لاdo not تَخَلsuppose أَنَّنيthat I لَقيتُI found رَواحاrelief
لا تَخَل أَنَّني لَقيتُ رَواحا
بَعدَafter صَخرٍSakhr حَتّىuntil أَثَبنَthey brought back نُواحاwailing
بَعدَ صَخرٍ حَتّى أَثَبنَ نُواحا
Do not think that I have found relief
Do not think that I have found comfort
after Sakhr, until they renewed their wailing
After the rock, until grief became audible
مِنfrom ضَميريmy innermost heart بِلَوعَةِwith the burning anguish of الحُزنِgrief حَتّىuntil
مِن ضَميري بِلَوعَةِ الحُزنِ حَتّى
نَكَأَreopened الحُزنُgrief فيin فُؤاديmy heart فِقاحاgaping wounds
نَكَأَ الحُزنُ في فُؤادي فِقاحا
from deep within me, in grief's burning anguish, until
From my conscience, with the agony of sadness, until
grief reopened gaping wounds in my heart.
Sadness gnawed my heart creating wounds
لاdo not تَخَلنيsuppose me أَنّيthat I نَسيتُI forgot وَلاnor بُلwas cooled (word continues)
لا تَخَلني أَنّي نَسيتُ وَلا بُل
لَcompletes 'was cooled' فُؤاديmy heart وَلَوeven if شَرِبتُI drank القَراحاpure water
لَ فُؤادي وَلَو شَرِبتُ القَراحا
Do not think I have forgotten, nor has
Do not think I have forgotten my sorrows
my heart been cooled, even if I drank pure water.
Not even if I drank cups of wine
ذِكرَremembrance of صَخرٍSakhr إِذاwhen ذَكَرتُI recalled نَداهُhis bounty
ذِكرَ صَخرٍ إِذا ذَكَرتُ نَداهُ
عيلَwas exhausted صَبريmy patience بِرُزئِهِby the loss of him ثُمَّthen باحاspoke out
عيلَ صَبري بِرُزئِهِ ثُمَّ باحا
The memory of Sakhr—when I recall his bounty,
When I remember the call of the rock
my patience was spent by his loss, then spoke out.
My patience weakens, then it screams
إِنَّindeed فيin الصَدرِthe breast أَربَعاًfour يَتَجاوَبanswer one another (word continues)
إِنَّ في الصَدرِ أَربَعاً يَتَجاوَب
نَthey (feminine plural ending) حَنيناًwith yearning cries حَتّىuntil كَسَرنَthey broke الجَناحاthe wing
نَ حَنيناً حَتّى كَسَرنَ الجَناحا
Within my breast are four that answer one another
In my chest are four things that echo
with yearning cries, until they broke my wing.
Yearning until they broke my wings
دَقَّcrushed عَظميmy bones وَهاضَand broke مِنّيof mine جَناحيmy wing
دَقَّ عَظمي وَهاضَ مِنّي جَناحي
هُلكُthe death of صَخرٍSakhr فَماso not أُطيقُI can bear بَراحاmovement away
هُلكُ صَخرٍ فَما أُطيقُ بَراحا
My bones were crushed and my wing broken
It cracked my bones and my wings collapsed from me
by Sakhr's death; I cannot bear to stir.
The death of the rock, so I cannot bear comfort
مَنwho لِضَيفٍfor a guest يَحِلُّalights بِالحَيِّamong the tribe عانٍdistressed
مَن لِضَيفٍ يَحِلُّ بِالحَيِّ عانٍ
بَعدَafter صَخرٍSakhr إِذاwhen دَعاهُhe called to him صُياحاaloud
بَعدَ صَخرٍ إِذا دَعاهُ صُياحا
Who will help a distressed guest lodging with the tribe
Who is there for a guest that descends on abode
after Sakhr, when he calls aloud to him?
After the rock, when the screams call him
وَعَلَيهِand upon him أَرامِلُwidows الحَيِّof the tribe وَالسَفand the travelers (word continues)
وَعَلَيهِ أَرامِلُ الحَيِّ وَالسَف
رُcompletes 'travelers' وَمُعتَرُّهُمand their needy visitor بِهِto him قَدalready أَلاحاmade himself visible
رُ وَمُعتَرُّهُم بِهِ قَد أَلاحا
And on him depended the tribe's widows and travelers,
Upon it are the widows of the tribe and the children
and their needy visitor had made himself known to him.
Complaining to him, they have become bold
وَعَطاياand gifts يَهُزُهاhe shakes them forth بِسَماحٍwith generosity
وَعَطايا يَهُزُها بِسَماحٍ
وَطِماحٍand defiance لِمَنfor whoever أَرادَwanted طِماحاdefiance
وَطِماحٍ لِمَن أَرادَ طِماحا
And gifts he shakes forth with generosity,
And gifts he shakes with generosity
and defiance for whoever sought defiance.
And ambition for whoever desires ambition
ظَفِرٌsuccessful بِالأُمورِin affairs جَلدٌsteadfast نَجيبٌnoble
ظَفِرٌ بِالأُمورِ جَلدٌ نَجيبٌ
وَإِذاand when ماever (emphatic) سَماhe rose لِحَربٍto war أَباحاlaid waste
وَإِذا ما سَما لِحَربٍ أَباحا
Successful in affairs, steadfast and noble,
Success in matters, smooth, noble
and whenever he rose to war, he laid waste.
And if he ever went to war, he brought it
وَبِحِلمٍand with forbearance إِذاwhen الجَهولُthe fool اِعتَراهُaccosted him
وَبِحِلمٍ إِذا الجَهولُ اِعتَراهُ
يَردَعُhe restrains الجَهلَfolly بَعدَماafter قَدalready أَشاحاturned aside
يَردَعُ الجَهلَ بَعدَما قَد أَشاحا
And with forbearance, when a fool accosts him,
And with wisdom, if the ignorant blame him
he checks folly after turning aside.
He holds back ignorance, after it had spread
إِنَّنيindeed I قَدalready عَلِمتُI knew وَجدَكَyour passion بِالحَمfor praise (word continues)
إِنَّني قَد عَلِمتُ وَجدَكَ بِالحَم
دِcompletes 'praise' وَإِطلاقَكَand your freeing العُناةَthe captives سَماحاَgenerously
دِ وَإِطلاقَكَ العُناةَ سَماحاَ
I have indeed known your passion for praise,
I know your generosity, and your setting free of enemies, forgiveness
and your freeing of captives out of generosity.
A knight who strikes the battalion with the sword
فارِسٌa horseman يَضرِبُstrikes الكَتيبَةَthe battalion بِالسَيwith the sword (word continues)
فارِسٌ يَضرِبُ الكَتيبَةَ بِالسَي
فِcompletes 'sword' إِذاwhen أَردَفَfollowed العَويلُthe wailing الصُياحاthe shouting
فِ إِذا أَردَفَ العَويلُ الصُياحا
A horseman who strikes the battalion with his sword
When the wailing of women follows the screams
when wailing follows the shouting.
He meets the stab towards the necks with resolve
يُقبِلُhe directs الطَعنَthe thrusting لِلنُحورِtoward throats بِشَزرٍsidelong
يُقبِلُ الطَعنَ لِلنُحورِ بِشَزرٍ
حينَwhen يَسموhe rises حَتّىuntil يُلينَhe softens الجِراحاthe wounds
حينَ يَسمو حَتّى يُلينَ الجِراحا
He directs sidelong thrusts toward throats
When his attack rises until it softens the wounds
as he rises, until he softens the wounds.
Turning away from him, and not desiring struggle
مُقبِلاتٌadvancing حَتّىuntil يُوَلَّينَthey are driven back عَنهُaway from him
مُقبِلاتٌ حَتّى يُوَلَّينَ عَنهُ
مُدبِراتٌretreating وَماand not يُرِدنَthey desire كِفاحاface-to-face combat
مُدبِراتٌ وَما يُرِدنَ كِفاحا
They advance until they are driven away from him,
How many prey has he stilled their trembling out of fear
retreating, unwilling to fight face to face.
They used to call to their lines openly
كَمmany a طَريدٍfugitive قَدalready سَكَّنَhe stilled الجَأشَthe heart مِنهُwithin him
كَم طَريدٍ قَد سَكَّنَ الجَأشَ مِنهُ
كانَwas يَدعوcalling out بِصَفِّهِنَّamid their ranks صُراحاopenly
كانَ يَدعو بِصَفِّهِنَّ صُراحا
How many a fugitive whose heart he stilled
The knight of war, and the turbaned in it
had been calling openly amid their ranks!
His knowledge of war when he engages in combat
فارِسُhorseman of الحَربِwar وَالمُعَمَّمُand the turbaned chief فيهاin it
فارِسُ الحَربِ وَالمُعَمَّمُ فيها
مِدرَهُchampion of الحَربِwar حينَwhen يَلقىhe encounters نِطاحاa head-on clash
مِدرَهُ الحَربِ حينَ يَلقى نِطاحا
War's horseman, and its turbaned chief,
war's champion when he meets a head-on clash.
Partial English translation: 32 of 34 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1