رَأَيتُI saw قُرَيشاًQuraysh حينَwhen مَيَّزَdivided بَينَهاamong them
رَأَيتُ قُرَيشاً حينَ مَيَّزَ بَينَها
تَباحُثُthe probing of أَضغانٍgrudges وَطَعنُand the thrusts of أُمورِaffairs
تَباحُثُ أَضغانٍ وَطَعنُ أُمورِ
I saw Quraysh when they were divided
I saw the Quraysh when it was distinguished among them
by the probing of grudges and the thrusts of affairs.
The hatred of some and the disapproval of matters
عَلَتهاrose above them بُحورٌseas مِنfrom أُمَيَّةَUmayya تَرتَقيclimbing
عَلَتها بُحورٌ مِن أُمَيَّةَ تَرتَقي
ذُراthe summits of هَضبَةٍa hill ماnot فَرعُهاits crest بِقَصيرِat all low
ذُرا هَضبَةٍ ما فَرعُها بِقَصيرِ
Seas of Umayya rose above them, climbing
Its summits were tall mountains from Umayyah ascending
the summits of a hill whose crest is not low.
As high as a plateau whose branches were not short
أَخالِدُO Khalid ماnot بَوّابُكُمyour gatekeeper بِمُلَعَّنٍmuch-cursed
أَخالِدُ ما بَوّابُكُم بِمُلَعَّنٍ
وَلاnor كَلبُكُمyour dog لِلمُعتَفيtoward the bounty-seeker بِعَقورِgiven to biting
وَلا كَلبُكُم لِلمُعتَفي بِعَقورِ
O Khalid, your gatekeeper is no much-cursed man,
O Khālid, your doorkeeper is not cursed
nor does your dog bite the seeker of bounty.
Nor is your dog to the seeker unkind
أَخالِدُO Khalid إِيّاكُمyou yourselves يَرىregards الضَيفُthe guest أَهلَهُhis kin
أَخالِدُ إِيّاكُم يَرى الضَيفُ أَهلَهُ
إِذاwhen هَرَّتِloathed الضيفانُthe guests كُلَّevery ضَجورِill-tempered man
إِذا هَرَّتِ الضيفانُ كُلَّ ضَجورِ
O Khalid, it is you the guest regards as his kin,
O Khālid, the guest sees his family
when guests loathe every ill-tempered man.
When the two guests flee, every coward
يَرَونَthey find قِرىًhospitality سَهلاًreadily given وَداراًand a house رَحيبَةًspacious
يَرَونَ قِرىً سَهلاً وَداراً رَحيبَةً
وَمُنطَلَقاًand an open welcome فيin وَجهِa face غَيرِnot بَسورِscowling
وَمُنطَلَقاً في وَجهِ غَيرِ بَسورِ
They find readily given hospitality and a spacious house,
They see a plain homeland and spacious house
and an open welcome in a face without a scowl.
And unrestrained path without enclosure
أَخالِدُO Khalid أَعلىhighest الناسِamong people بَيتاًin lineage وَمَوضِعاًand in standing
أَخالِدُ أَعلى الناسِ بَيتاً وَمَوضِعاً
أَغِثناsuccor us بِسَيبٍwith a gift مِنfrom نَداكَyour bounty غَزيرِabundant
أَغِثنا بِسَيبٍ مِن نَداكَ غَزيرِ
O Khalid, highest among men in house and station,
O Khālid, most highly placed of men in home and rank
succor us with an abundant outpouring of your bounty.
Help us with abundant rain from your clouds
إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) اِعتَراهُapproached him المُعتَفونَbounty-seekers تَحَلَّبَتgushed forth
إِذا ما اِعتَراهُ المُعتَفونَ تَحَلَّبَت
يَداهُhis two hands بِرَيّانِwith rain-laden الغَمامِclouds مَطيرِpouring rain
يَداهُ بِرَيّانِ الغَمامِ مَطيرِ
Whenever bounty-seekers approach him, there pours
When the refugees afflict him, his hands drip
from his hands the rain of a laden, showering cloud.
With the downpour of clouds pouring rain
وَلَوand if سُئِلَتwere asked عَنّيabout me أُمَيَّةُUmayya أَخبَرَتshe would tell
وَلَو سُئِلَت عَنّي أُمَيَّةُ أَخبَرَت
لَهاbelonging to her بِأَخٍof a brother حاميdefender of الذِمارِhonor نَصورِa staunch champion
لَها بِأَخٍ حامي الذِمارِ نَصورِ
And were Umayya questioned about me, she would tell
If Umayyah were asked about me, she would say
of a brother of hers, a defender of honor, a staunch champion.
She has a brother, protector of the sanctuary, victorious
إِذاwhen اِنقَشَعَتcleared away عَنّيfrom me ضَبابَةُthe fog of مَعشَرٍa band
إِذا اِنقَشَعَت عَنّي ضَبابَةُ مَعشَرٍ
لَبِستُI donned لِأُخرىfor another مَحمَليmy sword-baldric وَزُروريand my buttons
لَبِستُ لِأُخرى مَحمَلي وَزُروري
Whenever the fog of one band clears away from me,
When the cloudiness of a company turns from me
I don my sword-baldric and my fastenings for another.
I don my saddlebags and litter
وَزارٍand a critic عَلىof النابينَthose shrinking back فيin الحَربِwar لَوif بِهِto him
وَزارٍ عَلى النابينَ في الحَربِ لَو بِهِ
أَضَرَّتcaused harm لَهَرَّwould surely loathe الحَربَwar أَيَّsuch a هَريرِloathing
أَضَرَّت لَهَرَّ الحَربَ أَيَّ هَريرِ
And many a critic of those who shrink from war—if he
And I visit the fleeing in war—if only with him
were hurt by it, would loathe war with utter loathing.
The war would roar with any din
وَلَيسَand is not أَخوهاher brother بِالسَؤومِeasily wearied وَلاnor الَّذيone who
وَلَيسَ أَخوها بِالسَؤومِ وَلا الَّذي
إِذاwhen زَبَنَتهُshe kicked him away كانَhe was غَيرَnot صَبورِpatient
إِذا زَبَنَتهُ كانَ غَيرَ صَبورِ
And war's brother is not easily wearied, nor one who,
His brother is neither ill-omened nor one who
when she kicks him away, lacks endurance.
When disaster strikes him, lacks endurance
أَمَعشَرَO people of قَيسٍQays لَمnot يُمَتَّعwas granted أَخوكُمُyour brother
أَمَعشَرَ قَيسٍ لَم يُمَتَّع أَخوكُمُ
عُمَيرٌUmayr بِأَكفانٍwith shrouds وَلاnor بِطَهورِwith purifying water
عُمَيرٌ بِأَكفانٍ وَلا بِطَهورِ
O people of Qays, your brother was not granted—
O people of Qays, your brother ‘Umayr
Umayr—shrouds or purifying water.
Was not shrouded in winding sheets or perfumed
تَدُلُّguides عَلَيهِto him الضَبعَthe hyena ريحٌan odor تَضَوَّعَتspread its scent
تَدُلُّ عَلَيهِ الضَبعَ ريحٌ تَضَوَّعَت
بِلاwithout نَفحِa waft of كافورٍcamphor وَلاnor بِعَبيرِwith fragrant perfume
بِلا نَفحِ كافورٍ وَلا بِعَبيرِ
A wafting odor guides the hyena to him,
The wind indicates him, diffusing its scent
without a breath of camphor or fragrant perfume.
Without perfume of camphor or fragrance of musk
وَقَتلىand the slain of بَنيthe sons of رِعلٍRi'l كَأَنَّas though بُطونَهاtheir bellies
وَقَتلى بَني رِعلٍ كَأَنَّ بُطونَها
عَلىon جَلهَةِthe edge of الواديthe valley بُطونُbellies of حَميرِdonkeys
عَلى جَلهَةِ الوادي بُطونُ حَميرِ
And the slain of Banu Ri'l—it is as though their bellies
And the slain of Banū Ri’l are as if their bellies
on the valley's edge were donkeys' bellies.
Were bellies of donkeys in the valley’s basin
وَإِنand if تَسأَلوناyou ask us بِالحَريشِabout al-Harish فَإِنَّناthen indeed we
وَإِن تَسأَلونا بِالحَريشِ فَإِنَّنا
مُنيناwe were afflicted بِنوكٍwith foolishness مِنهُمُfrom them وَفُجورِand wickedness
مُنينا بِنوكٍ مِنهُمُ وَفُجورِ
And if you ask us about al-Harish, indeed we
And if you ask us about al-Ḥārith, we
were afflicted by their folly and wickedness.
Stabbed them with the tips of our spears and smote them
غَداةَon the morning تَحامَتناkept clear of us الحَريشُal-Harish كَأَنَّهاas though they were
غَداةَ تَحامَتنا الحَريشُ كَأَنَّها
كِلابٌdogs بَدَتappeared أَنيابُهاtheir fangs لِهَريرِfor snarling
كِلابٌ بَدَت أَنيابُها لِهَريرِ
That morning al-Harish kept clear of us, like
On the morrow when al-Ḥārith attacked us, they were
dogs whose fangs showed as they snarled.
Like dogs whose fangs appeared with a snarling
وَجاؤواand they came بِجَمعٍwith a host ناصِرٍsupporting أُمَّmother of هَيثَمٍHaytham
وَجاؤوا بِجَمعٍ ناصِرٍ أُمَّ هَيثَمٍ
فَماbut not رَجَعواthey returned مِنfrom ذَودِهاher camel herd بِبَعيرِwith a camel
فَما رَجَعوا مِن ذَودِها بِبَعيرِ
And they came with a host supporting Umm Haytham,
And they came with a helping tribe, Umm Haytham's
but returned without a camel from her herd.
But they did not return from confronting it with a camel
إِذاwhen ذَكَرَتmentioned أَنيابَهاher fangs أُمُّmother of هَيثَمٍHaytham
إِذا ذَكَرَت أَنيابَها أُمُّ هَيثَمٍ
رَغَتbellowed جَيأَلٌa she-hyena مَخطومَةٌhaltered بِضَفيرِwith a plaited cord
رَغَت جَيأَلٌ مَخطومَةٌ بِضَفيرِ
Whenever Umm Haytham mentions her fangs,
Whenever Umm Haytham mentions their fangs
a she-hyena bellows, haltered with a plaited cord.
Bellows a docked-tailed cow with braided tail
أَلاlisten أَيُّهَذاO you المَوعِديwho threatens me وَسطَamid وائِلٍWa'il
أَلا أَيُّهَذا المَوعِدي وَسطَ وائِلٍ
أَلَستَare you not تَرىseeing زاريmy host وَعِزَّand the might of نَصيريmy champion
أَلَستَ تَرى زاري وَعِزَّ نَصيري
Listen, you who threaten me amid Wa'il,
O you who reproached amid perils!
do you not see my host and my champion's might,
Do you not see my weakness and might of my supporter?
وَغَمرَةَand a gulf of مَوتٍdeath لَمnot تَكُنyou would be لِتَخوضَهاto wade into it
وَغَمرَةَ مَوتٍ لَم تَكُن لِتَخوضَها
وَلَيسَand is not اِختِلاسيsnatching me away وَسطَهُمamong them بِيَسيرِeasy
وَلَيسَ اِختِلاسي وَسطَهُم بِيَسيرِ
and a gulf of death you could never wade into?
And a deathly darkness you should not have plunged into
And snatching me away from among them is not easy.
My withdrawal from them was no easy matter
هُمُthey فَتَكواthey slew بِالمُصعَبَينِthe two Mus'abs كِلَيهِماboth of them
هُمُ فَتَكوا بِالمُصعَبَينِ كِلَيهِما
وَهُمand they سَيَّرواdrove away عَيلانَAylan شَرَّthe worst مَسيرِjourney
وَهُم سَيَّروا عَيلانَ شَرَّ مَسيرِ
They slew the two Mus'abs, both of them,
They wreaked havoc on both al-Muṣʿab’s
and they drove Aylan on the worst of journeys.
And they dispatched Iylān, the worst guide
وَناطواand they hung up مِنَfrom الكَذّابِthe liar كَفّاًa hand صَغيرَةًsmall
وَناطوا مِنَ الكَذّابِ كَفّاً صَغيرَةً
وَلَيسَand was not عَلَيهِمfor them قَتلُهُkilling him بِكَبيرِa great matter
وَلَيسَ عَلَيهِم قَتلُهُ بِكَبيرِ
And they hung up a little hand of the liar's,
They tied the hands of the petty liar
and killing him was no great matter for them.
Killing him was no major matter for them
وَأَحمَواand they made inviolate بِلاداًlands لَمnot تَكُنwould be لِتَحُلَّهاto settle in them
وَأَحمَوا بِلاداً لَم تَكُن لِتَحُلَّها
هَوازِنُHawazin إِلّاexcept عُوَّذاًas refuge-seekers بِأَميرِunder an emir
هَوازِنُ إِلّا عُوَّذاً بِأَميرِ
And they made lands inviolate that could not be settled
They usurped lands that only under protection
by Hawazin except as refugees under an emir.
Of an emir could Hawāzin dwell in
وَذادَand drove off تَميماًTamim وَالَّذينَand those who يَلونَهُمadjoin them
وَذادَ تَميماً وَالَّذينَ يَلونَهُم
بِهاin those lands كُلُّevery ذَيّالِone trailing الإِزارِthe waist-wrap فَخورِproud
بِها كُلُّ ذَيّالِ الإِزارِ فَخورِ
And Tamim and those adjoining them were driven off
And they repelled Tamīm and those next to them
there by every proud man trailing his waist-wrap.
With it every loose-robed man haughty
Sol 6.1