لَوَيْتُI twisted علىaround الرُّمْحِthe spear الرُدَيْنِيِّRudayni مِعْصَماa wrist
لَوَيْتُ على الرُّمْحِ الرُدَيْنِيِّ مِعْصَما
وَزُرْتُand I visited العِداthe foes وَالحَرْبُand war فاغِرَةٌgaping فَماa mouth
وَزُرْتُ العِدا وَالحَرْبُ فاغِرَةٌ فَما
I curled my wrist around the Rudayni spear,
And I visited the foes while war's mouth gaped wide.
وَقَدْand indeed زَعَمُواthey claimed أَنِّيthat I أُلِينُI soften عَريكَتيmy temper
وَقَدْ زَعَمُوا أَنِّي أُلِينُ عَريكَتي
لَهُمْtoward them إِذْwhen تَوَسَّدْتُI took as a pillow الخَمَاصَةَhunger مُعْدِماdestitute
لَهُمْ إِذْ تَوَسَّدْتُ الخَمَاصَةَ مُعْدِما
Yet they claimed that I would soften my temper
Toward them, when I made hunger my pillow, penniless.
أَمَاdid ... not عَلِمُواthey knew أَنِّيthat I وَإِنْand even if كُنْتُI was مُقْتِراًpoor
أَمَا عَلِمُوا أَنِّي وَإِنْ كُنْتُ مُقْتِراً
أُرَوِّيI slake مِنْfrom القِرْنِthe adversary الحُسامَthe sharp sword المُصَمِّماbone-cleaving
أُرَوِّي مِنْ القِرْنِ الحُسامَ المُصَمِّما
Did they not know that I, though impoverished,
Slake the bone-cleaving sword with the foe's blood?
وَيُشْرِقُand shines وَجْهيmy face حِيْنَwhen يُنْسَبُhas his lineage traced والِديmy father
وَيُشْرِقُ وَجْهي حِيْنَ يُنْسَبُ والِدي
وَتَلْقَىand you find عليهupon it لِلسِّيادَةِof lordship مَيسِماa mark
وَتَلْقَى عليه لِلسِّيادَةِ مَيسِما
And my face shines when my father's lineage is recounted,
And on it you find a mark of lordship.
وَإِنْand if ذَكَرواthey mention آباءَهُمْtheir fathers فَوُجوهُهُمْthen their faces
وَإِنْ ذَكَروا آباءَهُمْ فَوُجوهُهُمْ
تُشَبِّهُهاyou liken them قِطْعاًa stretch مِنَof اللَّيلِthe night مُظْلِماdark
تُشَبِّهُها قِطْعاً مِنَ اللَّيلِ مُظْلِما
And if they mention their fathers, their faces
You liken to a dark stretch of night.
وَلَلْفَقْرُand surely poverty خَيْرٌis better مِنْthan أَبٍa father ذيpossessing دَناءَةٍbaseness
وَلَلْفَقْرُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبٍ ذي دَناءَةٍ
إذَاwhen هُزَّis stirred لِلْفَخْرِto boast ابْنهُhis son عادَbecomes مُفْحَماsilenced
إذَا هُزَّ لِلْفَخْرِ ابْنهُ عادَ مُفْحَما
And poverty is surely better than a father of base character,
Whose son, when stirred to boast, is left speechless.
مَتىwhenever حُصِّلَتare examined أَنْسابُthe lineages of قَيْسٍQays وَخِنْدِفٍand Khindif
مَتى حُصِّلَت أَنْسابُ قَيْسٍ وَخِنْدِفٍ
فَليthen mine is مِنْamong رَوابِيهنَّtheir heights أَشْرَفُthe noblest مُنْتَمىlineage
فَلي مِنْ رَوابِيهنَّ أَشْرَفُ مُنْتَمى
Whenever the lineages of Qays and Khindif are examined,
Mine is the noblest lineage among their heights.
وَإِنْand if نُشِرَتْis unfolded عَنْهاconcerning them صَحيفَةُa record ناسِبٍof a genealogist
وَإِنْ نُشِرَتْ عَنْها صَحيفَةُ ناسِبٍ
رَأَيْتَyou see بُدوراًfull moons مِنْamong جُدوديmy forefathers وَأَنْجُماand stars
رَأَيْتَ بُدوراً مِنْ جُدودي وَأَنْجُما
And if a genealogist's record of them is unfolded,
You see full moons and stars among my forefathers.
لَهُمْthey have أَوْجُهٌfaces عِنْدَduring الفَخارِboasting تَزينُهاadorn them
لَهُمْ أَوْجُهٌ عِنْدَ الفَخارِ تَزينُها
عَرانِينُnoses ماnever شَمَّتْsmelled هَواناًdisgrace وَمَرْغَماand abasement
عَرانِينُ ما شَمَّتْ هَواناً وَمَرْغَما
They have faces that, in boasting, are adorned
By noses that have never smelled disgrace or abasement.
لِيَقْصِدْlet him be measured مُسِرُّone who conceals الضِّغْنِrancor فيناagainst us بِذَرْعِهِwithin his capacity
لِيَقْصِدْ مُسِرُّ الضِّغْنِ فينا بِذَرْعِهِ
وَلاand let him not يَسْتَثِرْrouse مِناfrom among us بِوادِيهِin his valley ضَيْغَماa lion
وَلا يَسْتَثِرْ مِنا بِوادِيهِ ضَيْغَما
Let him who conceals rancor against us keep within his limits,
And not rouse a lion from among us in his valley.
فَإنَّfor indeed المَناياthe fates of death حينَwhen يُضْمِرْنَthey harbor غُلَّةًa burning thirst
فَإنَّ المَنايا حينَ يُضْمِرْنَ غُلَّةً
لَيَلْعَقْنَthey surely lick مِنْfrom أَطْرافِthe tips of أَرْماحِناour spears الدَّماthe blood
لَيَلْعَقْنَ مِنْ أَطْرافِ أَرْماحِنا الدَّما
For the fates of death, when they harbor a burning thirst,
Surely lick blood from the tips of our spears.
Sol 6.1