أَلاAh! ياO! لَهفِmy grief! لَوif only شَدَّتbraced قَناتيmy spear-shaft
أَلا يا لَهفِ لَو شَدَّت قَناتي
قَبائِلُtribes of عامِرٍʿAmir يَومَthe day of الصَبيبِal-Sabib
قَبائِلُ عامِرٍ يَومَ الصَبيبِ
Ah, my grief! If only my spear-shaft had been braced
Oh, burning passion, if only the valleys
by the tribes of ʿAmir on the day of al-Sabib!
Of 'Amir's tribes were bound
غَداةَon the morning when تَجَمَّعَتgathered كَعبٌKaʿb عَلَيناagainst us
غَداةَ تَجَمَّعَت كَعبٌ عَلَينا
جَلائِبَlevied warbands بَينَamong أَبناءِthe sons of الحَريبِal-Harib
جَلائِبَ بَينَ أَبناءِ الحَريبِ
On the morning when Kaʿb gathered against us,
On the day we gathered at Ka'b against them
levied warbands among the sons of al-Harib.
Among the sons of Harib
فَلَمّاthen, when أَنthat رَأَوناthey saw us فيamid وَغاهاits battle-clamor
فَلَمّا أَن رَأَونا في وَغاها
كَآسادِlike lions of العَرينَةِal-ʿArina وَالحَجيبِand al-Hajib
كَآسادِ العَرينَةِ وَالحَجيبِ
Then, when they saw us amid its battle-clamor,
When they saw us in ambush
like lions of al-ʿArina and al-Hajib,
Like lions in their den, they were wary
تَداعَواthey called one another ثُمَّthen مالواthey veered فيamong ذُراهاits heights
تَداعَوا ثُمَّ مالوا في ذُراها
كَفِعلِlike the act of مُعانِتٍa defiant man أَمِنَfelt safe from الرَجيبِthe dreaded one
كَفِعلِ مُعانِتٍ أَمِنَ الرَجيبِ
they called one another, then veered among its heights,
They gathered, then scattered in the meadows
like a defiant man who felt safe from the dreaded one.
Like frightened deer avoiding danger
وَطارواand they fled كالنَعامِlike ostriches بِبَطنِin the valley of قَوِّQaww
وَطاروا كالنَعامِ بِبَطنِ قَوِّ
مُواءَلَةًseeking refuge عَلىin حَذَرِwariness of الرَقيبِthe watcher
مُواءَلَةً عَلى حَذَرِ الرَقيبِ
And they fled like ostriches through the valley of Qaww,
They fled like ostriches with full bellies
seeking refuge, wary of the watcher.
Fearful of any watcher, they ran
مَنَعناwe defended الغَيلَal-Ghayl مِمَّنfrom those who حَلَّsettled فيهِin it
مَنَعنا الغَيلَ مِمَّن حَلَّ فيهِ
إِلىas far as بَطنِthe valley of الجَريبِal-Jarib إِلىas far as الكَثيبِal-Kathib
إِلى بَطنِ الجَريبِ إِلى الكَثيبِ
We held al-Ghayl against those who settled there,
We prevented them from reaching
as far as the valley of al-Jarib, as far as al-Kathib.
The insides of valley or dune
وَخَيلٍand horses عالِكاتِchamping اللُجمِthe bits فيناamong us
وَخَيلٍ عالِكاتِ اللُجمِ فينا
كَأَنَّas though كُماتَهاtheir armored riders أُسدُlions of الضَريبِal-Darib
كَأَنَّ كُماتَها أُسدُ الضَريبِ
And among us were horses champing their bits,
With horses, their coats glittering, among us
as though their armored riders were lions of al-Darib.
Like roaring lionesses on the hunt
وَجُردٌand sleek-coated steeds جَمعُهاtheir ranks بيضٌwhite خِفافٌnimble
وَجُردٌ جَمعُها بيضٌ خِفافٌ
عَلىon جَنبَيboth sides of تُضارِعَTudariʿ فَاللَهيبِand al-Lahib
عَلى جَنبَي تُضارِعَ فَاللَهيبِ
And sleek-coated steeds, their ranks white and nimble,
And steeds, their white forms gathered
on both sides of Tudariʿ and al-Lahib.
Racing by the hillside like flames
هُمُthey سَدّواbarred عَلَيكُمagainst you بَطنَthe heart of نَجدٍNajd
هُمُ سَدّوا عَلَيكُم بَطنَ نَجدٍ
وَضَرّاتِand the hills of الجُبابَةِal-Jubaba وَالهَضيبِand al-Hadib
وَضَرّاتِ الجُبابَةِ وَالهَضيبِ
They barred you from the heart of Najd,
They blocked you off from Najd
and the hills of al-Jubaba and al-Hadib.
And the valley of Jubah and Hathayb
قَتَلناwe slew مِنهُمُfrom among them أَسلافَforebears صِدقٍtrue worth
قَتَلنا مِنهُمُ أَسلافَ صِدقٍ
وَأُبناand we returned بِالأُسارىwith the captives وَالقَعيبِand rich booty
وَأُبنا بِالأُسارى وَالقَعيبِ
We slew honored forebears from among them,
We killed their noble elders there
and returned with captives and rich booty.
And captured their youths and servants
Sol 6.1