أَلاAh! ماwhat لِعَينِكِails your eye أَمor ماwhat لَهاails it
أَلا ما لِعَينِكِ أَم ما لَها
لَقَدindeed أَخضَلَdrenched الدَمعُthe tears سِربالَهاits robe
لَقَد أَخضَلَ الدَمعُ سِربالَها
Ah, what ails your eye, or what is wrong with it?
Tears have indeed drenched its robe.
أَبَعدَis it after اِبنِthe son of عَمروٍ‘Amr مِنfrom آلِthe house of الشَريدِal-Sharid
أَبَعدَ اِبنِ عَمروٍ مِن آلِ الشَريدِ
حَلَّتlaid down بِهِupon him الأَرضُthe earth أَثقالَهاits burdens
حَلَّت بِهِ الأَرضُ أَثقالَها
Is it after Ibn ‘Amr, of the house of al-Sharid,
on whom the earth has laid its burdens?
فَآلَيتُso I swore آسىI would not mourn عَلىfor هالِكٍone who died
فَآلَيتُ آسى عَلى هالِكٍ
وَأَسأَلُnor would I ask باكِيَةًa weeping woman ماwhat لَهاails her
وَأَسأَلُ باكِيَةً ما لَها
So I swore to mourn no dead man,
nor ask a weeping woman what ails her.
لَعَمرُby the life of أَبيكَyour father لَنِعمَtruly excellent is الفَتىthe young man
لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ لَنِعمَ الفَتى
تَحُشُّstokes بِهِwith him الحَربُwar أَجذالَهاits logs
تَحُشُّ بِهِ الحَربُ أَجذالَها
By your father's life, how fine a young man,
with whom war stokes its logs!
حَديدُsharp السِنانِthe spear-point ذَليقُeloquent اللِسانِthe tongue
حَديدُ السِنانِ ذَليقُ اللِسانِ
يُجازيhe requites المَقارِضَdeeds to be requited أَمثالَهاtheir like
يُجازي المَقارِضَ أَمثالَها
Sharp of spear-point, eloquent of tongue,
he requites deeds with their like.
هَمَمتُI pondered بِنَفسِيَabout myself كُلَّevery الهُمومِtroubled thought
هَمَمتُ بِنَفسِيَ كُلَّ الهُمومِ
فَأَولىso woe لِنَفسِيَto my soul أَولىwoe لَهاto it
فَأَولى لِنَفسِيَ أَولى لَها
I have harbored every troubled thought about myself;
so woe to my soul—woe to it!
سَأَحمِلُI shall commit نَفسيmy soul عَلىto آلَةٍa course of action
سَأَحمِلُ نَفسي عَلى آلَةٍ
فَإِمّاso either عَلَيهاagainst it وَإِمّاor else لَهاin its favor
فَإِمّا عَلَيها وَإِمّا لَها
I shall set my soul upon a course,
be it to its hurt or to its good.
فَإِنfor if تَصبِرِis patient النَفسُthe soul تُلقَit will meet السُرورَjoy
فَإِن تَصبِرِ النَفسُ تُلقَ السُرورَ
وَإِنand if تَجزَعِloses heart النَفسُthe soul أَشقىmore wretched لَهاfor it
وَإِن تَجزَعِ النَفسُ أَشقى لَها
For if the soul is patient, it will meet joy;
and if the soul despairs, the worse for it.
نُهينُwe hold cheap النُفوسَlives وَهَونُand holding cheap النُفوسِlives
نُهينُ النُفوسَ وَهَونُ النُفوسِ
يَومَon the day of الكَريهَةِbattle أَبقىmore preserving لَهاfor them
يَومَ الكَريهَةِ أَبقى لَها
We hold lives cheap, and holding lives cheap
on the day of battle best preserves them.
وَنَعلَمُand we know أَنَّthat مَناياthe appointed deaths of الرِجالِmen
وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّ مَنايا الرِجالِ
بالِغَةٌwill reach حَيثُwherever يُحلىis made pleasing لَهاto them
بالِغَةٌ حَيثُ يُحلى لَها
And we know that men's appointed deaths
will reach any place made pleasing to them.
لِتَجرِlet run المَنِيَّةُDeath بَعدَafter الفَتىthe young man
لِتَجرِ المَنِيَّةُ بَعدَ الفَتى
المُغادَرِleft behind بِالمَحوِat al-Mahw أَذلالَهاher accustomed paths
المُغادَرِ بِالمَحوِ أَذلالَها
Let Death run, after the young man
left at al-Mahw, along her accustomed paths.
وَرَجراجَةٍand a surging host فَوقَهاabove it بيضُهاits helmets
وَرَجراجَةٍ فَوقَها بيضُها
عَلَيهاupon it المُضاعَفُdouble-linked mail أَمثالَهاequal to its numbers
عَلَيها المُضاعَفُ أَمثالَها
And many a surging host, its helmets above it,
wearing double-linked mail in matching numbers,
كَكِرفِئَةِlike a cloud-mass الغَيثِof rain ذاتِhaving الصَبيرِlayered cloudbanks
كَكِرفِئَةِ الغَيثِ ذاتِ الصَبيرِ
تَرميit pelts السَحابَthe clouds وَيُرمىand shots are fired لَهاat it
تَرمي السَحابَ وَيُرمى لَها
like a raincloud mass, banked layer on layer,
pelting the clouds, and pelted in return;
وَخَيلٍand horses تَكَدَّسُsurging together بِالدارِعينَwith armored riders
وَخَيلٍ تَكَدَّسُ بِالدارِعينَ
نازَلتَyou fought بِالسَيفِwith the sword أَبطالَهاtheir champions
نازَلتَ بِالسَيفِ أَبطالَها
and horses surging with armored riders—
you fought their champions with the sword.
وَقافِيَةٍand a verse مِثلِlike حَدِّthe edge of السِنانِthe spear-point
وَقافِيَةٍ مِثلِ حَدِّ السِنانِ
تَبقىit endures وَيَذهَبُand passes away مَنwhoever قالَهاspoke it
تَبقى وَيَذهَبُ مَن قالَها
And many a verse, like a spear-point's edge,
endures while the man who spoke it passes away.
تَقُدُّit cleaves الذُؤابَةَthe summit مِنof يَذبُلٍYadhbul
تَقُدُّ الذُؤابَةَ مِن يَذبُلٍ
أَبَتit refused أَنto تُفارِقَpart with أَوعالَهاits ibex
أَبَت أَن تُفارِقَ أَوعالَها
It cleaves the summit of Yadhbul,
which refused to part with its ibex.
نَطَقتَyou uttered اِبنَO son of عَمروٍ‘Amr فَسَهَّلتَهاand made it effortless
نَطَقتَ اِبنَ عَمروٍ فَسَهَّلتَها
وَلَمand did not يَنطِقِutter الناسُpeople أَمثالَهاits like
وَلَم يَنطِقِ الناسُ أَمثالَها
You uttered it, Ibn ‘Amr, and made it effortless;
yet no one has uttered its like.
فَإِنso if تَكُis مُرَّةُMurra أَودَتbrought death بِهِupon him
فَإِن تَكُ مُرَّةُ أَودَت بِهِ
فَقَدthen indeed كانَhe used to يُكثِرُdo often تَقتالَهاslaying their people
فَقَد كانَ يُكثِرُ تَقتالَها
If Murra has brought him to his death,
he had often dealt them slaughter.
فَخَرَّthen fell الشَوامِخُthe lofty peaks مِنbecause of قَتلِهِhis being killed
فَخَرَّ الشَوامِخُ مِن قَتلِهِ
وَزُلزِلَتِand was shaken الأَرضُthe earth زِلزالَهاwith its quaking
وَزُلزِلَتِ الأَرضُ زِلزالَها
Then the lofty peaks fell at his killing,
and the earth shook with its mighty quake.
وَزالَand vanished الكَواكِبُthe stars مِنbecause of فَقدِهِhis loss
وَزالَ الكَواكِبُ مِن فَقدِهِ
وَجُلِّلَتِand was shrouded الشَمسُthe sun أَجلالَهاin its coverings
وَجُلِّلَتِ الشَمسُ أَجلالَها
And the stars vanished at his loss,
and the sun was wrapped in its shrouds.
وَداهِيَةٍand a calamity جَرَّهاbrought it on جارِمٌa wrongdoer
وَداهِيَةٍ جَرَّها جارِمٌ
تُبينُcast off الحَواضِنُnursing mothers أَحمالَهاtheir burdens
تُبينُ الحَواضِنُ أَحمالَها
And many a calamity brought on by a wrongdoer,
at which nursing mothers abandon their children,
كَفاهاhe mastered it اِبنُthe son of عَمروٍ‘Amr وَلَمand did not يَستَعِنseek help
كَفاها اِبنُ عَمروٍ وَلَم يَستَعِن
وَلَوeven if كانَwas غَيرُكَsomeone other than you أَدنىnearer لَهاto it
وَلَو كانَ غَيرُكَ أَدنى لَها
Ibn ‘Amr mastered without seeking help,
though someone else was nearer to it.
وَلَيسَand he was not بِأَولىmore obliged وَلَكِنَّهُbut he
وَلَيسَ بِأَولى وَلَكِنَّهُ
سَيَكفيhe will shield العَشيرَةَthe clan ماwhatever غالَهاassailed it
سَيَكفي العَشيرَةَ ما غالَها
He was no more obliged, but he
would shield the clan from whatever assailed it,
بِمُعتَرَكٍin a battlefield ضَيِّقٍnarrow بَينَهُits confines
بِمُعتَرَكٍ ضَيِّقٍ بَينَهُ
تَجُرُّdrags المَنِيَّةُDeath أَذيالَهاher trailing skirts
تَجُرُّ المَنِيَّةُ أَذيالَها
in a battlefield whose confines were narrow,
where Death dragged her skirts.
تُطاعِنُهاyou trade spear-thrusts with them فَإِذاthen when أَدبَرَتthey retreat
تُطاعِنُها فَإِذا أَدبَرَت
بَلَلتَyou drenched مِنَwith الدَمِّblood أَكفالَهاtheir hindquarters
بَلَلتَ مِنَ الدَمِّ أَكفالَها
You traded spear-thrusts with them, and when they fled,
you drenched their hindquarters in blood.
وَبيضٍand fair women مَنَعتَyou defended غَداةَon the morning of الصُياحِthe alarm-shout
وَبيضٍ مَنَعتَ غَداةَ الصُياحِ
تَكشِفُthey lift لِلرَوعِin terror أَذيالَهاtheir hems
تَكشِفُ لِلرَوعِ أَذيالَها
And fair women you defended at the morning alarm,
as they lifted their hems in terror.
وَمُعمَلَةٍand a hard-driven herd سُقتَهاyou drove it قاعِداًwhile seated
وَمُعمَلَةٍ سُقتَها قاعِداً
فَأَعلَمتَthen you marked بِالسَيفِwith the sword أَغفالَهاits unbranded beasts
فَأَعلَمتَ بِالسَيفِ أَغفالَها
And many a hard-driven herd you drove while seated,
then marked its unbranded beasts with your sword.
وَناجِيَةٍand a swift she-camel كَأَتانِlike a wild she-ass الثَميلِthe shallow waterhole
وَناجِيَةٍ كَأَتانِ الثَميلِ
غادَرتَyou left بِالخِلِّalong the sandy track أَوصالَهاher limbs
غادَرتَ بِالخِلِّ أَوصالَها
And many a swift she-camel, like a wild ass at the waterhole,
you left her limbs along the sandy track,
إِلىto مَلِكٍa king لاnot إِلىto سوقَةٍcommon folk
إِلى مَلِكٍ لا إِلى سوقَةٍ
وَذَلِكَand that ماwhat كانwas أُكلاًsustenance لَهاfor her
وَذَلِكَ ما كان أُكلاً لَها
bound for a king, not for common folk,
and that was what brought her sustenance.
وَتَمنَحُand you grant خَيلَكَyour horses أَرضَthe land of العِدىthe enemy
وَتَمنَحُ خَيلَكَ أَرضَ العِدى
وَتَنبُذُand you leave behind بِالغَزوِwhen raiding أَطفالَهاtheir foals
وَتَنبُذُ بِالغَزوِ أَطفالَها
And you grant your horses the enemy's land,
and leave their foals behind when raiding.
وَنَوحٍand a wailing band بَعَثتَyou roused كَمِثلِjust like الإِراخِyoung wild cattle
وَنَوحٍ بَعَثتَ كَمِثلِ الإِراخِ
آنَسَتِcaught sight of العينُthe wide-eyed cows أَشبالَهاtheir young
آنَسَتِ العينُ أَشبالَها
And many a wailing band you roused, like young wild cattle,
when the wide-eyed cows caught sight of their young.
Sol 6.1