خَبَّرتناtold us الرُكبانُthe riders أَنthat قَدindeed فَخَرتُمyou boasted
خَبَّرتنا الرُكبانُ أَن قَد فَخَرتُم
وَفَرِحتُمand you rejoiced بِضَربَةِat the blow of المُكّاءِal-Mukka’
وَفَرِحتُم بِضَربَةِ المُكّاءِ
The riders told us that you have boasted
and rejoiced at al-Mukka’s blow.
وَلَعَمريand by my life لَعارُهاsurely its shame كانَwas أَدنىnearer
وَلَعَمري لَعارُها كانَ أَدنى
لَكُمto you مِنthan تُقىًpiety وَحَقِّand the duty of وفاءِloyalty
لَكُم مِن تُقىً وَحَقِّ وفاءِ
And by my life, its shame was nearer
to you than piety and the duty of loyalty.
طَلَّslew with impunity ضَيفاًa guest أَخوكُمُyour brother لِأَخيناof our brother
طَلَّ ضَيفاً أَخوكُمُ لِأَخينا
فيamid صَبوحِmorning wine وَنَعمَةٍand ease وَشَواءِand roasted meat
في صَبوحِ وَنَعمَةٍ وَشَواءِ
Your brother slew our brother’s guest with impunity,
amid morning wine, ease, and roasted meat.
ثُمَّthen لَماwhen رَآهُhe saw him رانَتhad gained sway بِهِover him الخَمرُthe wine
ثُمَّ لَما رَآهُ رانَت بِهِ الخَمرُ
وَأَنand that لاnot يَريبُهُhe would alarm him بِاِتِّقاءِby taking precautions
وَأَن لا يَريبُهُ بِاِتِّقاءِ
Then, when he saw that wine had overcome him
and that he would not alarm him by taking precautions,
لَمdid not يَهَبrevere حُرمَةَthe sanctity of النَديمِthe drinking companion وَحُقَّتand it was binding
لَم يَهَب حُرمَةَ النَديمِ وَحُقَّت
ياO لِقَوميmy people, to the rescue لِلسَوأَةِagainst the disgrace السَوآءِutterly foul
يا لِقَومي لِلسَوأَةِ السَوآءِ
he did not respect a drinking companion’s sanctity, though it was binding.
O my people, what a foul disgrace!
شامِذاًwith tail raised تَتَّقيshe wards off المُبِسَّthe camel-coaxer عَنfrom المُرmilk-
شامِذاً تَتَّقي المُبِسَّ عَن المُر
يَةِ-ing كَرهاًunwillingly بِالصِرفِwith the undiluted liquid ذيhaving الطُلاءِa coating
يَةِ كَرهاً بِالصِرفِ ذي الطُلاءِ
Tail raised, she wards the coaxing milker away from milking,
unwillingly, with pure, film-covered liquid:
كُلَّevery سَجحاءَsmooth-cheeked she-camel كَالقَناةِlike a spear-shaft قَرونhigh-yielding
كُلَّ سَجحاءَ كَالقَناةِ قَرون
وَطُوالِand long of القَراback هَزيمُworn down الذَكاءِby age
وَطُوالِ القَرا هَزيمُ الذَكاءِ
each smooth-cheeked, spear-straight, high-yielding camel,
and each long-backed beast worn down by age.
أَصبَحَتhas become حَربَناour war وَحَربُand the war of بِنيthe sons of الحاal-Ha-
أَصبَحَت حَربَنا وَحَربُ بِني الحا
رِثِ-rith مَشبوبَةًkindled بِأَغلىwith the dearest الدِماءِblood
رِثِ مَشبوبَةً بِأَغلى الدِماءِ
Our war and the war of Banu al-Harith
are now kindled with the dearest blood.
فَاِصدِقونيso tell me truthfully وَقَدand indeed خَبَّرتُمyou have heard reports وَقَدand indeed ثاre-
فَاِصدِقوني وَقَد خَبَّرتُم وَقَد ثا
بَت-turned إِلَيكُمto you جَوائِبُfar-traveling الأَنباءِtidings
بَت إِلَيكُم جَوائِبُ الأَنباءِ
So tell me truly—you have heard reports, and there have come
to you the far-traveling tidings:
هَلwhether عَلَمتُمyou have known مِنany مَعشَرٍpeople سافَهوناacted insolently toward us
هَل عَلَمتُم مِن مَعشَرٍ سافَهونا
ثُمَّthen عاشواthey lived صَفحاًunscathed ذَويpossessing غُلواءِarrogance
ثُمَّ عاشوا صَفحاً ذَوي غُلواءِ
have you known a people who treated us with insolence
and then lived unscathed, still full of arrogance?
كَمhow many أَزالَتhave laid low رِماحناour spears مِنof قَتيلٍa slain man
كَم أَزالَت رِماحنا مِن قَتيلٍ
قاتَلوناthey fought us بِنَكبَةٍwith disaster وَشَقاءِand misery
قاتَلونا بِنَكبَةٍ وَشَقاءِ
How many men our spears have laid dead,
who fought us, to their ruin and misery!
بَعَثواthey stirred حَربَناour war إِلَيهِمagainst themselves وَكانواand they were
بَعَثوا حَربَنا إِلَيهِم وَكانوا
فيin مَقامٍa secure position لَوif only أَبصَرواthey had understood وَرَخاءِand prosperity
في مَقامٍ لَو أَبصَروا وَرَخاءِ
They stirred our war against themselves, though they had been
in safety and prosperity, had they but understood.
ثُمَّthen لَمّاwhen تَشَذَّرَتit reared threateningly وَأَنافَتand towered
ثُمَّ لَمّا تَشَذَّرَت وَأَنافَت
وَتَصَلّواand they were scorched مِنهاby it كَريهَthe hateful الصِلاءِburning
وَتَصَلّوا مِنها كَريهَ الصِلاءِ
Then, when it reared in fury and towered,
and they suffered its hateful scorching,
طَلَبواthey sought صُلحَناpeace with us وَلاتَbut it was not أَوانٍthe proper time
طَلَبوا صُلحَنا وَلاتَ أَوانٍ
فَأَجَبناso we answered أَنthat لَيسَit was not حينَa time for بَقاءِsurvival
فَأَجَبنا أَن لَيسَ حينَ بَقاءِ
they sought peace with us—but the time was past.
We answered: ‘This is no hour for survival.’
وَلَعَمريand by my life لَقَدindeed لَقواthey met أَهلَmen of بَأَسٍmight
وَلَعَمري لَقَد لَقوا أَهلَ بَأَسٍ
يَصدُقونَthey are earnest in الطِعانَspear-thrusting عِندَat اللِقاءِthe encounter
يَصدُقونَ الطِعانَ عِندَ اللِقاءِ
And by my life, they met men of might
who thrust their spears in earnest when battle is joined.
وَلَقَدand indeed قاتَلواthey fought فَماand did not جَبُنَcower القَوthe peo-
وَلَقَد قاتَلوا فَما جَبُنَ القَو
مُ-ple عَنِfrom defending الأُمَّهاتِmothers وَالأَبناءِand sons
مُ عَنِ الأُمَّهاتِ وَالأَبناءِ
They fought indeed; the men did not flinch
from defending mothers and sons.
وَحَملناهُمand we mounted them عَلىupon صَعبَةِan unruly mount زوcrook-
وَحَملناهُم عَلى صَعبَةِ زو
راءِ-ed يَعلونَهاthey ride her بِغَيرِwithout وطَاءِa saddlecloth
راءِ يَعلونَها بِغَيرِ وطَاءِ
We made them mount an unruly, crooked she-camel,
which they ride without a saddlecloth.
فَاِصدِقونيso tell me truthfully أَسوقَةٌare you commoners أُمَّor مُلوكٌkings
فَاِصدِقوني أَسوقَةٌ أُمَّ مُلوكٌ
أَنتُمyou وَالمُلوكُand kings أَهلُare people of عَلاءِhigh standing
أَنتُم وَالمُلوكُ أَهلُ عَلاءِ
So tell me truly: commoners or kings—
which are you? Kings are men of high standing.
أَبَديءٌis it unprecedented أَنthat تقتلواyou be killed إِذwhen قَتَلتُمyou have killed
أَبَديءٌ أَن تقتلوا إِذ قَتَلتُم
أَمor لَكُمdo you have بَسطَةٌan advantage عَلىover الأَكفاءِequals
أَم لَكُم بَسطَةٌ عَلى الأَكفاءِ
Is it unheard of that you be killed when you have killed?
Or have you some advantage over your equals?
أَمor طَمِعتُمyou hoped بِأَنthat تُريقواyou would spill دِماناour blood
أَم طَمِعتُم بِأَن تُريقوا دِمانا
ثُمَّthen أَنتُمyou بِنَجوَةٍin safety فيin السَماءِthe sky
ثُمَّ أَنتُم بِنَجوَةٍ في السَماءِ
Or did you hope to spill our blood
and then be safe, beyond reach in the sky?
فَلَحاso may He curse اللَهُGod طالِبَthe seeker of الصُلحِpeace مِنّاamong us
فَلَحا اللَهُ طالِبَ الصُلحِ مِنّا
ماas long as أَطافَgoes about المُبسِthe camel-coaxer بِالدَهناءِin al-Dahna’
ما أَطافَ المُبسِ بِالدَهناءِ
So may God curse whoever among us seeks peace,
as long as the camel-coaxer roams al-Dahna’.
وَلَحاand may He curse الأَجزَعَينِthe most fainthearted فيin أَثَرِthe wake of القَتلىthe slain
وَلَحا الأَجزَعَينِ في أَثَرِ القَتلى
وَلاand may not أَظهَرواthey be granted victory عَلىover الأَعداءِthe enemies
وَلا أَظهَروا عَلى الأَعداءِ
And may He curse the most fainthearted in the wake of the slain;
may they never prevail over their enemies!
إِنَّناindeed we مَعشَرare a people شَمائِلَناour traits الصَبpa-
إِنَّنا مَعشَر شَمائِلَنا الصَب
ر-tience ودفعُand dispelling الأَسىgrief بِحُسنِthrough noble العَزاءِendurance
ر ودفعُ الأَسى بِحُسنِ العَزاءِ
We are a people whose nature is patience
and dispelling grief with noble endurance.
وَلَناand we have فَوقَabove كُلِّevery مَجدٍglory لِواءa banner
وَلَنا فَوقَ كُلِّ مَجدٍ لِواء
فاضِلsurpassing فيin التَمامِperfection كُلِّevery لِواءِbanner
فاضِل في التَمامِ كُلِّ لِواءِ
Above every glory we have a banner,
surpassing every banner in perfection.
فَإِذاso if ماever اِستَطَعتُمyou can فَاِقتُلوناthen kill us
فَإِذا ما اِستَطَعتُم فَاِقتُلونا
مَنwhoever يُصِبis struck يَرتهنis held in pledge بِغَيرِwithout فِداءِransom
مَن يُصِب يَرتهن بِغَيرِ فِداءِ
So, if ever you can, kill us:
whoever is struck is held in pledge, without ransom.
Sol 6.1