عَفاbecame effaced مِنfrom آلِfolk of فاطِمَةَFatimah الدُخولُDukhul
عَفا مِن آلِ فاطِمَةَ الدُخولُ
فَحِزّانُthen the stony heights الصَريمَةِal-Sarimah فَالهُجولُthen al-Hujul
فَحِزّانُ الصَريمَةِ فَالهُجولُ
Dukhul lies effaced, bereft of Fatimah's folk,
The dwellings of Umm 'Amr are desolate,
then the stony heights of al-Sarimah, then al-Hujul.
Their mirage wanders aimlessly within.
مَنازِلُdwellings أَقفَرَتbecame deserted مِنof أُمِّUmm (mother of) عَمرٍAmr
مَنازِلُ أَقفَرَت مِن أُمِّ عَمرٍ
يَظَلُّkeeps سَرابُهاtheir mirage فيهاwithin them يَجولُwandering
يَظَلُّ سَرابُها فيها يَجولُ
Dwellings deserted by Umm Amr,
If only the butterfly and the gazelle came,
their mirage keeps wandering within them.
The sand hills would seem to speak to you.
شَآمِيَةُSyrian المَحَلِّin abode وَقَدand indeed أَراهاI see her
شَآمِيَةُ المَحَلِّ وَقَد أَراها
تَعومُswim لَهاbelonging to her بِذيat Dhu خِيَمٍKhiyam حُمولُladen camels
تَعومُ لَها بِذي خِيَمٍ حُمولُ
Her abode is Syrian, yet I have seen her,
Of the ancient covenant they once honored,
her laden camels swimming along at Dhu Khiyam.
Their limbs now at variance, no longer pliant.
وَلَوand if تَأتيyou come to الفَراشَةَal-Farashah وَالحُبَيّاand al-Hubayya
وَلَو تَأتي الفَراشَةَ وَالحُبَيّا
إِذاًthen كادَتwould almost تُكَلِّمُكَspeak to you الطُلولُthe ruins
إِذاً كادَت تُكَلِّمُكَ الطُلولُ
And if you came to al-Farashah and al-Hubayya,
Convey from me to the Banu Shayban:
the ruins would almost speak to you
No intimacy remains between us now.
عَنِof العَهدِthe time القَديمِbygone وَماand not عَفاهاeffaced them
عَنِ العَهدِ القَديمِ وَما عَفاها
بَوارِحُscorching winds يَختَلِفنَcome and go وَلاnor سُيولُfloods
بَوارِحُ يَختَلِفنَ وَلا سُيولُ
of bygone days; they have not been effaced
You were once my brothers but abandoned me
by scorching winds that come and go, nor by floods.
When those stalwarts took their risks.
أَلاlisten! أَبلِغconvey بَنيthe sons of شَيبانَShayban عَنّيon my behalf
أَلا أَبلِغ بَني شَيبانَ عَنّي
فَماfor no بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكُمُand between you ذُخولُgrudges
فَما بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ ذُخولُ
Listen! Tell the sons of Shayban on my behalf:
The Banu 'Allat entrusted me to you
there are no grudges between me and you.
While Malik and Yazid committed wrongs.
وَكُنتُمand you were إِخوَتيmy brothers فَخَذَلتُمونيbut you abandoned me
وَكُنتُم إِخوَتي فَخَذَلتُموني
غَداةَon the morning تَخاطَرَتchallenged one another تِلكَthose الفُحولُstallions
غَداةَ تَخاطَرَت تِلكَ الفُحولُ
And you were my brothers, yet you abandoned me
Wael and Qarie both perished,
on the morning those stallions challenged one another.
As if the land behind them were made barren.
تَواكَلَنيleft helping me to one another بَنوsons of العَلّاتِco-wives مِنكُمamong you
تَواكَلَني بَنو العَلّاتِ مِنكُم
وَغالَتand carried off مالِكاًMalik وَيَزيدَand Yazid غولُa deadly calamity
وَغالَت مالِكاً وَيَزيدَ غولُ
My half-brothers among you each left my aid to another,
If Sedous withholds her two dirhams,
and a deadly calamity carried off Malik and Yazid.
The wind still blows favourably.
قَريعاthe two champions of وائِلٍWa'il هَلَكاboth perished جَميعاًtogether
قَريعا وائِلٍ هَلَكا جَميعاً
كَأَنَّas though الأَرضَthe earth بَعدَهُماafter them both مُحولُbarren wastes
كَأَنَّ الأَرضَ بَعدَهُما مُحولُ
Wa'il's two champions perished together,
Whenever war's steeds come, it harms me not
as though the earth after them were a barren waste.
What the Asadi poet says or sings.
فَإِنso if تَمنَعwithholds سَدوسٌSadus دِرهَمَيهاher two dirhams
فَإِن تَمنَع سَدوسٌ دِرهَمَيها
فَإِنَّthen indeed الريحَthe wind طَيِّبَةٌpleasant قَبولُeasterly
فَإِنَّ الريحَ طَيِّبَةٌ قَبولُ
So if Sadus withholds her two dirhams,
A mounted band of Bakr's Jusham
then the wind is fair, blowing from the east.
Whose torrents crack their prominent shoulders.
مَتىwhenever آتِI come to الأَراقِمَthe Araqim لاnot يَضِرنيharms me
مَتى آتِ الأَراقِمَ لا يَضِرني
نَبيبُbleating of الأَسعَدِيِّal-As'adi وَماand what يَقولُhe says
نَبيبُ الأَسعَدِيِّ وَما يَقولُ
Whenever I come to the Araqim, I am not harmed
The Banu Umayya have clothed me
by al-As'adi's bleating or by what he says.
In shades of prestige that do not decline.
رَوابٍlofty hills مِنamong بَنيthe sons of جُشَمَJusham بنِson of بَكرٍBakr
رَوابٍ مِن بَني جُشَمَ بنِ بَكرٍ
تَصَدَّعُsplit apart عَنaway from مَناكِبِهاtheir shoulders السُيولُthe torrents
تَصَدَّعُ عَن مَناكِبِها السُيولُ
Lofty hills among the sons of Jusham ibn Bakr,
Abu Marwan Bishr took it on
off whose shoulders the torrents split apart.
With a merit that seeks no favour or change.
وَإِنَّand indeed بَنيthe sons of أُمَيَّةَUmayyah أَلبَسونيthey clothed me
وَإِنَّ بَني أُمَيَّةَ أَلبَسوني
ظِلالَshades of كَرامَةٍhonor ماnot إِنemphatic particle تَزولُvanish
ظِلالَ كَرامَةٍ ما إِن تَزولُ
And the sons of Umayyah have clothed me
And Shuhba of forgiveness met us,
in shades of honor that never pass away.
Her broken remnants a refuge for fugitives,
تَوَلّاهاtook charge of it أَبوfather of مَروانَMarwan بِشرٌBishr
تَوَلّاها أَبو مَروانَ بِشرٌ
بِفَضلٍwith bounty لاnot يُمَنُّis held over one وَلاand not يَحولُchanges
بِفَضلٍ لا يُمَنُّ وَلا يَحولُ
Abu Marwan, Bishr, saw to it,
Apportioned as if its defenders
with bounty never held over me and never changing.
Passed between them a circulated cup.
وَشَهباءِand a gray host المَغافِرِmail-helmets قارَعَتناclashed with us
وَشَهباءِ المَغافِرِ قارَعَتنا
مُلَملَمَةٍclosely massed يَلوذُtakes refuge بِهاin it الفُلولُrouted remnants
مُلَملَمَةٍ يَلوذُ بِها الفُلولُ
And a host gray with mail-helmets clashed with us,
A stagnation scarcely relieved for us,
closely massed, with routed remnants taking refuge in it,
Its ardour undiminished, unrestrained.
مُسَوَّمَةٍmarked with insignia كَأَنَّas though مُحافِظيهاits defenders
مُسَوَّمَةٍ كَأَنَّ مُحافِظيها
تُصَدَّعُis shared out بَينَهُمamong them كَأسٌa cup شَمولُheady wine
تُصَدَّعُ بَينَهُم كَأسٌ شَمولُ
marked with insignia, as though its defenders
So it was repelled, by God's permission,
were sharing a cup of heady wine among themselves.
By the honesty of our elders and youth.
رَكودٍunmoving لَمnot تَكَدalmost عَنّاfrom us رَحاهاits millstone
رَكودٍ لَم تَكَد عَنّا رَحاها
وَلاnor مَرحىgrinding حُمَيّاهاits fury يَزولُceases
وَلا مَرحى حُمَيّاها يَزولُ
Unmoving, its millstone scarcely withdrew from us,
And the battle of Mashrafiya was locked
nor did the grinding of its fury cease.
In iron, the tinkling behind its ring.
فَدافَعَهاthen drove it back بِإِذنِby the leave of اللَهِGod عَنّاfrom us
فَدافَعَها بِإِذنِ اللَهِ عَنّا
شَبابُyoung men of الصِدقِsteadfastness مِنّاfrom among us وَالكُهولُand mature men
شَبابُ الصِدقِ مِنّا وَالكُهولُ
Then, by God's leave, it was driven back from us
A strait so narrow, if the elephant rose there,
by our steadfast young men and our men of mature years,
The noble steeds and foot-soldiers would tremble.
وَوَقعُand the blows of المَشرَفِيَّةِMashrafi swords فيupon حَديدٍiron
وَوَقعُ المَشرَفِيَّةِ في حَديدٍ
لَهُنَّtheirs is وَراءَbeyond حَلقَتِهِits mail-rings صَليلُa clang
لَهُنَّ وَراءَ حَلقَتِهِ صَليلُ
and by the blows of Mashrafi swords upon iron—
I have confined myself within it against my spirit’s wish,
their clang sounding beyond its mail-rings.
And none can withstand it but a few.
وَضَنكٍand a dire strait لَوif يَقومُwere to stand الفيلُthe elephant فيهِin it
وَضَنكٍ لَو يَقومُ الفيلُ فيهِ
لَأُرعِدَتِwould surely be made to tremble الفَرائِصُthe flank muscles وَالخَصيلُand the limb muscles
لَأُرعِدَتِ الفَرائِصُ وَالخَصيلُ
And in a strait where, if an elephant stood,
its flank and limb muscles would surely tremble—
حَبَستُI held بِهِin it عَلىdespite المَكروهِhardship نَفسيmyself
حَبَستُ بِهِ عَلى المَكروهِ نَفسي
وَلَيسَand not يَقومُهُwithstands it إِلّاexcept قَليلُa few
وَلَيسَ يَقومُهُ إِلّا قَليلُ
I held myself there, enduring hardship,
and only a few can withstand it.
Partial English translation: 38 of 42 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1