تَركناwe left أباthe father of الأَضيافِthe guests فيin لَيلَةِthe night of الصَباthe east wind
تَركنا أبا الأَضيافِ في لَيلَةِ الصَبا
بِمرٍّat Marr وَمِردىand the vanquisher of كُلِّevery خَصمٍadversary يُجادِلُهdisputes with him
بِمرٍّ وَمِردى كُلِّ خَصمٍ يُجادِلُه
We left Abū al-Aḍyāf, the father of guests, on a night of the east wind,
We left the generous host on a youthful night
at Marr—the vanquisher of every foe who disputed with him.
With bitterness and endless disputing foes
ثوىhe lay ماas long as أَقامَremained العَيِّكانِal-ʿAyyikān وَعُرِّيَتand were stripped bare
ثوى ما أَقامَ العَيِّكانِ وَعُرِّيَت
دِقاقُslender الهَواديnecks مُحرَثاتٌworn thin by toil رَواحِلُهhis riding camels
دِقاقُ الهَوادي مُحرَثاتٌ رَواحِلُه
He rests there as long as al-ʿAyyikān endures, and stripped bare are
He sheltered where the bleak desert and bare wasteland lay
his toil-worn riding camels, slender-necked.
With valleys furrowed and carved by the feet of camels
تركناwe left فتىًa young man أَيقَنَknew for certain الجوعُHunger إنَّهُthat he
تركنا فتىً أَيقَنَ الجوعُ إنَّهُ
إذاwhen ماever ثوىsettled فيin أرحُلِthe dwellings of القَومِthe people قاتِلُهits slayer
إذا ما ثوى في أرحُلِ القَومِ قاتِلُه
We left a youth whom Hunger knew for certain
We left a stalwart whom hunger had convinced
would slay it whenever it settled in the people's dwellings.
That if he stayed with the tribe, they would be his killers
فَتىًa young man قُدَّwas fashioned قَدَّin the shape of السَيفِthe sword لاnot مُتضائِلpuny
فَتىً قُدَّ قَدَّ السَيفِ لا مُتضائِل
وَلاnor رَهِلٌflabby لبّاتُهُhis upper chest وبآدِلُهand his underarm flesh
وَلا رَهِلٌ لبّاتُهُ وبآدِلُه
A youth fashioned in the shape of a sword, not puny,
A brave man who brandished his sword without wavering
nor flabby in his upper chest or the flesh beneath his arms.
Whose strength persisted through nights with no rest
فَتىًa young man لاnot تَرىyou see قَدَّa split in القميصِthe shirt بخَصرهِat his waist
فَتىً لا تَرى قَدَّ القميصِ بخَصرهِ
ولكنَّماbut rather توهيweaken القَميصَthe shirt كواهِلُهhis shoulders
ولكنَّما توهي القَميصَ كواهِلُه
A youth whose shirt you never see split at his waist;
A man whose shirt at the waist you cannot see
rather, his shoulders strain the shirt.
But only his shoulders tent and billow the fabric
فتىًa young man ليسis not لابنِtoward the son of العمِّthe paternal uncle كالذئبlike the wolf إنif رأىit sees
فتىً ليس لابنِ العمِّ كالذئب إن رأى
بصاحِبِهon its companion يوماone day دماًblood فَهوَthen it آكِلُهdevours him
بصاحِبِه يوما دماً فَهوَ آكِلُه
A youth who was no wolf toward his cousin—a wolf that, if it saw
A man to whom a cousin is no more than a wolf
blood on its companion one day, would devour him.
Who if he sees his companion’s blood, will be his feeder
لِسانُهhis tongue خيرٌbetter وحدُهalone منthan قبيلةٍa tribe
لِسانُه خيرٌ وحدُه من قبيلةٍ
وماand whatever عُدَّis reckoned بَعدٌbesides فيin الفتىthe young man فَهوَthen he فاعِلُهdoes it
وما عُدَّ بَعدٌ في الفتى فَهوَ فاعِلُه
His tongue alone was better than a tribe,
His tongue excels while he alone from the tribe
and whatever else is reckoned in a young man, he would do,
Does all he utters, not mere idle words
سوىexcept البُخلِmiserliness والفَحشاءِand obscenity واللومِand blame إنَّهindeed he
سوى البُخلِ والفَحشاءِ واللومِ إنَّه
أَبَتrefused ذلكمall that أَخلاقُهhis character وشمائِلُهand his dispositions
أَبَت ذلكم أَخلاقُه وشمائِلُه
except miserliness, obscenity, and blameworthiness; indeed,
But for miserliness, lewdness and blame, he eschews
his character and dispositions refused all that.
Such manners and traits, cleaving to nobler deeds
يسرُّكَhe delights you مَظلوماًwhen wronged وَيُرضيكَand satisfies you ظالماًwhen the wrongdoer
يسرُّكَ مَظلوماً وَيُرضيكَ ظالماً
وكلَّand all الذيthat which حمَّلتَهyou charged him with فَهوَthen he حامِلُهbears it
وكلَّ الذي حمَّلتَه فَهوَ حامِلُه
He delighted you when wronged and satisfied you when he was the wrongdoer,
You please him if oppressed, and appease if oppressing
and whatever you charged him with, he would bear.
And all that you would burden him with, he willingly bears
جوادٌgenerous بدنياهwith his worldly wealth بخيلٌmiserly بِعِرضهwith his honor
جوادٌ بدنياه بخيلٌ بِعِرضه
عطوفٌcompassionate علىtoward المولىthe client قليلٌlittle غوائِلُهhis harmful dealings
عطوفٌ على المولى قليلٌ غوائِلُه
Generous with his worldly wealth, miserly with his honor,
Generous with worldly goods, close-fisted for his honor
kind to his client, with little malice.
Lenient with his Master, though few his missteps
إذاwhen نَزَلَarrived الأَضيافُthe guests كانhe was عَذَوَّراًstern
إذا نَزَلَ الأَضيافُ كان عَذَوَّراً
علىtoward الحيِّthe clan حتىuntil تَستَقِلَّwere raised مَراجِلُهhis cauldrons
على الحيِّ حتى تَستَقِلَّ مَراجِلُه
Whenever guests arrived, he was stern
When guests arrive, he is cheerful to the living
with the clan until his cauldrons were raised.
Until their camels are rested and ready to leave
إذاwhen ماever طهاhe cooked للقَومِfor the people كانَhe was كأنَّهُas though he
إذا ما طها للقَومِ كانَ كأنَّهُ
حَمِيٌّfevered وكانَتand it was شيمَةٌa trait لاnot تُزايلُهleaving him
حَمِيٌّ وكانَت شيمَةٌ لا تُزايلُه
Whenever he cooked for the people, he seemed
When he cooks for the tribe, he is as a protector
fevered—and this was a trait that never left him.
His nature steadfast, no fleeting whim or fancy
إذاwhen القَومُthe people أَمّواmade for بَيتَهُhis house فَهوَthen he عامِدٌintent
إذا القَومُ أَمّوا بَيتَهُ فَهوَ عامِدٌ
لأَحسَنِupon the best of ماwhat ظنّواthey expected بهِof him فَهوَthen he فاعِلُهdoes it
لأَحسَنِ ما ظنّوا بهِ فَهوَ فاعِلُه
When the people made for his house, he set his mind
If the people think well of him, he will uphold
on the best they expected of him, and fulfilled it.
Their good opinion, doing all they expect
إذاwhen جَدَّhe was earnest عندَat الجدِّearnest matters أرضاكَpleased you جدُّهُhis earnestness
إذا جَدَّ عندَ الجدِّ أرضاكَ جدُّهُ
وذوand one possessed of باطِلٍjest إنif شِئتَyou wished أرضاكَpleased you باطِلُهhis jesting
وذو باطِلٍ إن شِئتَ أرضاكَ باطِلُه
When he was earnest in earnest matters, his earnestness pleased you;
When serious, his dedication earns your approval
and he could jest: if you wished, his jesting pleased you.
And falsehood, if you wish, even his falsehood appeases
مضىhe passed away وَوَرِثناهُand we inherited from him دَريسَa worn-out مفاضَةٍfull-length coat of mail
مضى وَوَرِثناهُ دَريسَ مفاضَةٍ
وأبيضَand a gleaming sword هِندياًIndian طويلاًlong حمائِلُهits shoulder-straps
وأبيضَ هِندياً طويلاً حمائِلُه
He passed away, and we inherited from him a worn, full-length coat of mail,
He left us, bequeathing a tattered cloak
and a gleaming Indian sword with long shoulder-straps.
And a long white robe from India, its edges fraying
فتىًa young man كانَused to يَرويdrink its fill المشرفِيُّthe Mashrafī sword بكفِّهِin his palm
فتىً كانَ يَروي المشرفِيُّ بكفِّهِ
وَيَبلُغُand reached أقصىthe farthest حَجرَةِedge of الحَيِّthe encampment نائِلُهhis bounty
وَيَبلُغُ أقصى حَجرَةِ الحَيِّ نائِلُه
A youth in whose hand the Mashrafī sword drank its fill,
A man whose hands the eminent would drink from
and whose bounty reached the farthest edge of the clan's encampment.
And reach the far edge of the encampment while quenching
سيبكيهِwill weep for him مولاهُhis client إذاwhen لاقَيتَهُyou meet him مُتَبَسِّماsmiling
سيبكيهِ مولاهُ إذا لاقَيتَهُ مُتَبَسِّما
وإمّاand if تولّىhe turned away أشعثُdisheveled الرأسِthe head جافِلُهits bristling hair
وإمّا تولّى أشعثُ الرأسِ جافِلُه
His client will weep for him when you meet him smiling,
His master will mourn him with tears when they meet
and if he turns away, his head's hair disheveled and bristling,
Unless he shows up disheveled, his hair matted and twisted
ترىyou see جاذِرَيهِhis two cutters يرعدانِtrembling ونارُهand his fire
ترى جاذِرَيهِ يرعدانِ ونارُه
عليهاupon it عُداميلُheaps of الهشيمِthe dry brushwood وصامِلُهand its hard, dry wood
عليها عُداميلُ الهشيمِ وصامِلُه
you see his two cutters trembling, and his fire—
You see his cauldrons rumbling, his fire aflame
upon it are heaps of brittle brushwood and hard, dry wood.
With twigs and fragments of kindling wood to sustain it
يَجرّانِthe two drag ثِنياًa mature camel خيرُthe best عَظمُbone جارِهِhis neighbor
يَجرّانِ ثِنياً خيرُ عَظمُ جارِهِ
بصيراًwell acquainted بهاwith it لَمnot وَرَقَّتand grew thin سلاسِلُهhis chains
بصيراً بها لَم وَرَقَّت سلاسِلُه
The two drag a mature camel—his neighbor's best bone [wording unclear].
They boil a thigh, the best bone of his neighbor
Well acquainted with it—not ... and his chains grew thin [wording unclear].
Keenly aware though unfettered, his chains long removed
وأرعيهِand I lend him سَمعيmy hearing كلَّماwhenever ذُكِرَis mentioned الأسىsorrow
وأرعيهِ سَمعي كلَّما ذُكِرَ الأسى
وفيand in الصدرِthe breast مِنّيof mine لَوعةٌa burning grief ماnot تُزايِلُهleaves it
وفي الصدرِ مِنّي لَوعةٌ ما تُزايِلُه
And I lend him my ear whenever grief is mentioned,
The slightest mention of sorrow saddens me
and in my breast is a burning grief that never leaves it.
In my heart an ache that will not diminish or leave
ولماand when عصانيdisobeyed me القلبُthe heart أَظهرتُI uttered عَولةًa wail
ولما عصاني القلبُ أَظهرتُ عَولةً
وَقُلتُand I said ألاis there not قَلبٌa heart بِقَلبيfor my heart أبادِلُهI exchange it
وَقُلتُ ألا قَلبٌ بِقَلبي أبادِلُه
And when my heart disobeyed me, I let out a wail,
When my heart disobeyed, I feigned indifference
and said: 'Is there no heart I can exchange for mine?'
And said, "My heart for one like his, I would gladly exchange"
وكنتُand I used to أعيرُI reproach قبلَكَbefore you منwhoever بكىwept
وكنتُ أعيرُ قبلَكَ من بكى
وأَنتَand you علىover منwhoever ماتَdied بَعدَكَafter you شاغِلُهpreoccupy it
وأَنتَ على من ماتَ بَعدَكَ شاغِلُه
Before you, I used to reproach anyone who wept,
Before you, I would reproach those who wept
but you occupy my heart more than anyone who died after you.
While you occupy the one for whom they weep
Sol 6.1