أسىًgrief وسرورٌand joy ناصِرٌa supporter ومُخذِّلُand a forsaker
أسىً وسرورٌ ناصِرٌ ومُخذِّلُ
أتاحهماgranted them both ليto me عنترٌAntar ومُهلهلُand Muhalhil
أتاحهما لي عنترٌ ومُهلهلُ
Grief and joy, a supporter and a forsaker,
Sorrow and joy both came from ‘Antarah, who helped me or let me down,
Antar and Muhalhil have granted them both to me.
Brought to me by ‘Antarah and Muhallahil.
فماضٍso one departed بكتwept عينيmy eye لفقدfor the loss of كمالهِhis perfection
فماضٍ بكت عيني لفقد كمالهِ
وباقٍand one remaining لماfor what فيهis in him منof المجدglory أجْذَلُI rejoice
وباقٍ لما فيه من المجد أجْذَلُ
One has departed: my eye wept for the loss of his perfection;
My eyes wept for the loss of his perfection,
and one remains: I rejoice in the glory within him.
Yet his glory remains, magnificent.
سقىmay water عنتراًAntar والدمعand tears لولاwere it not for حرارةٌheat
سقى عنتراً والدمع لولا حرارةٌ
أحقُّworthier بهof him هامٍstreaming rain منfrom المُزنthe rain clouds مُسبلpouring down
أحقُّ به هامٍ من المُزن مُسبل
May Antar be watered—tears, but for their heat,
But for the heat of passion, ‘Antarah’s tears
would be worthier of him—by rain streaming from the clouds,
Would have befitted a lovesick, woeful camel herder.
سحوحٌcopiously pouring إذاwhen ماemphatic particle جرَّdragged فضلtrailing folds ذيولهِits skirts
سحوحٌ إذا ما جرَّ فضل ذيولهِ
أُذيبwas melted لهbefore it وانْماعand dissolved صخرٌrock وجندلُand boulders
أُذيب له وانْماع صخرٌ وجندلُ
so copious that, when it drags its skirts' trailing folds,
When Smooth-Coat dragged his robe’s train majestically,
rock and boulders melt and dissolve before it.
Even solid rock and granite melted for him.
قضىcompleted نحبهُhis life's term جمَّabundant in الثَّناءِpraise كأنماas though
قضى نحبهُ جمَّ الثَّناءِ كأنما
يشبblazes علىover الناديthe assembly بذكراهat his remembrance منْدلُaloeswood
يشب على النادي بذكراه منْدلُ
He met his end, richly praised, as though
He fulfilled glory, gathering all praise, as though
aloeswood blazed in the assembly at his remembrance.
His name set the whole encampment ablaze.
فتىًa young man لمdid not يخُنbetray عهداًa pledge ولاnor ملَّtire of صاحباًa companion
فتىً لم يخُن عهداً ولا ملَّ صاحباً
ولاnor باتspent the night عنfrom ودٍّaffection وإنeven if غابhe was absent يزحلُwithdraws
ولا بات عن ودٍّ وإن غاب يزحلُ
A young man who never betrayed a pledge or wearied of a friend,
A man who never broke faith or grew weary of a friend,
nor spent a night withdrawing from affection, even when away.
Who never spent a night away from love, though he wandered far,
ولاnor بخلتْbegrudged كفَّاهُhis two hands يوماًever بنائلٍwith a gift
ولا بخلتْ كفَّاهُ يوماً بنائلٍ
ولكنbut ملومٌblamed فيfor النَّوالlargesse مُعَذَلُreproached
ولكن ملومٌ في النَّوال مُعَذَلُ
Nor did his hands ever begrudge a gift,
His palms never stinted from giving on a day of want,
yet for his largesse he was blamed and reproached.
Yet blame for stinginess was heaped on Mu’adhdhal.
غزيرُabundant in التقىpiety لمdid not يألُfall short فيin اللهGod طاعةًobedience
غزيرُ التقى لم يألُ في الله طاعةً
ولاnor لاقهbefitted him فيin غيرother than تقواهُreverence for Him منزلُa station
ولا لاقه في غير تقواهُ منزلُ
Rich in piety, he never fell short in obedience to God,
Steadfast in devotion, he never failed serving God,
and no station outside reverence for Him befitted him.
Nor lodged, save in the shelter of his piety.
لِيبْكlet it weep عليهfor him معْركٌa battlefield وكتيبةٌand a battalion
لِيبْك عليه معْركٌ وكتيبةٌ
ويندبْهُand let it lament him نادٍan assembly ذوpossessing سَراةٍnobles ومَحْفلُand a gathering
ويندبْهُ نادٍ ذو سَراةٍ ومَحْفلُ
Let a battlefield and a battalion weep for him,
Let a tribe weep for him, and a troop,
and let a council of nobles and a gathering lament him;
As well as a clan of lofty estate.
وجُرْدٌand sleek steeds تمطَّىstretched فيagainst الشكيمthe bits كأنهاas though they were
وجُرْدٌ تمطَّى في الشكيم كأنها
علىon القاعthe level plain مُعْطٌhairless بالمناكبat the shoulders عُسَّلُloping
على القاع مُعْطٌ بالمناكب عُسَّلُ
and sleek steeds that strained against their bits, as though
And a regiment who wrapped themselves in dignity, as though
on the plain they were bare-shouldered, loping wolves.
Prostrating themselves on the ground, clad in fine mantles.
رعاهاtended them رماحspears الحظfortune حتىuntil أعادهاbrought them back
رعاها رماح الحظ حتى أعادها
ومرتعهاand their pasture روضa meadow منof العزhonor مخضلlush
ومرتعها روض من العز مخضل
Fortune's spears tended them until they brought them back,
They were kept safe by fortune’s spears until it returned them
their pasture a lush meadow of honor;
To pasture in a meadow of honor and eminence.
وضيفand a guest شتاءٍwinter باتspent the night فيin حُجُراتهhis chambers
وضيف شتاءٍ بات في حُجُراته
يُطافُattendance is given عليهaround him بالنَّعيمwith comforts ويُكْفلُand is provided for
يُطافُ عليه بالنَّعيم ويُكْفلُ
and a winter guest who spent the night in his chambers,
A winter’s guest who lodged in its rooms,
waited on with comforts and provided for.
Lavished with comforts and pampered.
سرىtraveled by night بخفافon fleet العيسwhite camels عجلىhurrying فزادهُso hastened him further
سرى بخفاف العيس عجلى فزادهُ
منin الوضعrapid travel علىon ظهرthe back of المطيَّةِthe riding-camel أعجلُone swifter
من الوضع على ظهر المطيَّةِ أعجلُ
He journeyed by night on fleet, hurrying white camels; he was urged
He rode with the swift gait of a gentle steed, thereby increasing
to greater speed upon his mount's back by one swifter still.
His unsteady seat on his mount’s back.
وجارٌand a neighbor تحامتهshunned him العشائرthe clans فانْثنىso he turned away
وجارٌ تحامته العشائر فانْثنى
يحيدُturns aside بهwith him عنfrom واضحthe clear السمتpath أفْكلُa tremor of fear
يحيدُ به عن واضح السمت أفْكلُ
And a neighbor whom the clans shunned, who turned away,
And a neighbor whose clan was exalted, yet he inclined
a tremor of fear steering him from the clear path—
To deviate from the clear path into crooked ways.
حمتهُprotected him فحالتand so stood between دونهُbefore him قسوريَّةٌa lion-strong defense
حمتهُ فحالت دونهُ قسوريَّةٌ
منof العزِّhonor لاnot تُعْلىcan be overtopped ولاnor تُتوقَّلُcan be scaled
من العزِّ لا تُعْلى ولا تُتوقَّلُ
a lion-strong defense sheltered him and stood before him,
Valor protected him, impeding others,
of honor, neither to be overtopped nor scaled.
Insurmountable and unshakable.
ولوand if أننيthat I أنصفتُdid justice فيin حكمthe claim of ودِّهِhis affection
ولو أنني أنصفتُ في حكم ودِّهِ
لَبِتُّI would have spent the night وكُليand all of me منfrom مراثيهِelegies for him مِقْولُa speaking tongue
لَبِتُّ وكُلي من مراثيهِ مِقْولُ
And had I done justice to the claims of his affection,
If I were just in judging his love,
I would have passed the night, all of me a tongue reciting elegies for him.
I would spend my nights weeping for him.
Sol 6.1