أَلاَtake heed أَيُّهَاO you المثريthe wealthy man المزَجَّىborne along at ease
أَلاَ أَيُّهَا المثري المزَجَّى
أَلَمhave you not تَسمَعheard بِخَطبِof the calamity of الأَوَّلينَاthose of old
أَلَم تَسمَع بِخَطبِ الأَوَّلينَا
Take heed, O wealthy man, borne along at ease:
Have you not heard what befell those of old?
دَعَاhe summoned بِالبقَّةَat al-Baqqah الأُمَراءَthe princes يَوماًone day
دَعَا بِالبقَّةَ الأُمَراءَ يَوماً
جَذِيَمةُJadhimah عَصَرwhen يَنجُوهُمhe conferred privately with them ثُبيناin groups
جَذِيَمةُ عَصَر يَنجُوهُم ثُبينا
One day at al-Baqqah he summoned the princes—
Jadhimah, conferring with them in groups.
فلَمthen he did not يَرَsee غَيرَanything other than ماwhat أئتَمَرُواthey agreed upon سِواهُapart from him
فلَم يَرَ غَيرَ ما أئتَمَرُوا سِواهُ
وشَدَّand tightened لِرَحلِهِfor his saddle السّفرthe travelers الوضيناthe saddle-girth
وشَدَّ لِرَحلِهِ السّفر الوضينا
He saw no course but what the others had agreed,
And the travelers tightened his saddle's girth.
فَطَاوَعَso he obeyed أَمرَهُمtheir command وعَصَىand he disobeyed قَصيراًQasir
فَطَاوَعَ أَمرَهُم وعَصَى قَصيراً
وكانَand he was يَقولُspeaking لَوif only تَبَعَhe had followed اليَقيناcertainty
وكانَ يَقولُ لَو تَبَعَ اليَقينا
He followed their command and disobeyed Qasir—
Who had spoken—if only sure counsel had been heeded!—
لخُطبَتِهِfor his betrothed الَّتيwho غَدَرَتbetrayed وخانَتand was faithless
لخُطبَتِهِ الَّتي غَدَرَت وخانَت
وهُنَّand they (women) ذَواتُpossessors of غائِلَةٍtreachery لُحيناmay they be cursed
وهُنَّ ذَواتُ غائِلَةٍ لُحينا
For his betrothed, who betrayed and deceived him;
And women harbor treachery—may they be cursed!
وَدَسَّتand she slipped in فيin صَحيفَتهاher letter إلَيهto him
وَدَسَّت في صَحيفَتها إلَيه
ليَملكَthat he might possess بِضعَهاher person in marriage ولأَنand so that تَديناshe might submit
ليَملكَ بِضعَها ولأَن تَدينا
She slipped a message into her letter to him:
That he might have her in marriage, and she submit.
فأَردَتهُso she destroyed him ورَغبُand the desire of النَّفسِthe soul يُرديdestroys
فأَردَتهُ ورَغبُ النَّفسِ يُردي
ويُبديand reveals لِلفَتَىto the man الَحينَdoom المُبيناthe unmistakable
ويُبدي لِلفَتَى الَحينَ المُبينا
Then she destroyed him; the soul's desire destroys,
And shows a man his unmistakable doom.
وخَبَّرتِand she related العَصَاal-Asa ('the Staff') الأَنباءَthe news عَنهُof him
وخَبَّرتِ العَصَا الأَنباءَ عَنهُ
وَلمand I did not أرَsee مِثلَthe like of فارِسِهاher rider هَجيناa man of mixed birth
وَلم أرَ مِثلَ فارِسِها هَجينا
Al-Asa, 'the Staff,' brought the tidings of him;
Nor have I seen a lowborn man like her rider.
فَفَاجَأَهَاthen he came upon her وقَدwhile she had جَمَعَتgathered جُموعاًhosts
فَفَاجَأَهَا وقَد جَمَعَت جُموعاً
عَلَىat أَبوابِthe gates of حِصنٍa fortress مُصلتيناwith swords drawn
عَلَى أَبوابِ حِصنٍ مُصلتينا
He came upon her when she had assembled hosts,
At the fortress gates, with swords drawn.
وقَدَّمَتِand she brought forward الأَديمَthe hide لِراهِشَيِهfor his two forearm veins
وقَدَّمَتِ الأَديمَ لِراهِشَيِه
وأَلفَىand he found قَولَهاher words كَذِباًfalsehood ومَيناand lies
وأَلفَى قَولَها كَذِباً ومَينا
She laid a hide beneath the veins of his forearms,
And he found her words falsehood and lies.
ومِنand from حَذَرِfear of الُملاَوِمِreproaches والمَخازيand disgraces
ومِن حَذَرِ الُملاَوِمِ والمَخازي
وهُنَّand they الُمندِياتُthe shame-bringers لِمنَto whomever مُنيناthey are allotted
وهُنَّ الُمندِياتُ لِمنَ مُنينا
For fear of reproaches and disgrace—
Which bring shame upon those they befall—
أَطَفَّbrought close لأَنِفِهِto his nose الُموسَىthe razor قَصيرٌQasir
أَطَفَّ لأَنِفِهِ الُموسَى قَصيرٌ
لِيَجدَعَهُto cut it off وكانَand he had been بهِof it ضَنيناjealously protective
لِيَجدَعَهُ وكانَ بهِ ضَنينا
Qasir brought a razor close to his nose,
To cut it off, though he had cherished it.
فَأَهواهُthen he brought it down لِمَارنِهonto his nose's soft tip فَأَضحَىso he became
فَأَهواهُ لِمَارنِه فَأَضحَى
طِلاَبَin pursuit of الوِترِblood vengeance مَجدُوعاًwith his nose cut off مَشيناdisfigured
طِلاَبَ الوِترِ مَجدُوعاً مَشينا
He brought it down upon his nose's soft tip, and became,
Seeking vengeance, noseless and disfigured.
وصَادَفَتand she encountered امرأًa man لَمdid not تَخشَshe fear منهُfrom him
وصَادَفَت امرأً لَم تَخشَ منهُ
غَوائَلهُhis treacheries وماand she had not أَمنَتtrusted أَميناa trustworthy man
غَوائَلهُ وما أَمنَت أَمينا
She encountered a man from whom she did not fear
Treachery; yet the man she trusted was not trustworthy.
فلَمَّاthen when ارتَدَّhe returned منهُfrom him ارتَدَّhe returned صُلباًresolute
فلَمَّا ارتَدَّ منهُ ارتَدَّ صُلباً
يَجُرُّdragging along المالَthe wealth والصَّدرَand the breast الضَّغيناfull of rancor
يَجُرُّ المالَ والصَّدرَ الضَّغينا
When he returned from him, he returned resolute,
With wealth in tow and a breast full of rancor.
أَتَتهَاthey came to her العِيسُthe pale camels تَحِملُbearing ماwhat دَهَاهَاoverwhelmed her
أَتَتهَا العِيسُ تَحِملُ ما دَهَاهَا
وقِنعٌand he concealed (reading وَقَنَّعَ) فيin المُسُوحِhaircloth الدَّارِعيناthe armored men
وقِنعٌ في المُسُوحِ الدَّارِعينا
The pale camels came to her, bearing her undoing,
And he shrouded the armored men in haircloth.
ودَسَّand he smuggled in لَهَاto her عَلَىover الأَنقَاءِthe dunes عَمراًAmr
ودَسَّ لَهَا عَلَى الأَنقَاءِ عَمراً
بِشِكَّتِهwith his battle gear وماand she did not خَشِيَتfear كَميناan ambush
بِشِكَّتِه وما خَشِيَت كَمينا
He smuggled Amr to her over the dunes,
In full battle gear; she feared no ambush.
فَجَلَّلَهاthen he struck her قَديمَancient in الأَثرِworkmanship عَضباًa keen blade
فَجَلَّلَها قَديمَ الأَثرِ عَضباً
يَصِلُّhe strikes بهِwith it الَحواجِبَthe eyebrows والَجبيناand the forehead
يَصِلُّ بهِ الَحواجِبَ والَجبينا
He brought down on her a keen blade of ancient make,
Striking her brows and forehead with it.
فأَضحَتso she became مشنunclear; perhaps 'among' (مِن) خَزائِنِهاher treasuries كأَنas though لَمhad not
فأَضحَت مشن خَزائِنِها كأَن لَم
تَكُنbeen زَبَّاءُZabba حامِلَةًcarrying جَنيناan unborn child
تَكُن زَبَّاءُ حامِلَةً جَنينا
Then she was [among?] her treasures, as though
Zabba had never carried an unborn child.
وأَبرَزَهاand exposed her الَحوادِثُcalamities والَمناياand fated deaths
وأَبرَزَها الَحوادِثُ والَمنايا
وأَيُّand which مُعَمِّرٍlong-lived man لاdo not يَبتَليناthey put to trial
وأَيُّ مُعَمِّرٍ لا يَبتَلينا
Calamities and fated deaths laid her bare;
And what long-lived man do they not put to trial?
إذاif أَمهَلنَthey grant respite to ذاa possessor of جَدٍّfortune عَظيمٍgreat
إذا أَمهَلنَ ذا جَدٍّ عَظيمٍ
عَطَفنَthey turn back لَهُupon him وَلوeven if فيin طَيِّthe folds of حِيناa span of time
عَطَفنَ لَهُ وَلو في طَيِّ حِينا
If they grant respite to a man of mighty fortune,
They turn upon him, even in the folds of time.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أنَّthat ريبَthe vicissitudes of الدَّهِرtime يَعلُوovercome
أَلَم تَرَ أنَّ ريبَ الدَّهِر يَعلُو
أَخَاthe man of النَّجَداتِvaliant deeds والحِصنَand the fortress الَحصيناthe impregnable
أَخَا النَّجَداتِ والحِصنَ الَحصينا
Have you not seen that time's vicissitudes overcome
The man of valor and the impregnable fortress?
ولَمand I did not أَجِدِfind الفَتَىthe man يَلهُوtaking delight بَشيءٍin anything
ولَم أَجِدِ الفَتَى يَلهُو بَشيءٍ
ولَوeven if أَثرَىhe grows wealthy ولَوeven if وَلَدَhe fathers البَنياsons (apparently البنين)
ولَو أَثرَى ولَو وَلَدَ البَنيا
I have found no man who takes delight in anything,
Even if he grows rich, even if he fathers sons.
Sol 6.1