لِمنbelonging to whom دِمنَةٌcamp traces بِالنَعفِat al-Na‘f عافٍeffaced صَعيدُهاtheir ground
لِمن دِمنَةٌ بِالنَعفِ عافٍ صَعيدُها
تَغيَّرَhas changed باقيهاits remnants وَمحَّand wore away جَديدُهاits freshness
تَغيَّرَ باقيها وَمحَّ جَديدُها
Whose are these camp traces at al-Na‘f, their ground effaced,
Their remnants altered, their freshness worn away?
لِسَعدَةِbelonging to Sa‘dah مِنfrom عامِthe year of الهَزيمَةِthe defeat إِذwhen بِناbetween us
لِسَعدَةِ مِن عامِ الهَزيمَةِ إِذ بِنا
تَصافٍmutual affection وَإِذand when لَمّاnot yet يَرُعناdismay us صدودُهاher aversion
تَصافٍ وَإِذ لَمّا يَرُعنا صدودُها
Sa‘dah’s, from the year of defeat, when we shared
Mutual affection, and her aversion had not yet dismayed us.
وَإِذand when هيshe أَمّاas for نَفسُهاherself فَأَرِيبَةٌthen adept
وَإِذ هي أَمّا نَفسُها فَأَرِيبَةٌ
لِلهوٍat dalliance وَأَمّاand as for عَنaway from صِباyouthful passion فَتذودُهاso she keeps herself away
لِلهوٍ وَأَمّا عَن صِبا فَتذودُها
And when she, for her own part, was adept
At dalliance, yet kept herself from youthful passion.
تَصَيَّدُshe ensnares أَلبابَthe minds الرِجالِof men بدلّهاwith her coquetry
تَصَيَّدُ أَلبابَ الرِجالِ بدلّها
وَشيمَتُهاand her nature وَحشِيَّةٌwild لاnot نَصيدُهاwe snare her
وَشيمَتُها وَحشِيَّةٌ لا نَصيدُها
She ensnares men’s minds with her coquetry,
Yet her nature is wild: we cannot snare her.
كَباسِقَةِlike a towering cloud الوَسمِيّof the autumn rains ساعَةَat the moment أَسبَلَتit let down its rain
كَباسِقَةِ الوَسمِيّ ساعَةَ أَسبَلَت
تَلَألَأَglittered فيهاwithin it البَرقُthe lightning وَاِبيضَّand grew white جيدُهاits neck
تَلَألَأَ فيها البَرقُ وَاِبيضَّ جيدُها
Like a towering autumn raincloud, just as it poured,
Lightning glittered within it, and its neck grew white.
كَبِكرٍlike a young wild cow تُرائيkeeps in view فَرقَدَينtwo calves بِقَفرةٍin a wilderness
كَبِكرٍ تُرائي فَرقَدَين بِقَفرةٍ
مِنof الرَملِsand أَوor فَيحانَFayḥān لَمnot يَعسُgrow stiff عودُهاher frame
مِن الرَملِ أَو فَيحانَ لَم يَعسُ عودُها
Like a young wild cow watching two calves in a wilderness
Of sand, or at Fayḥān, her frame not yet grown stiff.
لعمروindeed, ‘Amr النَدىof bounty عمرو‘Amr بنson of آلthe house of مكدّمMukaddam
لعمرو النَدى عمرو بن آل مكدّم
وَعمرٌوand ‘Amr فَتىthe champion of عُثمانَ‘Uthmān طُرّاًin its entirety وَسيدُهاand its lord
وَعمرٌو فَتى عُثمانَ طُرّاً وَسيدُها
Indeed, ‘Amr of bounty—‘Amr, scion of the house of Mukaddam—
And ‘Amr is the champion of all the clan of ‘Uthmān, and its lord.
فَتىًa young man بَينَbetween مَسروجٍMasrūj وَآلِand the house of مُكدَّمٍMukaddam
فَتىً بَينَ مَسروجٍ وَآلِ مُكدَّمٍ
كَثيرُrich in عَليّاتِthe loftiest of الأَمورِundertakings جَليدُهاresolute in them
كَثيرُ عَليّاتِ الأَمورِ جَليدُها
A young man between Masrūj and the house of Mukaddam,
Rich in lofty undertakings, resolute in them.
حَليمٌforbearing إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الجَهلُfolly أَفرطَoverwhelms ذاone endowed with النُهىreason
حَليمٌ إِذا ما الجَهلُ أَفرطَ ذا النُهى
عَلىin أَمرِهِhis affairs حاميkeen الحصاةِof mind سَديدُهاsound in it
عَلى أَمرِهِ حامي الحصاةِ سَديدُها
Forbearing when folly overwhelms a man of reason
In his affairs; keen of mind, sound in judgment.
وَماand not زالَceased يَنحوhe follows فِعلَthe deeds of مَنthose who كانَwere قَبلَهُbefore him
وَما زالَ يَنحو فِعلَ مَن كانَ قَبلَهُ
مِنamong آبائِهِhis forefathers يَجنيhe reaps العُلاhigh honor وَيُفيدُهاand acquires it
مِن آبائِهِ يَجني العُلا وَيُفيدُها
And he has always followed the deeds of those before him
Among his forefathers, reaping high honor and acquiring it.
فَكَمso how many مِنof خَليلٍa dear friend قَدindeed وَصَلتُI have favored وَطارِقٍand a visitor by night
فَكَم مِن خَليلٍ قَد وَصَلتُ وَطارِقٍ
وَقَرَّبتُand I served مِنfrom أَدماءa white she-camel وارٍrich قَصيدهاher marrow
وَقَرَّبتُ مِن أَدماء وارٍ قَصيدها
How many a dear friend have I favored, and a visitor by night,
And served meat from a white she-camel whose marrow was rich.
وَذيand one afflicted with كُربَةٍdistress فَرَّجتُI relieved كُربَةَthe anguish of همِّهhis worry
وَذي كُربَةٍ فَرَّجتُ كُربَةَ همِّه
وَقدand already ظَلَّhad remained مُستَدّاًbarred shut عَلَيهِupon him وَصيدُهاits doorway
وَقد ظَلَّ مُستَدّاً عَلَيهِ وَصيدُها
And a distressed man whose burden of worry I relieved,
While its doorway had remained barred upon him.
Sol 6.1