أَتَتْنِيcame to me لِسانُa message بَنِيthe sons of عامِرٍAmir
أَتَتْنِي لِسانُ بَنِي عامِرٍ
فَجلَّتْand became clear أَحادِيثُهاits reports عنْfrom بَصَرْfirsthand knowledge
فَجلَّتْ أَحادِيثُها عنْ بَصَرْ
A message from Banu Amir came to me,
The tongues of the clan of Aamir came to me,
And its reports were clear, founded on firsthand knowledge:
Their tales distracted me from seeing clearly,
بأنَّto the effect that بَنِيthe sons of الوَخْمِal-Wakhm سارُواthey marched مَعاًtogether
بأنَّ بَنِي الوَخْمِ سارُوا مَعاً
بِجَيْشٍwith an army كَضَوْءِlike the light of نُجُومِthe stars of السَّحَرْthe hours before dawn
بِجَيْشٍ كَضَوْءِ نُجُومِ السَّحَرْ
That Banu al-Wakhm had marched together,
That the clan of Al-Wakhm had marched together,
With an army like the light of stars before dawn,
With an army like the light of the stars at dawn,
بِكُلِّon every نَسُولِswift-moving السُّرىnight travel نَهْدَةٍsturdy
بِكُلِّ نَسُولِ السُّرى نَهْدَةٍ
وكُلِّand every كُمَيْتٍbay horse طُوالٍtall أَغَرّwhite-blazed
وكُلِّ كُمَيْتٍ طُوالٍ أَغَرّ
On every sturdy mare, swift in night travel,
With every erect spear of the cavalry,
And every tall, white-blazed bay horse.
And every tall Kumeyt horseman fully armed.
فَماso not شَعَرَbecame aware الحَيُّthe tribe حَتَّىuntil رَأَوْاthey saw
فَما شَعَرَ الحَيُّ حَتَّى رَأَوْا
بَياضَthe whiteness of القَوانِسِthe helmet-crests فَوقَabove الغُرَرْthe horses' forehead blazes
بَياضَ القَوانِسِ فَوقَ الغُرَرْ
So the tribe was unaware until they saw
The living did not sense until they saw
The gleam of helmet-crests above the horses' blazes.
The white banners above the hills.
فأَقْبَلْنهُمْso they came at them head-on ثمَّthen أَدْبَرْنَهُمْthey came at them from behind
فأَقْبَلْنهُمْ ثمَّ أَدْبَرْنَهُمْ
فأَصْدَرْنَهُمْso they drove them back قَبْلَbefore حِينِthe time of الصَّدَرْreturn
فأَصْدَرْنَهُمْ قَبْلَ حِينِ الصَّدَرْ
So they came at them head-on, then from behind,
They advanced against them, then made them retreat,
And drove them back before the hour of return.
And made them yield before the time of yielding.
فَياand oh ربَّmany a شِلْوٍcorpse تَخَطْرَفْنَهthey snatched it away
فَيا ربَّ شِلْوٍ تَخَطْرَفْنَه
كَرِيمٍnoble لَدىat مَزْحَفٍan advance أَوor مَكَرa charge
كَرِيمٍ لَدى مَزْحَفٍ أَو مَكَر
And ah, how many a corpse they snatched away—
Oh Lord of Shilou, make them stagger and stumble,
A noble man's, in an advance or a charge;
Whether a generous man at a march or a trick.
وآخَرَand another شاصٍwith legs raised تَرىyou see جلْدَهُhis skin
وآخَرَ شاصٍ تَرى جلْدَهُ
كَقِشْرِlike the bark of القَتادَةِthe qatad thorn-tree غِبَّafter المَطَرْthe rain
كَقِشْرِ القَتادَةِ غِبَّ المَطَرْ
And another, legs upraised—you see his skin
And the last thing left of them you see
Like the bark of the qatad thorn-tree after rain.
Is skin like the peel of a rain-beaten potato,
وكائِنْand how many بجُمْرانَat Jumran مِنْof مُزْعَفslain outright
وكائِنْ بجُمْرانَ مِنْ مُزْعَف
ومِنْand of رَجُلٍa man وَجْهُهُhis face قدalready عُفِرْwas rubbed in dust
ومِنْ رَجُلٍ وَجْهُهُ قد عُفِرْ
And how many at Jumran lay slain outright,
And someone from Jumran, his face all dust,
And how many a man whose face had been rubbed in dust.
And a man whose face was painted with soil.
Sol 6.1