إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle قُلتُI say قَدalready صالَحتُI made peace with بَكراًBakr
إِذا ما قُلتُ قَد صالَحتُ بَكراً
أَبىrefused الأَضغانُthe grudges وَالنَسَبُand the kinship البَعيدُdistant
أَبى الأَضغانُ وَالنَسَبُ البَعيدُ
Whenever I say, “I have made peace with Bakr,”
If I say I've made peace with Bakr
grudges and distant kinship refuse it,
The grudges and distant lineage refuse
وَمُهراقُand the shedding of الدِماءِblood بِوارِداتٍat Wāridāt
وَمُهراقُ الدِماءِ بِوارِداتٍ
تَبيدُfade away المُخزِياتُthe disgraces وَلاbut not تَبيدُfade away
تَبيدُ المُخزِياتُ وَلا تَبيدُ
and the bloodshed at Wāridāt—
And the shedders of blood with fresh attacks
disgraces fade, but that bloodshed does not.
Destroy the disgraced but not destroyed
وَأَيّامٌand days لَناfor us وَلَهُمand for them طِوالٌlong
وَأَيّامٌ لَنا وَلَهُم طِوالٌ
يَعَضُّbites الهامَthe skulls فيهِنَّduring them الحَديدُiron
يَعَضُّ الهامَ فيهِنَّ الحَديدُ
And long days for us and for them,
And we and they have days prolonged
in which iron bites into skulls.
In them iron bites the zealous soul
هُماthe two of them أَخَوانِtwo brothers يَصطَلِيانِboth warm themselves at ناراًa fire
هُما أَخَوانِ يَصطَلِيانِ ناراً
رِداءُthe mantle of المَوتِdeath بَينَهُماbetween the two of them جَديدُfresh
رِداءُ المَوتِ بَينَهُما جَديدُ
They are two brothers warming themselves at a fire;
They're two brothers warming at a fire
death’s mantle is fresh between them.
The new cloak of death between the two
يَشولُraises its tail اِبنُthe son of اللَبونِthe lactating she-camel إِذاwhen رَآنيsees me
يَشولُ اِبنُ اللَبونِ إِذا رَآني
وَيَخشانيand fears me الضُواضِيَةُthe huge bull camel المُعيدُthe seasoned breeding male
وَيَخشاني الضُواضِيَةُ المُعيدُ
The two-year-old camel raises its tail when it sees me,
Son of Laboon looks at me awry
and the huge, seasoned bull camel fears me.
And the fickle raiders fear me too
أَتوعِدُنيdo they threaten me? الوِبارُthe hyraxes بَنوthe sons of سُلَيمٍSulaym
أَتوعِدُني الوِبارُ بَنو سُلَيمٍ
وَماand not تَحميdefend الوِبارُthe hyraxes وَلاnor تَصيدُhunt
وَما تَحمي الوِبارُ وَلا تَصيدُ
Do the hyraxes threaten me—the sons of Sulaym?
Do the hyenas, Bano Suleym, threaten me?
And the hyraxes neither defend nor hunt.
Hyenas neither protect nor hunt
وَماand not جَرَحَتwounded يَديmy hand بِبَنيagainst the sons of سُلَيمٍSulaym
وَما جَرَحَت يَدي بِبَني سُلَيمٍ
وَلاnor شِعريmy verse فَيَهجونيso he should lampoon me الشَريدُthe outcast
وَلا شِعري فَيَهجوني الشَريدُ
And my hand has not wounded the sons of Sulaym,
My hand did no harm to Bano Suleym
nor has my verse, that the outcast should lampoon me.
Nor did my poetry, though the outcast raves
وَلَولاand were it not for أَنthat أُخَشِّنَI would vex صَدرَthe breast of مَعنٍMaʿn
وَلَولا أَن أُخَشِّنَ صَدرَ مَعنٍ
وَعُتبَةَand ʿUtba قامَwould rise بِالحَرَمِin the Sacred Precinct النَشيدُthe chant
وَعُتبَةَ قامَ بِالحَرَمِ النَشيدُ
And were it not that I would vex the heart of Maʿn
If I didn't fear saddening Ma'n's heart
and ʿUtba, the chant would rise in the Sacred Precinct.
And noble Utbah standing guard at the inviolate house
Sol 6.1