طَرَقَcame النَعِيُّthe death herald عَلىto صُفَينَةَSufayna غُدوَةًone morning
طَرَقَ النَعِيُّ عَلى صُفَينَةَ غُدوَةً
وَنَعىand announced the death of المُعَمَّمَthe turbaned man مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of عَمروِAmr
وَنَعى المُعَمَّمَ مِن بَني عَمروِ
The death herald came to Sufayna one morning,
The mourner knocked at dawn on the litter
and announced the death of the turbaned man of Banu Amr—
And lamented the turbaned man from the clan of Amr
حاميdefender of الحَقيقَةِhonor وَالمُجيرَand giver of refuge إِذاwhen
حامي الحَقيقَةِ وَالمُجيرَ إِذا
ماever (emphatic particle) خيفَwas feared حَدُّthe sharp edge نَوائِبِcalamities الدَهرِtime
ما خيفَ حَدُّ نَوائِبِ الدَهرِ
defender of honor, and giver of refuge whenever
Defender of truth and protector when
the sharp edge of time's calamities was feared.
The vicissitudes of fate were not feared
الحَيُّthe clan يَعلَمُknows أَنَّthat جَفنَتَهُhis serving bowl
الحَيُّ يَعلَمُ أَنَّ جَفنَتَهُ
تَغدوgoes forth in the morning غَداةَon the morning of الريحِthe wind أَوor تَسريtravels by night
تَغدو غَداةَ الريحِ أَو تَسري
The clan knows that his serving bowl
The living know that his eyelid
goes forth on a windy morning, or travels by night.
Will move at dawn or move along
فَإِذاthen when أَضاءَhe lit the fire وَجاشَand seethed مِرجَلُهُhis cauldron
فَإِذا أَضاءَ وَجاشَ مِرجَلُهُ
فَلَنِعمَthen how excellent رَبَّthe master of النارِthe fire وَالقِدرِand the cooking pot
فَلَنِعمَ رَبَّ النارِ وَالقِدرِ
Then, when he lit the fire and his cauldron seethed,
When his flames roar and boil
how fine a master of fire and cooking pot he was!
Blessed is the Lord of fire and pot
أَبلِغtell مَوالِيَهُhis clients فَقَدfor indeed رُزِئواthey have been bereaved of
أَبلِغ مَوالِيَهُ فَقَد رُزِئوا
مَولىًa patron يَريشُهُمُenriches them وَلاand does not يَشريgrow angry
مَولىً يَريشُهُمُ وَلا يَشري
Tell his clients, for they have been bereaved of
Convey to his supporters, they have lost
a patron who enriched them and never grew angry.
A master who covers them and does not buy
يَكفيprovides for حُماتَهُمُtheir defenders وَيَمنَحُهُمand grants them
يَكفي حُماتَهُمُ وَيَمنَحُهُم
مِئَةًa hundred مِنَfrom العِشرينَthe twenty وَالعَشرِand the ten
مِئَةً مِنَ العِشرينَ وَالعَشرِ
He provides for their defenders and grants them
He protects their tents and grants them
a hundred out of twenty and ten.
Hundreds of twenties and tens
تُرويslakes the thirst of سِنانَthe point of الرُمحِthe spear طَعنَتُهُhis thrust
تُروي سِنانَ الرُمحِ طَعنَتُهُ
وَالخَيلُand the horses قَدalready خاضَتhave waded through دَماًblood يَجريflowing
وَالخَيلُ قَد خاضَت دَماً يَجري
His thrust slakes the spearhead's thirst,
His spear's point saturates its blades
while the horses have waded through flowing blood.
And the horses waded in flowing blood
قَدindeed كانَhe was مَأوىa refuge كُلِّevery أَرمَلَةٍwidow
قَد كانَ مَأوى كُلِّ أَرمَلَةٍ
وَمُقيلَand pardoner of عَثرَةِa misstep كُلُّevery ذيone with عُذرِan excuse
وَمُقيلَ عَثرَةِ كُلُّ ذي عُذرِ
He was indeed a refuge for every widow,
He had been the refuge of every widow
and one who pardoned the misstep of anyone with an excuse.
And the shelter of every excused person
تَلقىreach عِيالَهُمُtheir dependents نَوافِلُهُhis gifts
تَلقى عِيالَهُمُ نَوافِلُهُ
فَتُصيبُand so reach ذاone possessing المَيسورِprosperity وَالعُسرِand hardship
فَتُصيبُ ذا المَيسورِ وَالعُسرِ
His gifts reach their dependents,
His supererogatory prayers meet their families
and so reach the prosperous and the needy.
Thus reaching the affluent and the destitute
Sol 6.1