أَخَذَتshe seized جَعفَرٌJaʿfar بِرَأسِby the head of القِطارِthe caravan
أَخَذَت جَعفَرٌ بِرَأسِ القِطارِ
ثُمَّthen نادَتshe called out أَنِthat اِبدَأواbegin (plural command) بِبَوارِwith destruction
ثُمَّ نادَت أَنِ اِبدَأوا بِبَوارِ
Jaʿfar seized the head of the caravan,
Ja'far took the lead of the train
then called out, “Begin with destruction!”
Then called to start the engine
فأَجابَتso she answered أُمُّmother of الأَميرِthe emir وَقالَتand she said
فأَجابَت أُمُّ الأَميرِ وَقالَت
قَدindeed أَتَيناكَwe have come to you أَوَّلَas the first of الزُوّارِthe visitors
قَد أَتَيناكَ أَوَّلَ الزُوّارِ
The emir’s mother answered and said,
The prince's mother responded and said
“We have come to you as the first visitors.”
We have come to you, the first of visitors
وَسَيَأتيكَand he will come to you صاعِدٌṢāʿid عَنafter قَليلٍa short while
وَسَيَأتيكَ صاعِدٌ عَن قَليلٍ
كُتبُهُhis letters بِالهَلاكِwith destruction فيin أُسكُدارِUskudār
كُتبُهُ بِالهَلاكِ في أُسكُدارِ
And Ṣāʿid will come to you before long,
And soon will come to you ascending a little
his letters telling of destruction in Uskudār.
Whose books of death are in Oskudar
ياO أَباfather of الجَعرِdung طُوِّقَwere placed under obligation الناسُthe people شُكراًin gratitude
يا أَبا الجَعرِ طُوِّقَ الناسُ شُكراً
وَاِستَحَقَّand he earned الدُعاءَprayers بِالأَسحارِin the hours before dawn
وَاِستَحَقَّ الدُعاءَ بِالأَسحارِ
O Father of Dung, the people were bound to gratitude,
O Abu Ja'ar, may people thank you
and he earned prayers in the hours before dawn.
And deserve to be prayed for at dawn
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom سَيفُكَyour sword الَّذيwhich يكشُفُit dispels الشَكdoubt (first part)
بِأَبي سَيفُكَ الَّذي يكشُفُ الشَك
كَcompletion of “doubt” وَيَجلوand it clears العَشاdimness of sight عَنِfrom الأَبصارِthe eyes
كَ وَيَجلو العَشا عَنِ الأَبصارِ
May my father ransom your sword, which dispels doubt
By my father, your sword that reveals doubt
and clears dimness from the eyes.
And clears visions from sights
أَرِنيهِshow it to me يَفريit cleaves السَواعِدَthe forearms وَالهاand the heads (first part)
أَرِنيهِ يَفري السَواعِدَ وَالها
مَcompletion of “heads” وَيُسقىand it is given to drink مِنَfrom الدِماءِthe blood الجَواريflowing
مَ وَيُسقى مِنَ الدِماءِ الجَواري
Show it to me cleaving forearms and heads,
Show it to me, it makes arms and protection bleed
and being given flowing blood to drink.
And they are watered with blood of maidens
اِسقِنيgive me to drink بَعضَهاsome of it لَعَلِّيَperhaps I أَشفىI may relieve
اِسقِني بَعضَها لَعَلِّيَ أَشفى
بِدَمِwith the blood of الحارِثِيِّal-Hārithī بَعضَsome of الأُوارِthe burning thirst
بِدَمِ الحارِثِيِّ بَعضَ الأُوارِ
Give me some of it to drink; perhaps I may quench
Quench me with some of it, maybe I recover
some of this burning thirst with al-Hārithī’s blood.
With blood of Harithi some fatigue
لاdo not تَهولَنَّكَfrighten you (emphatically) السَوابِغُthe full coats of mail وَالبيand the helmets (first part)
لا تَهولَنَّكَ السَوابِغُ وَالبي
ضُcompletion of “helmets” فَمِنfor from تَحتِهاbeneath them قُلوبُhearts of العَذاريthe maidens
ضُ فَمِن تَحتِها قُلوبُ العَذاري
Let not full coats of mail and helmets frighten you,
Do not let the elegant and white scare you
for beneath them are the hearts of maidens.
Underneath them are hearts of virgins
وَإِذاand when ماever (emphatic particle) لَقوكَthey meet you بِالخَيلِwith cavalry فَاِعلَمthen know
وَإِذا ما لَقوكَ بِالخَيلِ فَاِعلَم
أَنَّهاthat they (the horses) عُدَّةٌare provision لِيَومِfor the day of الفِرارِflight
أَنَّها عُدَّةٌ لِيَومِ الفِرارِ
And whenever they meet you with cavalry, know
And if they meet you with horses, then know
that the horses are provision for the day of flight.
They are equipment for the day of escape
أَناI عَبدُservant of اللَهِGod الصَفّارُal-Ṣaffār (the coppersmith) إِنif فَرrelieves (first part)
أَنا عَبدُ اللَهِ الصَفّارُ إِن فَر
رَجَcompletion of “relieves” اللَهُGod هُمومَcares of القُلوبِthe hearts بِالصَفّارِthrough al-Ṣaffār
رَجَ اللَهُ هُمومَ القُلوبِ بِالصَفّارِ
I am ʿAbd Allāh al-Ṣaffār, if
I am Abdullah, the whistler, if God relieves
God relieves the hearts’ cares through al-Ṣaffār.
The worries of hearts with the whistler
Sol 6.1