وَبِرَوضَةِand in the meadow of السُلّانِal-Sullan مِنّاof ours مَشهَدٌa battle
وَبِرَوضَةِ السُلّانِ مِنّا مَشهَدٌ
وَالخَيلُand the horses شاحِيَةٌgaping-mouthed وَقدand already عَظُمَhad grown great الثُبىthe war-bands
وَالخَيلُ شاحِيَةٌ وَقد عَظُمَ الثُبى
And in al-Sullan's meadow we had a battle,
And the horses were gaping, and the war-bands had swelled.
تَحميprotect الجَماجِمَthe skulls وَالأَكُفَّand the hands سُيوفُناour swords
تَحمي الجَماجِمَ وَالأَكُفَّ سُيوفُنا
وَرِماحُناand our spears بِالطَعنِwith thrusts تَنتَظِمُstring together الكُلىthe kidneys
وَرِماحُنا بِالطَعنِ تَنتَظِمُ الكُلى
Our swords protect skulls and hands,
And our spears string kidneys together with their thrusts,
فيin مَوقِفٍa battle ذَرِبِkeen الشَباthe weapon-points وَكَأَنَّماand as though
في مَوقِفٍ ذَرِبِ الشَبا وَكَأَنَّما
فيهِin it الرِجالُthe men عَلىupon الأَطائِمِthe fire-pits وَاللَظىand blazing flame
فيهِ الرِجالُ عَلى الأَطائِمِ وَاللَظى
In a battle of keen points; and it was as though
The men there stood upon fire-pits and flame.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though أَسَلاتُهُمtheir spear-points مَهنوأَةٌsmeared
وَكَأَنَّما أَسَلاتُهُم مَهنوأَةٌ
بِالمُهلِwith molten metal مِنfrom نَدَبِthe marks of الكَلومِthe wounds إِذاwhen جَرىit flowed
بِالمُهلِ مِن نَدَبِ الكَلومِ إِذا جَرى
And as though their spear-points had been smeared
With molten metal as it flowed from the wounds' marks.
عافواthey scorned الإِتاوَةَthe tribute وَاِستَقَتand drew water أَسلافُهُمtheir forebears
عافوا الإِتاوَةَ وَاِستَقَت أَسلافُهُم
حَتّىuntil اِرتَوَواthey drank their fill عَلَلاًrepeated draughts بِأَذنِبَةِwith buckets of الرَدىdeath
حَتّى اِرتَوَوا عَلَلاً بِأَذنِبَةِ الرَدى
They scorned tribute, and their forebears drew water,
Until they drank their fill, draught after draught, from death's buckets.
أَضحَتhas become قَرينَةُQarinah قَدalready تَغَيَّرَhad changed بِشرُهاher cheerful expression
أَضحَت قَرينَةُ قَد تَغَيَّرَ بِشرُها
وَتَجَهَّمَتand she scowled بِتَحِيَّةِwith the greeting of القَومِthe people العِدىthe hostile ones
وَتَجَهَّمَت بِتَحِيَّةِ القَومِ العِدى
Qarinah's cheerful expression has now changed,
And she scowled a greeting such as enemies give.
أَلوَتshe gestured بِإِصبَعِهاwith her finger وَقالَتand she said إِنَّماonly
أَلوَت بِإِصبَعِها وَقالَت إِنَّما
يَكفيكَsuffices for you مِمّاof what لاnot تَرىyou see ماwhat قَدalready تَرىyou see
يَكفيكَ مِمّا لا تَرى ما قَد تَرى
She gestured with her finger and said, 'Indeed,
What you already see tells you enough of what you do not see.'
ماwhat بالُis the matter with عِرسيmy wife لاnot تَبَشُّshe smiles كَعَهدِهاas she used to
ما بالُ عِرسي لا تَبَشُّ كَعَهدِها
لَمّاwhen رَأَتshe saw سِرّيmy manhood تَغَيَّرَhad changed وَاِنثَنىand drooped
لَمّا رَأَت سِرّي تَغَيَّرَ وَاِنثَنى
What ails my wife, that she no longer smiles as she used to,
When she saw my manhood altered and drooping?
Sol 6.1