دَعينيleave me وَقوليand say بَعدُafterward ماwhatever شِئتِyou wish إِنَّنيindeed I
دَعيني وَقولي بَعدُ ما شِئتِ إِنَّني
سَيُغدَىwill be borne out at dawn بِنَعشيwith my bier مَرَّةًonce فَأُغَيَّبُthen I shall be buried
سَيُغدَى بِنَعشي مَرَّةً فَأُغَيَّبُ
Leave me, and afterward say what you will; indeed, I
Leave me be and say what you will after,
shall once be borne away at dawn on my bier, then buried.
For soon my bier will pass one day, and I shall be hidden away.
خَرَجناwe set out فَلَمand did not نَعَهدleave instructions وَقَلَّتand were few وَصاتُناour parting counsels
خَرَجنا فَلَم نَعَهد وَقَلَّت وَصاتُنا
ثَمانِيَةeight men ماnot بَعَدهاbeyond it مُتَعَتَّبُgrounds for complaint
ثَمانِيَة ما بَعَدها مُتَعَتَّبُ
We set out without leaving instructions, and few were our counsels:
We set out but did not keep our word, and our covenants were few,
eight men, with nothing more to wish for.
Just eight, no more, now forfeit.
سَراحينُwolves فِتيانٍyoung men كَأَنَّas though وُجوهَهُمtheir faces
سَراحينُ فِتيانٍ كَأَنَّ وُجوهَهُم
مَصابيحُlamps أَوor لَونٌa hue مِنَof الماءِthe water مُذهَبُgilded
مَصابيحُ أَو لَونٌ مِنَ الماءِ مُذهَبُ
Wolves—young men whose faces seemed
Young men with faces like lamps or water colored gold.
lamps, or a gilded sheen upon the water.
We rode by night along the shore, though our provisions were uncertain.
نَمُرُّwe pass بِرَهوِby the low ground of الماءِthe water صَفحاًalongside وَقَدand already طَوَتhad dwindled
نَمُرُّ بِرَهوِ الماءِ صَفحاً وَقَد طَوَت
ثَمائِلُناour bellies' food remnants وَالزادُand provisions ظَنٌّan uncertain hope مُغَيَّبُout of sight
ثَمائِلُنا وَالزادُ ظَنٌّ مُغَيَّبُ
We skirt the water's low ground, though already
For three days on foot until we reached
our bellies were empty, and provisions were an unseen hope,
A hostile tribe’s settlement, looming on the horizon.
ثَلاثاًfor three days عَلىon الأَقدامِfoot حَتّىuntil سَماrose up بِناwith us
ثَلاثاً عَلى الأَقدامِ حَتّى سَما بِنا
عَلىonto العَوصِal-ʿAwṣ شَعشاعًa tall, lean man مِنَof القَومِthe band مِحرَبُbattle-hardened
عَلى العَوصِ شَعشاعً مِنَ القَومِ مِحرَبُ
three days on foot, until we were led up
They came at us in the darkness, clamoring,
onto al-ʿAwṣ by a tall, battle-hardened man of the band.
And at dawn their shouting was renewed.
فَثارواthen they sprang up إِلَيناtoward us فيin السَوادِthe darkness فَهَجهَجواand shouted
فَثاروا إِلَينا في السَوادِ فَهَجهَجوا
وَصَوَّتَand cried out فيناamong us بِالصَباحِwith the dawn-raid cry المُثَوَّبُthe alarm-crier
وَصَوَّتَ فينا بِالصَباحِ المُثَوَّبُ
They sprang toward us in the darkness and shouted,
Thābit assaulted them with the Sword’s destruction
and the alarm-crier sounded the dawn-raid warning among us.
And attacked them with the unsheathed blade.
فَشَنَّthen unleashed عَلَيهِمupon them هَزَّةَa swing السَيفof the sword ثابِتٌThabit
فَشَنَّ عَلَيهِم هَزَّةَ السَيف ثابِتٌ
وَصَمَّمَand drove straight in فيهِمinto them بِالحُسامwith the keen blade المُسَيَّبُal-Musayyab
وَصَمَّمَ فيهِم بِالحُسام المُسَيَّبُ
Then Thabit unleashed upon them a sweep of his sword,
I remained with some young men, guarding against them,
and al-Musayyab drove into them with his keen blade.
Though they were few, for a time, then they were routed.
وَظِلتُand I continued بِفِتيانٍwith young men مَعيbeside me أَتَّقيهُمُwarding them off
وَظِلتُ بِفِتيانٍ مَعي أَتَّقيهُمُ
بِهِنَّwith them قَلِيلاًbriefly ساعَةًfor a while ثُمَّthen خُيَّبواthey were thwarted
بِهِنَّ قَلِيلاً ساعَةً ثُمَّ خُيَّبوا
With young men beside me, I kept warding them off
Two footmen and a horseman fell from among them—
with them for a brief while; then they were thwarted.
A marsh dweller whom we killed and a captive left naked.
وَقَدand already خَرَّhad fallen مِنهُمof them رَاجِلانِtwo footmen وَفارِسٌand a horseman
وَقَد خَرَّ مِنهُم رَاجِلانِ وَفارِسٌ
كَمِيٌّan armored warrior صَرَعناهُwe felled him وَخومٌhulking مُسَلَّبُstripped of his gear
كَمِيٌّ صَرَعناهُ وَخومٌ مُسَلَّبُ
Already two footmen from their ranks had fallen, and a horseman—
Each hill and fortress set against him
an armored warrior we felled, hulking and stripped of his gear.
Just eight while the tribe was crippled and docktailed.
يَشُنُّlaunches an assault إِلَيهِtoward him كُلُّevery ريعٍmountain path وَقَلعَةٍand fortress
يَشُنُّ إِلَيهِ كُلُّ ريعٍ وَقَلعَةٍ
ثَمانِيَةًeight men وَالقَومُwhile the enemy رِجلٌinfantry وَمِقنَبُand a cavalry troop
ثَمانِيَةً وَالقَومُ رِجلٌ وَمِقنَبُ
He is assailed from every mountain path and fortress
When our people saw us they cried “They are saved!”
by eight men, while the enemy have infantry and a cavalry troop.
But we said “Ask the speaker, he does not lie.”
فَلَمّاthen when رَآناsaw us قَومُناour people قيلَit was said أَفلِحواprosper, all of you!
فَلَمّا رَآنا قَومُنا قيلَ أَفلِحوا
فَقُلناso we said اِسأَلواask, all of you عَنabout قائِلٍa speaker لاnot يُكَذَّبُis belied
فَقُلنا اِسأَلوا عَن قائِلٍ لا يُكَذَّبُ
When our people saw us, the cry was: 'May you prosper!'
We said, 'Ask about a speaker whose word is not belied.'
Partial English translation: 20 of 22 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1