أَباis it of الهَجرِestrangement وَالصَرمِand severance الأَشاحِمُthe black crows تَصدَحُcry out
أَبا الهَجرِ وَالصَرمِ الأَشاحِمُ تَصدَحُ
وَطيرٌand birds بِأَجوازٍin open reaches حَواذِرُwary نُوَّحُlamenting
وَطيرٌ بِأَجوازٍ حَواذِرُ نُوَّحُ
Is it of estrangement and severance that the black crows cry,
The clatter of hoofs resounds loud,
And wary birds lament in the open reaches?
And birds circle warily overhead,
وَإِذand when هِيَshe كَالبِكرِlike a young camel الهِجانِwhite and purebred إِذاwhen مَشَتshe walked
وَإِذ هِيَ كَالبِكرِ الهِجانِ إِذا مَشَت
أَبىproudly refusing لاnot يُماشيهاkeeps pace with her القِصارthe short ones الدرادِحُthe squat, stout ones
أَبى لا يُماشيها القِصار الدرادِحُ
And she was then like a white, purebred young camel when she walked,
As she walks like a shy young camel,
Proud—the short, squat ones could not keep pace with her.
Too proud to be led by the short-legged driver.
أَوِor الأَثابِthe athab trees الدَوحِlarge and spreading الطِوالِlofty فُروعُهُits branches
أَوِ الأَثابِ الدَوحِ الطِوالِ فُروعُهُ
بِخَيسَقَat Khaysaq هَزَّتهُshook it الصَباthe east wind المُتَناوِحُblowing back and forth
بِخَيسَقَ هَزَّتهُ الصَبا المُتَناوِحُ
Or like a great, spreading athab tree, its branches towering,
Or like the tall, slender date palms,
At Khaysaq, shaken by the east wind blowing back and forth.
Swaying as the gentle breeze plays with them.
لَعمرُكَby your life ماnot زادُprovisions of ابنِthe son of عُروَةʿUrwah بِالَّذيsuch as
لَعمرُكَ ما زادُ ابنِ عُروَة بِالَّذي
لَهُit has دونَbarring access to أَيديthe hands of القَومِthe people قفلٌa lock ومفتَحُand a key
لَهُ دونَ أَيدي القَومِ قفلٌ ومفتَحُ
By your life, Ibn ʿUrwah's provisions are not the kind
By my life! What Ibn 'Urwah possesses
Kept under lock and key beyond the people's reach.
Is but a trifle compared to what his people have.
وَماand not ظِلُّهُhis shade عَنهُمaway from them يَضيقُgrows narrow وَماnor تُرىare seen
وَما ظِلُّهُ عَنهُم يَضيقُ وَما تُرى
رِكابُriding camels of أَبيAbu بَكرBakr تُصانُare spared وَتُمسَحُand are rubbed down
رِكابُ أَبي بَكر تُصانُ وَتُمسَحُ
And his shade is never too narrow for them; nor are
His shadow does not shrink from them,
Abu Bakr's riding camels seen spared and rubbed down.
Nor do the mounts of Abu Bakr need to be protected and wiped down.
وَأَبيَضَand a fair-faced man نهّاضٍever ready to rise بِكلِّfor every حَمالةٍindemnity undertaken for others
وَأَبيَضَ نهّاضٍ بِكلِّ حَمالةٍ
فَلاso no سائِلone asking فيهاfor it وَلاnor مُتَنَحنِحُone clearing his throat
فَلا سائِل فيها وَلا مُتَنَحنِحُ
And a fair-faced man, ever ready to shoulder every indemnity—
A brightener of every litter, with no beggar or whiner near him,
No one need ask for it, nor even clear his throat.
A youth who spared me what had worried me,
فَتىًa young man قَدindeed كَفانيhas relieved me of سيبُهhis bounty ماwhat أَهَمَّنيtroubled me
فَتىً قَد كَفاني سيبُه ما أَهَمَّني
وَليand for me خِلتُI thought فيin أَعقارِهِhis homesteads مُتَنَدَّحُample room
وَلي خِلتُ في أَعقارِهِ مُتَنَدَّحُ
A young man whose bounty has relieved me of what troubled me,
And I was left helpless before his onslaught.
And on his lands, I thought, there was ample room for me.
I entice those behind him with gifts, the last being the foundations of a country home,
أَغَرُّradiant تُناديcall out to مَنwhoever يَليهِis near him جِفانُهhis great bowls
أَغَرُّ تُنادي مَن يَليهِ جِفانُه
هداياgifts وَأُخراهاand the last of them قَواعِدُcrouching رزَّحُweighed down and exhausted
هدايا وَأُخراها قَواعِدُ رزَّحُ
A radiant man—his bowls summon whoever is near him,
The leader of the caravan, who suffices them with his generosity and is self-sufficient.
Gifts, while the last of them crouch, weighed down and spent.
In life he outshines the bright-faced youths—resplendent!
فَتىthe young man of الرَكبِthe caravan يَكفيهِمprovides enough for them بِفَضلٍwith bounty وَيَكتَفيand has enough himself
فَتى الرَكبِ يَكفيهِم بِفَضلٍ وَيَكتَفي
وَفيand among الحَيِّthe tribe فَيّاضُoverflowing السجِيّاتinborn qualities أَفيَحُopen-handed
وَفي الحَيِّ فَيّاضُ السجِيّات أَفيَحُ
The caravan's young man, he provides amply for them and has enough himself;
And among the tribe, lavish by nature and open-handed.
Partial English translation: 16 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1