فِدىًa ransom لَكُماfor you both رِجلَيَّmy two legs أُمِّيmy mother وَخالَتِيand my maternal aunt
فِدىً لَكُما رِجلَيَّ أُمِّي وَخالَتِي
غَداةَon the morning الكُلابِal-Kulab إِذْwhen تُحَزُّare severed الدَّوابِرُthe heels
غَداةَ الكُلابِ إِذْ تُحَزُّ الدَّوابِرُ
May my mother and maternal aunt be your ransom, my two legs,
My feet are ransom for my mother and aunt
On the morning at al-Kulab, when heels were being severed.
On the morn when the hounds bayed ferociously
نَجَوتُI escaped نَجاءًan escape لَمdid not يَرَsee النَّاسُpeople مِثلَهُits like
نَجَوتُ نَجاءً لَم يَرَ النَّاسُ مِثلَهُ
كَأَنِّيas though I were عُقابٌan eagle عِندَat تَيمَنَTayman كاسِرُfolding its wings to swoop
كَأَنِّي عُقابٌ عِندَ تَيمَنَ كاسِرُ
I escaped in a flight whose like people had never seen,
I escaped a deliverance the like of which none has seen
As though I were an eagle at Tayman, folding its wings to swoop,
As if I were a falcon at timely flight
خُدَارِيَّةٌblack-feathered سَفْعَاءُdusky لَبَّدَmatted ريشَهاits feathers
خُدَارِيَّةٌ سَفْعَاءُ لَبَّدَ ريشَها
مِنَwith الطَّلِّdew يَومٌa day ذوhaving أَهاضيبَdownpours ماطِرُrainy
مِنَ الطَّلِّ يَومٌ ذو أَهاضيبَ ماطِرُ
Black-feathered and dusky, its plumage matted
A Khudari woman, her disheveled plumage
With dew by a rainy day of downpours.
Drenched by days of ceaseless rain
كَأَنَّاas though we were وَقَدand already حالَتintervened حُذُنَّةُHudhunnah دونَناbetween us and them
كَأَنَّا وَقَد حالَت حُذُنَّةُ دونَنا
نَعَامٌostriches تَلاهُfollowed them فارِسٌa horseman مُتَواتِرُpursuing persistently
نَعَامٌ تَلاهُ فارِسٌ مُتَواتِرُ
We were like—with Hudhunnah now standing between us and them—
As if we were ostriches thwarted by the village
Ostriches pursued by a horseman pressing relentlessly on.
With a horseman in hot pursuit
فَمَنso whoever يَكُis يَرْجُوhoping for فِيin تَميمٍTamim هَوادَةًleniency
فَمَن يَكُ يَرْجُو فِي تَميمٍ هَوادَةً
فَلَيسَso there are no لِجَرْمٍfor Jarm فيin تَمِيمٍTamim أَوَاصِرُkinship ties
فَلَيسَ لِجَرْمٍ في تَمِيمٍ أَوَاصِرُ
So whoever hopes for leniency from Tamim—
So whoever hopes for calm in Tameem
Jarm has no bonds of kinship with Tamim.
Has no cause in Tameem for stillness
وَلَمَّاand when سَمِعْتُI heard الخَيْلَthe cavalry تَدعوcalling upon مُقاعِساًMuqa‘is
وَلَمَّا سَمِعْتُ الخَيْلَ تَدعو مُقاعِساً
تَطالَعَنِيpeered up at me مِنfrom ثُغرَةِthe hollow النَّحْرِof the throat جائِرُa straying heart
تَطالَعَنِي مِن ثُغرَةِ النَّحْرِ جائِرُ
And when I heard the cavalry calling upon Muqa‘is,
When I heard the horses calling for battle
My straying heart peered up at me from the hollow of my throat.
An oppressor peered out at me through the throat-slit
فَإِنso if أَستَطِعI can لاnot تَلتَبِسْbecome entangled بيwith me مُقاعِسٌMuqa‘is
فَإِن أَستَطِع لا تَلتَبِسْ بي مُقاعِسٌ
وَلاnor يَرَنِيsee me مَبدَاهُمُtheir desert encampment وَالمَحاضِرُand the settled dwellings
وَلا يَرَنِي مَبدَاهُمُ وَالمَحاضِرُ
So, if I can help it, Muqa‘is shall not become entangled with me,
If I can, may no battle enmesh me
Nor shall their desert encampment or settled dwellings see me.
May its first light not espy me, nor the battlefield
وَلاnor تَكُbe لِيfor me حَدَّادَةٌa mourning widow مُضَرِيَّةٌof Mudar
وَلا تَكُ لِي حَدَّادَةٌ مُضَرِيَّةٌ
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle غَدَتshe went out in the morning قُوتَfood العِيَالِthe dependents تُبَادِرُshe hastens to obtain
إِذا ما غَدَت قُوتَ العِيَالِ تُبَادِرُ
Nor let me leave a mourning widow of Mudar,
May I have no ill-omened mourner woman
Going out in the morning, hastening to secure her dependents’ food.
When the food of dependents comes morning and night
يَقولُhe says لِيَto me النَّهْدِيُّthe man of Nahd إِنَّكَindeed you مُرْدِفيtaking me pillion
يَقولُ لِيَ النَّهْدِيُّ إِنَّكَ مُرْدِفي
وَكَيفَand how رِدافُriding behind الفَلِّthe routed fugitive أُمُّكَyour mother عابِرُweeping
وَكَيفَ رِدافُ الفَلِّ أُمُّكَ عابِرُ
The man of Nahd says to me, 'You will take me up behind you.'
The Nahdi says to me, you ride pillion
And how can you ride behind a fugitive? May your mother weep!
But how can the mare, your mother, be a conveyance
يُذَكِّرُنيhe reminds me بِالرَّحمِof kinship بَينِيbetween me وَبَينَهُand between him
يُذَكِّرُني بِالرَّحمِ بَينِي وَبَينَهُ
وَقَدand already كانَthere was فيbetween نَهْدٍNahd وَجَرمٍand Jarm تَدابُرُmutual estrangement
وَقَد كانَ في نَهْدٍ وَجَرمٍ تَدابُرُ
He reminds me of the kinship between us,
He reminds me of the womb-tie between us
Though Nahd and Jarm had turned their backs on each other.
Though of old in Nahd we were lands apart
وَلَمَّاand when رَأَيتُI saw الخَيلَthe cavalry تَترَىcoming successively أَثائِجاًin throngs
وَلَمَّا رَأَيتُ الخَيلَ تَترَى أَثائِجاً
عَلِمتُI knew بِأَنَّthat اليَومَthe day أَحمَسُfierce فاجِرُruthless
عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ اليَومَ أَحمَسُ فاجِرُ
And when I saw the cavalry coming in successive throngs,
When I saw the horses jostling in throngs
I knew that the day was fierce and ruthless.
I knew this day would be perilous and unjust
Sol 6.1