سَيَعْلَمُwill know جِيرانُthe neighbors of الَّذِينَthose who تَحَمَّلُواdeparted
سَيَعْلَمُ جِيرانُ الَّذِينَ تَحَمَّلُوا
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle فَلَلْناwe routed الْبُرَّخَيْنِal-Burrakhayn وَقَيْصَراand Caesar
إِذا ما فَلَلْنا الْبُرَّخَيْنِ وَقَيْصَرا
The neighbors of those who departed will know,
when we rout al-Burrakhayn and Caesar,
وَآبَand returned أَبوُAbu (father of) شَرْوانَSharwan أَقْبَحَmost shameful أَوْبَةًa return
وَآبَ أَبوُ شَرْوانَ أَقْبَحَ أَوْبَةً
يَعَضُّhe bites عَلَىon الْإِبْهامِthe thumb أَبْكَمَmute أَعْوَراone-eyed
يَعَضُّ عَلَى الْإِبْهامِ أَبْكَمَ أَعْوَرا
and Abu Sharwan returns with the most shameful homecoming,
biting his thumb, mute and one-eyed,
وَلَمْand did not يَسْتَقِمْstand firm لِلْعُجْمِfor the non-Arabs عِزٌّmight وَأَحْجَمَتْand they drew back
وَلَمْ يَسْتَقِمْ لِلْعُجْمِ عِزٌّ وَأَحْجَمَتْ
وَوَلَّىand turned away رَعِيلٌa troop عِنْدَat ذاكَthat time وَقَهْقَراand retreated
وَوَلَّى رَعِيلٌ عِنْدَ ذاكَ وَقَهْقَرا
and no might endures for the non-Arabs, and they draw back,
and a troop turns away then and retreats,
بِأَنِّيthat I الَّذِيthe one who أَحْمِيI protect الْقَطِينَthe household وَأَحْتَمِيand I defend myself
بِأَنِّي الَّذِي أَحْمِي الْقَطِينَ وَأَحْتَمِي
وَأَضْرِبُand I strike بِالْهِنْدِيِّwith the Indian sword ضَرْباًa striking مُذَكَّراmighty
وَأَضْرِبُ بِالْهِنْدِيِّ ضَرْباً مُذَكَّرا
that it is I who guard the household and defend myself,
and strike mighty blows with the Indian sword.
يَظُنُّsuspect بِناof us جِيرانُناour neighbors شَرَّthe worst ظِنَّةٍsuspicion
يَظُنُّ بِنا جِيرانُنا شَرَّ ظِنَّةٍ
وَقالُواand they said مَقالاًa statement فِيamong الْبَرِيَّةِhumankind مُنْكَراreprehensible
وَقالُوا مَقالاً فِي الْبَرِيَّةِ مُنْكَرا
Our neighbors suspect the worst of us,
and have uttered a vile saying among humankind.
وَلاand no بُدَّescape مِنْfrom لُقْياmeeting الْأَعاجِمِthe non-Arabs مَرَّةًonce
وَلا بُدَّ مِنْ لُقْيا الْأَعاجِمِ مَرَّةً
وَفَرُّواand they fled فِراراًin flight عَنْfrom بِلادِيmy land مُشَمَّراhurried
وَفَرُّوا فِراراً عَنْ بِلادِي مُشَمَّرا
And we must encounter the non-Arabs once,
and they fled my land in hurried flight.
أَلاbehold رُبَّmany an صِهْرٍin-law مَعْwith صَدِيقٍa friend وَصاحِبٍand a companion
أَلا رُبَّ صِهْرٍ مَعْ صَدِيقٍ وَصاحِبٍ
إِذاwhen قَلِقاthey both grew anxious إِذْas رَأْيُهُhis judgment مُتَحَيِّراconfused
إِذا قَلِقا إِذْ رَأْيُهُ مُتَحَيِّرا
Ah, many an in-law, with a friend and companion,
when both grew anxious, as his judgment was confused,
وَوَدَّعَand he bade farewell أَصْهاراًin-laws وَزَوْجاًand a wife كَرِيمَةًnoble
وَوَدَّعَ أَصْهاراً وَزَوْجاً كَرِيمَةً
وَعَيْشاًand a life رَخِيّاًcomfortable عَنْهُaway from it صارَhe became مُطَيَّراdriven away
وَعَيْشاً رَخِيّاً عَنْهُ صارَ مُطَيَّرا
bade farewell to in-laws and a noble wife,
and a life of ease, from which he was sent flying.
وَلَوْand had شاوَرُوناthey consulted us ماnot أَشَرْناwe advised عَلَيْهِمُto them
وَلَوْ شاوَرُونا ما أَشَرْنا عَلَيْهِمُ
نَعَمْyes وَحَمَيْناهُمْand we protected them عِشاًin the evening وَمُبَكِّراand early in the morning
نَعَمْ وَحَمَيْناهُمْ عِشاً وَمُبَكِّرا
And had they consulted us, we would not have advised them so;
yes, and we would have guarded them, evening and early morning.
وَماand what خَطَرُworth الْفُرْسِيِّthe Persian كِسْرَىKisra وَجُنْدِهِand his army
وَما خَطَرُ الْفُرْسِيِّ كِسْرَى وَجُنْدِهِ
إِذاwhen ظَلَّremained يَوْمٌa day كاسِفُdimming الشَّمْسِthe sun مُقْتِراdust-laden
إِذا ظَلَّ يَوْمٌ كاسِفُ الشَّمْسِ مُقْتِرا
And what are the Persian Kisra and his army worth,
when the day remains dust-laden, dimming the sun,
وَعَضَّتْand bit بَنُوthe sons of بَكْرٍBakr شِفاهاlips وَكَلَّحَتْand bared their teeth
وَعَضَّتْ بَنُو بَكْرٍ شِفاها وَكَلَّحَتْ
بَنُوthe sons of تَغْلِبٍTaghlib بَعْدَafter الطِّعانِthe spear-fighting تَغَشْمُراin reckless fury
بَنُو تَغْلِبٍ بَعْدَ الطِّعانِ تَغَشْمُرا
and the sons of Bakr bite their lips, and teeth are bared
by the sons of Taghlib after spear-fighting, in reckless fury,
وَدارَتْand turned رَحاناour millstone قَبْلَbefore دَوْرِthe turning of رَحاهُمُtheir millstone
وَدارَتْ رَحانا قَبْلَ دَوْرِ رَحاهُمُ
فَدَقَّتْهُمُso it crushed them دَقَّthe crushing of الرِّياحِthe winds هَباfine dust of الثَّرَىthe earth
فَدَقَّتْهُمُ دَقَّ الرِّياحِ هَبا الثَّرَى
and our millstone turns before their millstone turns,
so it grinds them down as winds grind the earth's fine dust?
فَصَبْراًso be patient إِلىuntil ماthe time when تَدْنُdraw near مِنَّاto us جُنُودُهُhis troops
فَصَبْراً إِلى ما تَدْنُ مِنَّا جُنُودُهُ
وَتَلْبَسُand don بِيضاًhelmets لِلْوَغَىfor battle وَسِنَوَّراand armor
وَتَلْبَسُ بِيضاً لِلْوَغَى وَسِنَوَّرا
So be patient until his troops draw near us,
and don helmets and armor for battle,
وَيُقْحَمَand is driven فِيهاinto it كُلُّevery أَدْهَمَblack horse سابِقٍswift
وَيُقْحَمَ فِيها كُلُّ أَدْهَمَ سابِقٍ
وَكُلُّand every كُمَيْتٍbay horse صادِقِtrue in الْعَدْوِthe gallop أَجْمَراstoutly built
وَكُلُّ كُمَيْتٍ صادِقِ الْعَدْوِ أَجْمَرا
and every swift black steed is driven into it,
and every stoutly built bay steed, unfailing in its gallop.
Sol 6.1