ياO دَهرُTime قَدكَenough of you! وَقَلَّماand seldom يُغنيavails قَديmy cry of 'enough!'
يا دَهرُ قَدكَ وَقَلَّما يُغني قَدي
وَأَراكَand I find you عِشرَa ten-day interval الظِمءِof thirst مُرَّbitter المَورِدِthe watering-place
وَأَراكَ عِشرَ الظِمءِ مُرَّ المَورِدِ
O Time, enough! Yet my cry of 'enough' seldom avails.
O time past, your flowing is of little use,
And I find you a ten-day thirst, bitter at the watering-place.
And I see you are bitter like saline water.
وَلَقَدand indeed أُحيطَsurrounded بِناaround us وَلَمand not نَكُwe were صورَةًa form
وَلَقَد أُحيطَ بِنا وَلَم نَكُ صورَةً
بِكَwithin you وَاِستُعِدَّand preparations were made لَناagainst us وَلَمّاand not yet نولَدِwe were born
بِكَ وَاِستُعِدَّ لَنا وَلَمّا نولَدِ
And indeed, we were beset before we were even a form
We are surrounded, though we had no picture,
Within you; preparations were made against us before we were born.
Of you, and you had prepared for us before we were born.
ياO دَهرُTime أَيَّةُwhat زَهرَةٍflower لِلمَجدِof glory لَمnot
يا دَهرُ أَيَّةُ زَهرَةٍ لِلمَجدِ لَم
تُجفِفyou dried up وَأَيَّةُand what أَيكَةٍgrove لَمnot تَخضُدِyou cut down
تُجفِف وَأَيَّةُ أَيكَةٍ لَم تَخضُدِ
O Time, what flower of glory have you not
O time, which flower of glory doesn’t fade?
Dried up, and what grove have you not cut down?
Which kingdom doesn’t decline?
أَترَعتَyou filled to the brim لِلعَنقاءِfor the phoenix فيamid أَشعافِهاher mountain peaks
أَترَعتَ لِلعَنقاءِ في أَشعافِها
كَأساًa cup تَدَفَّقُoverflowing بِالذُعافِwith deadly poison الأَسوَدِblack
كَأساً تَدَفَّقُ بِالذُعافِ الأَسوَدِ
For the phoenix amid her peaks, you filled to the brim
Did you let the she-camel drink in her meadows
A cup overflowing with black, deadly poison.
A cup overflowing with black bile?
قَدindeed كانَwas قَرمٌQarm كَاِسمِهِtrue to his name قَرماًa chieftain وَماand not
قَد كانَ قَرمٌ كَاِسمِهِ قَرماً وَما
وَلَدَتbore نِساءُthe women of بَنيthe sons of أَبيهِhis father كَأَحمَدِlike Ahmad
وَلَدَت نِساءُ بَني أَبيهِ كَأَحمَدِ
Qarm was indeed a chieftain, true to his name; and never
Qaram was rough like his name,
Did the women of his father's clan bear anyone like Ahmad.
And Ahmad’s father didn’t beget women like him.
نَجماtwo stars هُدىًof guidance هَذاكَthat one نَجمُthe star الجَديِal-Jady إِنif
نَجما هُدىً هَذاكَ نَجمُ الجَديِ إِن
حارَloses his way الدَليلُthe guide وَذاكَand that one نَجمُthe star الفَرقَدِal-Farqad
حارَ الدَليلُ وَذاكَ نَجمُ الفَرقَدِ
Two guiding stars: that one is the star al-Jady, if
Two guiding stars - the star of lineage when
The guide loses his way; and that one is the star al-Farqad.
The guide gets lost, and the star of the belt.
هَذاthis one سِنانٌa spearhead زاغِبِيٌّZaghibi فيin الوَغىbattle
هَذا سِنانٌ زاغِبِيٌّ في الوَغى
وَكَأَنَّماand as though هَذاthis one ذُبابُthe tip of مُهَنَّدِan Indian-steel sword
وَكَأَنَّما هَذا ذُبابُ مُهَنَّدِ
This one is a Zaghibi spearhead in battle;
This is a Zaghbibi zebra roaring in battle,
And this one is like the tip of an Indian-steel sword.
As if it is the buzzing of stirred-up flies.
وَجَبينُand the brow of هَذاthis one كَالشِهابِlike a flame جَلاcleared away الدُجىthe darkness
وَجَبينُ هَذا كَالشِهابِ جَلا الدُجى
عَنهُfrom it وَهَذاand this one كَالشِهابِlike a flame الموقَدِkindled
عَنهُ وَهَذا كَالشِهابِ الموقَدِ
And this one's brow is like a flame, with the darkness cleared
This one’s forehead gleams through the darkness like a meteor,
From it; and this one is like a kindled flame.
While that one is like a blazing meteor.
وَلَنِعمَand how excellent دِرعاthe two shields of الحَيِّthe clan فيin يَومَيهِماtheir two days
وَلَنِعمَ دِرعا الحَيِّ في يَومَيهِما
كاناthey both were وَنِعمَand how excellent الذُخرِthe reserve كاناthey both were لِلغَدِfor the morrow
كانا وَنِعمَ الذُخرِ كانا لِلغَدِ
And what fine shields of the clan, in their two days,
Excellent is the shield for the living on their two days -
They were; and what a fine reserve they were for the morrow!
They were excellent provisions for tomorrow!
لَمnot يَشهَداthey both attended نَجوىa private council وَلاnor حَشّاthey both stoked لَظىthe blaze of
لَم يَشهَدا نَجوى وَلا حَشّا لَظى
حَربٍwar تُسَعَّرُis kindled بِالقَناwith spears المتَقَصِّدِsplintered
حَربٍ تُسَعَّرُ بِالقَنا المتَقَصِّدِ
They never attended a private council or stoked the blaze
They witnessed no secret conversation or fierce war
Of war, kindled with splintered spears,
Fueled by straight spears.
إِلّاexcept that رَأَيناwe saw ذاthis one عَلىupon تِلكَthat الرَحاthe millstone
إِلّا رَأَينا ذا عَلى تِلكَ الرَحا
قُطباًan axle وَذاand that one مِصباحَthe lamp of ذاكَthat المَشهَدِassembly
قُطباً وَذا مِصباحَ ذاكَ المَشهَدِ
But we saw this one upon that millstone
But we saw one as the pole on the horizon,
As its axle, and that one as the lamp of that assembly.
And one as the lamp of that scene.
رُزِئَتwere bereaved بَنوthe sons of عَمرِوAmr بنِson of عامِرٍAmir الذُرىthe summits
رُزِئَت بَنو عَمرِو بنِ عامِرٍ الذُرى
بِهِماthrough these two وَصَوَّحَand withered نَبتُthe growth of واديهاtheir valley النَديdewy
بِهِما وَصَوَّحَ نَبتُ واديها النَدي
The sons of Amr ibn Amir were bereft of their summits
Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Amir were scorned
In these two; and the growth of their dewy valley withered.
For them both, and its valley’s vegetation cheered up.
وَكَذاand thus المَناياthe fates of death ماnot يَطَأنَthey tread بِمَيسَمٍwith a branding iron
وَكَذا المَنايا ما يَطَأنَ بِمَيسَمٍ
إِلّاexcept عَلىupon أَعناقِthe necks of أَهلِthose possessing السُؤدَدِeminence
إِلّا عَلى أَعناقِ أَهلِ السُؤدَدِ
And such are the fates of death: they never tread with a branding iron
That’s how death is - it doesn’t settle for a fixed time
Except upon the necks of the eminent.
Except on the necks of ignoble people.
وَلَئِنand even if أُصيبواthey were stricken إِنَّindeed تِلكَthat لَغَيضَةًsurely a thicket
وَلَئِن أُصيبوا إِنَّ تِلكَ لَغَيضَةً
لَمnot تَخلُis empty مِنof لَيثٍa lion هُنالِكَthere مُلبِدِcrouching
لَم تَخلُ مِن لَيثٍ هُنالِكَ مُلبِدِ
And even if they have suffered loss, that is surely a thicket
And if they are struck, that is a wound
Never empty of a lion crouching there.
From which no brave lion there emerges.
مادامَas long as ذاكَthat المَعدِنُthe mine الزاكيfertile الثَرىthe soil
مادامَ ذاكَ المَعدِنُ الزاكي الثَرى
فيin جِزعِناour valley's bend لَمnot نَلتَفِتwe turn لِلعَسجَدِto gold
في جِزعِنا لَم نَلتَفِت لِلعَسجَدِ
As long as that mine, with its fertile soil, remains
As long as that fertile source of honor
In our valley's bend, we give no heed to gold.
Remains in our innermost hearts, we don’t care about ruin.
تِلكَthose المَصائِبُcalamities مُشوِياتٌgrazing blows كُلُّهاall of them
تِلكَ المَصائِبُ مُشوِياتٌ كُلُّها
إِلّاexcept مُصيبَةَthe calamity of حَجوَةَHajwa بنِson of مُحَمَّدِMuhammad
إِلّا مُصيبَةَ حَجوَةَ بنِ مُحَمَّدِ
Those calamities are all mere grazing blows,
Those are minor troubles, all of them,
Except the calamity of Hajwa ibn Muhammad.
Except the loss of Hajwah daughter of Muhammad.
وَلَقَدand indeed أَصابَstruck غَليلُهاits burning anguish مَنthose whom لَمnot يُصِبit struck
وَلَقَد أَصابَ غَليلُها مَن لَم يُصِب
وَلَصُيِّرَتand it was indeed made فَقداًa loss لِمَنfor one who لَمnot يَفقِدِhad lost
وَلَصُيِّرَت فَقداً لِمَن لَم يَفقِدِ
And indeed, its burning anguish has struck even those not stricken;
Her illness indeed afflicted those not afflicted,
And it was indeed made a loss for those who had lost no one.
And her loss was truly felt by those who didn't lose.
طامِنcalm حَشاكَyour heart أَباO father of الحُبابِal-Hubab فَإِنَّهاfor they are
طامِن حَشاكَ أَبا الحُبابِ فَإِنَّها
نُوَبٌcalamities تَروحُcome at evening عَلىupon الأَنامِhumankind وَتَغتَديand come at dawn
نُوَبٌ تَروحُ عَلى الأَنامِ وَتَغتَدي
Calm your heart, Abu al-Hubab, for these are
Console her father Abu Al-Hubab, for these
Calamities that visit mankind at evening and at dawn.
Are sins that circulate among people and become rampant.
فَلَقَدfor indeed أَفاقَrecovered مُتَمِّمٌMutammim عَنfrom مالِكٍMalik
فَلَقَد أَفاقَ مُتَمِّمٌ عَن مالِكٍ
وَسَلاand ceased grieving لَبيدٌLabid قَبلَهُbefore him عَنfor أَربَدِArbad
وَسَلا لَبيدٌ قَبلَهُ عَن أَربَدِ
For Mutammim did recover from grief for Malik,
Mutammim has succeeded Malik,
And Labid before him ceased grieving for Arbad.
And Labid preceded him after Arbad.
فَلَئِنso if صَبَرتَyou endure patiently لَأَنتَyou are surely كَوكَبُthe star of مَعشَرٍa people
فَلَئِن صَبَرتَ لَأَنتَ كَوكَبُ مَعشَرٍ
صَبَرواthey endured وَإِنand if تَجزَعyou are distraught فَغَيرُthen not مُفَنَّدِblameworthy
صَبَروا وَإِن تَجزَع فَغَيرُ مُفَنَّدِ
So if you endure, you are surely the star of a people
So if you are patient, you will be like the celestial body
Who endured; and if you are distraught, you are not to be blamed.
Of a group who were patient. But if you despair, you will waver.
هَذيthis المَعونَةُthe help بِاللِسانِwith the tongue وَلَوand if أَرىI could see
هَذي المَعونَةُ بِاللِسانِ وَلَو أَرى
عَينَthe very self of الحِمامِdeath لَقَدindeed أَعَنتُكَI would have helped you بِاليَدِwith the hand
عَينَ الحِمامِ لَقَد أَعَنتُكَ بِاليَدِ
This is help with the tongue; had I been able to see
This is consolation with the tongue - if only
Death itself, I would have helped you with my hand.
My eye could aid you with action!
Sol 6.1