أَلاAh! مَنwho عَذيريmy vindicator فيconcerning رِجالٍmen تَواعَدواmade a pact
أَلا مَن عَذيري في رِجالٍ تَواعَدوا
لِحَربِيَfor war against me مِنamong them راميan archer of عُقوقٍdisloyalty وَرامِحِand a spearman
لِحَربِيَ مِن رامي عُقوقٍ وَرامِحِ
Ah, who will vindicate me against men who have made a pact
for war against me—archers of disloyalty and spearmen?
وَغَرَّهُمand deceived them مِنّيfrom me اِصطِبارٌpatient endurance عَلىof الأَذىinjury
وَغَرَّهُم مِنّي اِصطِبارٌ عَلى الأَذى
وَقَدand sometimes يَكظِمُsuppresses المَرءُa person الأَذىinjury غَيرَwithout صافِحِforgiving
وَقَد يَكظِمُ المَرءُ الأَذى غَيرَ صافِحِ
My patient endurance of injury has deceived them,
though a man may swallow hurt without forgiving.
فَماso not الجارِمُthe offender الجانيcommitting عُقوقيdisloyalty toward me بِسالِمٍunscathed
فَما الجارِمُ الجاني عُقوقي بِسالِمٍ
وَلاnor الماطِلُthe stalling debtor اللاويthe withholder of دُيونيmy dues بِرابِحِa gainer
وَلا الماطِلُ اللاوي دُيوني بِرابِحِ
No offender guilty of disloyalty toward me will escape unscathed,
nor will the debtor who stalls and withholds my dues profit.
أَغارواthey raided عَلىupon ذَودٍa small camel herd مِنَof الشِعرِverse آمِنٍsecure
أَغاروا عَلى ذَودٍ مِنَ الشِعرِ آمِنٍ
تَقادَمَhad grown old عِنديin my keeping مِنfrom نِتاجِthe offspring of القَرايحِpoetic minds
تَقادَمَ عِندي مِن نِتاجِ القَرايحِ
They raided a herd of verse that dwelt secure,
long in my keeping, the offspring of creative minds.
فَياso, oh! لَيتَهُمif only they أَدَّوهُhad delivered it فيamong الحَيِّthe tribe خالِصاًpure
فَيا لَيتَهُم أَدَّوهُ في الحَيِّ خالِصاً
وَلَمand did not يَخلِطوهُmix it بِالرَزاياwith wretched beasts الطَلايِحِworn-out
وَلَم يَخلِطوهُ بِالرَزايا الطَلايِحِ
If only they had presented it pure among the tribe,
and not mixed it with wretched, worn-out beasts.
وَإِنَّكَand indeed you لَوeven if مَوَّهتَgilded كُلَّevery هَجينَةٍcrossbred beast
وَإِنَّكَ لَو مَوَّهتَ كُلَّ هَجينَةٍ
عَلىbefore ناظِرٍan onlooker ماnot عُدَّتwould it be counted فيamong الصَرايِحِthe purebreds
عَلى ناظِرٍ ما عُدَّت في الصَرايِحِ
For even if you gilded every crossbred beast
before an onlooker, it would not rank among the purebreds.
أَرىI see كُلَّevery يَومٍday وَالأَعاجيبُand wonders جَمَّةٌare plentiful
أَرى كُلَّ يَومٍ وَالأَعاجيبُ جَمَّةٌ
عَلىon وَبَرِthe hair of الجَربىmangy camels وُسومَthe brands of الصَحايحِhealthy ones
عَلى وَبَرِ الجَربى وُسومَ الصَحايحِ
Every day I see—and strange sights abound—
the brands of healthy camels on the coats of mangy ones.
إِذاwhen طَرَدوهاthey drive them away خالَفَتthey turn aside بِرِقابِهاwith their necks
إِذا طَرَدوها خالَفَت بِرِقابِها
رُجوعاًreturning إِلىto أَوطانِهاtheir homelands وَالمَسارِحِand grazing grounds
رُجوعاً إِلى أَوطانِها وَالمَسارِحِ
When they drive them off, they turn their necks back,
returning to their homes and grazing grounds.
وَإِنand if أَورَدوهاthey bring them to drink غَيرَother than ماءٍwater حايَدَتthey swerve
وَإِن أَورَدوها غَيرَ ماءٍ حايَدَت
حِيادَthe swerving of عَيوفٍa water-shunning camel يُنكِرُrejecting الماءَthe water قامِحِhead held high
حِيادَ عَيوفٍ يُنكِرُ الماءَ قامِحِ
And if they lead them to anything but water, they swerve,
like a water-shunning camel, head raised, rejecting the water.
إِذاwhen اِنجَفَلَتthey bolt فيin غارَةٍa raid بِتُّI spend the night ناظِراًwatching
إِذا اِنجَفَلَت في غارَةٍ بِتُّ ناظِراً
أُراقِبُI watch for مِنهاfrom them رَوحَةًan evening return فيamong الرَوائِحِthe homecoming herds
أُراقِبُ مِنها رَوحَةً في الرَوائِحِ
When they bolt in a raid, I spend the night watching,
awaiting their evening return among the homecoming herds.
كَأَنَّas though بَنيthe sons of غَبراءَthe dust-colored earth إِذwhen يَنهَبونَهاthey plunder them
كَأَنَّ بَني غَبراءَ إِذ يَنهَبونَها
أَحالواthey rushed عَلىupon مالٍlivestock بِذيat Dhu الدَوحِal-Dawh سارِحِgrazing
أَحالوا عَلى مالٍ بِذي الدَوحِ سارِحِ
As though the sons of dust, when they plunder them,
had fallen upon livestock grazing at Dhu al-Dawh.
يُرَجّونَthey hope مِنهاfrom them وَالأَمانِيُّand hopes ضِلَّةٌare delusion
يُرَجّونَ مِنها وَالأَمانِيُّ ضِلَّةٌ
رَجاءَlike hoping for نِتاجِthe offspring of الحَملِpregnancy مِنfrom غَيرِone not لاقَحِpregnant
رَجاءَ نِتاجِ الحَملِ مِن غَيرِ لاقَحِ
They hope for gain from them—such hopes are delusion—
like hoping for a pregnancy's fruit from an unbred beast.
أَباغَثُweak birds أَضَرَّتهاharmed them السَفاهَةُfoolishness فَاِغتَدَتso they went out at dawn
أَباغَثُ أَضَرَّتها السَفاهَةُ فَاِغتَدَت
تَخَطَّفُsnatching هَذاthis القَولَverse خَطفَthe snatching of الجَوارِحِbirds of prey
تَخَطَّفُ هَذا القَولَ خَطفَ الجَوارِحِ
Weak birds, harmed by folly, have gone forth at dawn
to snatch this verse as birds of prey snatch.
هَبوهاsuppose them إِلَيكُمto you مِنfrom يَديَّmy two hands مَنيحَةًa loaned milch-beast
هَبوها إِلَيكُم مِن يَديَّ مَنيحَةً
فَقَدfor indeed آنَthe time has come ياO! لِلقَومِfor the people رَدُّthe return of المَنايِحِloaned milch-beasts
فَقَد آنَ يا لِلقَومِ رَدُّ المَنايِحِ
Suppose them milch-camels lent from my hands to yours;
the time has now come, O people, to return the loaned beasts.
دَعواleave off وِردَvisiting ماءٍwater لَستُمُyou are not مِنamong حَلالِهِits dwellers
دَعوا وِردَ ماءٍ لَستُمُ مِن حَلالِهِ
وَحُلّواand settle on الرَوابيthe heights قَبلَbefore سَيلِthe flooding of الأَباطِحِthe streambeds
وَحُلّوا الرَوابي قَبلَ سَيلِ الأَباطِحِ
Give up visiting water where you do not dwell,
and camp on the heights before the streambeds flood.
وَلاand do not تَستَهِبّواsummon to blow العاصِفاتِthe storm-winds وَأَصلُكُمwhile your root
وَلا تَستَهِبّوا العاصِفاتِ وَأَصلُكُم
نَجيلٌgrass رَمَتhave cast فيهِinto it اللَياليthe nights بِقادِحِa spark
نَجيلٌ رَمَت فيهِ اللَيالي بِقادِحِ
Do not summon the storm-winds, when your root
is grass into which the nights have cast a spark.
فَماfor not أَنتُمُyou مِنamong مالِئيthose who fill ذَلِكَthat الحِباthe knee-binding wraps
فَما أَنتُمُ مِن مالِئي ذَلِكَ الحِبا
وَلاnor فيكُمُamong you أَكفاءُworthy equals تِلكَthose المَناكِحِmarriages
وَلا فيكُمُ أَكفاءُ تِلكَ المَناكِحِ
For you are not men to fill those mantles,
nor are any among you worthy partners for those marriages.
وَلَمand had not تُحسِنواyou mastered رَعيَtending السَوامِخِtall camels قَبلَهاbefore them
وَلَم تُحسِنوا رَعيَ السَوامِخِ قَبلَها
فَكَيفَso how تَعاطَيتُمdid you attempt رُكوبَriding الجَوامِحِunruly steeds
فَكَيفَ تَعاطَيتُم رُكوبَ الجَوامِحِ
You had not mastered tending tall camels before this;
so how have you ventured to ride unruly steeds?
وَلاand do not تَطلُبوهاseek them سِمعَةًfor renown فيin مَعَرَّةٍdisgrace
وَلا تَطلُبوها سِمعَةً في مَعَرَّةٍ
تُحَدِّثُthat tells عَنكُمabout you كُلَّevery غادٍmorning traveler وَرايحِand evening returner
تُحَدِّثُ عَنكُم كُلَّ غادٍ وَرايحِ
Do not seek them for fame at the cost of a disgrace
that tells your tale to everyone who comes and goes.
خُمُولُthe obscurity of الفَتىa young man خَيرٌis better مِنَthan الذِكرِrenown بِالخَناfor foulness
خُمُولُ الفَتى خَيرٌ مِنَ الذِكرِ بِالخَنا
وَجَرِّand dragging ذُيولِthe skirts of المُندِياتِshameful deeds الفَواضِحِscandalous
وَجَرِّ ذُيولِ المُندِياتِ الفَواضِحِ
A young man's obscurity is better than fame for foulness
and trailing the skirts of shameful, scandalous deeds.
وَعِنديand I have قَوافٍrhymes إِنif تَلَقَّينَthey meet بِالأَذىwith injury
وَعِندي قَوافٍ إِن تَلَقَّينَ بِالأَذى
نَزَعنَthey draw up بِمُرِّwith the bitterness of القَولِspeech نَزعَas the drawing of المَواتِحِwell-water drawers
نَزَعنَ بِمُرِّ القَولِ نَزعَ المَواتِحِ
And I have rhymes that, if met with injury,
draw up bitter words as well-drawers draw water.
تُعَدِّدُthey recount نَبراتِthe roars of الأُسودِlions نَباهَةًas greatness
تُعَدِّدُ نَبراتِ الأُسودِ نَباهَةً
وَتَنسىand forget أَنابيحَthe yelps of الكِلابِdogs النَوابِحِbarking
وَتَنسى أَنابيحَ الكِلابِ النَوابِحِ
They recount the lions' roars as marks of greatness,
and forget the yelps of barking dogs.
Sol 6.1