لِمنwhose دِمنَةٌruined campsite بِالنَعفِat al-Naʿf عافٍeffaced صَعيدُهاits ground
لِمن دِمنَةٌ بِالنَعفِ عافٍ صَعيدُها
تَغيَّرَhas changed باقيهاits remnants وَمحَّand has faded جَديدُهاits freshness
تَغيَّرَ باقيها وَمحَّ جَديدُها
Whose is the ruined campsite at al-Naʿf, its ground effaced?
To whom does the shoulder of her litter belong, though her mound is perfect and the rest of her has changed, and her newness has been erased?
Its remnants have changed, and its freshness has faded.
To Saadah, in the year of defeat, when we were left defenseless, and when its opposition did not deter us,
لِسَعدَةِSaʿda's مِنfrom عامِthe year of الهَزيمَةِthe defeat إِذwhen بِناbetween us
لِسَعدَةِ مِن عامِ الهَزيمَةِ إِذ بِنا
تَصافٍmutual affection وَإِذand when لَمّاnot yet يَرُعناalarm us صدودُهاher turning away
تَصافٍ وَإِذ لَمّا يَرُعنا صدودُها
Saʿda's, from the year of defeat, when between us
And when she was reckless with herself out of frivolity, yet prudish regarding her youth,
was mutual affection, and her turning away had not yet alarmed us.
She hunts the minds of men with her gowns, yet her nature is too wild to be hunted.
وَإِذand when هيshe أَمّاas for نَفسُهاher own self فَأَرِيبَةٌthen skilled
وَإِذ هي أَمّا نَفسُها فَأَرِيبَةٌ
لِلهوٍat dalliance وَأَمّاbut as for عَنaway from صِباyouthful passion فَتذودُهاshe then restrains herself
لِلهوٍ وَأَمّا عَن صِبا فَتذودُها
And when she herself was skilled
Like the striking lightning when it flashes among the rain clouds and its brightness whitens its cheek,
at dalliance, yet held herself back from youthful passion.
Like a young camel that pretends to be asleep in the desert sands or hay that has not been raked.
تَصَيَّدُshe snares أَلبابَthe minds الرِجالِof men بدلّهاwith her coquetry
تَصَيَّدُ أَلبابَ الرِجالِ بدلّها
وَشيمَتُهاand her nature وَحشِيَّةٌuntamed لاnot نَصيدُهاwe capture her
وَشيمَتُها وَحشِيَّةٌ لا نَصيدُها
She snares men's minds with her coquetry,
By the life of Al-Nada, Amr son of Al Makdam's family, and Amr the gallant youth of Uthman, a leader among them,
yet her nature is untamed; we cannot snare her.
A young man between Masrouj and Al Makdam's family, very wise in difficult matters, steadfast among them,
كَباسِقَةِlike a towering cloud الوَسمِيّof autumn rain ساعَةَwhen أَسبَلَتit shed its rain
كَباسِقَةِ الوَسمِيّ ساعَةَ أَسبَلَت
تَلَألَأَglittered فيهاwithin it البَرقُthe lightning وَاِبيضَّand gleamed white جيدُهاits neck
تَلَألَأَ فيها البَرقُ وَاِبيضَّ جيدُها
Like a towering autumn raincloud as it shed its rain,
Forbearing when ignorance goes beyond decent behavior in his command, protecting proper conduct among them,
lightning glittered within it and its neck gleamed white.
He continues in the actions of those who preceded him, from his fathers, harvesting glory and benefitting them,
كَبِكرٍlike a young wild cow تُرائيwatching فَرقَدَينtwo calves بِقَفرةٍin a wilderness
كَبِكرٍ تُرائي فَرقَدَين بِقَفرةٍ
مِنof الرَملِsand أَوor فَيحانَFayḥān لَمnot يَعسُhad hardened عودُهاher frame
مِن الرَملِ أَو فَيحانَ لَم يَعسُ عودُها
Like a young wild cow watching two calves in a wilderness
So I have mingled with many a boon companion and night visitor, composing poetry in their midst,
of sand, or at Fayḥān, her frame not yet hardened.
And relieved the anguish of many a distressed one, who remained in the clutches of grief and its snare.
لعمروindeed, ʿAmr النَدىgenerosity عمروʿAmr بنson of آلthe house of مكدّمMukaddam
لعمرو النَدى عمرو بن آل مكدّم
وَعمرٌوand ʿAmr فَتىthe champion of عُثمانَʿUthmān طُرّاًall together وَسيدُهاand its lord
وَعمرٌو فَتى عُثمانَ طُرّاً وَسيدُها
Indeed, generous ʿAmr—ʿAmr, scion of the house of Mukaddam,
and ʿAmr is the champion and lord of all ʿUthmān—
فَتىًa youth بَينَbetween مَسروجٍMasrūj وَآلِand the house of مُكدَّمٍMukaddam
فَتىً بَينَ مَسروجٍ وَآلِ مُكدَّمٍ
كَثيرُrich in عَليّاتِthe loftiest الأَمورِdeeds جَليدُهاstalwart in them
كَثيرُ عَليّاتِ الأَمورِ جَليدُها
is a youth of both Masrūj and the house of Mukaddam,
rich in lofty deeds, stalwart in their pursuit.
حَليمٌforbearing إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis الجَهلُfolly أَفرطَoverwhelms ذاa possessor of النُهىreason
حَليمٌ إِذا ما الجَهلُ أَفرطَ ذا النُهى
عَلىover أَمرِهِhis affairs حاميkeen in الحصاةِunderstanding سَديدُهاsound in it
عَلى أَمرِهِ حامي الحصاةِ سَديدُها
Forbearing when folly overwhelms a man of reason,
in command of his affairs, keen of mind, sound in judgment.
وَماand not زالَhas ceased يَنحوhe follows فِعلَthe deeds مَنof those who كانَwere قَبلَهُbefore him
وَما زالَ يَنحو فِعلَ مَن كانَ قَبلَهُ
مِنamong آبائِهِhis forefathers يَجنيhe reaps العُلاhigh honor وَيُفيدُهاand gains it
مِن آبائِهِ يَجني العُلا وَيُفيدُها
And he has always followed the deeds of those before him
among his forefathers, reaping high honor and making it his own.
فَكَمso many مِنa خَليلٍfriend قَدindeed وَصَلتُI treated kindly وَطارِقٍand a night visitor
فَكَم مِن خَليلٍ قَد وَصَلتُ وَطارِقٍ
وَقَرَّبتُand I served مِنfrom أَدماءa white she-camel وارٍrich قَصيدهاher marrow
وَقَرَّبتُ مِن أَدماء وارٍ قَصيدها
So many a friend and night visitor have I treated kindly,
and served meat from a white she-camel, rich in marrow.
وَذيand a man in كُربَةٍdistress فَرَّجتُI relieved كُربَةَthe anguish of همِّهhis sorrow
وَذي كُربَةٍ فَرَّجتُ كُربَةَ همِّه
وَقدwhile already ظَلَّhad remained مُستَدّاًbarred عَلَيهِagainst him وَصيدُهاits doorway
وَقد ظَلَّ مُستَدّاً عَلَيهِ وَصيدُها
And many a distressed man's burden of grief have I eased,
while its doorway had remained barred against him.
Partial English translation: 12 of 24 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1