أَعاذِلُO reproacher إِنَّindeed المَرءَa person رَهنُhostage to مُصيبَةٍa calamity
أَعاذِلُ إِنَّ المَرءَ رَهنُ مُصيبَةٍ
صَريعٌfallen لِعافيfor scavenging الطَيرِbirds أَوor سوفَwill يُرمَسُbe buried
صَريعٌ لِعافي الطَيرِ أَو سوفَ يُرمَسُ
O reproacher, a person is hostage to calamity:
fallen prey to scavenging birds, or destined to be buried.
فَلاso never تَقبَلَنaccept ضَيماًhumiliation مَخافَةَfor fear of ميتَةٍdeath
فَلا تَقبَلَن ضَيماً مَخافَةَ ميتَةٍ
وَموتَنand die بِهاfor it حُرّاًfree وَجِلدُكَand your skin أَملَسُsmooth
وَموتَن بِها حُرّاً وَجِلدُكَ أَملَسُ
So never accept humiliation for fear of death;
die for it as a free man, your skin still unscarred.
فَماfor الناسُpeople إِلاّonly ماwhat رَأَواthey saw وَتَحَدَّثواand spoke of
فَما الناسُ إِلاّ ما رَأَوا وَتَحَدَّثوا
وَماand العَجزُhelplessness إِلاonly أَنthat يُضامواthey suffer wrong فَيَجلِسُواand then sit
وَما العَجزُ إِلا أَن يُضاموا فَيَجلِسُوا
People are only what they see and speak of,
and helplessness is to suffer wrong and sit still.
فَمِنand in طَلَبِseeking الأَوتارِvengeance ماwhat حَزَّcut أَنفَهُhis nose
فَمِن طَلَبِ الأَوتارِ ما حَزَّ أَنفَهُ
قَصيرٌQusayr وَخاضَand faced المَوتَdeath بِالسَيفِwith the sword بَيهَسُBayhas
قَصيرٌ وَخاضَ المَوتَ بِالسَيفِ بَيهَسُ
In seeking vengeance, one cut off his own nose:
Qusayr; and Bayhas faced death with his sword.
نَعامةُNaʿāmah لَمّاwhen صَرَّعَstruck down القَومُthe men رَهطَهُhis kin
نَعامةُ لَمّا صَرَّعَ القَومُ رَهطَهُ
تَبَيَّنَbecame clear فيin أثَوابِهِhis clothes كَيفَhow يَلبَسُhe dresses
تَبَيَّنَ في أثَوابِهِ كَيفَ يَلبَسُ
When the men struck down Naʿāmah’s kin,
his clothes showed how he had dressed.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَنَّthat الجونَal-Jawn أصبحَhas become راسِياًfirm
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الجونَ أصبحَ راسِياً
تُطيفُcircle بِهِaround it الأَيامُthe days ماnot يَتَأَيَّسُit despairs
تُطيفُ بِهِ الأَيامُ ما يَتَأَيَّسُ
Have you not seen that al-Jawn stands firm,
while the days circle it and it does not despair?
عَصىdefied تُبَّعاًTubbaʿ أَيّامَwhen أُهلِكَتِwere destroyed القُرىthe towns
عَصى تُبَّعاً أَيّامَ أُهلِكَتِ القُرى
يُطانُis coated with clay عَلىupon صُمِّhard الصَفِحِrock faces وَيُكلَسُand is plastered with lime
يُطانُ عَلى صُمِّ الصَفِحِ وَيُكلَسُ
It defied Tubbaʿ when towns were destroyed,
its hard stone faces coated with clay and lime.
هَلُمَّcome إِلَيهاto it قَدalready أُثيرَتhave been turned up زُروعُهاits fields
هَلُمَّ إِلَيها قَد أُثيرَت زُروعُها
وَعادَتand returned عَليهاupon them المَنجَنونُthe waterwheel تَكَدَّسُheaping up
وَعادَت عَليها المَنجَنونُ تَكَدَّسُ
Come to it: its fields have been turned up,
and the waterwheel has returned to them, heaping up.
وَذاكَand that أَوانُthe time of العِرضِhonor حَيَّcame alive ذُبابُهُits flies
وَذاكَ أَوانُ العِرضِ حَيَّ ذُبابُهُ
زَنابيرُهُits wasps وَالأَزرَقُand the blue one المُتَلَمِّسُal-Mutalammis
زَنابيرُهُ وَالأَزرَقُ المُتَلَمِّسُ
That is the hour when honor’s flies come alive:
its wasps, and the blue one, al-Mutalammis.
فَإِنso if يُقبِلواthey approach بِالوُدِّwith friendship نُقبِلwe respond بِمِثلِهِwith its like
فَإِن يُقبِلوا بِالوُدِّ نُقبِل بِمِثلِهِ
وَإِلاّand otherwise فَإِنّاthen indeed we نَحنُwe آبىprouder وَأشمَسُand more unyielding
وَإِلاّ فَإِنّا نَحنُ آبى وَأشمَسُ
If they approach with friendship, we respond in kind;
otherwise, we are too proud and unyielding.
وَجَمعُand the gathering of بَنيthe sons of قُرّانَQurrān فَاِعرِضso present عَلَيهِمِto them
وَجَمعُ بَني قُرّانَ فَاِعرِض عَلَيهِمِ
فَإِنso if يَقبَلواthey accept هاتاthis الَّتيwhich نَحنُwe نُوبَسُsuffer hardship through
فَإِن يَقبَلوا هاتا الَّتي نَحنُ نُوبَسُ
Put the matter before the gathering of Banū Qurrān;
if they accept this course, through which we suffer hardship,
يَكونُwill be نَذيرٌa warner مِنfrom وَرائِيَbehind me جُنَّةًa shield
يَكونُ نَذيرٌ مِن وَرائِيَ جُنَّةً
وَيَمنَعُنيand will protect me مِنهُمfrom them جُلَيٌّJulayy وَأَحمَسُand Aḥmas
وَيَمنَعُني مِنهُم جُلَيٌّ وَأَحمَسُ
a warner behind me will be a shield,
and Julayy and Aḥmas will protect me from them.
فَإِنso if يَكُthere is عَنّاamong us فيconcerning حُبَيبٍḤubayb تَثاقُلٌreluctance
فَإِن يَكُ عَنّا في حُبَيبٍ تَثاقُلٌ
فَقدthen indeed كانَthere was فيناamong us مِقنَبٌa troop of horsemen ماnot يُعَرِّسُstops to rest
فَقد كانَ فينا مِقنَبٌ ما يُعَرِّسُ
If there is reluctance among us concerning Ḥubayb,
we have had a troop of horsemen that never stopped to rest.
Sol 6