خَليلَيَّmy two friends قوماrise, you two لِلرَحيلِto depart فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
خَليلَيَّ قوما لِلرَحيلِ فَإِنَّني
وَجَدتُI found بَنيthe sons of الصَمعاءِal-Ṣamʿāʾ غَيرَnot قَريبِfriendly
وَجَدتُ بَني الصَمعاءِ غَيرَ قَريبِ
My two friends, rise to depart, for I
have found the sons of al-Ṣamʿāʾ far from friendly.
وَأُسفِهتُand I was deemed foolish إِذwhen مَنَّيتُI filled with hopes نَفسيmyself اِبنَthe son of واسِعٍWāsiʿ
وَأُسفِهتُ إِذ مَنَّيتُ نَفسي اِبنَ واسِعٍ
مُنىًhopes ذَهَبَتvanished لَمdid not تَسقِنيgive me drink بِذَنوبِwith a bucketful
مُنىً ذَهَبَت لَم تَسقِني بِذَنوبِ
And I was deemed foolish when I fed myself hopes of Ibn Wāsiʿ—
hopes that vanished without giving me a bucketful to drink.
فَإِنfor if تَنزِلاyou two lodge بِاِبنِwith the son of المُحَلَّقِal-Muḥallaq تَنزِلاyou two lodge
فَإِن تَنزِلا بِاِبنِ المُحَلَّقِ تَنزِلا
بِذيwith one possessing عِذرَةٍexcuses يَبداكُماhe greets you both first بِلُغوبِwith weariness
بِذي عِذرَةٍ يَبداكُما بِلُغوبِ
For if you two lodge with Ibn al-Muḥallaq, you lodge
with an excuse-maker who first greets you both with weariness.
لَحىmay ... curse اللَهُGod أَرماكاًlowbred mares بِدِجلَةَbeside the Tigris لاnot تَقيward off
لَحى اللَهُ أَرماكاً بِدِجلَةَ لا تَقي
أَذاةَthe harm of اِمرِئٍa man عَضبِsharp اللِسانِof tongue شَغوبِquarrelsome
أَذاةَ اِمرِئٍ عَضبِ اللِسانِ شَغوبِ
God curse those lowbred mares beside the Tigris, who do not ward off
the harm of a sharp-tongued, quarrelsome man.
إِذاwhen نَحنُwe وَدَّعناbid farewell بِلاداًlands هُمُthey بِهاin them
إِذا نَحنُ وَدَّعنا بِلاداً هُمُ بِها
فَبُعداًthen good riddance لِحَرّاتٍto lava-fields بِهاthere وَسُهوبِand plains
فَبُعداً لِحَرّاتٍ بِها وَسُهوبِ
When we bid farewell to lands they inhabit,
then away with the lava-fields and plains there!
نَسيرُwe journey إِلىto مَنone who لاdoes not يُغِبُّmake intermittent نَوالَهُhis bounty
نَسيرُ إِلى مَن لا يُغِبُّ نَوالَهُ
وَلاand not مُسلِمٌone surrendering أَعراضَهُhis honor لَسَبوبِto a reviler
وَلا مُسلِمٌ أَعراضَهُ لَسَبوبِ
We journey to one whose bounty never ceases,
and who never surrenders his honor to a reviler,
بِخَوصٍon narrow-eyed she-camels كَأَعطالِlike unstrung القِسِيِّbows تَقَلقَلَتwere shaken loose
بِخَوصٍ كَأَعطالِ القِسِيِّ تَقَلقَلَت
أَجِنَّتُهاtheir unborn young مِنfrom شُقَّةٍa long journey وَدُؤوبِand ceaseless toil
أَجِنَّتُها مِن شُقَّةٍ وَدُؤوبِ
on narrow-eyed she-camels like unstrung bows; shaken loose were
their unborn young by the long journey and ceaseless toil.
إِذاwhen مُعجَلٌa premature calf غادَرنَهُthey leave it عِندَat مَنزِلٍa halting-place
إِذا مُعجَلٌ غادَرنَهُ عِندَ مَنزِلٍ
أُتيحَit is allotted لِجَوّابِto a rover of الفَلاةِthe wilderness كَسوبِadept at finding prey
أُتيحَ لِجَوّابِ الفَلاةِ كَسوبِ
When they leave a premature calf at a halting-place,
it falls to a skillful hunter roaming the wilderness.
وَهُنَّand they بِناbearing us عوجٌbowed كَأَنَّas though عُيونَهاtheir eyes
وَهُنَّ بِنا عوجٌ كَأَنَّ عُيونَها
بَقاياremnants of قِلاتٍrock-pools قَلَّصَتhave shrunk لِنُضوبِtoward dryness
بَقايا قِلاتٍ قَلَّصَت لِنُضوبِ
They bear us onward, bowed, their eyes like
the remnants of rock-pools shrinking toward dryness.
مَسانيفُforward-straining she-camels يَطويهاwears them thin مَعَalong with القَيظِsummer heat وَالسُرىand night travel
مَسانيفُ يَطويها مَعَ القَيظِ وَالسُرى
تَكاليفُthe demands of طَلّاعِone often climbing النِجادِuplands رَكوبِa tireless rider
تَكاليفُ طَلّاعِ النِجادِ رَكوبِ
Forward-straining camels, worn thin by summer heat, night travel,
and the demands of a rider forever climbing uplands.
قَديمٌancient تَرىyou see الأَصواءَthe cairns فيهِin it كَأَنَّهاas though they were
قَديمٌ تَرى الأَصواءَ فيهِ كَأَنَّها
رِجالٌmen قِيامٌstanding عُصِّبواtheir heads wrapped بِسُبوبِin strips of cloth
رِجالٌ قِيامٌ عُصِّبوا بِسُبوبِ
An ancient track, where you see the cairns as though
they were standing men, their heads wrapped in cloth.
يَعُمنَthey swim بِناbearing us عَومَwith the swimming of السَفينِships إِذاwhen اِنجَلَتclears away
يَعُمنَ بِنا عَومَ السَفينِ إِذا اِنجَلَت
سَحابَةُthe cloud of وَضّاحِdazzling السَرابِmirage خَبوبِquivering
سَحابَةُ وَضّاحِ السَرابِ خَبوبِ
They swim with us like ships, when there clears
the cloud of a dazzling, quivering mirage.
إِلَيكَtoward you أَباO father of حَربٍḤarb تَدافَعنَthey surged together بَعدَماafter
إِلَيكَ أَبا حَربٍ تَدافَعنَ بَعدَما
وَصَلنَthey joined لِشَمسٍfor the sun مَطلِعاًa rising بِغُروبِto a setting
وَصَلنَ لِشَمسٍ مَطلِعاً بِغُروبِ
Toward you, Abū Ḥarb, they surged, after
joining the sun's rising to its setting—
إِلىto مُستَقِلٍّone who bears up بِالنَوائِبِunder calamities واصِلِmaintaining الthe
إِلى مُستَقِلٍّ بِالنَوائِبِ واصِلِ ال
قَرابَةِkinship فَيّاضِoverflowing اليَدَينِin both hands وَهوبِlavishly giving
قَرابَةِ فَيّاضِ اليَدَينِ وَهوبِ
to one who shoulders calamities and upholds the bonds of
kinship, his hands overflowing, lavish in giving.
وَماand not أَرضُthe land of عَبّادٍʿAbbād إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle هَبَطتَهاyou descend into it
وَما أَرضُ عَبّادٍ إِذا ما هَبَطتَها
بِحَزنٍrugged وَلاnor أَعطانُهاits camel-watering grounds بِجُدوبِbarren
بِحَزنٍ وَلا أَعطانُها بِجُدوبِ
And the land of ʿAbbād, when you descend into it,
is not rugged, nor are its watering grounds barren.
رَبيعٌa springtime لِهُلّاكِfor the perishing of الحِجازِthe Hijaz إِذاwhen اِرتَمَتclashed
رَبيعٌ لِهُلّاكِ الحِجازِ إِذا اِرتَمَت
رِياحُthe winds of الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades مِنfrom صَباًthe east wind وَجَنوبِand the south wind
رِياحُ الثُرَيّا مِن صَباً وَجَنوبِ
He is springtime for the starving of the Hijaz, when there clash
the Pleiades' winds, easterly and southerly,
وَطارَتand flew off بِأَكنافِwith the sides of البُيوتِthe tents وَحارَدَتand ceased yielding milk
وَطارَت بِأَكنافِ البُيوتِ وَحارَدَت
عَنِfrom الضَيفِthe guest وَالجيرانِand the neighbors كُلُّevery حَلوبِmilch-beast
عَنِ الضَيفِ وَالجيرانِ كُلُّ حَلوبِ
and carry off the tents' sides, while milk is withheld
from guest and neighbors by every milch-beast.
إِلَيهِtoward him أَشارَpointed الناظِرونَthe onlookers كَأَنَّهُas though he were
إِلَيهِ أَشارَ الناظِرونَ كَأَنَّهُ
هِلالٌa crescent بَداappeared مِنfrom قُتمَةٍmurky darkness وَغُيوبِand concealment
هِلالٌ بَدا مِن قُتمَةٍ وَغُيوبِ
The onlookers pointed to him, as though he were
a crescent emerging from murk and concealment.
وَلَولاand were it not for أَبوthe father of حَربٍḤarb وَفَضلُand the abundance of نَوالِهِhis bounty
وَلَولا أَبو حَربٍ وَفَضلُ نَوالِهِ
عَلَيناupon us أَذاناwould have harmed us دَهرُناour times بِخُطوبِwith calamities
عَلَينا أَذانا دَهرُنا بِخُطوبِ
Were it not for Abū Ḥarb and his abundant bounty
to us, our times would have afflicted us with calamities.
حَبانيhe favored me بِطِرفٍwith a noble steed أَعوَجِيٍّAʿwajī-bred وَقَينَةٍand a singing slave-girl
حَباني بِطِرفٍ أَعوَجِيٍّ وَقَينَةٍ
مِنَfrom among البَربَرِيّاتِthe Berber women الحِسانِthe beautiful لَعوبِplayful
مِنَ البَربَرِيّاتِ الحِسانِ لَعوبِ
He favored me with a noble Aʿwajī steed and a singing slave-girl,
a playful one among the beautiful Berber women.
وَحَمّالُand a bearer of أَثقالٍburdens وَفَرّاجُand a reliever of غَمرَةٍdistress
وَحَمّالُ أَثقالٍ وَفَرّاجُ غَمرَةٍ
وَغَيثٌand rain لِمَجلومِfor one stripped of السَوامِgrazing livestock حَريبِplundered
وَغَيثٌ لِمَجلومِ السَوامِ حَريبِ
A bearer of burdens, a dispeller of distress,
and rain for the plundered man stripped of his herds.
كَريمُgenerous in مَناخِthe lodging of الضَيفِthe guest لاnot عاتِمُdelaying القِرىthe guest-meal
كَريمُ مَناخِ الضَيفِ لا عاتِمُ القِرى
وَلاnor عِندَat أَطرافِthe points of القَناspears بِهَيوبِtimid
وَلا عِندَ أَطرافِ القَنا بِهَيوبِ
Generous in lodging guests, never delaying their meal,
nor timid before the spearpoints.
كَثيرٌabundant بِكَفَّيهِin his two hands النَدىbounty حينَwhen يُعتَرىhe is sought out
كَثيرٌ بِكَفَّيهِ النَدى حينَ يُعتَرى
عَشِيَّةَat evening لاnot جافٍbrusque وَلاnor بِغَضوبِquick-tempered
عَشِيَّةَ لا جافٍ وَلا بِغَضوبِ
Bounty abounds in his hands when he is sought out
at evening—never brusque, never quick to anger.
عَروفٌfully aware لِحَقِّof the right of السائِلينَsuppliants كَأَنَّهُas though he were
عَروفٌ لِحَقِّ السائِلينَ كَأَنَّهُ
بِعَقرِby hamstringing المَتاليnursing she-camels طالِبٌseeking requital بِذُنوبِfor wrongs
بِعَقرِ المَتالي طالِبٌ بِذُنوبِ
He knows the rights of suppliants, as though he were
exacting vengeance for wrongs by hamstringing nursing camels.
تَرىyou see مُترَعَbrimming الشيزىshīzā-wood bowls يَزينُadorns فُروعَهاtheir tops
تَرى مُترَعَ الشيزى يَزينُ فُروعَها
عَبائِطُfreshly slaughtered beasts مِتلافِa lavish spender اليَدَينِwith both hands خَصيبِbountiful
عَبائِطُ مِتلافِ اليَدَينِ خَصيبِ
You see the brimming shīzā-wood bowls, their tops adorned
with fresh-slaughtered meat from a lavish, bountiful giver.
كَأَنَّas though سِباعَthe beasts of prey of الغيلِthe thicket وَالطَيرَand the birds تَعتَفيcome seeking bounty
كَأَنَّ سِباعَ الغيلِ وَالطَيرَ تَعتَفي
مَلاحِمَthe slaughter-fields of نَقّاضِan avenger of التِراتِblood-debts طَلوبِrelentless in pursuit
مَلاحِمَ نَقّاضِ التِراتِ طَلوبِ
As though the beasts of the thicket and the birds sought bounty
at the slaughter-fields of a relentless avenger of blood-debts.
Sol 6.1