ظَعَنتُI departed وَوَدَّعتُand bade farewell الخَليطَthe companion اليَمانِياthe Yemeni
ظَعَنتُ وَوَدَّعتُ الخَليطَ اليَمانِيا
سُهَيلاًSuhayl وَآذَنّاهُand we informed him أَنthat لاno تَلاقِياreunion
سُهَيلاً وَآذَنّاهُ أَن لا تَلاقِيا
I departed and bade the Yemeni companion farewell—
I bid farewell to the Yemeni blend,
Suhayl—and we told him we would meet no more.
And Suhail, and warned him we shall not meet again.
وَكُنّاand we were بِعُكّاشٍat Ukkash كَجارَيlike two neighbors جَنابَةٍof different kin
وَكُنّا بِعُكّاشٍ كَجارَي جَنابَةٍ
كَفيئَينِlike two shadows زاداboth increased بَعدَafter قُربٍcloseness تَلاقِياin union
كَفيئَينِ زادا بَعدَ قُربٍ تَلاقِيا
And at Ukkash we were like two neighbors of different kin,
We were in Ukaz like neighbors in adjoining houses,
Like two shadows that, once close, joined still more.
Like two companions after nearness is estranged.
وَكُنتَand you were كَذيlike one with داءٍan illness وَأَنتَwhile you دَواءُهُhis cure
وَكُنتَ كَذي داءٍ وَأَنتَ دَواءُهُ
فَهَبنيso leave me لِدائيto my illness إِذsince مَنَعتَyou withheld شِفائِياmy cure
فَهَبني لِدائي إِذ مَنَعتَ شِفائِيا
And you were like an ailing man, though you were his cure.
You were my malady, and you are its remedy,
So leave me to my illness, since you withheld my cure.
Yet you denied me my cure when you denied me your love.
شِفائِيَmy cure أَنthat تَختَصَّنيyou single me out بِكَراهَةٍwith reluctance
شِفائِيَ أَن تَختَصَّني بِكَراهَةٍ
وَتَدرَأَand you ward off عَنّيfrom me الكاشِحينَthe spiteful ones الأَعادِياthe enemies
وَتَدرَأَ عَنّي الكاشِحينَ الأَعادِيا
My cure is for you to single me out, even reluctantly,
My cure was for you to favor me,
And ward off from me the spiteful enemies.
And ward off hostile slanderers.
فَإِلّاso if not تَنَلنيreaches me مِنfrom يَزيدَYazid كَرامَةٌhonor
فَإِلّا تَنَلني مِن يَزيدَ كَرامَةٌ
أُوَلِّI turn away وَأُصبِحand I become مِنfrom قُرىthe villages of الشامِal-Sham خالِياabsent
أُوَلِّ وَأُصبِح مِن قُرى الشامِ خالِيا
So if no honor from Yazid reaches me,
If Yazid’s favors do not come my way,
I shall turn away and be gone from al-Sham's villages.
I will depart and leave all Sham’s towns vacant.
وَأَرضىand I am content بِأُخرىwith another قَدalready تَبَدَّلتُI have taken instead إِنَّنيindeed I
وَأَرضى بِأُخرى قَد تَبَدَّلتُ إِنَّني
إِذاwhenever ساءَنيdispleases me وادٍa valley تَبَدَّلتُI take instead وادِياa valley
إِذا ساءَني وادٍ تَبَدَّلتُ وادِيا
And be content with another I have taken instead; for I,
I am content with other pastures, for I now
Whenever a valley displeases me, take another valley.
Change valleys if an abode displeases me.
وَإِلفٍand a companion صَبَرتُI restrained النَفسَthe soul عَنهُfrom him وَقَدthough indeed أَرىI see
وَإِلفٍ صَبَرتُ النَفسَ عَنهُ وَقَد أَرى
غَداةَon the morning of فِراقِparting from الحَيِّthe clan أَلّاthat there is no تَلاقِياreunion
غَداةَ فِراقِ الحَيِّ أَلّا تَلاقِيا
And many a companion I restrained myself from, though I knew
I endured separation from friends I loved,
On the morning of parting from the clan, that we would meet no more.
Though on morn of parting I wished we might meet again.
وَقَدand indeed قادَنيled me الجيرانُthe neighbors حيناًfor a time وَقُدتُهُمand I led them
وَقَد قادَني الجيرانُ حيناً وَقُدتُهُم
وَفارَقتُand I parted حَتّىuntil ماnot تَحِنُّcry with longing جِمالِياmy camels
وَفارَقتُ حَتّى ما تَحِنُّ جِمالِيا
And the neighbors led me for a time, and I led them,
Once neighbors guided me; later I guided them,
And I parted till my camels no longer cried in longing.
Until even my camel ceased longing for our watering holes.
رَجاؤُكَhope in you أَنسانيmade me forget تَذَكُّرَremembrance of إِخوَتيmy brothers
رَجاؤُكَ أَنساني تَذَكُّرَ إِخوَتي
وَمالُكَand your wealth أَنسانيmade me forget بِوَهبينَat Wahbayn مالِياmy wealth
وَمالُكَ أَنساني بِوَهبينَ مالِيا
Hope in you made me forget thoughts of my brothers,
Hope in you consoled me for loss of brothers,
And your wealth made me forget my wealth at Wahbayn.
And your wealth consoled me for loss of my own.
وَخَصمٍand a band of adversaries غِضابٍangry يَنفُضونَthey shake لِحاهُمُtheir beards
وَخَصمٍ غِضابٍ يَنفُضونَ لِحاهُمُ
كَنَفضِlike the shaking of البَراذينِthe workhorses الغِراثِhungry المَخالِياthe feedbags
كَنَفضِ البَراذينِ الغِراثِ المَخالِيا
And many a band of angry adversaries, shaking their beards
Angry litigants smooth down their beards
Like hungry workhorses shaking their feedbags,
Like shedding clouds trailing wispy rain.
لَدىat مُغلَقٍa tangled matter أَيديhands of الخُصومِthe adversaries تَنوشُهُreach for it
لَدى مُغلَقٍ أَيدي الخُصومِ تَنوشُهُ
وَأَمرٍand a matter يُحِبُّdesires المَرءُa person فيهِin it المَوالِياallies
وَأَمرٍ يُحِبُّ المَرءُ فيهِ المَوالِيا
At a tangled matter the adversaries' hands reached for,
Before a locked door rivals crave its hospitality,
And an affair in which a man desires allies—
And men love taking sides with their allies.
دَلَفتُI advanced لَهُمtoward them بَعدَafter الأَناةِdeliberation بِخَطَّةٍwith a plan
دَلَفتُ لَهُم بَعدَ الأَناةِ بِخَطَّةٍ
تَرىyou see القَومَthe men مِنهاfrom it يَجهَدونَthey strive التَفادِياescape
تَرى القَومَ مِنها يَجهَدونَ التَفادِيا
I advanced toward them, after deliberation, with a plan
I turned aside for them after much disdain
From which you see the men striving hard to escape.
Planning that which would tax their evasive skills.
فَبِتُّso I spent the night وَباتَand spent the night الحاطِبانِthe two wood-gatherers وَراءَهاbehind it
فَبِتُّ وَباتَ الحاطِبانِ وَراءَها
بِجَرداءِon a bare tract مَحلٍdrought-stricken يَألِسانِboth outwit الأَفاعِياthe vipers
بِجَرداءِ مَحلٍ يَألِسانِ الأَفاعِيا
So I spent the night, and the two wood-gatherers spent it behind it,
I passed the night while the firewood gatherers
On a bare, drought-stricken waste, outwitting vipers.
Slept in a barren, desolate valley of snakes.
فَماso not بَرِحاthe two left حَتّىuntil أَجَنّاboth concealed فُروجَهاits gaps
فَما بَرِحا حَتّى أَجَنّا فُروجَها
وَضَمّاand both gathered مِنَof العيدانِthe sticks رُطباًgreen wood وَذارِياand dry, crumbling wood
وَضَمّا مِنَ العيدانِ رُطباً وَذارِيا
They did not leave until they had covered its gaps,
They did not budge until collecting its kindling
And gathered sticks, both green and dry and crumbling.
And firewood green and dry from the `idhār trees,
إِذاwhen حَمَّشاهاboth stoked it بِالوَقودِwith fuel تَغَيَّظَتit grew furious
إِذا حَمَّشاها بِالوَقودِ تَغَيَّظَت
عَلىagainst اللَحمِthe meat حَتّىuntil تَترُكَit leaves العَظمَthe bone بادِياexposed
عَلى اللَحمِ حَتّى تَترُكَ العَظمَ بادِيا
Whenever they stoked it with fuel, it grew furious
When they fanned it with fuel it was enraged
Against the meat, until it left the bone exposed.
And reduced the meat to bare bones.
خَليلَةُa friend طُرّاقِnight-visitors of الظَلامِthe darkness رَغيبَةٌcapacious
خَليلَةُ طُرّاقِ الظَلامِ رَغيبَةٌ
تُلَقَّمُis fed أَوصالَthe joints of الجَزورِthe slaughtered camel كَماjust as هِياthey are
تُلَقَّمُ أَوصالَ الجَزورِ كَما هِيا
A capacious friend to callers in the dark,
A pot companion for murky gloom, craving
Fed the joints of a slaughtered camel just as they are.
To feast on the limbs of ewes peacefully grazing.
وَقِدرٍand a cooking pot كَرَألِlike an ostrich chick الصَحصَحانِthe open plain وَئيَّةٍmassive
وَقِدرٍ كَرَألِ الصَحصَحانِ وَئيَّةٍ
أَنَختُI made kneel لَهاfor it بَعدَafter الهُدُوِّstillness الأَثافِياthe hearthstones
أَنَختُ لَها بَعدَ الهُدُوِّ الأَثافِيا
And many a massive pot, like an ostrich chick of the open plain,
A kettle like clashing rocks, set to boil
I made the hearthstones kneel for it after night fell still,
After the embers subsided to gently glowing coals,
بِمُغتَصِبٍwith a snatched portion مِنfrom لَحمِthe flesh of بِكرٍa young she-camel سَمينَةٍfat
بِمُغتَصِبٍ مِن لَحمِ بِكرٍ سَمينَةٍ
وَقَدwhile already شامَeyed رَبّاتُthe women owning العِجافِthe lean camels المَناقِياthe marrow-rich camels
وَقَد شامَ رَبّاتُ العِجافِ المَناقِيا
With meat snatched from a fat young she-camel,
With a morsel of fat lamb meat, still bleeding,
While the women owning lean camels eyed the marrow-rich ones.
While shepherdesses of `ijāf began their plaintive sing-song calls.
وَأَعرَضَand spread wide رَملٌsand مِنfrom عُنَيِّسَUnayyis تَرتَعيgraze
وَأَعرَضَ رَملٌ مِن عُنَيِّسَ تَرتَعي
نِعاجُwild cows of المَلاthe open plain عوذاًnewly calved بِهِin it وَمَتالِياand with calves following
نِعاجُ المَلا عوذاً بِهِ وَمَتالِيا
And sand stretched broad from Unayyis, where grazed
Beside it, sands of `Unayyis where sheep graze,
The plain's wild cows, newly calved there and with calves following.
Seeking refuge in it, craning their necks to browse.
أَباO father of خالِدٍKhalid لاdo not تَنبِذَنَّever cast aside نَصاحَةًsincere counsel
أَبا خالِدٍ لا تَنبِذَنَّ نَصاحَةً
كَوَحيِlike an inscription on الصَفاsmooth rock خُطَّتwas inscribed لَكُمfor you فيin فُؤادِياmy heart
كَوَحيِ الصَفا خُطَّت لَكُم في فُؤادِيا
Abu Khalid, never cast aside sincere counsel
O Abū Khālid, reject not sincere advice—
Inscribed for you in my heart like writing on smooth rock.
Clear counsel from pure hearts we inscribe for you.
فَنورِثُكُمso we bequeath to you إِنَّindeed التُراثَthe inheritance إِلَيكُمُto you
فَنورِثُكُم إِنَّ التُراثَ إِلَيكُمُ
حَبيبٌdear مَرَبّاتِgrazing grounds of الحِمىthe protected pasture فَالمَطالِياand then al-Matali
حَبيبٌ مَرَبّاتِ الحِمى فَالمَطالِيا
So we bequeath to you—for to you inheritance is
Thus we bequeath, for inheritance is yours,
Dear—the grazing grounds of the protected pasture, then al-Matali.
O beloveds, tenders of the Protected Enclosure.
Sol 6.1