مَغنىthe site of مَنازِلِهاher dwellings الَّتيwhich بِمُشَقَّرِat Mushaqqar
مَغنى مَنازِلِها الَّتي بِمُشَقَّرِ
مَرَّتpassed عَلَيهِover it جَنوبُa south wind غَيثٍof rain مُمطِرٍpouring
مَرَّت عَلَيهِ جَنوبُ غَيثٍ مُمطِرٍ
The site of her dwellings, those at Mushaqqar,
was swept by a south wind bearing pouring rain.
غَيثٌrain أَذابَmelted البَرقُthe lightning شَحمَةَthe fat of مُزنِهِits rainclouds
غَيثٌ أَذابَ البَرقُ شَحمَةَ مُزنِهِ
فَالريحُso the wind تَنظِمُstrings فيهِwithin it حَبَّbeads of الجَوهَرِjewels
فَالريحُ تَنظِمُ فيهِ حَبَّ الجَوهَرِ
Rain whose clouds’ fat the lightning melted,
so the wind strings jewel-beads within it.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though طارَتflew بِهِwith it ريهُwind الصَباthe east wind
وَكَأَنَّما طارَت بِهِ ريهُ الصَبا
مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat اِنغَمَسَتit plunged بِهِwith it فيinto العَنبَرِambergris
مِن بَعدِ ما اِنغَمَسَت بِهِ في العَنبَرِ
And it is as though the east wind bore it aloft,
after plunging with it into ambergris.
وَيُضيءُand it shines تَحسِبُyou think أَنَّthat ماءَthe water of غَمامِهِits clouds
وَيُضيءُ تَحسِبُ أَنَّ ماءَ غَمامِهِ
قَمَرٌa moon تَقَطَّعَbroke into pieces فيin إِناءٍa vessel أَخضَرِgreen
قَمَرٌ تَقَطَّعَ في إِناءٍ أَخضَرِ
And it shines: you would think the water of its clouds
a moon broken into pieces in a green vessel.
مَنwho ذاis it that رَأىhas seen غَيثاًrain تَأَزَّرَgirded itself بَرقُهُits lightning
مَن ذا رَأى غَيثاً تَأَزَّرَ بَرقُهُ
فيwithin عارِضٍa cloudbank عُريانَnaked لَمdid not يَتَأَزَّرِgird itself
في عارِضٍ عُريانَ لَم يَتَأَزَّرِ
Who has seen rain whose lightning girded itself
within a naked cloudbank that wore no girdle,
أَوor نِعمَةًa blessing ثُعَلِيَّةًof Thuʿal يَمَنِيَّةًYemeni
أَو نِعمَةً ثُعَلِيَّةً يَمَنِيَّةً
بِمُحَمَّدِin Muhammad بنِson of الأَشعَثَينِthe two Ashʿaths وَجَعفَرِand Jaʿfar
بِمُحَمَّدِ بنِ الأَشعَثَينِ وَجَعفَرِ
or a Thuʿali, Yemeni blessing
in Muhammad ibn al-Ashʿathayn and Jaʿfar?
زَينٌan ornament لِمَملَكَةٍto a kingdom وَلَمand did not يَعلَمknow بِهِof him
زَينٌ لِمَملَكَةٍ وَلَم يَعلَم بِهِ
ذيبٌa wolf خُزاعِيُّKhuzaʿi الهَوىallegiance وَالمَحضَرِand company
ذيبٌ خُزاعِيُّ الهَوى وَالمَحضَرِ
An ornament to a kingdom, though unknown to
a wolf, Khuzaʿi in allegiance and company.
ذَرِبُsharp اللِسانِof tongue كَأَنَّهُas though he were مِنfrom خَثعَمٍKhathʿam
ذَرِبُ اللِسانِ كَأَنَّهُ مِن خَثعَمٍ
ثَبتُsteadfast الجَنانِof heart كَأَنَّهُas though he were مِنfrom حِميَرِHimyar
ثَبتُ الجَنانِ كَأَنَّهُ مِن حِميَرِ
Sharp of tongue, as though he were of Khathʿam,
steadfast of heart, as though he were of Himyar.
فَاِقتَصَّso he took مِنfrom سُؤرِthe remnants of النُبوَّةِprophethood سُؤرَةًa remnant
فَاِقتَصَّ مِن سُؤرِ النُبوَّةِ سُؤرَةً
دَلَّتpointed عَلىto سُؤَرِthe remnants of النَبِيِّthe Prophet الأَزهَرِthe radiant
دَلَّت عَلى سُؤَرِ النَبِيِّ الأَزهَرِ
So he took a portion from prophethood’s remnants,
which pointed to the radiant Prophet’s remnants.
فيamong هَؤُلاءِthese men غَداbecame الزَمانُTime مُمَنَّعاًimpregnable
في هَؤُلاءِ غَدا الزَمانُ مُمَنَّعاً
يَحميguards حَقيقَتَهُits honor بِأَكرَمِwith the noblest مَعشَرِcompany
يَحمي حَقيقَتَهُ بِأَكرَمِ مَعشَرِ
Among these men, Time has become impregnable,
guarding its honor with the noblest company.
قَومٌa people إِذاwhen جَرّواthey dragged الرِماحَthe spears تَكَسَّرواthey shattered
قَومٌ إِذا جَرّوا الرِماحَ تَكَسَّروا
غَيظاًwith rage إِذاif رَجَعَتthey returned وَلَمand did not تَتَكَسَّرِbreak
غَيظاً إِذا رَجَعَت وَلَم تَتَكَسَّرِ
A people who, when they drag their spears, shatter
with rage if the spears return unbroken.
لاnot يَقرَبونَthey approach الطيبَperfume إِلّاexcept بِالقَناwith spears
لا يَقرَبونَ الطيبَ إِلّا بِالقَنا
وَتَدورُand goes round كَأسُهُمُtheir cup لَهُمfor them فيin مِغفَرِa helmet
وَتَدورُ كَأسُهُمُ لَهُم في مِغفَرِ
They approach perfume only with spears,
and their cup goes round among them in a helmet.
وَتَكادُand nearly تَنتَقِصُdwindle السُيوفُthe swords مِنَfrom الأَسىgrief
وَتَكادُ تَنتَقِصُ السُيوفُ مِنَ الأَسى
فَتَخورُso falter أَنفُسُهُمtheir souls وَلَمand did not تَتَخَيَّرِchoose
فَتَخورُ أَنفُسُهُم وَلَم تَتَخَيَّرِ
And the swords nearly waste away from grief,
so their souls falter, though they have not chosen,
مُتَكَبِّراتٌtoo proud أَنto تَكونَbecome لَهُfor it قِرىًa guest’s meal
مُتَكَبِّراتٌ أَن تَكونَ لَهُ قِرىً
وَإِذاand when بَقينَthey survive بَقينَthey survive لَمdid not تَتَكَبَّرِgrow proud
وَإِذا بَقينَ بَقينَ لَم تَتَكَبَّرِ
too proud to become a feast for it;
yet when they survive, they survive without pride.
Sol 6.1