لَمَيثاءَfor Maytha دارٌa dwelling قَدalready تَعَفَّتhave been effaced طُلولُهاits traces
لَمَيثاءَ دارٌ قَد تَعَفَّت طُلولُها
عَفَتهاeffaced them نَضيضاتُlight showers الصَباthe east wind فَمَسيلُهاthen their runoff
عَفَتها نَضيضاتُ الصَبا فَمَسيلُها
Maytha has a dwelling whose traces have faded away.
The east wind’s light showers effaced them, then their runoff.
لِماfor what قَدalready تَعَفّىhas been effaced مِنof رَمادٍashes وَعَرصَةٍand a courtyard
لِما قَد تَعَفّى مِن رَمادٍ وَعَرصَةٍ
بَكَيتُI wept وَهَلand will يَبكيweep إِلَيكَto you مُحيلُهاits timeworn ground
بَكَيتُ وَهَل يَبكي إِلَيكَ مُحيلُها
For what had vanished—ashes and an open courtyard—
I wept; but will its timeworn ground weep back to you?
لَمَيثاءَfor Maytha إِذwhen كانَتshe was وَأَهلُكَand your people جيرَةٌneighbors
لَمَيثاءَ إِذ كانَت وَأَهلُكَ جيرَةٌ
رِئاءٌwithin sight of one another وَإِذand when يُفضيcomes privately إِلَيكَto you رَسولُهاher messenger
رِئاءٌ وَإِذ يُفضي إِلَيكَ رَسولُها
For Maytha, when she and your people were neighbors,
Within sight of one another, and when her messenger came privately to you;
وَإِذand when تَحسِبُyou thought الحُبَّlove الدَخيلَdeep-seated لَجاجَةًstubborn persistence
وَإِذ تَحسِبُ الحُبَّ الدَخيلَ لَجاجَةً
مِنَthrough الدَهرِtime لاnot تُمنىyou are afflicted بِشَيءٍwith anything يُزيلُهاthat dispels it
مِنَ الدَهرِ لا تُمنى بِشَيءٍ يُزيلُها
And when you thought deep-seated love would stubbornly endure,
Through time, with nothing befalling you to dispel it.
وَإِنّيand I indeed عَدانيkept me away عَنكِfrom you لَوif only تَعلَمينَهُyou knew it
وَإِنّي عَداني عَنكِ لَو تَعلَمينَهُ
مَوازِئُcalamities لَمdid not يُنزِلstrike down سِوايَanyone but me جَليلُهاtheir gravest
مَوازِئُ لَم يُنزِل سِوايَ جَليلُها
Yet I was kept from you—if only you knew—
By calamities whose gravest struck down none but me:
مَصارِعُthe deaths of إِخوانٍbrothers وَفَخرُand the boasting of قَبيلَةٍa tribe
مَصارِعُ إِخوانٍ وَفَخرُ قَبيلَةٍ
عَلَيناover us كَأَنّاas though we لَيسَwere not مِنّاamong us قَبيلُهاits clan
عَلَينا كَأَنّا لَيسَ مِنّا قَبيلُها
The deaths of brothers, and a tribe’s boasting
Over us, as though its clan did not belong among us.
تَعالَواcome فَإِنَّfor indeed العِلمَknowledge عِندَwith ذَويthose possessed of النُهىreason
تَعالَوا فَإِنَّ العِلمَ عِندَ ذَوي النُهى
مِنَamong الناسِpeople كَالبَلقاءِlike a piebald mare بادٍplainly visible حُجولُهاher white stockings
مِنَ الناسِ كَالبَلقاءِ بادٍ حُجولُها
Come, for knowledge among those possessed of reason
Among men is like a piebald mare whose white stockings show.
نُعاطيكُمُwe deal with you بِالحَقِّwith justice حَتّىuntil تَبَيَّنواyou discern
نُعاطيكُمُ بِالحَقِّ حَتّى تَبَيَّنوا
عَلىupon أَيِّناwhich of us تُؤديdischarge الحُقوقَthe rightful dues فُضولُهاtheir outstanding balances
عَلى أَيِّنا تُؤدي الحُقوقَ فُضولُها
We shall deal with you justly until you discern
Which of us must discharge the outstanding dues.
وَإِلّاotherwise فَعودواthen return بِالهُجَيمِwith al-Hujaym وَمازِنٍand Mazin
وَإِلّا فَعودوا بِالهُجَيمِ وَمازِنٍ
وَشَيبانُand Shayban عِنديwith me جَمُّهاits multitudes وَحَفيلُهاand its gathered host
وَشَيبانُ عِندي جَمُّها وَحَفيلُها
Otherwise, return with al-Hujaym and Mazin;
And Shayban is with me, its multitudes and its gathered host.
أولَئِكَthose حُكّامُthe arbiters of العَشيرَةِthe tribe كُلِّهاall of it
أولَئِكَ حُكّامُ العَشيرَةِ كُلِّها
وَساداتُهاand its lords فيماin whatever يَنوبُbefalls وَجولُهاand its mainstay
وَساداتُها فيما يَنوبُ وَجولُها
Those are the arbiters of the whole tribe,
Its lords when trouble comes, and its mainstay.
مَتىwhenever أَدعُI summon مِنهُمfrom among them ناصِريmy supporter تَأتِcome مِنهُمُfrom them
مَتى أَدعُ مِنهُم ناصِري تَأتِ مِنهُمُ
كَراديسُmassed squadrons مَأمونٌunfeared عَلَيَّby me خُذولُهاtheir desertion
كَراديسُ مَأمونٌ عَلَيَّ خُذولُها
Whenever I summon my supporter among them, from them come
Massed squadrons whose desertion I need not fear.
رِعالاًin successive bands كَأَمثالِlike swarms of الجَرادِlocusts لِخَيلِهِمtheir horses have
رِعالاً كَأَمثالِ الجَرادِ لِخَيلِهِم
عُكوبٌswarming إِذاwhen ثابَتthey rally سَريعٌswift نُزولُهاtheir descent
عُكوبٌ إِذا ثابَت سَريعٌ نُزولُها
In bands like swarms of locusts; their horses
Swarm together; when they rally, swift is their descent.
فَإِنّيfor I بِحَمدِwith praise to اللَهِGod لَمhave not أَفتَقِدكُمُmissed you
فَإِنّي بِحَمدِ اللَهِ لَم أَفتَقِدكُمُ
إِذاwhen ضَمَّbrought together هَمّاماًHammam إِلَيَّto me حُلولُهاits encamped clans
إِذا ضَمَّ هَمّاماً إِلَيَّ حُلولُها
For, praise be to God, I have not missed you,
When their encampments brought Hammam to my side.
أَجارَتُكُمis your female neighbor بَسلٌinviolable عَلَيناto us مُحَرَّمٌforbidden
أَجارَتُكُم بَسلٌ عَلَينا مُحَرَّمٌ
وَجارَتُناwhile our female neighbor حِلٌّlawful prey لَكُمfor you وَحَليلُهاand her husband
وَجارَتُنا حِلٌّ لَكُم وَحَليلُها
Is your neighbor inviolable, forbidden to us,
While our neighbor and her husband are lawful prey for you?
فَإِنso if كانَis هَذاthis حُكمُكُمyour judgment فيconcerning قَبيلَةٍa tribe
فَإِن كانَ هَذا حُكمُكُم في قَبيلَةٍ
فَإِنand if رَضِيَتit accepts هَذاthis فَقَلَّthen may it dwindle قَليلُهاits small number
فَإِن رَضِيَت هَذا فَقَلَّ قَليلُها
If this is your judgment concerning a tribe,
And it accepts this, may its few become fewer still!
فَإِنّيfor I وَرَبِّby the Lord of الساجِدينَthose prostrating themselves عَشِيَّةًat evening
فَإِنّي وَرَبِّ الساجِدينَ عَشِيَّةً
وَماand by the act of صَكَّstriking ناقوسَthe bell of النَصارىthe Christians أَبيلُهاtheir monk
وَما صَكَّ ناقوسَ النَصارى أَبيلُها
For I, by the Lord of those who prostrate themselves at evening,
And by their monk’s striking of the Christians’ bell,
أُصالِحُكُمI make peace with you حَتّىuntil تَبوؤواyou incur بِمِثلِهاthe like of it
أُصالِحُكُم حَتّى تَبوؤوا بِمِثلِها
كَصَرخَةِlike the scream of حُبلىa pregnant woman يَسَّرَتهاhelped her deliver قَبولُهاher midwife
كَصَرخَةِ حُبلى يَسَّرَتها قَبولُها
Will not make peace with you until you have suffered its like—
Like the scream of a woman in labor, helped by her midwife.
تَناهَيتُمُyou desisted عَنّاfrom us وَقَدwhen already كانَthere were فيكُمُamong you
تَناهَيتُمُ عَنّا وَقَد كانَ فيكُمُ
أَساوِدُblack serpents صَرعىlying slain لَمnot يُوَسَّدwas pillowed قَتيلُهاtheir slain
أَساوِدُ صَرعى لَم يُوَسَّد قَتيلُها
You desisted from us, when already among you lay
Black serpents slain, their dead left unpillowed.
وَإِنَّand indeed اِمرَأًa man يَسعىstrives لِيَقتُلَto kill قاتِلاًa killer
وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً يَسعى لِيَقتُلَ قاتِلاً
عَداءًout of hostility مُعِدٌّpreparing جَهلَةًa reckless deed لاnot يُقيلُهاundo it
عَداءً مُعِدٌّ جَهلَةً لا يُقيلُها
And a man who strives to kill a killer
Out of hostility prepares a folly he cannot undo.
وَلَسناand we are not بِذيpossessed of عِزٍّmight وَلَسناnor are we بِكُفئهِhis equals
وَلَسنا بِذي عِزٍّ وَلَسنا بِكُفئهِ
كَماas حَدَّثَتهُhave told him نَفسُهاits own soul وَدَخيلُهاand its confidant
كَما حَدَّثَتهُ نَفسُها وَدَخيلُها
We have no might, nor are we his equals—
As its own soul and its confidant have told him.
وَيُخبِرُكُمand tells you حُمرانُHumran أَنَّthat بَناتِناour daughters
وَيُخبِرُكُم حُمرانُ أَنَّ بَناتِنا
سَيُهزَلنَwill grow lean إِنif لَمdo not يَرفَعِdrive onward العيرَthe caravan ميلُهاits unarmed escorts
سَيُهزَلنَ إِن لَم يَرفَعِ العيرَ ميلُها
And Humran tells you that our daughters
Will grow lean unless the caravan’s unarmed escorts drive it onward.
فَعيرُكُمُbut your caravan كانَتwas أَذَلُّmore abject وَأَرضُكُمand your land
فَعيرُكُمُ كانَت أَذَلُّ وَأَرضُكُم
كَماas قَدalready عَلِمتُمyou know جَدبُهاits barrenness وَمُحولُهاand its drought
كَما قَد عَلِمتُم جَدبُها وَمُحولُها
Yet your caravan was more abject, and your land—
As you well know—is barren and drought-stricken.
فَإِنso if تَمنَعواyou withhold مِنّاfrom us المُشَقَّرَal-Mushaqqar وَالصَفاand al-Safa
فَإِن تَمنَعوا مِنّا المُشَقَّرَ وَالصَفا
فَإِنّاthen we indeed وَجَدناhave found الخَطَّal-Khatt جَمّاًabundant نَخيلُهاits date palms
فَإِنّا وَجَدنا الخَطَّ جَمّاً نَخيلُها
If you bar us from al-Mushaqqar and al-Safa,
We have found al-Khatt, with its abundant date palms.
وَإِنَّand indeed لَناwe have دُرنىDurna فَكُلَّso every عَشِيَّةٍevening
وَإِنَّ لَنا دُرنى فَكُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
يُحَطُّis brought down إِلَيناto us خَمرُهاits wine وَخَميلُهاand its soft-piled cloth
يُحَطُّ إِلَينا خَمرُها وَخَميلُها
And Durna is ours; every evening
Its wine and soft-piled cloth are brought to us.
فَإِنّاfor we indeed وَجَدناhave found النيبَthe aged she-camels إِنif تَفصِدونَهاyou bleed them
فَإِنّا وَجَدنا النيبَ إِن تَفصِدونَها
يُعيشُkeeps alive بَنيناour sons سيئُهاtheir foremilk وَجَميلُهاand their rendered fat
يُعيشُ بَنينا سيئُها وَجَميلُها
For we have found that, if you bleed the aged she-camels,
Their milk and rendered fat keep our sons alive.
أَبِالمَوتِis it with death خَشَّتنيfrightened me عِبادٌIbad وَإِنَّماyet only
أَبِالمَوتِ خَشَّتني عِبادٌ وَإِنَّما
رَأَيتُI have seen مَناياthe deaths of الناسِpeople يَسعىhurries onward دَليلُهاtheir guide
رَأَيتُ مَنايا الناسِ يَسعى دَليلُها
Has Ibad frightened me with death? Yet I have only
Seen men’s deaths, their guide hurrying onward.
فَماfor no ميتَةٌdeath إِنif مِتُّهاI die it غَيرَnot being عاجِزٍhelpless
فَما ميتَةٌ إِن مِتُّها غَيرَ عاجِزٍ
بِعارٍa disgrace إِذاwhen ماever غالَتِtakes unawares النَفسِthe soul غولُهاits destroyer
بِعارٍ إِذا ما غالَتِ النَفسِ غولُها
For no death, if I meet it without weakness,
Is shameful when the soul’s destroyer takes it unawares.
Sol 6.1