وَفَتْkept faith لِعَلِيّwith Ali مِنْfrom رَبِيعَةَRabi‘a عُصْبَةٌa band
وَفَتْ لِعَلِيّ مِنْ رَبِيعَةَ عُصْبَةٌ
بِصُمّwith solid العَوَالِيspearheads والصَّفِيحِand broad sword-blades الْمُذَكَّرِof hard steel
بِصُمّ العَوَالِي والصَّفِيحِ الْمُذَكَّرِ
A band from Rabi‘a kept faith with Ali,
A band of Rabee’ah came to Ali
with solid spearheads and broad blades of hard steel:
With swords polished white and scabbards clashing loud,
شَقِيقٌShaqiq وَكُرْدُوسُand Kurdus ابْنُson of سَيِّدthe chief of تَغْلَبTaghlib
شَقِيقٌ وَكُرْدُوسُ ابْنُ سَيِّد تَغْلَب
وَقَدْand indeed قَامَstood فِيهَاwithin it خَالِدُKhalid بنُson of المُعَمَّرِal-Mu‘ammar
وَقَدْ قَامَ فِيهَا خَالِدُ بنُ المُعَمَّرِ
Shaqiq and Kurdus, son of Taghlib’s chief,
Shaqeeq and Kurdus the son of Sayyid Taghleb
and indeed Khalid ibn al-Mu‘ammar stood among them.
And Khalid son of al-Mu’ammar took his stand among them,
وَقَارَعand contended بالشُّورىin consultation حُرَيثُHurayth بنُson of جَابرٍJabir
وَقَارَع بالشُّورى حُرَيثُ بنُ جَابرٍ
وَفَازَand prevailed بِهَاin it لَوْلاَbut for الحُضَيْنُal-Hudayn بْنُson of مُنْذِرِMundhir
وَفَازَ بِهَا لَوْلاَ الحُضَيْنُ بْنُ مُنْذِرِ
And Hurayth ibn Jabir contended in the council,
Hurayth son of Jabir came to the Shura
and would have prevailed in it, but for al-Hudayn ibn Mundhir.
And would have won it but for Husayn son of Mundhir,
لانَّbecause حُضَيْناًHudayn قَامَrose فِينَاamong us بِخطْبَةٍwith a speech
لانَّ حُضَيْناً قَامَ فِينَا بِخطْبَةٍ
مِنَof الحَقّtruth فِيهَاin it مِيتَةٌdeath لِلتَّجبَّرِto arrogance
مِنَ الحَقّ فِيهَا مِيتَةٌ لِلتَّجبَّرِ
For Hudayn rose among us with a speech
For Husayn made us a speech therein
of truth, in which arrogance met its death.
Was death to arrogance and love of right,
أُمِرْنَاwe were commanded بِمُرّto the bitterness of الحَقّtruth حَتَّىuntil كَأنَّنَاas though we were
أُمِرْنَا بِمُرّ الحَقّ حَتَّى كَأنَّنَا
خَشَاشٌsmall birds تَفَادَىfled مِنْfrom قُطَامٍa falcon بِقَرْقَرِon a level plain
خَشَاشٌ تَفَادَى مِنْ قُطَامٍ بِقَرْقَرِ
We were commanded to heed bitter truth, until we seemed
Bidding us cleave to right though we be
small birds fleeing a falcon on a level plain.
As grazing beasts that flee a roaring lion,
وَكَانَand was أبُوهُhis father خَيْرَthe best of بَكْرِBakr بْنِson of وائِلٍWa’il
وَكَانَ أبُوهُ خَيْرَ بَكْرِ بْنِ وائِلٍ
إذاwhen خِيفَwas feared مِنْof يَوْمٍa day أغَرَّradiant مُشَهَّرِrenowned
إذا خِيفَ مِنْ يَوْمٍ أغَرَّ مُشَهَّرِ
And his father was the best of Bakr ibn Wa’il,
And his father was the best of Bakr son of Waeel
when a radiant, renowned day was feared.
Whenever a day of battle was dreaded by one who spread alarm,
نَهَاهُbrought him إلىto عُلْيَاthe heights of عُكَابَةَ‘Ukaba عُصْبَةٌa band
نَهَاهُ إلى عُلْيَا عُكَابَةَ عُصْبَةٌ
وَآبٍand one who refuses أبِيٌّproud لِلدَّنِيَّةِbaseness أزْهرِradiant
وَآبٍ أبِيٌّ لِلدَّنِيَّةِ أزْهرِ
A band brought him to the heights of ‘Ukaba,
The band of ‘Ukkabah kept him from Ali,
and one who spurned baseness, proud and radiant.
An old man given over to this vile world.
Sol 6.1