إِنّيindeed I صَرَمتُI severed مِنَfrom الصَباyouthful passion آرابيmy desires
إِنّي صَرَمتُ مِنَ الصَبا آرابي
وَسَلَوتُand I ceased pining بَعدَafter تَعِلَّةٍdiversion وَتَصابيand playing at youth
وَسَلَوتُ بَعدَ تَعِلَّةٍ وَتَصابي
Indeed, I have severed my desires for youthful passion,
In my youth I was thin and slender,
And ceased to pine, after diversion and playing at youth.
After sickness and emaciation.
أَزمانَin the days when كُنتُI was إِذاwhenever سَمِعتُI heard حَمامَةًa dove
أَزمانَ كُنتُ إِذا سَمِعتُ حَمامَةً
هَدَلَتit cooed بَكَيتُI wept لِشائِقِat the yearning-stirring الأَطرابِemotional stirrings
هَدَلَت بَكَيتُ لِشائِقِ الأَطرابِ
In the days when, if I heard a dove
Whenever I heard a dove cooing,
Coo, I wept at its yearning-stirring notes.
I would weep, longing for past pleasures.
بَيتٌa house بَجيحٌproud فيamong قُماقِمِthe chieftains طَيِّئٍṬayyiʾ
بَيتٌ بَجيحٌ في قُماقِمِ طَيِّئٍ
بَخٍّbravo! لِذَلِكَfor that عِزُّglory بَيتٍa house رابيrising high
بَخٍّ لِذَلِكَ عِزُّ بَيتٍ رابي
A proud house among the chieftains of Ṭayyiʾ—
A rude house amidst the sandy hills of Tayy',
Bravo for that glory of a lofty house!
Unfit for such noble people.
بَيتٌa house سَماعَةُSamāʿa وَالأَمينُand al-Amīn عِمادُهُits pillar
بَيتٌ سَماعَةُ وَالأَمينُ عِمادُهُ
وَالأَثرَمانِand the two Athrams وَفارِسُand the rider الهَلّابِal-Hallāb
وَالأَثرَمانِ وَفارِسُ الهَلّابِ
A house whose pillars are Samāʿa and al-Amīn,
It was frequented by Samā'ah and al-Amīn was its pillar,
And the two Athrams, and the rider of al-Hallāb—
And al-Athram and the horseman of shouts.
عَمّيmy uncle الَّذيwho صَبَحَattacked at dawn الجَلائِبَthe mustered troops غُدوَةًin the morning
عَمّي الَّذي صَبَحَ الجَلائِبَ غُدوَةً
فيat نَهرَوانَNahrawān بِجفَلٍwith a great host مِطنابِfar-stretching
في نَهرَوانَ بِجفَلٍ مِطنابِ
My uncle, who attacked the mustered troops at dawn
My uncle who at dawn unsheathed the swords
At Nahrawān with a vast, far-spreading host.
At Nahrawān with a sharpened blade.
وَأَبوand father of الفَوارِسِthe horsemen مُحتَبٍsitting with knees drawn up بِفِنائِهِin his courtyard
وَأَبو الفَوارِسِ مُحتَبٍ بِفِنائِهِ
نَفرُthe men النَفيرِof the muster وَمَوئِلُand a refuge الهُرّابِthe fugitives
نَفرُ النَفيرِ وَمَوئِلُ الهُرّابِ
And Abū al-Fawāris, in whose courtyard sit with knees drawn up
And the father of horsemen, honored in his domain,
The men of the muster; he is the fugitives’ refuge.
Commander of commanders, and refuge of fugitives.
فَهُناكَso there إِنif تَسأَلyou ask تَجِدهُمyou will find them والِديmy forebears
فَهُناكَ إِن تَسأَل تَجِدهُم والِدي
وَهُمُand they سَناءُthe glory عَشيرَتيmy clan وَنِصابيand my ancestral stock
وَهُمُ سَناءُ عَشيرَتي وَنِصابي
There, if you ask, you will find them—my forebears,
There you would find, if you asked, my parents,
And they are my clan’s glory and my ancestral stock.
The glory and pillars of my tribe.
يَهديhe leads أَوائِلَهاits foremost ranks كَأَنَّas though لِواءَهُhis banner
يَهدي أَوائِلَها كَأَنَّ لِواءَهُ
لَمّاwhen اِستَمَرَّhe advanced بِهِwith it جَناحُa wing عُقابِan eagle
لَمّا اِستَمَرَّ بِهِ جَناحُ عُقابِ
He leads its vanguard, as though his banner,
Its notables lead like an eagle spreading its wings
When he advanced with it, were an eagle’s wing.
When it soared mightily into the sky.
وَعَلاand he struck مُسَيلِمَةَMusaylima الكَذوبَthe deceitful بِضَربَةٍwith a blow
وَعَلا مُسَيلِمَةَ الكَذوبَ بِضَربَةٍ
أَوهَتit weakened مَفارِقَthe hair-partings هامَةِthe head الكَذّابِthe inveterate liar
أَوهَت مَفارِقَ هامَةِ الكَذّابِ
And he struck Musaylima the liar with a blow
And it destroyed the liar Musaylimah with one blow,
That fractured the crown of the liar’s head.
Which stunned the thick skulls of the liars.
وَعَلاand he struck سَجاجاًSajāj مِثلَهاits like فَتَجَدَّلَتso she fell sprawling
وَعَلا سَجاجاً مِثلَها فَتَجَدَّلَت
ضَرباًwith blows بِكُلِّwith every مُهَنَّدٍsword of Indian steel قَضّابِkeen-cutting
ضَرباً بِكُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ قَضّابِ
And he struck Sajāj with its like, and she fell sprawling,
And it rose against Sajāh likewise and he recoiled,
Under blows from every keen-cutting sword of Indian steel,
Striking with every seasoned warrior and archer.
يَومَon the day of البُطاحِal-Buṭāḥ وَطَيِّئٌand Ṭayyiʾ تَرديgallop بِهاbearing them
يَومَ البُطاحِ وَطَيِّئٌ تَردي بِها
جُردُshort-haired المُتونِthe backs لَواحِقُtucked-up الأَقرابِthe flanks
جُردُ المُتونِ لَواحِقُ الأَقرابِ
On the day of al-Buṭāḥ, when Ṭayyiʾ was borne at a gallop by
On the day of al-Buṭāḥ when Tayy' plunged into battle,
Sleek-backed steeds with tucked-up flanks.
The steeds leapt forth, kinship forgotten.
يَصهَلنَthey neigh لِلنَظَرِat the sight البَعيدِdistant كَأَنَّهاas though they were
يَصهَلنَ لِلنَظَرِ البَعيدِ كَأَنَّها
عِقبانُeagles يَومِa day دُجُنَّةٍdarkness وَضَبابِand mist
عِقبانُ يَومِ دُجُنَّةٍ وَضَبابِ
They neigh at a distant sight, as though they were
They seemed like eagles on a cloudy day,
Eagles on a day of darkness and mist.
When the gloom is but shifting mirage.
بَلbut أَيُّهاO الرَجُلُman المُفاخِرُvying in glory with طَيِّئاًṬayyiʾ
بَل أَيُّها الرَجُلُ المُفاخِرُ طَيِّئاً
أَعزَبتَyou have banished لُبَّكَyour reason أَيَّماwhat utter إِعزابِbanishment
أَعزَبتَ لُبَّكَ أَيَّما إِعزابِ
But you, man who vies with Ṭayyiʾ in glory,
But you, O man boasting of Tayy'!
You have banished your reason utterly!
Have you not erred in your reckoning?
أَنَّthat العَرارَةَmight وَالنُبوحَand clamour لِطَيِّئٍbelonging to Ṭayyiʾ
أَنَّ العَرارَةَ وَالنُبوحَ لِطَيِّئٍ
وَالعِزَّand glory عِندَat تَكامُلِthe fullness الأَحسابِof ancestral honours
وَالعِزَّ عِندَ تَكامُلِ الأَحسابِ
For might and clamour belong to Ṭayyiʾ,
Verily valor and excellence belong to Tayy'
And glory, when ancestral honours reach their fullness.
When the accounts are made full and complete.
Sol 6.1