إِذاwhen طَلَعَrise النِسرانِthe Two Eagles غارَتdescend to the lowlands ظَعائِنٌwomen in camel-litters
إِذا طَلَعَ النِسرانِ غارَت ظَعائِنٌ
وَكانَand was مِراسُstruggling with القُرِّthe cold شَرَّthe worst مِراسِstruggle
وَكانَ مِراسُ القُرِّ شَرَّ مِراسِ
When the Two Eagles rise, women in camel-litters descend to the lowlands,
When the two eagles soared, the lesser birds scattered in fear,
and struggling with the cold is the worst of struggles.
And the summit of the mountain was the most rugged summit.
وَإِنand if تَبدُappear فيin الصُبحِthe dawn الثَرَيّاthe Pleiades فَإِنَّهاthen they
وَإِن تَبدُ في الصُبحِ الثَرَيّا فَإِنَّها
تُيَمِّمُhead toward بِالتِسيارِby travelling آلَthe mirage of قَراسِQarās
تُيَمِّمُ بِالتِسيارِ آلَ قَراسِ
And if the Pleiades appear at dawn, they
And if the Pleiades appear at dawn, they direct
head on their journey toward the mirage of Qarās.
Their orientation towards the Southern Cross.
لَوif أَنَّthat بَنيthe children of الدُنِّياthis world يَدَthe whole duration of الدَهرِtime مَشيُهُمtheir walking
لَو أَنَّ بَني الدُنِّيا يَدَ الدَهرِ مَشيُهُم
عَلىupon الزَفِّdown feathers لَمnot أَعدُدهُI would reckon it غَيرَother than هَراسِthorny plants
عَلى الزَفِّ لَم أَعدُدهُ غَيرَ هَراسِ
If the children of this world were forever walking
If the turns of fate made people walk
upon down, I would reckon it nothing but thorns.
On the brink, I would count none but the bold.
وَماand not ظَفِرَتprevailed أَفراسُthe horses of قَومٍa people يَحُثُّهاurge them on
وَما ظَفِرَت أَفراسُ قَومٍ يَحُثُّها
فَوارِسُهاtheir riders فيin عُنجُدٍʿUnjud وَقَراسِand Qarās
فَوارِسُها في عُنجُدٍ وَقَراسِ
And no people's horses have prevailed, urged onward
And the steeds of a people driven by their horsemen
by their riders in ʿUnjud and Qarās.
Never gained glory in battle and combat.
جُسومٌbodies ثُمَّthen عادَتthey returned فَأَصبَحَتso they became
جُسومٌ ثُمَّ عادَت فَأَصبَحَت
ضُروباًdifferent kinds كَزَرعٍlike crops نابِتٍsprouting وَغِراسِand plantings
ضُروباً كَزَرعٍ نابِتٍ وَغِراسِ
Bodies, which then returned and became
Bodies lay still, then in the morning they rose
different forms, like sprouting crops and plantings.
Like crops, sprouting and growing.
وَماand not تَرَكَتspared بيضُthe white days of الزَمانِtime وَسَودُهand its black nights
وَما تَرَكَت بيضُ الزَمانِ وَسَودُه
كَراسيَّthrones عِزٍّglory كُلُّهُنَّall of them كَراسِchairs
كَراسيَّ عِزٍّ كُلُّهُنَّ كَراسِ
And time's white days and black nights have spared no
The days and nights of time left no thrones
thrones of glory—all of them mere chairs.
Of glory, all were leveled.
وَلَمand not يَمنَعواthey warded off بِالضَربِwith blows وَالطَعنِand thrusts حادِثاًa calamity
وَلَم يَمنَعوا بِالضَربِ وَالطَعنِ حادِثاً
أَتىcame دونَpast أَدراعٍcoats of mail لَهُمof theirs وَتِراسِand shields
أَتى دونَ أَدراعٍ لَهُم وَتِراسِ
Nor did they ward off, with blows and thrusts, a calamity
And with blows and stabs they did not prevent what fate
that came past their coats of mail and shields.
Brought, without coats of mail or shields to protect them.
تَداعَتcalled to one another بِلَفظِin the speech of العُجمِnon-Arabs أَعرابُthe Bedouins of مَذحِجٍMadhḥij
تَداعَت بِلَفظِ العُجمِ أَعرابُ مَذحِجٍ
وَأَعرَبَand spoke Arabic أَهلاthe two peoples of فارِسٍPersia وَخُراسِand Khurāsān
وَأَعرَبَ أَهلا فارِسٍ وَخُراسِ
The Bedouins of Madhḥij called to one another in non-Arab speech,
The nomads of Mudhij spoke in Persian accents
while the peoples of Persia and Khurāsān spoke Arabic.
And the Persians spoke in Arabic tongue.
فَإِنَّfor indeed لُيوثَthe lions of الحَتفِdeath نالَreached اِفتِراسُهاtheir devouring
فَإِنَّ لُيوثَ الحَتفِ نالَ اِفتِراسُها
ضَراغِمَmighty lions مِنfrom لَيثٍLayth وَحيِّand the clan of فِراسِFirās
ضَراغِمَ مِن لَيثٍ وَحيِّ فِراسِ
For the lions of death have preyed upon
For the bold lions, their tearing apart
mighty lions from Layth and the clan of Firās.
Were carcasses, whether lion or noble steed.
فَياso O أُمَّmother of دَفرٍstench لاnot سَلِمتِmay you be safe غَويَّةًwayward one
فَيا أُمَّ دَفرٍ لا سَلِمتِ غَويَّةً
عَلَيكِagainst you قِراعيmy blows دائِباًunceasingly وَضِراسيand my bites
عَلَيكِ قِراعي دائِباً وَضِراسي
So, Mother of Stench, may you not be safe, wayward one!
Oh mother of Dafar, may you never be safe from me,
Against you are my ceaseless blows and bites.
My blows and stabs upon you are ceaseless.
أَتَبغَينَdo you seek مِنّيfrom me فيin المَقالِspeech تَعَصُّباًpartisanship
أَتَبغَينَ مِنّي في المَقالِ تَعَصُّباً
وَأَيُّand what أَذاةٍharm ماnot عَصَبتِhave you bound بِراسيaround my head
وَأَيُّ أَذاةٍ ما عَصَبتِ بِراسي
Do you seek partisanship from me in what I say?
Do you want bias from me in speech?
And what harm have you not bound around my head?
What harm that I was loyal in judgement?
تَسيرُtravel بِناwith us هَذيthese اللَياليnights كَأَنَّهاas though they were
تَسيرُ بِنا هَذي اللَيالي كَأَنَّها
سَفائِنُships of بَحرٍa sea ماnot لَهُنَّfor them مَراسيmoorings
سَفائِنُ بَحرٍ ما لَهُنَّ مَراسي
These nights carry us along, as though they were
These nights take us as though they were
ships at sea with no moorings.
Ships on a sea with no harbors.
Sol 6.1