نَعَوهُthey announced his death عَلىdespite ضَنِّthe jealous attachment of قَلبيmy heart بِهِto him
نَعَوهُ عَلى ضَنِّ قَلبي بِهِ
فَلِلَّهِso, by God ماذاwhat نَعىannounced dead الناعِيانِthe two death-messengers
فَلِلَّهِ ماذا نَعى الناعِيانِ
They announced his death, though my heart clung jealously to him.
By God, what a loss the two death-messengers announced!
رَضيعُa foster-brother وَلاءٍin devotion لَهُhe has شُعبَةٌa share
رَضيعُ وَلاءٍ لَهُ شُعبَةٌ
مِنَof القَلبِthe heart فَوقَabove رَضيعِone suckled on اللِبانِmilk
مِنَ القَلبِ فَوقَ رَضيعِ اللِبانِ
A foster-brother in devotion, he held a place
in my heart above a brother suckled on milk.
بَكَيتُكَI wept for you لِلشُرَّدِfor the roaming verses السائِراfar-traveling (continued)
بَكَيتُكَ لِلشُرَّدِ السائِرا
تِcompletes “far-traveling” تَعبِقُare fragrant أَلفاظُهاtheir words بِالمَعانيwith meanings
تِ تَعبِقُ أَلفاظُها بِالمَعاني
I wept for you, for those wandering, far-traveling verses,
whose words are fragrant with meaning.
مَواسِمُbranding irons تُعلَطُare branded مِنهاby them الجِباهُthe foreheads
مَواسِمُ تُعلَطُ مِنها الجِباهُ
بِأَشهَرِwith something more conspicuous مِنthan مَطلَعِthe rising of الزِبرِقانِthe full moon
بِأَشهَرِ مِن مَطلَعِ الزِبرِقانِ
Branding irons that mark the brows
with signs more conspicuous than the full moon's rise;
جَوائِفُpenetrating wounds تَبقىremain أَخاديدُهاtheir furrows
جَوائِفُ تَبقى أَخاديدُها
عِماقاًdeep وَتَعفوwhile fade نُدوبُthe scars of الطَعانِspear-thrusts
عِماقاً وَتَعفو نُدوبُ الطَعانِ
Penetrating wounds, whose furrows remain
deep, while the scars of spear-thrusts fade.
تَبِضُّooze إِلىto اليَومِthis day آثارُهاtheir traces
تَبِضُّ إِلى اليَومِ آثارُها
بِأَحمَرَwith something redder مِنthan عانِدٍflowing blood الطَعنَof a spear-thrust قانيdeep crimson
بِأَحمَرَ مِن عانِدٍ الطَعنَ قاني
Their traces still ooze to this day
with deep crimson, redder than blood gushing from a spear-wound.
قَعاقِعُهُنَّtheir rattlings تُشَنُّpour forth الحُتوفَdeaths
قَعاقِعُهُنَّ تُشَنُّ الحُتوفَ
إِذاwhen هُنَّthey أَوعَدنَthreaten لاnot بِالشِنانِwith worn-out waterskins
إِذا هُنَّ أَوعَدنَ لا بِالشِنانِ
Their clatter pours forth death
when they threaten—not with worn-out waterskins.
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَحسَبُsupposing أَنَّthat المَنونَDeath
وَما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّ المَنونَ
تَفُلُّblunts مَضارِبَthe striking edges of ذاكَthat اللِسانِtongue
تَفُلُّ مَضارِبَ ذاكَ اللِسانِ
I never thought that Death
would blunt the striking edges of that tongue—
لِسانٌa tongue هُوَit is الأَزرَقُthe blue blade القَعضَبِيُّthe Qaʿḍabī sword
لِسانٌ هُوَ الأَزرَقُ القَعضَبِيُّ
تَمَضمَضَrinsed its mouth مِنwith ريقَةِthe spittle of الأُفعُوانِthe male viper
تَمَضمَضَ مِن ريقَةِ الأُفعُوانِ
a tongue, a blue Qaʿḍabī blade,
that rinsed itself with a viper's spittle.
لَهُit has شَفَتاthe two lips of مِبرَدِthe file of الهالِكِيthe blacksmith (continued)
لَهُ شَفَتا مِبرَدِ الهالِكِي
يِcompletes “blacksmith” أَنحىhe bore down بِجانِبِهِwith its side غَيرَnot وانيslackening
يِ أَنحى بِجانِبِهِ غَيرَ واني
It had the twin lips of a blacksmith's file,
as he bore down with its side, never flagging.
إِذاwhen لَزَّpressed close بِالعِرضِagainst honor مِبراتُهُits rasp
إِذا لَزَّ بِالعِرضِ مِبراتُهُ
تَصَدَّعَit split صَدعَlike the splitting of الرِداءِthe cloak اليَمانيYemeni
تَصَدَّعَ صَدعَ الرِداءِ اليَماني
When its rasp pressed against a man's honor,
that honor tore like a Yemeni cloak.
يَرىthinks المَوتَDeath أَنthat قَدalready طَوىit has enfolded مَضغَةًa morsel of flesh
يَرى المَوتَ أَن قَد طَوى مَضغَةً
وَلَمbut did not يَطوِenfold إِلّاexcept غِرارَيthe two cutting edges of سِنانِa spearhead
وَلَم يَطوِ إِلّا غِرارَي سِنانِ
Death thinks it has enfolded a morsel of flesh,
but has enfolded only a spearhead's twin edges.
فَأَينَwhere, then تَسَرُّعُهُits swift rush لِلنِضالِto combat
فَأَينَ تَسَرُّعُهُ لِلنِضالِ
وهَبّاتُهُand its sallies لِلطِوالِagainst the long spears اللِدانِthe supple ones
وهَبّاتُهُ لِلطِوالِ اللِدانِ
Where now is its swift rush to combat,
and its sallies against the long, supple spears?
يَشُلُّdrives away الجَوائِحَcalamities شَلَّlike the driving of السِياطِwhips
يَشُلُّ الجَوائِحَ شَلَّ السِياطِ
وَيَلويand twists الجَوانِحَthe ribs لَيَّlike the twisting of العِنانِthe rein
وَيَلوي الجَوانِحَ لَيَّ العِنانِ
It drives off calamities as whips do,
and twists the ribs as one twists a rein.
وَإِنand if شاءَit wished كانَit was جِماحَthe wildness of الجِماحِwildness
وَإِن شاءَ كانَ جِماحَ الجِماحِ
وَإِنand if شاءَit wished كانَit was حِماحَthe fierce defiance of الحِرانِbalking
وَإِن شاءَ كانَ حِماحَ الحِرانِ
And if it wished, it was wildness at its wildest;
and if it wished, stubbornness at its fiercest.
يَهابُfears الشُجاعُthe brave man غَذاميرَهُits angry outbursts
يَهابُ الشُجاعُ غَذاميرَهُ
عَلىat البُعدِa distance مِنهُfrom it مَهابَwith the fear of الجَبانِa coward
عَلى البُعدِ مِنهُ مَهابَ الجَبانِ
The brave man fears its angry outbursts,
even from afar, with a coward's fear.
وَتَعنوand bow المُلوكُthe kings لَهُbefore it خيفَةًin fear
وَتَعنو المُلوكُ لَهُ خيفَةً
إِذاwhen راعَit terrifies قَبلَbefore اللَظىthe blaze بِالدُخانِwith smoke
إِذا راعَ قَبلَ اللَظى بِالدُخانِ
And kings bow before it in fear
when it terrifies with smoke before the blaze.
وَكَمand many a صاحِبٍfriend كَمَناطِlike the tether of الفُؤادِthe heart
وَكَم صاحِبٍ كَمَناطِ الفُؤادِ
عَنانِيَafflicted me مِنfrom يَومِهِhis death-day ماwhat عَنانيafflicted me
عَنانِيَ مِن يَومِهِ ما عَناني
And many a friend, like the heart's own tether—
how his death-day grieved me!—
قَدِindeed اِنتَزَعَتhas snatched مِنfrom يَدَيَّmy two hands المَنونُDeath
قَدِ اِنتَزَعَت مِن يَدَيَّ المَنونُ
وَلَمand did not يُغنِavail ضَمّيmy closing عَلَيهِaround him بَنانيmy fingertips
وَلَم يُغنِ ضَمّي عَلَيهِ بَناني
Death has torn from my hands,
though clasping my fingers around him did no good.
فَزُلso depart كَزِيالِlike the passing of الشَبابِyouth الرَطيfresh (continued)
فَزُل كَزِيالِ الشَبابِ الرَطي
بِcompletes “fresh” خانَكَit betrayed you يَومَthe day of لِقاءِmeeting الغَواتيthe seductresses
بِ خانَكَ يَومَ لِقاءِ الغَواتي
So depart as fresh youth departed,
which betrayed you on the day you met the seductresses.
لِيَبكِlet ... weep الزَمانُTime طَويلاًlong عَلَيكَfor you
لِيَبكِ الزَمانُ طَويلاً عَلَيكَ
فَقَدfor indeed كُنتَyou were خِفَّةَthe lightness of روحِthe spirit of الزَمانِTime
فَقَد كُنتَ خِفَّةَ روحِ الزَمانِ
Let Time weep long for you,
for you were the lightness of Time's spirit.
Sol 6.1