إِساءَةُmistreatment دَهرٍof an age بَرَّحَتtormented بيme نَوائِبُهits calamities
إِساءَةُ دَهرٍ بَرَّحَت بي نَوائِبُه
وَخَطبُand an affliction زَمانٍof a time بِالمَلامِwith reproach أُخاطِبُهI address it
وَخَطبُ زَمانٍ بِالمَلامِ أُخاطِبُه
The cruelty of an age whose calamities have tormented me,
The vicissitudes of fate have afflicted me with their calamities,
and the affliction of a time I address with reproach.
And the affairs of time address me with blame.
عَفاءًdesolation عَلىupon واديthe valley of نَريزَNariz فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it
عَفاءً عَلى وادي نَريزَ فَإِنَّهُ
تَسيلُflow بِغَيرِwith other than المَكرُماتِnoble deeds مَذانِبُهits watercourses
تَسيلُ بِغَيرِ المَكرُماتِ مَذانِبُه
Desolation upon the valley of Nariz, for
Grant me respite by the valley of Nariz, for it
its watercourses flow with anything but noble deeds.
Flows without generosity, its sides avoiding me.
دُفِعناwe were driven وَبُردُwhile the cloak of الشَمسِthe sun أَصفَرُyellow فاقِعٌbright
دُفِعنا وَبُردُ الشَمسِ أَصفَرُ فاقِعٌ
إِلىto جِذمِthe base of بابٍa gate ماnot يُبَجَّلُis honored حاجِبُهits doorkeeper
إِلى جِذمِ بابٍ ما يُبَجَّلُ حاجِبُه
We were driven, while the sun’s cloak was bright yellow,
We were dismissed while the yellow sun was waning,
to the base of a gate whose doorkeeper is not honored.
To the threshold of a door whose guardian is not venerable.
وَماand not كانَwas مُرٌّMurr بِالجَوادِgenerous فَيُبتَغىso it might be sought
وَما كانَ مُرٌّ بِالجَوادِ فَيُبتَغى
قِراهُhis hospitality وَلاnor بِالغَمرِmunificent تُرجىmight be hoped for مَواهِبُهhis gifts
قِراهُ وَلا بِالغَمرِ تُرجى مَواهِبُه
Murr was not generous, that one might seek
Bitterness is not sought from the generous, nor
his hospitality, nor munificent, that one might hope for his gifts.
Are its gifts hoped for from the intoxicated.
تَكَرَّهَwas reluctant لِلتَسليمِto offer a greeting حَتّىuntil حَسِبتُهُI thought him
تَكَرَّهَ لِلتَسليمِ حَتّى حَسِبتُهُ
يَلوكُchewing اِسمَهُhis name مِنfrom حَنظَلٍcolocynth هُوَhe هائِبُهafraid of it
يَلوكُ اِسمَهُ مِن حَنظَلٍ هُوَ هائِبُه
He grudged a greeting, until I thought him
He disdained to bid farewell, until I thought
chewing his name, as though made of colocynth he dreaded.
He was chewing his name which his confusion made him forget.
وَرامَand he attempted اِعتِذاراًan apology ثُمَّthen غَصَّchoked بِريقِهِon his saliva
وَرامَ اِعتِذاراً ثُمَّ غَصَّ بِريقِهِ
وَظَنَّand he thought كَنِيُّone sharing the byname of الكَلبِthe dog أَنّىthat I أُكالِبُهwould quarrel with him
وَظَنَّ كَنِيُّ الكَلبِ أَنّى أُكالِبُه
He attempted an apology, then choked on his saliva,
He attempted an excuse, then choked on his saliva,
and the dog’s namesake thought I would quarrel with him.
And the mongrel thought that I would bark at him.
فَأَدرَجتُهُso I passed him over صَفحاًin pardon وَكُنتُand I used to إِذاwhenever أَتىcommitted
فَأَدرَجتُهُ صَفحاً وَكُنتُ إِذا أَتى
لَئيمُa scoundrel أُناسٍamong people سَوءَةًa shameful deed لاnot أُعاتِبُهI rebuke him
لَئيمُ أُناسٍ سَوءَةً لا أُعاتِبُه
So I passed him over in pardon; it was my habit, whenever
So I dismissed him gently, and whenever
a scoundrel among people committed a shameful deed, not to rebuke him.
A scoundrel of evil people came to me with wickedness, I would not reproach him.
إِذاwhen الجَبَلُthe mountain الطائِيُّof Tayy ذَلَّتwas humbled سَراتُهُits summit
إِذا الجَبَلُ الطائِيُّ ذَلَّت سَراتُهُ
وَلانَتand softened لِطُرّاقِto the night-raiders of العَدُوِّthe enemy جَوانِبُهits flanks
وَلانَت لِطُرّاقِ العَدُوِّ جَوانِبُه
When the summit of the mountain of Tayy is humbled,
When the towering mountain is humbled and its peaks
and its flanks yield to the enemy’s night-raiders,
Soften for the spying enemy’s horseman.
تَناهَبُهُplunder it together أَودٌAwd وَهَمدانُand Hamdan بَعدَماafter
تَناهَبُهُ أَودٌ وَهَمدانُ بَعدَما
أَراهُI see it وَأَهلُwith the people of المَشرِقَينِthe two easts مَناهِبُهits spoils
أَراهُ وَأَهلُ المَشرِقَينِ مَناهِبُه
Awd and Hamdan plunder it together, after
Clan and tribe plunder it after I saw it
I once saw it with the peoples of the two easts as its spoils.
And the people of the two horizons plucking its fruits.
وَماand not ذاكَthat إِلّاexcept أَنَّthat فُرسانَهُits horsemen اِلتَقَواgathered
وَما ذاكَ إِلّا أَنَّ فُرسانَهُ اِلتَقَوا
عَلىaround مُنصَلٍa sword تُكدىprove ineffective عَلَيهِمfor them مَضارِبُهits striking edges
عَلى مُنصَلٍ تُكدى عَلَيهِم مَضارِبُه
And that is only because its horsemen gathered
That is only because its horsemen have agreed
around a sword whose striking edges fail them.
On a common purpose, though its blows distress them,
يَحُفّونَthey surround مَحفوفَone shaven at القِصاصِthe hairline تَغولُهُconsume him
يَحُفّونَ مَحفوفَ القِصاصِ تَغولُهُ
مَآكِلُهُhis foods عَنaway from أَكلِهِمtheir eating وَمُشارِبُهand his drinks
مَآكِلُهُ عَن أَكلِهِم وَمُشارِبُه
They surround a man with a shaven hairline, consumed
Defending in unison the one to be avenged while
by his own food and drink, heedless of their eating.
His food and drink distract them not from eating and drinking,
إِذاwhen اِنقَطَعَsnapped البَمُّthe bass string اِستُخِفَّhe was agitated وَإِنbut if يُقَلit is said
إِذا اِنقَطَعَ البَمُّ اِستُخِفَّ وَإِن يُقَل
أُغيرَa raid was made عَلىupon السَرحِthe grazing herd اِطمَأَنَّتgrew tranquil جَوانِبُهhis sides
أُغيرَ عَلى السَرحِ اِطمَأَنَّت جَوانِبُه
When the bass string snaps he is alarmed; but if it is said,
When the supplies are cut off it is taken lightly but if they are few
‘The grazing herd has been raided,’ his sides lie calm.
Its sides feel secure and tranquil upon the meadow.
أَخوa man given to نَشَواتٍdrunken bouts تَنجَليclear away نَومَهُduring his sleep الضُحىin the forenoon
أَخو نَشَواتٍ تَنجَلي نَومَهُ الضُحى
يَدَthroughout الدَهرِtime عَنهُfrom him وَهوَwhile he is سودٌblack تَرائِبُهhis chest bones
يَدَ الدَهرِ عَنهُ وَهوَ سودٌ تَرائِبُه
A man of drunken bouts that, as he sleeps at forenoon, fade
A brother of pleasure whose slumber the forenoon dispels,
from him throughout his life, while his chest bones are black.
While the hand of fate leaves him be, and his sorrows are black.
لَهُhe has شُغُلٌbusiness فيon جانِبَيهِhis two sides كِلَيهِماboth of them
لَهُ شُغُلٌ في جانِبَيهِ كِلَيهِما
إِذاwhenever اعتادَهُfrequent him أَحبابُهُhis male lovers وَحَبائِبُهand his female lovers
إِذا اعتادَهُ أَحبابُهُ وَحَبائِبُه
He has business on both his sides,
He is busy on both his sides, whichever
whenever his male and female lovers visit him.
His loved ones and darlings befriend.
مَطِيَّةُa mount for أَعيارٍasses كَأَنَّas though لِغَيرِهِbelonging to another, not him
مَطِيَّةُ أَعيارٍ كَأَنَّ لِغَيرِهِ
إِذاwhen حَمَلَbore الفَحلَthe stallion الثَقيلَheavy مَناكِبُهhis shoulders
إِذا حَمَلَ الفَحلَ الثَقيلَ مَناكِبُه
A mount for asses—as though someone else owned
A mare of noble breed, as if for another
his shoulders when they bore the heavy stallion.
Were the heavy stallion’s mounts upon its shoulders.
أَباO Abu خالِدٍKhalid لاnot يَجزِكَmay He reward you اللَهُGod صالِحاًwith good
أَبا خالِدٍ لا يَجزِكَ اللَهُ صالِحاً
فَماfor not كُنتَyou were إِلّاexcept التَيسَthe he-goat أَخفَقَfailed حالِبُهits milker
فَما كُنتَ إِلّا التَيسَ أَخفَقَ حالِبُه
O Abu Khalid, may God not reward you with good,
Abu Khalid, may God not make you prosperous,
for you were only a he-goat whose milker came away empty-handed.
For you were but the billy goat with the dangling udder.
Sol 6.1