بانَdeparted الشَبابُyouth وَرُبَّماand often عَلَّلتُهُI beguiled it
بانَ الشَبابُ وَرُبَّما عَلَّلتُهُ
بِالغانِياتِwith beautiful women وَبِالشَرابِand with wine الأَصهَبِtawny
بِالغانِياتِ وَبِالشَرابِ الأَصهَبِ
Youth has departed, and often I beguiled it
Youth has passed and perhaps I blamed it
With beautiful women and tawny wine.
On the singing girls and the yellow wine.
وَلَقَدand indeed شَرِبتُI drank الخَمرَwine فيin حانوتِهاits tavern
وَلَقَد شَرِبتُ الخَمرَ في حانوتِها
وَلَعِبتُand I played بِالقَيناتِwith the singing slave-girls عَفَّchaste المَلعَبِthe manner of play
وَلَعِبتُ بِالقَيناتِ عَفَّ المَلعَبِ
And I have indeed drunk wine in its tavern,
Indeed I drank wine in its tavern
And played with singing slave-girls, chaste in my play.
And played with the glasses, a reckless game.
وَلَقَدand indeed أُوَكَّلُI am assigned بِالمُدَجَّجِagainst the armored warrior تُتَّقىis warded off
وَلَقَد أُوَكَّلُ بِالمُدَجَّجِ تُتَّقى
بِالسَيفِwith the sword عُرَّتُهُhis scourge كَعُرَّةِlike the scourge of أَجرَبِa mangy beast
بِالسَيفِ عُرَّتُهُ كَعُرَّةِ أَجرَبِ
And I am indeed set against an armored warrior, whose scourge is warded off
I was entrusted with the embroidered robe
With the sword, like the scourge of a mangy beast.
Its collar guarded by the sword, like a mangy hyena.
يَسعىhe hurries إِلَيَّtoward me بِبَزَّهِin his armor وَسِلاحِهِand his weapons
يَسعى إِلَيَّ بِبَزَّهِ وَسِلاحِهِ
يَمشيhe walks بِشِكَّتِهِin his battle gear كَمَشيِlike the gait of الأَنكَبِone lame on one side
يَمشي بِشِكَّتِهِ كَمَشيِ الأَنكَبِ
He hurries toward me in his armor and with his weapons,
He charges at me with his armor and weapon
Walking in his battle gear like one lame on one side.
Walking with his bow like a limping camel.
وَلَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI went out at dawn عَلىto التِجارِthe merchants بِمِسمَحٍwith an open-handed man
وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ عَلى التِجارِ بِمِسمَحٍ
هَرَّتbarked عَواظِلُهُhis reproachful women هَريرَthe barking of الأَكلُبِthe dogs
هَرَّت عَواظِلُهُ هَريرَ الأَكلُبِ
And I have indeed gone at dawn to the merchants with an open-handed man,
And I used to attack the merchants with a whip
Whose reproachful women barked like dogs.
Their camels scattering like howling dogs.
لَذٌّpleasure-loving تُقَبَّلَهُembraced him النَعيمُluxury كَأَنَّماas though
لَذٌّ تُقَبَّلَهُ النَعيمُ كَأَنَّما
مُسِحَتwere anointed تَرائِبُهُhis breastbones بِماءٍwith water مُذهَبِgold-tinted
مُسِحَت تَرائِبُهُ بِماءٍ مُذهَبِ
Pleasure-loving, embraced by luxury, as though
A pleasure kissed by luxury as if
His breast had been anointed with golden water.
Its clothes were washed with scented water.
لَبّاسُa habitual wearer of أَردِيَةِthe robes of المُلوكِkings يَروقُهُdelights him
لَبّاسُ أَردِيَةِ المُلوكِ يَروقُهُ
مِنfrom كُلِّevery مُرتَقَبٍlookout عُيونُthe eyes of الرَبرَبِthe wild-cow herd
مِن كُلِّ مُرتَقَبٍ عُيونُ الرَبرَبِ
A wearer of kings' robes, he is charmed by
Wearing the cloak of kings pleases him
The eyes of the wild-cow herd, from every lookout.
In the eyes of every watcher, a stupid crow.
يَنظُرنَthey gaze مِنthrough خَلَلِthe gaps in السُتورِthe curtains إِذاwhen بَداhe appears
يَنظُرنَ مِن خَلَلِ السُتورِ إِذا بَدا
نَظَرَthe gaze of الهِجانِthe noble white she-camels إِلىtoward الفَنيقِthe pampered camel stallion المُصعَبِthe untamed one
نَظَرَ الهِجانِ إِلى الفَنيقِ المُصعَبِ
They gaze through gaps in the curtains when he appears,
They peek through the curtains when he appears
As noble white she-camels gaze at a pampered, untamed stallion.
The gaze of the runt at the robust Phoenician.
خَضلُever wet الكِئاسِthe cups إِذاwhen تَنَشّىhe grows tipsy لَمnot تَكُنwere
خَضلُ الكِئاسِ إِذا تَنَشّى لَم تَكُن
خُلُفاًunfulfilled مَواعِدُهُhis promises كَبَرقِlike lightning الخُلَّبِthat brings no rain
خُلُفاً مَواعِدُهُ كَبَرقِ الخُلَّبِ
His cups are ever wet; when he grows tipsy, he makes no
The wine bearer, when he moves gracefully, his
Empty promises like lightning that brings no rain.
Promises are not like flashes of dry thunder.
وَإِذاand when تُعُوِّرَتِwas passed around الزُجاجَةُthe bottle لَمnot يَكُنhe was
وَإِذا تُعُوِّرَتِ الزُجاجَةُ لَم يَكُن
عِندَduring الشَرابِdrinking بِفاحِشٍat all foul-mouthed مُتَقَطِّبِscowling
عِندَ الشَرابِ بِفاحِشٍ مُتَقَطِّبِ
And when the bottle is passed around, he is not
And if the bottle is cracked, it is not
Foul-mouthed or scowling while drinking.
At drinking a gross frowner.
إِنَّindeed السُيوفَthe swords غُدُوَّهاtheir morning forays وَرَواحَهاand their evening forays
إِنَّ السُيوفَ غُدُوَّها وَرَواحَها
تَرَكَتleft هَوازِنَHawazin مِثلَlike قَرنِthe horn of الأَعضَبِa broken-horned beast
تَرَكَت هَوازِنَ مِثلَ قَرنِ الأَعضَبِ
Indeed, the swords, in their morning and evening forays,
The swords, their marching and returning
Left Hawazin like the horn of a broken-horned beast.
Left the Hawazin like the horn of a one-eyed goat,
وَتَرَكنَand they left عَمَّكَyour uncle مِنof غَنِيٍّGhani مُمسِكاًholding on
وَتَرَكنَ عَمَّكَ مِن غَنِيٍّ مُمسِكاً
بازاءِopposite مُنخَرِقٍa gaping hole كَجُحرِlike the burrow of الثَعلَبِthe fox
بازاءِ مُنخَرِقٍ كَجُحرِ الثَعلَبِ
And they left your uncle of Ghani holding fast
And left your uncle, though once wealthy,
Before a gaping hole like a fox's burrow.
Next to a ragged hole like a fox’s burrow.
وَتَرَكنَand they left فَلَّthe routed remnant of بَنيthe sons of سُلَيمٍSulaym تابِعاًfollowing
وَتَرَكنَ فَلَّ بَني سُلَيمٍ تابِعاً
لِبَنيafter the sons of ضَبينَةَDabinah كَاِتِّباعِlike the following of التَولَبِa donkey foal
لِبَني ضَبينَةَ كَاِتِّباعِ التَولَبِ
And they left the routed remnant of Banu Sulaym following
They left the Bani Sulaym followers
Banu Dabinah, as a donkey foal follows.
Of the Bani Dhubyanah like following a fox’s cubs.
أَلقواcast off البِرينَthe nose-rings بَنيsons of سُلَيمٍSulaym إِنَّهاindeed they
أَلقوا البِرينَ بَني سُلَيمٍ إِنَّها
شانَتhave disgraced وَإِنَّand indeed حَزازَهاtheir sting لَمnot يَذهَبِhas faded
شانَت وَإِنَّ حَزازَها لَم يَذهَبِ
Cast off the nose-rings, Banu Sulaym, for they
Cast off the mail coats, O Bani Sulaym,
Have disgraced you, and indeed their sting has not faded.
They are disgraced and their edges did not vanish.
وَلَقَدand indeed عَلِمتُI knew بِأَنَّهاthat they إِذwhen عُلِّقَتwere fastened
وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّها إِذ عُلِّقَت
سِمَةُthe mark of الذَليلِthe abased بِكُلِّon every أَنفٍnose مُغضَبِenraged
سِمَةُ الذَليلِ بِكُلِّ أَنفٍ مُغضَبِ
And I knew well that, when fastened, they were
I knew when the brand of humiliation was hung
The mark of the abased on every enraged nose.
On every angry snout.
وَالخَيلُand the horses تَعدوgallop بِالكُماةِwith the armored warriors كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَالخَيلُ تَعدو بِالكُماةِ كَأَنَّها
أُسدُlions الغَياطِلِthe dense thickets مِنfrom فَوارِسِthe horsemen of تَغلِبِTaghlib
أُسدُ الغَياطِلِ مِن فَوارِسِ تَغلِبِ
And the horses gallop with armored warriors, as though they were
The horses gallop with the brave warriors as if
Lions of dense thickets—their riders horsemen of Taghlib.
They are lions of battle from the knights of Taghlib.
Sol 6.1