لَعَمريby my life لَئِنindeed if أَمسىspent the evening الوَليدُal-Walid بِبَلدَةٍin a land
لَعَمري لَئِن أَمسى الوَليدُ بِبَلدَةٍ
سِوايَapart from me لَقَدindeed أَمسَيتُI have become لِلدَهرِagainst time مُعوِراdefenseless
سِوايَ لَقَد أَمسَيتُ لِلدَهرِ مُعوِرا
By my life, if al-Walid spends the evening in a land
By my life! If al-Walid spends the night in a town
apart from me, I have indeed become defenseless against time,
Other than mine, I surely spend my night miserable
خَلاexcept أَنthat رزقَprovision اللَهGod غادٍcoming in the morning وَرائِحand coming in the evening
خَلا أَن رزقَ اللَه غادٍ وَرائِح
وَإِنّيand I لَهُfor it راجٍhopeful وَإِنand even if سِرتُI traveled أَشهراfor months
وَإِنّي لَهُ راجٍ وَإِن سِرتُ أَشهرا
save that God's provision comes morning and evening,
Except that the sustenance of God comes and goes
and I hope for it, even if I journey for months.
And I long for him even if I travel for months
وَكانَand was هُوَhe الحِصنthe fortress الَّذيthat لَيسَis not مُسلِميone who surrenders me
وَكانَ هُوَ الحِصن الَّذي لَيسَ مُسلِمي
إِذاwhen أَناI بِالنَكراءِwith a dreadful deed هَيَّجتُI provoked مَعشَراa band
إِذا أَنا بِالنَكراءِ هَيَّجتُ مَعشَرا
He was the fortress that would not surrender me
He was the fortress to which I resorted
when I provoked a band with some dreadful deed.
When I stirred up the groups with the vagabonds
إِذاwhen صادَفواthey encountered دونيbefore reaching me الوَليدَal-Walid كَأَنَّماas though
إِذا صادَفوا دوني الوَليدَ كَأَنَّما
يَرَونَthey see بِواديin the valley of ذيDhu حَماسٍHamas مُزَعفَراa saffron-colored lion
يَرَونَ بِوادي ذي حَماسٍ مُزَعفَرا
When they encountered al-Walid between themselves and me, it was as though
Whenever they encountered al-Walid it was as though
they saw a saffron-colored lion in the valley of Dhu Hamas.
They saw a valley of the tribe Hammas well-armed
تناذرهُthey warned one another of him السفّارُthe travelers فَاِجتَنَبواso they avoided لَهُbecause of him
تناذرهُ السفّارُ فَاِجتَنَبوا لَهُ
مَنازِلَهُhis haunts عَنaway from ذيDhu حَماسٍHamas وَعَرعَراand Ar'ar
مَنازِلَهُ عَن ذي حَماسٍ وَعَرعَرا
Travelers warned one another of him, and on his account shunned
The messengers warned each other about him
his haunts, keeping clear of Dhu Hamas and Ar'ar.
To avoid his dwellings from Hammas and `Ar`ar
خَضيبُblood-stained بَنانٍdigits ماnot يَزالُceases بِراكِبٍupon a rider
خَضيبُ بَنانٍ ما يَزالُ بِراكِبٍ
يَخُبُّtrots وَضاحيand the exposed part of جِلدِهِhis skin قَدalready تَقَشَّراhas peeled away
يَخُبُّ وَضاحي جِلدِهِ قَد تَقَشَّرا
His claws blood-stained, he is forever upon a rider
Khadhib with erect spears does not cease to attack
trotting along, with his exposed skin already stripped away.
Until the leather armor on his chest is cracked
تَمَهَّلَgrew slowly رَبعِيّاًas an early-born cub وَزايَلَand parted from شَيخَهُhis aged sire
تَمَهَّلَ رَبعِيّاً وَزايَلَ شَيخَهُ
بِمَأرِبَةٍfor a purpose لَمّاwhen اِعتَلىhe grew tall وَتَمَهَّراand became skillful
بِمَأرِبَةٍ لَمّا اِعتَلى وَتَمَهَّرا
He grew slowly, an early-born cub, and left his aged sire
He walked his mare leisurely and left his elderly sheikh
for a purpose, once he had grown tall and skillful.
In Ma'rib when he mounted and walked proudly
وَعايَشَهُand lived with him حَتّىuntil رَأىhe saw مِنin قَوامِهِhis build
وَعايَشَهُ حَتّى رَأى مِن قَوامِهِ
قَواماًa stature وَخَلقاًand a physique خارِجِيّاًexceptional مُضَبَّراthickset
قَواماً وَخَلقاً خارِجِيّاً مُضَبَّرا
His sire had lived with him until he saw in his build
He lived with him until he saw in his physique
a fine stature and an exceptional, thickset frame.
A well-built and beautifully created youth
تَرَيبَلَbecame fully lionlike لاnot مُستَوحِشاًafraid لِصَحابَةٍof company
تَرَيبَلَ لا مُستَوحِشاً لِصَحابَةٍ
وَلاand not طائِشاًerratic أَخَذاin seizing وَإِنand even if كانَhe was أَعسَراleft-pawed
وَلا طائِشاً أَخَذا وَإِن كانَ أَعسَرا
He grew fully lionlike, unafraid of company,
He marched not feeling lonely without companions
nor erratic in seizing, though he was left-pawed.
Nor confused whether to advance or retreat
خُبَعثِنَةٌa massive lion فيin ساعِدَيهِhis forearms تَزايُلٌdisjointedness
خُبَعثِنَةٌ في ساعِدَيهِ تَزايُلٌ
تَقولُyou would say وَعىhe had mended مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat قَدalready تَكَسَّراhe had broken apart
تَقولُ وَعى مِن بَعدِ ما قَد تَكَسَّرا
A massive lion, his forearms seeming disjointed:
There are traces of youthfulness in his arms, he walks proudly
you would say he had mended after being broken apart.
As if saying: he regained consciousness after he collapsed
شِبالاًlion cubs وَأَشباهَand things resembling الزِجاجِglass مُغاوِلاًdaggers
شِبالاً وَأَشباهَ الزِجاجِ مُغاوِلاً
مَطَلنَstretched long وَلَمand did not يَلقَينَthey find فيin الرَأسِthe head مَثغَراa gap from a lost tooth
مَطَلنَ وَلَم يَلقَينَ في الرَأسِ مَثغَرا
Lion-cubs [sense unclear here], and daggers like glass,
To the left and right, back and forth, wielding
stretched long, with no tooth-gap found in the head.
His sword without finding in the head a cleft
إِذاwhen عَلِقَتfastened onto قِرناًan adversary خَطاطيفُthe hooks of كَفِّهِhis paw
إِذا عَلِقَت قِرناً خَطاطيفُ كَفِّهِ
رَأىhe saw المَوتَdeath رُأيَwith the sight of العَينِthe eye أَسوَدَblack أَحمَراred
رَأى المَوتَ رُأيَ العَينِ أَسوَدَ أَحمَرا
When the hooks of his paw fastened onto an adversary,
When the plaits of his sword cling to his palm
that foe saw death with his very eyes, black and red.
He sees death with his eyes, black and red
وَساراهُمand accompanied them by night حَتّىuntil اِستَراهُمhe selected them ثَلاثَةًthree
وَساراهُم حَتّى اِستَراهُم ثَلاثَةً
نَهيكاًNahik وَنَزّالَand Nazzal المَضيقِal-Madiq, the narrow pass وَجَعفَراand Ja'far
نَهيكاً وَنَزّالَ المَضيقِ وَجَعفَرا
He stalked them by night until he singled out three:
And he led them until he concealed the three
Nahik, Nazzal al-Madiq, and Ja'far.
Nahik, Nazzal, and Ja`far shouting
عَبيطٌfresh blood صُباحِيٌof the morning مِنَfrom الجَوفِthe belly أَشقَراreddish
عَبيطٌ صُباحِيٌ مِنَ الجَوفِ أَشقَرا
إِذاwhen واجَهَhe faced الأَقرانَthe adversaries كانَwas مِجَنَّهُhis shield
إِذا واجَهَ الأَقرانَ كانَ مِجَنَّهُ
Fresh morning blood from the belly, reddish,
`Ubayt, a morning drinker, blond of complexion
when he faced his adversaries, his shield was
When facing rivals, his face is like rainclouds thundering
جَبينٌa brow كَتِطباقِlike the upper stone of الرَحاthe mill اِجتابَhe donned مُمطِراa rain-cloak
جَبينٌ كَتِطباقِ الرَحا اِجتابَ مُمطِرا
a brow like a mill's upper stone; he had donned a rain-cloak.
A forehead like the expanse of clouds, responding with pouring rain
Sol 6.1