressed by
A king, when times trip and fall, gives you rest
a king who sets Time right whenever it stumbles.
From the worries of the days, lightening their weight
مازالَhas always been سَيفُSayf (sword of) الدَولَةِal-Dawla (the state) القَرمَthe noble chief الَّذيwho
مازالَ سَيفُ الدَولَةِ القَرمَ الَّذي
يَلقىhe faces العَظيمَthe great trial وَيَحمِلُand bears الأَثقالاthe heavy burdens
يَلقى العَظيمَ وَيَحمِلُ الأَثقالا
Sayf al-Dawla has always been the noble chief who
The sword of the Dawla continues to be the ruinous blade
faces great trials and bears heavy burdens,
That meets the mighty and sustains heavy burdens
بِالخَيلِwith horses ضُمراًlean وَالسُيوفِand swords قَواضِباًkeen-cutting
بِالخَيلِ ضُمراً وَالسُيوفِ قَواضِباً
وَالسُمرِand brown lances لُدناًsupple وَالرِجالِand men عِجالاswift
وَالسُمرِ لُدناً وَالرِجالِ عِجالا
with lean horses and keen-cutting swords,
With seasoned horses, and swords that strike fire
and supple brown lances, and men swift to act.
With thrusting spears, and men quick to charge
وَمُعَوَّدٍand one accustomed to فَكَّfreeing العُناةِthe captives مُعاوِدٌone repeatedly returning to
وَمُعَوَّدٍ فَكَّ العُناةِ مُعاوِدٌ
قَتَلَslaying العُداةِthe foes إِذاwhen اِستَغارَhe raids أَطالاhe prolongs it
قَتَلَ العُداةِ إِذا اِستَغارَ أَطالا
And, accustomed to freeing captives, he returns again and again to
A warrior who breaks the stubborn when they come back
slaying foes; when he raids, he prolongs the raid.
And kills the enemies if they dare persist
صِفناwe summered بِخَرشَنَةٍat Kharshana وَقَطَّعناand we passed الشَتاthe winter
صِفنا بِخَرشَنَةٍ وَقَطَّعنا الشَتا
وَبنوand the sons of البَواديthe deserts فيin قُمَيرَQumayr حِلالاencamped
وَبنو البَوادي في قُمَيرَ حِلالا
We summered at Kharshana and passed the winter,
We formed ranks at Kharsanah and cut through the cavalry
while the desert tribes lay encamped in Qumayr.
While the tribesmen took spoil around Qumayra
وَسَمَتand rose بِهِمwith them هِمَمٌambitions إِلَيكَtoward you مُنيفَةٌlofty
وَسَمَت بِهِم هِمَمٌ إِلَيكَ مُنيفَةٌ
لَكِنَّهُbut he حَجَرَbarred الخَليجُthe gulf وَحالاand stood in the way
لَكِنَّهُ حَجَرَ الخَليجُ وَحالا
Lofty ambitions lifted them toward you,
High hopes led them to you, but the gulf intervened
but the gulf barred his way and stood between.
And prevented their crossing.
وَغَداًand tomorrow تَزورُكَwill visit you بِالفِكاكِwith release خُيولُهُhis horses
وَغَداً تَزورُكَ بِالفِكاكِ خُيولُهُ
مُتَثاقِلاتٌmoving heavily تَنقُلُthey carry الأَبطالاthe heroes
مُتَثاقِلاتٌ تَنقُلُ الأَبطالا
And tomorrow his horses will visit you, bringing release,
Tomorrow his horses will come to free you
moving heavily, bearing heroes.
Bearing heroes and heavily caparisoned.
إِنَّindeed اِبنَthe son of عَمِّكَyour paternal uncle لَيسَis not عَمُّthe paternal uncle of الأَخطَلِal-Akhtal اِجstart of 'swept away'
إِنَّ اِبنَ عَمِّكَ لَيسَ عَمُّ الأَخطَلِ اِج
تاحَend of 'swept away' المُلوكَthe kings وَفَكَّكَand shattered الأَغلالاthe shackles
تاحَ المُلوكَ وَفَكَّكَ الأَغلالا
Indeed, your cousin is not al-Akhtal's uncle; he swept
Your cousin is not the protector of poets helpless
away kings and shattered the shackles.
Before kings, releasing them from their chains
Sol 6.1