أَعاذِلَO reproaching woman ماwhat عَلَيكِupon you بِأَنin that تَرَينيyou see me
أَعاذِلَ ما عَلَيكِ بِأَن تَرَيني
أُباكِرُI seek at dawn قَهوَةًwine فيهاin it اِحمِرارُredness
أُباكِرُ قَهوَةً فيها اِحمِرارُ
O reproaching woman, what harm is it to you to see me
take reddish wine at dawn?
تَضَمَّنُهاcontain it نُفوسُthe selves of الشَربِthe drinkers حَتّىuntil
تَضَمَّنُها نُفوسُ الشَربِ حَتّى
يَروحواthey leave at evening فيin عُيونِهِمِtheir eyes اِنكِسارُdrooping
يَروحوا في عُيونِهِمِ اِنكِسارُ
The drinkers take it into themselves until
they leave at evening, their eyes drooping.
تَواعَدَهاarranged for it together التِجارُthe merchants إِلىfor إِناهاits ripening
تَواعَدَها التِجارُ إِلى إِناها
فَأَطلَعَهاthen brought it إِلىto العَرَبِthe Arabs التِجارُthe merchants
فَأَطلَعَها إِلى العَرَبِ التِجارُ
The merchants arranged for it at its ripening;
then the merchants brought it to the Arabs.
فَأَعطَيناso we paid الغَلاءَthe high price بِهاfor it وَكانَتand it would
فَأَعطَينا الغَلاءَ بِها وَكانَت
تَأبىrefuse أَوunless يَكونَthere was لَهاfor it يَسارُwealth
تَأبى أَو يَكونَ لَها يَسارُ
So we paid dearly for it, and it would
refuse unless there was wealth to pay for it.
أَعاذِلَO reproaching woman توشِكينَyou will soon بِأَنto تَرَينيsee me
أَعاذِلَ توشِكينَ بِأَن تَرَيني
صَريعاًstruck down لاnot أَزورُI visit وَلاnor أُزارُam I visited
صَريعاً لا أَزورُ وَلا أُزارُ
O reproaching woman, you will soon see me
lying stricken, neither visiting nor visited,
إِذاwhen خَفَقَتshimmered عَلَيَّover me وَأَلبَسَتنيand clothed me
إِذا خَفَقَت عَلَيَّ وَأَلبَسَتني
مَلامِعَthe gleams of آلِهاtheir mirage البيدُthe deserts القِفارُthe barren wastes
مَلامِعَ آلِها البيدُ القِفارُ
when they shimmer over me and clothe me—
the barren deserts—in the gleams of their mirage.
لَعَمرُby the life of أَبيmy father لَئِنeven if قَومٌsome people أَضاعواfailed us
لَعَمرُ أَبي لَئِن قَومٌ أَضاعوا
لِنِعمَindeed, excellent is أَخوa man of الحِفاظِsteadfast loyalty لَناfor us جِدارُJidar
لِنِعمَ أَخو الحِفاظِ لَنا جِدارُ
By my father's life, even if some people failed us,
Jidar is indeed a fine guardian of our honor!
حَماناhe protected us حينَwhen أَعوَرناwe were exposed وَخِفناand we feared
حَمانا حينَ أَعوَرنا وَخِفنا
وَأَطعَمَand he fed people حينَwhen يُتَّبَعُwas sought القُتارُthe scent of roasting meat
وَأَطعَمَ حينَ يُتَّبَعُ القُتارُ
He protected us when we were exposed and afraid,
and fed people when the scent of roasting meat was sought.
فَأَوقَدَso he kindled نارَa fire of مَكرُمَةٍgenerosity وَمَجدٍand glory
فَأَوقَدَ نارَ مَكرُمَةٍ وَمَجدٍ
فَلَمso not توقَدwas kindled مَعَbeside الجُشَمِيِّal-Jushami نارُa fire
فَلَم توقَد مَعَ الجُشَمِيِّ نارُ
So he kindled a fire of generosity and glory;
no fire was kindled beside al-Jushami's.
وَأَطعَمَand he fed people أَشهُرَthe months of الشَهباءِthe ashen drought حَتّىuntil
وَأَطعَمَ أَشهُرَ الشَهباءِ حَتّى
تَضَرَّجَburst forth عَنfrom مَنابِتِهِits growing places الحَسارُthe hasar plant
تَضَرَّجَ عَن مَنابِتِهِ الحَسارُ
He fed people through the months of the ashen drought, until
the hasar plant burst forth from its growing places.
فَإِذso when دَرَّتit yielded milk بِكَفِّكَin your hand فَاِحتَلِبهاthen milk it
فَإِذ دَرَّت بِكَفِّكَ فَاِحتَلِبها
وَلاand do not تَكُbe دِرَّةًa flow of milk فيهاin it غِرارُscantness
وَلا تَكُ دِرَّةً فيها غِرارُ
So when it yields milk into your hand, milk it;
and do not be a flow of milk with scant yield.
وَأَمسِكand keep hold عَنكَfor yourself بِالطَرَفَينِof both ends حَتّىuntil
وَأَمسِك عَنكَ بِالطَرَفَينِ حَتّى
تَبَيَّنَyou discern أَينَwhere يَصرِفُكَit turns you المَغارُthe foray
تَبَيَّنَ أَينَ يَصرِفُكَ المَغارُ
And keep both ends in hand until
you discern where the foray will take you.
فَإِنَّfor indeed عَواقِبَthe outcomes of الأَيّامِthe days تُخشىare feared
فَإِنَّ عَواقِبَ الأَيّامِ تُخشى
دَوائِرُهاtheir reversals وَتَنتَقِلُand change الدِيارُthe dwelling places
دَوائِرُها وَتَنتَقِلُ الدِيارُ
For the outcomes of days are feared—
their reversals—and dwelling places change.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَhave learned النِساءُthe women إِذاwhen اِلتَقَيناwe meet
وَقَد عَلِمَ النِساءُ إِذا اِلتَقَينا
وَهُنَّand they وَراءَناbehind us أَنّاthat we نَغارُjealously protect
وَهُنَّ وَراءَنا أَنّا نَغارُ
The women know, when we meet in battle,
with them behind us, that we jealously guard their honor.
تَرَبَّعناwe settled for spring in الجَزيرَةَal-Jazira بَعدَafter قَيسٍQays
تَرَبَّعنا الجَزيرَةَ بَعدَ قَيسٍ
فَأَضحَتso it became وَهيَwhile it was مِنof قَيسٍQays قِفارُempty
فَأَضحَت وَهيَ مِن قَيسٍ قِفارُ
We settled for spring in al-Jazira after Qays;
and it lay deserted, empty of Qays.
يُزَجّونَthey drive الحَميرَthe donkeys بِأَرضِthrough the land of نَجدٍNajd
يُزَجّونَ الحَميرَ بِأَرضِ نَجدٍ
وَماand not لَهُمُfor them مِنَin الأَمرِthe matter الخِيارُthe choice
وَما لَهُمُ مِنَ الأَمرِ الخِيارُ
They drive donkeys through the land of Najd,
and have no choice in the matter.
رَأَواthey saw ثَغراًa frontier تُحيطُcircle بِهِaround it المَناياdeath
رَأَوا ثَغراً تُحيطُ بِهِ المَنايا
وَأَكبَدَand a massive stronghold ماnot تُغَيِّرُهُalter it الغِيارُraids
وَأَكبَدَ ما تُغَيِّرُهُ الغِيارُ
They saw a frontier encircled by death,
and a massive stronghold no raids can alter.
تُساميrivals in height مارِدونَMardun بِهِwith it الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades
تُسامي مارِدونَ بِهِ الثُرَيّا
فَأَيديso the hands of الناسِpeople دونَهُماshort of them both قِصارُare short
فَأَيدي الناسِ دونَهُما قِصارُ
With it, Mardun rivals the Pleiades in height;
people's hands fall short of reaching either.
وَأَولادُand the offspring of الصَريحِpure stock مُسَوَّماتٍmarked
وَأَولادُ الصَريحِ مُسَوَّماتٍ
عَلَيهاupon them الأُزدُthe lions غُضفاًdrooping-eared وَالنِمارُand the leopards
عَلَيها الأُزدُ غُضفاً وَالنِمارُ
And marked offspring of pure stock,
with drooping-eared lions and leopards upon them;
شَوازِبَgaunt كَالقَناlike spear-shafts قَدalready كانَthere was فيهاin them
شَوازِبَ كَالقَنا قَد كانَ فيها
مِنَfrom الغاراتِthe raids وَالغَزوِand campaigning اِقوِرارُwasting
مِنَ الغاراتِ وَالغَزوِ اِقوِرارُ
gaunt as spear-shafts, they had suffered
a wasting from raids and campaigning.
ذَوابِلَwasted كُلَّevery سَلهَبَةٍlong-limbed mare خَنوفٍswinging-gaited
ذَوابِلَ كُلَّ سَلهَبَةٍ خَنوفٍ
وَأَجرَدَand a sleek stallion ماnot يُثَبِّطُهُslows him الخَبارُloose ground
وَأَجرَدَ ما يُثَبِّطُهُ الخَبارُ
Wasted—every long-limbed, swinging-gaited mare,
and every sleek stallion that loose ground cannot slow.
فَأَترَزَso dried لَحمَهُhis flesh التَعداءُhard running حَتّىuntil
فَأَترَزَ لَحمَهُ التَعداءُ حَتّى
بَدَتappeared مِنهُfrom him الجَناجِنُthe chest bones وَالفَقارُand the vertebrae
بَدَت مِنهُ الجَناجِنُ وَالفَقارُ
Hard running dried his flesh until
his chest bones and vertebrae stood out.
وَقَدand indeed قَلِقَتhung loose قِلادَةُthe collar of كُلِّevery غَوجٍsupple stallion
وَقَد قَلِقَت قِلادَةُ كُلِّ غَوجٍ
يُطِفنَthey circle بِهِaround him كَماas قَلِقَshifted loosely السِوارُthe bracelet
يُطِفنَ بِهِ كَما قَلِقَ السِوارُ
And every supple stallion's collar hung loose;
they circle about him as a bracelet shifts.
تَراهُyou see him كَأَنَّهُas though he were سِرحانُa wolf of طَلٍّdew
تَراهُ كَأَنَّهُ سِرحانُ طَلٍّ
زَهاهُroused him يَومَon a day of رائِحَةٍan evening raincloud قِطارُrain showers
زَهاهُ يَومَ رائِحَةٍ قِطارُ
You see him as though a wolf in the dew,
roused by showers on a day of evening rain.
فَأَبقىso left الحَربُwar وَاللَزَباتُand hardships مِنهاof them
فَأَبقى الحَربُ وَاللَزَباتُ مِنها
صَلادِمَsturdy mares ماnot تَخَوَّنُهاdiminish them المِهارُfoals
صَلادِمَ ما تَخَوَّنُها المِهارُ
War and hardships left of them
sturdy mares whose strength no foals diminish.
أَلَمdid not تَرَنيyou see me أَجَرتُI granted protection to بَنيthe sons of فُقَيمٍFuqaym
أَلَم تَرَني أَجَرتُ بَني فُقَيمٍ
بِحَيثُwhere غَلاgrew costly عَلىfor مُضَرَMudar الجِوارُprotection
بِحَيثُ غَلا عَلى مُضَرَ الجِوارُ
Did you not see me give sanctuary to Banu Fuqaym
where protection cost Mudar dearly,
بِعاجِنَةِat Ajinat الرَحوبِal-Rahub فَلَمso not يَسيرواthey departed
بِعاجِنَةِ الرَحوبِ فَلَم يَسيروا
وَسُيِّرَand were driven away غَيرُهُمothers besides them مِنهاfrom it فَسارواso they departed
وَسُيِّرَ غَيرُهُم مِنها فَساروا
at Ajinat al-Rahub? They did not leave,
while others were driven from it, and departed.
Sol 6.1