لَيسَnot يُغنيavails القَولُspeech إِلّاexcept لِاِمرِئٍfor a man
لَيسَ يُغني القَولُ إِلّا لِاِمرِئٍ
صادِقٍtruthful بِالقَولِin speech يَوماًone day أَوor مُطيقِcapable
صادِقٍ بِالقَولِ يَوماً أَو مُطيقِ
Speech is of no avail except to a man
Words alone will not avail a man,
who is ever true to his word, or able to fulfill it.
Unless he be sincere at heart one day,
إِنَّindeed مَنwhoever أَورَدَleads into صَعباًhardship نَفسَهُhimself
إِنَّ مَن أَورَدَ صَعباً نَفسَهُ
هُوَّةًa chasm ذاتَhaving اِزوِرارٍcrookedness وَمَضيقِand constriction
هُوَّةً ذاتَ اِزوِرارٍ وَمَضيقِ
Indeed, whoever leads himself into hardship—
He who ventures in a narrow defile,
a chasm of crooked turns and narrow straits—
A gorge with undercutting sides and narrow,
لاحِقٌmatching تَغلِبَTaghlib فيin عُدوانِهِhis aggression
لاحِقٌ تَغلِبَ في عُدوانِهِ
بادِياًinitiating فيin الظُلمِwrongdoing فيناagainst us وَالفُسوقِand transgression
بادِياً في الظُلمِ فينا وَالفُسوقِ
matches Taghlib in his aggression,
Will be caught there by following enemies,
taking the lead in wronging us and in transgression.
Evident in injustice towards us and wickedness,
لَيسَnot ظُلمٌa wrong يَبتَديbegins المَرءُa man بِهِwith it
لَيسَ ظُلمٌ يَبتَدي المَرءُ بِهِ
كَاِنتِصارِlike the vengeance of المَرءِa man فيfor الوَترِthe unavenged wrong الحَنيقِrage-stirring
كَاِنتِصارِ المَرءِ في الوَترِ الحَنيقِ
The wrong a man initiates is not
It is no injustice for a man to retaliate
like his taking vengeance for a rage-stirring injury.
Against another’s wound in his painful agony,
لَيسَnot مَنwhoever جَرَّبَhas tried يَوماًever حَربَناour warfare
لَيسَ مَن جَرَّبَ يَوماً حَربَنا
كانَwas لِلعَودَةِto return فيهاto it بِالحَقيقِfit
كانَ لِلعَودَةِ فيها بِالحَقيقِ
No one who has ever tried our warfare
He who once experienced our war
was fit to return to it.
Will have no chance for a safe return,
شَجَّعَتهُemboldened him النَفسthe spirit عَنfrom ذيwhat is within صَدرِهِhis breast
شَجَّعَتهُ النَفس عَن ذي صَدرِهِ
أَشخَصَتهُdrove him forth حِدَّةُthe fierceness of النَفسِthe spirit البَروقِthe deceptive
أَشخَصَتهُ حِدَّةُ النَفسِ البَروقِ
His spirit emboldened him from within his breast;
His spirit urging him in spite of his chest,
the fierceness of his deceptive spirit drove him forth.
His intense spirit flashing its lightning,
قَعَدَfaltered المُهرُthe colt بِهِwith him مُعرَورِياًriding bareback
قَعَدَ المُهرُ بِهِ مُعرَورِياً
لَيسَnot غَيرَother than الرُمحِthe spear وَالنَصلِand the blade العَتيقِthe old
لَيسَ غَيرَ الرُمحِ وَالنَصلِ العَتيقِ
The colt failed him as he rode bareback,
The slim knight sat there disabled,
with nothing but the spear and the old blade.
With only his lance and polished ancient sword,
لَيسَnot يَشكوcomplains of أَلَمَthe pain of الجُرحِthe wound اِمرُؤٌa man
لَيسَ يَشكو أَلَمَ الجُرحِ اِمرُؤٌ
نالَhas gained حيناfor a time سيعَةًease مِنfrom بَعدِafter ضيقِhardship
نالَ حينا سيعَةً مِن بَعدِ ضيقِ
A man does not complain of a wound's pain
No healed man complains of the pain of wounds
who has gained a spell of ease after hardship.
When he has tasted wide space after constriction,
وَرَمىand cast بِالوَترِthe bowstring مِنهُaway from him جانِباًaside
وَرَمى بِالوَترِ مِنهُ جانِباً
فَرَمىthen assailed الأَعداءَthe enemies بِالطَعنِwith thrusts المُريقِblood-spilling
فَرَمى الأَعداءَ بِالطَعنِ المُريقِ
And he cast the bowstring aside, away from himself,
He has cast aside his bowstring
then assailed the enemies with blood-spilling thrusts.
And cast his spears at the closely packed foe,
ذاكَthat one ماwhat ذاكَthat one وَلوذاand even if possessed of حِفظَةٍwrath
ذاكَ ما ذاكَ وَلوذا حِفظَةٍ
بَطَلٌa champion يَقطَعُcuts through أَقرابَthe flanks of الصَديقِa friend
بَطَلٌ يَقطَعُ أَقرابَ الصَديقِ
That one—what a one!—even if full of wrath:
To right and left neighbours and relations
a champion who cuts through a friend's flanks,
By a hero who cuts down the dear friend,
مِنof رَئيسٍa chief لَمdid not يُراقِبrespect إِذwhen غَداhe set out
مِن رَئيسٍ لَم يُراقِب إِذ غَدا
حُرمَةَthe inviolability of الجارِthe neighbor وَلاnor حَقَّthe right of الرَفيقِthe companion
حُرمَةَ الجارِ وَلا حَقَّ الرَفيقِ
a chief who, when he set out, respected neither
From a chief who did not respect
a neighbor's inviolability nor a companion's rights.
The sanctity of a neighbour nor a companion's claim,
رَفَضَabandoned القَومَthe people وَلَمand did not يَرحَمهُمُshow them mercy
رَفَضَ القَومَ وَلَم يَرحَمهُمُ
وَرَماناand struck us رَميَةَa shot of المَولىthe ally العَقوقِthe faithless
وَرَمانا رَميَةَ المَولى العَقوقِ
He abandoned the people and showed them no mercy,
He rejected his tribesmen and was merciless,
and struck us with a faithless ally's shot.
And we were struck by the Lord's ungrateful blow,
نَحنُwe لَمّاhad not yet نَبتَدِعwe initiated ظُلماًa wrong بِهِagainst him
نَحنُ لَمّا نَبتَدِع ظُلماً بِهِ
فَتَصَدّىyet he confronted وَبَغىand sought الظُلمَinjustice السَحيقِfar-reaching
فَتَصَدّى وَبَغى الظُلمَ السَحيقِ
We had not initiated any wrong against him,
When we took the initiative in injustice
yet he confronted us and sought far-reaching injustice.
He objected and sought satisfaction for utter wrong,
وَنَصَبناand we planted فيat خَزازىKhazaza رُمحهhis spear
وَنَصَبنا في خَزازى رُمحه
وَطَرَدناand we drove away العُصمَthe mountain goats عِنfrom كُلِّevery أَنيقِlovely height
وَطَرَدنا العُصمَ عِن كُلِّ أَنيقِ
And we planted his spear at Khazaza,
We set up his lance in its holder,
and drove the mountain goats from every lovely height.
And sent away chastity from every dandy,
وَكَفَيناهُand we protected him from عَياناًin plain sight مَذحِجاًMadhhij
وَكَفَيناهُ عَياناً مَذحِجاً
بِضِرابٍwith blows مِثلِlike تَضرامِthe blazing of الحَريقِa fire
بِضِرابٍ مِثلِ تَضرامِ الحَريقِ
And in plain sight we warded off Madhhij for him,
And we maltreated him openly, burning
with blows like the blazing of a fire,
With a blow like the burning of flaming fire,
يَومَon a day لاnot تَستُرُcovers أُنثىa woman وَجَهَهاher face
يَومَ لا تَستُرُ أُنثى وَجَهَها
وَنُفوسُand the souls of القَومِthe people تَنزوleap فيin الحُلوقِthe throats
وَنُفوسُ القَومِ تَنزو في الحُلوقِ
on a day when no woman covered her face,
On a day when no woman hides her face,
and the people's souls leapt in their throats.
And the souls of the tribe pour forth at their collars,
نَحنُwe لاnot أَمثالُكُمthe likes of you يَومَon the day of الوَغىbattle
نَحنُ لا أَمثالُكُم يَومَ الوَغى
فيin حُمَيّاهاits fury وَلاnor يَومَon the day of الحُقوقِrights
في حُمَيّاها وَلا يَومَ الحُقوقِ
We are not like you on the day of battle,
We are not the likes of you on the day of battle,
in its fury, nor on the day when rights must be upheld.
Nor on the day of rights in their sanctuaries,
قَدalready رَأَيتُمyou have seen أَثَراًa trace مِنof طَعنِناour thrusts
قَد رَأَيتُم أَثَراً مِن طَعنِنا
فَخُذوهُso take it أَوor ذَروهُleave it فيon الطَريقِthe road
فَخُذوهُ أَو ذَروهُ في الطَريقِ
You have seen a trace of our thrusts;
You have seen some mark of our thrusting -
so take it, or leave it on the road.
Take it or leave it on the road!
إِنif خَذَلناwe have abandoned اليَومَtoday ذُهلاًDhuhl لَهُمto them
إِن خَذَلنا اليَومَ ذُهلاً لَهُم
فَغَداًthen tomorrow نَحمِلُwe will bear عَنهُمon their behalf ماwhatever نُطيقُwe can bear
فَغَداً نَحمِلُ عَنهُم ما نُطيقُ
If today we have abandoned Dhuhl to them,
If we are forsaken defeated today,
then tomorrow we shall bear for them whatever we can.
Tomorrow we will bear from them what we can,
قَدalready تَمَنَّتhas wished تَغلِبٌTaghlib أُمنِيَةًa wish
قَد تَمَنَّت تَغلِبٌ أُمنِيَةً
هِيَit مِنهاfrom it حيثُwhere بَيضاتُthe eggs of الأَنوقِthe vulture
هِيَ مِنها حيثُ بَيضاتُ الأَنوقِ
Taghlib has cherished a wish
Taghlib yearned for a wishful dream
as far beyond its reach as the vulture's eggs.
Which for them is far off as the nests of the sandgrouse,
Sol 6.1