بَكَرَتْthey came early وَاللَّيلُwhile the night فيin زِيِّthe garb of الغُدافِthe raven
بَكَرَتْ وَاللَّيلُ في زِيِّ الغُدافِ
ساحِباتُwomen trailing الرَّيْطِthe fine robes مِنْfrom عَبْدِʿAbd مَنافِManāf
ساحِباتُ الرَّيْطِ مِنْ عَبْدِ مَنافِ
They came early, while night wore the raven's garb—
Dawn broke while night was still dressed in its dark garb,
the women of ʿAbd Manāf, trailing their fine robes.
The processions were leaving from ‘Abd Manāf
يَتَنَاجَيْنَthey whisper together بِعَذْليin reproach of me إِذsince غَدَتْbecame
يَتَنَاجَيْنَ بِعَذْلي إِذ غَدَتْ
بِزَّتيmy attire دِرْعيmy coat of mail وَأَلْقَيْتُand I cast aside عِطافيmy cloak
بِزَّتي دِرْعي وَأَلْقَيْتُ عِطافي
They whisper together in reproach of me, since
Talking secretly about my separation when morning came
my attire has become my coat of mail, and I have cast aside my cloak.
With my coat of mail and mantle cast aside
ياO نِساءَwomen of الحَيِّthe tribe ماno فيin أُذُنِيmy ear
يا نِساءَ الحَيِّ ما في أُذُنِي
مَسْلَكٌa passage لِلَّوْمِfor reproach فَاتْرُكنَso leave off خِلافيopposing me
مَسْلَكٌ لِلَّوْمِ فَاتْرُكنَ خِلافي
O women of the tribe, my ear has no
O women of the tribe, my ears hear no blame
passage for reproach; so cease opposing me.
So cease your criticism of my departure
إِنَّindeed ظِلَّthe shade of النَّقْعِthe battle-dust أَوْلَىmore fitting بِالفَتَىfor the young man
إِنَّ ظِلَّ النَّقْعِ أَوْلَى بِالفَتَى
فيin طِلابِpursuit of العِزِّhonor مِنْthan ظِلِّthe shade of الطِّرافِthe leather tent
في طِلابِ العِزِّ مِنْ ظِلِّ الطِّرافِ
Indeed, the shade of battle-dust better befits a young man
For the youth pursuing glory the shade of a banner
in pursuit of honor than the shade of a leather tent.
Is better than the shade of curtained litters
غَمَزَتْtested مِنّيin me اللَّياليthe nights صَعْدَةًa spearshaft
غَمَزَتْ مِنّي اللَّيالي صَعْدَةً
لَمْdid not يُقَوِّمْstraighten دّرْءَهاits bend عَضُّthe bite of الثِّقافِthe spear-straightening clamp
لَمْ يُقَوِّمْ دّرْءَها عَضُّ الثِّقافِ
The nights have tested in me a spearshaft
Fate has struck me a blow
whose bend the straightening-clamp's bite has not set right.
That not even staunchest armor could withstand
وَلَناand ours is قادِمَةُthe foremost flight feather of المَجْدِglory إِذاwhen
وَلَنا قادِمَةُ المَجْدِ إِذا
عَلِقَclings المُقْرِفُthe man of base paternal stock مِنْهاof it بِالخَوافيto the secondary wing-feathers
عَلِقَ المُقْرِفُ مِنْها بِالخَوافي
And ours is glory's foremost flight feather, when
But glory will come to us when
the man of base paternal stock clings to its secondary feathers.
The lance-bearer seizes its forelocks
وَالمُعاوِيُّand the Muʿāwī إِذاwhen رامَseeks العُلاthe heights
وَالمُعاوِيُّ إِذا رامَ العُلا
نَعِرُfar-reaching النِّيَّةِin purpose نَسَّالُprolific producer of القَوافيrhymes
نَعِرُ النِّيَّةِ نَسَّالُ القَوافي
And the Muʿāwī, when he seeks the heights,
And Mu‘āwiya, whenever he aspires
is far-reaching in purpose, prolific in rhymes.
We blunt his purpose and make the meters lag
Sol 6.1