مَنِwho الطَّوالِعُthose emerging مِنfrom نَجدٍNajd تُظِلُّهُمُshade them
مَنِ الطَّوالِعُ مِن نَجدٍ تُظِلُّهُمُ
سُمرُbrown القَناspear-shafts أَنِزاراًis it Nizar? يَدَّعونَthey claim أَباas a father
سُمرُ القَنا أَنِزاراً يَدَّعونَ أَبا
Who are those emerging from Najd, shaded
They are the tall ones from Najd whom the rays of Sirius shade,
by brown spear-shafts? Do they claim Nizar as their father?
Calling out to their father with tender branches.
أَرىI see سُيوفَهُمُtheir swords بيضاًwhite كأَوجُهِهِمْlike their faces
أَرى سُيوفَهُمُ بيضاً كأَوجُهِهِمْ
فَماso what لأَعيُنِهِمْwith their eyes مُحمَرَّةًreddened غَضَباwith anger
فَما لأَعيُنِهِمْ مُحمَرَّةً غَضَبا
I see their swords white, like their faces;
I see their swords as white as their faces,
why, then, are their eyes reddened with anger?
So why are their eyes reddened with rage?
أَجَلْyes هُمُthey عامِرٌAmir هَزَّتهُمُroused them إِحَنٌgrudges
أَجَلْ هُمُ عامِرٌ هَزَّتهُمُ إِحَنٌ
واِستَصحَبواand they took along مِنfrom سُلَيمٍSulaym غِلمَةًyouths نُجُباnoble
واِستَصحَبوا مِن سُلَيمٍ غِلمَةً نُجُبا
Yes, they are Amir, roused by grudges,
Truly they are rich, pulled by yearning,
and they have brought along noble youths from Sulaym.
And they brought with them from Sulaim choice youths.
إِذاwhen الصَّريخُthe caller for help دَعاcalls حَلواthey untie الحُباknee-bands كَرَماًout of nobility
إِذا الصَّريخُ دَعا حَلوا الحُبا كَرَماً
وَحمحَمَand nickered الخَيلُthe horses فاِهتَزّواthen they stirred لَهاat them طَرَباwith delight
وَحمحَمَ الخَيلُ فاِهتَزّوا لَها طَرَبا
When a caller cries for help, they nobly untie their knee-bands;
When the battle cry calls they meet it generously
and when the horses nicker, they thrill with delight at the sound.
And the horses neigh, so they tremble for it out of joy.
يَحمونَthey defend نَجداًNajd بِأَرماحٍwith spears مُثَقَّفَةٍstraightened
يَحمونَ نَجداً بِأَرماحٍ مُثَقَّفَةٍ
تَحكيresemble الأَسِنَّةُthe spearheads فيat أَطرافِهاtheir tips الشُّهُباshooting stars
تَحكي الأَسِنَّةُ في أَطرافِها الشُّهُبا
They defend Najd with straightened spears;
They protect Najd with decorated spears
the spearheads at their tips resemble shooting stars.
Whose blades speak on their tips with flames.
وَرُبَّand many a آنِسَةٍmaiden فيamong القَومِthe tribe ماnot عَرَفَتْshe knew
وَرُبَّ آنِسَةٍ في القَومِ ما عَرَفَتْ
سَبياًcaptivity وَلَمand did not تُبدِuncover عَنfrom over خَلخالِهاher anklet هَرَباin flight
سَبياً وَلَم تُبدِ عَن خَلخالِها هَرَبا
And many a maiden among the tribe has never known
And many a companion among the people was unknown,
captivity, nor bared her anklet in flight.
Taken captive without revealing her anklet out of shyness.
تُزيرُshe brings to visit عودَa twig البَشامِthe basham tree اللَّدنَsoft مَكسِرُهُits broken end
تُزيرُ عودَ البَشامِ اللَّدنَ مَكسِرُهُ
فَماًa mouth يَمُجُّpours forth عَلَيهِupon it الخَمرَwine وَالضَرَباand white honey
فَماً يَمُجُّ عَلَيهِ الخَمرَ وَالضَرَبا
She brings a basham twig, soft at its broken end,
It twangs the supple boughs of the ud bitterly
to a mouth that pours wine and white honey upon it.
As the wine and revelry surge over it.
وَلاand not يُحَدِّثُtells عَنهُof it غَيرُهُother than it أَحَدٌanyone
وَلا يُحَدِّثُ عَنهُ غَيرُهُ أَحَدٌ
وَقَدand indeed حَكىrecounted عَنهُof it ماwhat أَهوىI love فَماso not كَذَباlied
وَقَد حَكى عَنهُ ما أَهوى فَما كَذَبا
And none but the twig can tell of that mouth;
None but it tells of what it loves,
it has told of it what I love, and has not lied.
And it has related what it desired without lying.
قالَتshe said لِصَحبيَto my companions سِرّاًsecretly إِذْwhen رأَتْshe saw فَرَسيmy horse
قالَت لِصَحبيَ سِرّاً إِذْ رأَتْ فَرَسي
مَنِwho الَّذيthe one whose يَتَقَدَّىmoves along مُهرُهُhis colt خَبَباat a trot
مَنِ الَّذي يَتَقَدَّى مُهرُهُ خَبَبا
She spoke secretly to my companions when she saw my horse:
She said to her companions secretly when she saw my mare,
'Who is the man whose colt moves at a trot?'
"Who is he whose gift horse is so lively?"
فَقالَthen said أَعلَمُهُمthe most knowledgeable among them بيabout me إِنَّindeed والِدَهُhis father
فَقالَ أَعلَمُهُم بي إِنَّ والِدَهُ
مَنthe one who كانَwas يُجهِدُexhausted أَخلافَthe teats of العُلاglory حَلَباby milking
مَن كانَ يُجهِدُ أَخلافَ العُلا حَلَبا
The one who knew me best replied: 'His father
The one among them who knew me best said,
was the man who milked the teats of glory to exhaustion.
"His father was one who fatigued the loins of nobility."
ماnot ماتَhe died حَتَّىuntil أَقَرَّacknowledged النَّاسُthe people قاطِبَةًall together
ما ماتَ حَتَّى أَقَرَّ النَّاسُ قاطِبَةً
بِفَضلِهِof his excellence وَهوَand he أَعلىthe highest of خِندِفٍKhindif نَسَباin lineage
بِفَضلِهِ وَهوَ أَعلى خِندِفٍ نَسَبا
He did not die until all people acknowledged
He did not die until all the people unanimously agreed
his excellence—and he was Khindif's highest in lineage.
On his virtue, though he was of high pedigree.
وَذاand this غُلامٌa youth بَعيدٌfar-reaching صيتُهُhis fame وَلَهُand he has
وَذا غُلامٌ بَعيدٌ صيتُهُ وَلَهُ
فَصاحَةٌeloquence وَفَعالٌand noble deeds زَيَّنَadorned الحَسَباancestral honor
فَصاحَةٌ وَفَعالٌ زَيَّنَ الحَسَبا
And this is a youth whose fame reaches far, endowed with
And he has a son far away whose fame is known,
eloquence and deeds that have adorned his ancestral honor.'
Possessing eloquence and deeds that adorn nobility.
وَظَلَّand he continued يُنشِدُهاrecites to her شِعريmy poetry وَيُطرِبُهاand delights her
وَظَلَّ يُنشِدُها شِعري وَيُطرِبُها
حَتىّuntil رَأَتهُshe saw him بِذَيلِin the hem of اللَيلِthe night مُنتَقِباveiled
حَتىّ رَأَتهُ بِذَيلِ اللَيلِ مُنتَقِبا
He kept reciting my poetry to her and delighting her,
He continued reciting my poetry to her and thrilling her
until she saw him veiled in the hem of night.
Until she saw him at the hem of night veiled.
فَوَدَّعَتهُthen she bade him farewell وَقالَتand she said ياO أخَاbrother of مُضَرٍMudar
فَوَدَّعَتهُ وَقالَت يا أخَا مُضَرٍ
هَذاthis لَعَمْريby my life كَلامٌspeech يُعجِبُdelights العَرَباthe Arabs
هَذا لَعَمْري كَلامٌ يُعجِبُ العَرَبا
She bade him farewell and said, 'O brother of Mudar,
She bid him farewell, saying, “O brother of Mudar,
this, by my life, is speech that delights the Arabs.'
By my life, these are words that please the Arabs!”
أَناI الَّذيthe one whose وَطِئَتْtrod هامَthe crowns of السُّهاSuha هِمَمِيmy aspirations
أَنا الَّذي وَطِئَتْ هامَ السُّها هِمَمِي
وَلَمand not يَكُنwas نَسَبيmy lineage فيamong الحَيِّthe tribe مُؤتَشَباmixed
وَلَم يَكُن نَسَبي في الحَيِّ مُؤتَشَبا
I am he whose aspirations have trodden Suha's crowns,
I am the one whose resolve the calamities of fate made firm,
and my lineage among the tribe was never mixed.
And my lineage in the tribe was not pieced together.
لَكِنَّنيbut I فيin زَمانٍan age لاnever تَزالُceases لَهfor it
لَكِنَّني في زَمانٍ لا تَزالُ لَه
نَكراءُa horror مَرهوبَةٌdreaded تُغريincites بيَagainst me النُّوَباcalamities
نَكراءُ مَرهوبَةٌ تُغري بيَ النُّوَبا
But I live in an age that never lacks
But I am in a time which always
a dreaded horror inciting calamities against me.
Has fickle adversity enticing disasters upon me.
أَعُضُّI bite كَفِّيَmy hand مِنfrom غَيظيmy rage فَشيمَتُهُfor its habit
أَعُضُّ كَفِّيَ مِن غَيظي فَشيمَتُهُ
أَنْto يُتبِعَmake follow الرَّأسَthe head مِنamong أَبنائِهِits sons الذَّنَباthe tail
أَنْ يُتبِعَ الرَّأسَ مِن أَبنائِهِ الذَّنَبا
I bite my hand in rage, for its habit
I gnaw my palm in my rage, for it is my nature
is to make the head among its sons follow the tail.
That the tail follows the head among its sons.
وَزَفرَةٍand many a sigh لَمdid not تَسَعْهاcontain it أَضلُعِيmy ribs عَلِقَتْclung
وَزَفرَةٍ لَم تَسَعْها أَضلُعِي عَلِقَتْ
بِغَضبَةٍto a fit of rage خِلتُهاI thought it بَينَwithin الحَشىthe vitals لَهَباa flame
بِغَضبَةٍ خِلتُها بَينَ الحَشى لَهَبا
And many a sigh my ribs could not contain has clung
A roar that my ribs could not contain clung
to a fit of rage I thought a flame within my vitals.
To a fury I kindled within my breast, aflame.
لأُخمِدَنَّI shall surely quench لَظاهاits blaze مِنهُمُfrom them بِدَمٍwith blood
لأُخمِدَنَّ لَظاها مِنهُمُ بِدَمٍ
يَعومُswims فيهِin it غِرارُthe edge of السَّيفِthe sword مُختَضِباblood-dyed
يَعومُ فيهِ غِرارُ السَّيفِ مُختَضِبا
I shall surely quench its blaze with their blood,
I will quench their insolence toward me with blood
in which the sword's edge will swim, blood-dyed.
In which the swirling of the sword floats, freshly dyed.
Sol 6.1