ذَهَبَdeparted الَّذينَthose whom عَهِدتُI knew أَمسِyesterday بِرَأيِهِمthrough their counsel
ذَهَبَ الَّذينَ عَهِدتُ أَمسِ بِرَأيِهِم
مَنwhoever كانَwas ينقُصُlacking رَأيُهُhis judgment يَستَمتِعderives benefit
مَن كانَ ينقُصُ رَأيُهُ يَستَمتِع
Gone are those I knew yesterday, whose counsel
benefited anyone whose own judgment was lacking.
وَإِذاand when الأُمورُthe affairs تَعاظَمَتgrew grave وَتَشابَهَتand became hard to distinguish
وَإِذا الأُمورُ تَعاظَمَت وَتَشابَهَت
فَهُناكَthen there يَعتَرِفونَthey recognize أَينَwhere المَفزَعthe refuge
فَهُناكَ يَعتَرِفونَ أَينَ المَفزَع
And when affairs grew grave and hard to distinguish,
then they knew where to seek refuge.
وَإِذاand when عَجاجُthe dust-cloud المَوتِof death ثارَrose وَهَلهَلَتand were about to
وَإِذا عَجاجُ المَوتِ ثارَ وَهَلهَلَت
فيهِin it الجِيادُthe steeds إِلىtoward الجِيادِthe steeds تَسَرَّعrush
فيهِ الجِيادُ إِلى الجِيادِ تَسَرَّع
And when death's dust rose, and the steeds were about
to rush through it against other steeds,
بِالدارِعينَwith armored men كَأَنَّهاas if they were عُصَبُbands القَطاthe sandgrouse الthe
بِالدارِعينَ كَأَنَّها عُصَبُ القَطا ال
أَسرابِflocks تَمعَجُwheel about فيin العَجاجِthe dust-cloud وَتَمزَعand dart along
أَسرابِ تَمعَجُ في العَجاجِ وَتَمزَع
bearing armored men, like bands of sandgrouse,
in flocks, wheeling through the dust and darting on.
كُناwe were فَوارِسَهاtheir riders الَّذينَwho إِذاwhen دَعاcalled
كُنا فَوارِسَها الَّذينَ إِذا دَعا
داعيthe caller of الصَباحِthe dawn بِهِin response to it إِلَيهِto him نَفزَعwe rush
داعي الصَباحِ بِهِ إِلَيهِ نَفزَع
We were their riders, who, whenever summoned
by the herald of dawn, rushed to him at the call.
كُنّاwe were فَوارِسَhorsemen of نَجدَةٍvalor لَكِنَّهاbut it
كُنّا فَوارِسَ نَجدَةٍ لَكِنَّها
رُتَبٌranks فَبَعضٌso some فَوقَabove بَعضٍothers يَشفَعjoins another
رُتَبٌ فَبَعضٌ فَوقَ بَعضٍ يَشفَع
We were horsemen of valor, yet that valor
has ranks, one joined above another.
وَلِكُلِّand for every ساعٍstriver سُنَّةٌa customary way مِمَّنfrom those who مَضىpassed before
وَلِكُلِّ ساعٍ سُنَّةٌ مِمَّن مَضى
تَنمىgrows بِهِwith him فيin سَعيِهِhis striving أَوor تُبدِعinnovates
تَنمى بِهِ في سَعيِهِ أَو تُبدِع
And every striver has a way from those gone before,
which grows with him in his striving, or brings forth something new.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though فيهاin it المَذانِبُthe ladles خِلفَةًin alternation
وَكَأَنَّما فيها المَذانِبُ خِلفَةً
وَذَمُstraps الدِلاءِof the buckets عَلىover قَليبٍa well تُنزَعare hauled up
وَذَمُ الدِلاءِ عَلى قَليبٍ تُنزَع
And the ladles in it, moving in turn, seem
like bucket-straps hauled up over a well.
فيناamong us لِثَعلَبَةَbelonging to Thaʿlabah بنِson of عَوفٍʿAwf جَفنَةٌa large bowl
فينا لِثَعلَبَةَ بنِ عَوفٍ جَفنَةٌ
يَأويresort إِلَيهاto it فيin الشِتاءِthe winter الجُوَّعthe hungry
يَأوي إِلَيها في الشِتاءِ الجُوَّع
Among us, Thaʿlabah son of ʿAwf has a great bowl,
to which the hungry resort in winter.
وَمَذانِبٌand ladles ماnot تُستَعارُare borrowed وَجَفنَةٌand a large bowl
وَمَذانِبٌ ما تُستَعارُ وَجَفنَةٌ
سَوداءُblack عِندَduring نَشيجِهاits bubbling sound ماnot تُرفَعis lifted
سَوداءُ عِندَ نَشيجِها ما تُرفَع
And ladles that are never borrowed, and a bowl,
black, never lifted while it sobs.
مَنone who كانused to يَشتوspend the winter وَالأَرامِلُand the widows حَولَهُaround him
مَن كان يَشتو وَالأَرامِلُ حَولَهُ
يُرويquenches thirst بِآنِيَةِwith vessels of الصَريفِfresh-drawn milk وَيُشبِعand feeds to satiety
يُروي بِآنِيَةِ الصَريفِ وَيُشبِع
He who wintered with widows around him
quenched thirst with vessels of fresh-drawn milk and fed them their fill.
فيin كُلِّevery يَومٍday أَنتَyou تَفقِدُlose مِنهُمُfrom among them
في كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ تَفقِدُ مِنهُمُ
طَرَفاًa part وَأَيُّand what مَخيَلَةٍrain-promising cloud لاnot تُقلِعclears away
طَرَفاً وَأَيُّ مَخيَلَةٍ لا تُقلِع
Each day you lose from among them
a part—and what rain-promising cloud does not clear away?
لَمdid not يَبقَremain بَعدَهُمُafter them لِعَينَيfor the two eyes of ناظِرٍa beholder
لَم يَبقَ بَعدَهُمُ لِعَينَي ناظِرٍ
ماanything that تَستَنيمُrest securely لَهُupon it العُيونُthe eyes وَتَهجَعand sleep
ما تَستَنيمُ لَهُ العُيونُ وَتَهجَع
After them, nothing remained for a beholder's eyes
on which eyes could rest secure and fall asleep,
إِلّاّexcept المَلامَةَreproach مِنfrom رِجالٍmen قَدalready بُلواhave been tried
إِلّاّ المَلامَةَ مِن رِجالٍ قَد بُلوا
فَهُموهُموso they are themselves وَأَخوand the companion of المَلامَةِreproach يَجزَعloses heart
فَهُموهُمو وَأَخو المَلامَةِ يَجزَع
except reproach from men who have been tried.
So they are who they are, and blame's companion loses heart.
إِنّاindeed we بَنوsons of أَودَAwd الَّذيwho بِلِوائِهِunder his banner
إِنّا بَنو أَودَ الَّذي بِلِوائِهِ
مُنِعَتwas defended رِئامُRiʾām وَقَدand already غَزاهاraided it الأَجدَعal-Ajdaʿ
مُنِعَت رِئامُ وَقَد غَزاها الأَجدَع
We are the sons of Awd, under whose banner
Riʾām was defended, though al-Ajdaʿ had raided it.
وَبِهِand through him تَيَمَّنَsought good fortune يَومَthe day سارَhe marched مُكاثِراًwith superior numbers
وَبِهِ تَيَمَّنَ يَومَ سارَ مُكاثِراً
فيamong الناسِthe people يَقتَصُّfollows the trail of المَناهِلَthe watering places تُبَّعTubbaʿ
في الناسِ يَقتَصُّ المَناهِلَ تُبَّع
And through him he sought good fortune the day he marched in force
among the people, tracing the watering places—Tubbaʿ.
وَلَقَدand indeed نَكونُwe are إذاwhen تَحَلَّلَتِcome untied الحُباthe knee-and-back bindings
وَلَقَد نَكونُ إذا تَحَلَّلَتِ الحُبا
مِنّاfrom among us الرَئيسُthe chief اِبنُson of الرَئيسِthe chief المَقنَعthe accepted one
مِنّا الرَئيسُ اِبنُ الرَئيسِ المَقنَع
And indeed, when the sitting-bands come loose, we have
among us the acknowledged chief, son of a chief.
وَالدَهرُand time لاnot يَبقىendures عَلَيهagainst it لِقُوَةٌa female eagle
وَالدَهرُ لا يَبقى عَلَيه لِقُوَةٌ
فيon رَأسِthe summit of قاعِلَةٍa lofty crag نَمَتهاraised it أَربَعfour
في رَأسِ قاعِلَةٍ نَمَتها أَربَع
And no she-eagle endures against time,
on the crest of a lofty crag, raised by four.
مِنfrom دونِهاbelow it رُتَبٌledges فَأَدنىso the lowest رُتبَةٍledge
مِن دونِها رُتَبٌ فَأَدنى رُتبَةٍ
مِنهاof them عَلىto الصَدَعِthe young ibex الرَجيلِstrong-legged تَمَنَّعis inaccessible
مِنها عَلى الصَدَعِ الرَجيلِ تَمَنَّع
Below it lie ledges; even the lowest ledge
of them is beyond the strong-legged young ibex.
Sol 6.1