أَلاwill you not تَرحَمُpity الأَشياخَthe old men لَمّاnow that تَأَوَّدواthey have stooped
أَلا تَرحَمُ الأَشياخَ لَمّا تَأَوَّدوا
يَقولونَthey say قَدindeed كُنّاwe were الغَرانِقَةَthe handsome youths المُرداthe beardless
يَقولونَ قَد كُنّا الغَرانِقَةَ المُردا
Will you not pity the old men, now that they have stooped?
Alas! Have you no mercy for the elders when they show affection?
They say, “We were once handsome, beardless youths.”
They say, “We were the impetuous energetic knights.”
تَرَدّواthey clad themselves بِخُضرٍin green armor مِنof حَديدٍiron وَأَقبَلواand advanced
تَرَدّوا بِخُضرٍ مِن حَديدٍ وَأَقبَلوا
عَلىupon الخَيلِthe horses تَرديgalloping وَهيَwhile they مِنfrom فَوقِهاabove them تَردىperish
عَلى الخَيلِ تَردي وَهيَ مِن فَوقِها تَردى
They clad themselves in green iron armor and advanced
Clad in green armor, they charged forth,
on galloping horses, while death came to them from above.
Rushing upon their steeds as their steeds rushed forth.
وَجاؤواand they came بِهاwith them سَومَthe swarming of الجَرادِthe locusts مُغيرَةًraiding
وَجاؤوا بِها سَومَ الجَرادِ مُغيرَةً
يَقودونَthey lead لِلمَوتِto death المُطَهَّمَةَthe fine-built steeds الجُرداthe short-coated
يَقودونَ لِلمَوتِ المُطَهَّمَةَ الجُردا
They came with them on raids, swarming like locusts,
They came swarming like locusts,
leading fine-built, short-coated steeds to death.
Guiding their readied, equipped horses to death.
تَرىyou see الهِمَّthe decrepit old man لاno شَيءٌthing سِوىexcept الأَكلَeating هَمَّهُhis concern
تَرى الهِمَّ لا شَيءٌ سِوى الأَكلَ هَمَّهُ
لَهُhe has جَسَدٌa body ماnot اِسطاعَcould withstand حَرّاًheat وَلاnor بَرداcold
لَهُ جَسَدٌ ما اِسطاعَ حَرّاً وَلا بَردا
You see the decrepit man with no concern but eating;
You see their only concern is eating;
he has a body that can endure neither heat nor cold.
They have bodies that can withstand neither heat nor cold.
يُقِلُّhe carries العَصاthe staff مُستَثقِلَfinding heavy الطِمرِthe ragged robe بَعدَماafter having
يُقِلُّ العَصا مُستَثقِلَ الطِمرِ بَعدَما
عَلاhe mounted فَرَساًa horse وَاِجتابَand donned ماذيَّةًa supple mail coat سَرداclosely linked
عَلا فَرَساً وَاِجتابَ ماذيَّةً سَردا
He carries a staff, finding his ragged robe heavy, after once
He carries a staff, weary of his old age, after
mounting a horse and donning supple, closely linked mail.
Having mounted a steed and worn a jubbah.
وَلاnor تَترُكُleave الأَيّامُthe days مَرداًfresh arak berries لِظَبيَّةٍfor a gazelle
وَلا تَترُكُ الأَيّامُ مَرداً لِظَبيَّةٍ
مِنَamong الأُدمِthe white gazelles تَختارُthat chooses الكِباثَripe arak berries وَلاand not المَراداarak leaves
مِنَ الأُدمِ تَختارُ الكِباثَ وَلا المَرادا
Nor do the days leave fresh arak berries for a gazelle,
The passing days leave no young doe
one of the white kind, choosing ripe berries, not leaves.
Of deer that does not choose the old over the young buck.
وَلَمand did not يُلفِfind مِنهاfrom them فارِدُthe solitary one القُمرِthe pale wild beasts مَخلَصاًan escape
وَلَم يُلفِ مِنها فارِدُ القُمرِ مَخلَصاً
وَقَدand indeed بَلَغَتhave reached أَحداثُهاtheir calamities القَمَراthe moon الفَرداthe solitary
وَقَد بَلَغَت أَحداثُها القَمَرا الفَردا
Nor did the solitary pale beast find escape from them,
The crescent moon in its waning cannot be saved
and their calamities have reached even the solitary moon.
From reaching its last crescent phase.
وَجَدناwe found دُرَيداًDurayd مِنof هَوازِنَHawazin لَمnot يَجِدdid find
وَجَدنا دُرَيداً مِن هَوازِنَ لَم يَجِد
صُروفَthe vicissitudes اللَياليof the nights حِنَwhen تَأكُلُهُthey devoured him دُرداtoothless
صُروفَ اللَيالي حِنَ تَأكُلُهُ دُردا
We found that Durayd of Hawazin did not find
We found Duraid, the Hawazan, who did not find
the nights’ vicissitudes toothless as they devoured him.
The nights’ vicissitudes when they grind him down.
رَعَتthey grazed on قَبلُbefore نِبتاًNibt جَدَّthe forefather of عَدنانَAdnan وَاِعتَرَتand beset
رَعَت قَبلُ نِبتاً جَدَّ عَدنانَ وَاِعتَرَت
إِياداًIyad فَأَبلَتthen wore out مِنamong قَبائِلِهاits tribes بُرداcloaks
إِياداً فَأَبلَت مِن قَبائِلِها بُردا
Earlier they grazed on Nibt, Adnan’s forefather, and beset
It once grazed on the vegetation that firmly rooted ‘Adnan
Iyad, wearing out the cloaks of its tribes.
And knew the lineage of Iyad, so it impregnated them with descendants.
يُخَوَّفُis made afraid بِالذِئبِwith the wolf المُسِنُّthe aged man وَقَدthough already مَضىhas passed
يُخَوَّفُ بِالذِئبِ المُسِنُّ وَقَد مَضى
لَهُfor him زَمَنٌa time لاnot يَرهَبُhe fears الأَسَدَthe lion الوَرداthe tawny
لَهُ زَمَنٌ لا يَرهَبُ الأَسَدَ الوَردا
The aged man is threatened with the wolf, though he once knew
The old man is frightened of the wolf though its time
a time when he did not fear the tawny lion.
When it feared the old lion has passed.
نَزَلناwe lodged بِدارٍin an abode كَالضُيوفِlike guests وَلَمand did not نُرِدwe wished
نَزَلنا بِدارٍ كَالضُيوفِ وَلَم نُرِد
بَراحاًdeparture لَهاfrom it حَتّىuntil أَجَدَّتit became earnest لَناfor us طَرداexpulsion
بَراحاً لَها حَتّى أَجَدَّت لَنا طَردا
We lodged in an abode like guests, and did not wish
We lodged at an abode like guests, and did not want
to leave it, until it set in earnest to drive us out.
To bargain for any price until it procured comfort for us.
Sol 6.1