لَعَمرُby the life of الطَيرِthe birds يَومَon the day ثَوىlay dead اِبنُthe son of لَيلىLayla
لَعَمرُ الطَيرِ يَومَ ثَوى اِبنُ لَيلى
لَقَدindeed عَكَفَتthey clustered عَلىover لَحِمٍflesh كَريمِnoble
لَقَد عَكَفَت عَلى لَحِمٍ كَريمِ
By the birds' life, the day Ibn Layla lay dead,
they clustered over noble flesh.
وَإِنَّand indeed قَناthe spears of العِداthe enemies لَيَرِدنَsurely drink مِنهُfrom him
وَإِنَّ قَنا العِدا لَيَرِدنَ مِنهُ
دَماًblood لَمnot يَجرِflowed فيin عِرقٍa vein لَئيمِbaseborn
دَماً لَم يَجرِ في عِرقٍ لَئيمِ
And surely the enemies' spears drink from him
blood that never flowed in a baseborn vein.
كَأَنَّas though الرُمحَthe spear يَصدُرُwithdraws مِنهُfrom him عَدواًat a run
كَأَنَّ الرُمحَ يَصدُرُ مِنهُ عَدواً
عَنِfrom الأَجَمِيِّthe lion of the thickets ذيpossessing اللِبَدِa matted mane الكَليمِwounded
عَنِ الأَجَمِيِّ ذي اللِبَدِ الكَليمِ
As though the spear withdrew from him at a run,
away from a wounded, thick-maned lion of the thickets.
وَأُقسِمُand I swear أَنَّthat ثَوبَكَyour robe ياO اِبنَson of لَيلىLayla
وَأُقسِمُ أَنَّ ثَوبَكَ يا اِبنَ لَيلى
لَمَجموعٌis surely wrapped عَلىaround عِرضٍhonor سَليمِunsullied
لَمَجموعٌ عَلى عِرضٍ سَليمِ
And I swear your robe, O Ibn Layla,
is surely wrapped around unsullied honor.
رُزِئتُكَI was bereaved of you كَالوَذيلَةِlike a silver ingot لَمnot تُمَتَّعwas granted enjoyment
رُزِئتُكَ كَالوَذيلَةِ لَم تُمَتَّع
بِهاof it بَعدَafter الوُجودِthe finding يَدُthe hand of العَديمِthe pauper
بِها بَعدَ الوُجودِ يَدُ العَديمِ
I lost you like a silver ingot, never enjoyed
by a pauper's hand after its discovery.
تَنامُyou sleep وَتَترُكُand leave الأَضغانَgrudges يَقظىawake
تَنامُ وَتَترُكُ الأَضغانَ يَقظى
خُماشاتُthe scratches of الذَوابِلِthe slender spears فيin تَميمِTamim
خُماشاتُ الذَوابِلِ في تَميمِ
You sleep, while grudges are kept awake
by the slender spears' scratches upon Tamim.
إِذاwhen نَزَعواthey remove المَلابِسَthe clothes أَذكَرَتهُمremind them
إِذا نَزَعوا المَلابِسَ أَذكَرَتهُم
دُخولُthe inroads of يَدَيهِhis two hands آثارُthe scars of الكُلومِwounds
دُخولُ يَدَيهِ آثارُ الكُلومِ
When they strip off their garments, they are reminded
by wound-scars of how his hands struck home.
وَمَنand whoever مَطَلَdelays payment of الدُيونَdebts أَعَدَّprepares صَبراًpatience
وَمَن مَطَلَ الدُيونَ أَعَدَّ صَبراً
عَلىfor عَنَتِthe harassment of المُطالِبِthe claimant وَالغَريمِand the creditor
عَلى عَنَتِ المُطالِبِ وَالغَريمِ
Whoever delays paying debts must store up patience
for the harassment of the claimant and creditor.
تَداعَتrallied ليagainst me بِمَصرَعِهِat his fall اللَياليthe nights
تَداعَت لي بِمَصرَعِهِ اللَيالي
وَأوعِبَتِand spent their full force النَوائِبُcalamities فيupon أَديميmy skin
وَأوعِبَتِ النَوائِبُ في أَديمي
The nights rallied against me at his fall,
and calamities spent their full force upon my skin.
وَنابَتand assailed رَأسِيَmy head الوَفَراتُheavy blows حَتّىuntil
وَنابَت رَأسِيَ الوَفَراتُ حَتّى
تَطَأطَأَit bowed حَنوَةَwith the stoop of الرَجُلِthe man الأَميمِwounded to the brain
تَطَأطَأَ حَنوَةَ الرَجُلِ الأَميمِ
And heavy blows assailed my head until
it bowed with the stoop of a man wounded to the brain.
وَتَقتَرِنُand converge القَوارِعُcalamities فيat جَنابيmy side
وَتَقتَرِنُ القَوارِعُ في جَنابي
قِرانَlike the clustering of النَبلِarrows فيin الغَرَضِthe target الرَجيمِpelted
قِرانَ النَبلِ في الغَرَضِ الرَجيمِ
And calamities converge at my side
like arrows clustered in a battered target.
أَأَجزَعُshall I despair? إِنif حَطَمنَthey shatter حِجازَthe bridge of أَنفيmy nose
أَأَجزَعُ إِن حَطَمنَ حِجازَ أَنفي
وَهُنَّwhile they يَقِصنَsnap أَعناقَthe necks of القُرومِmighty chiefs
وَهُنَّ يَقِصنَ أَعناقَ القُرومِ
Shall I despair if they crush the bridge of my nose,
while they snap the necks of mighty chiefs?
وَماand why ليfor me لاnot أُراعُbe alarmed وَقَدwhen indeed رَمَتنيhas struck me
وَما لي لا أُراعُ وَقَد رَمَتني
يَدُthe hand of الجُلّىgreat calamity بِقارِعَةِwith the calamitous loss of التَميميthe Tamimi
يَدُ الجُلّى بِقارِعَةِ التَميمي
And why should I not be aghast, when I have been struck
by great calamity's hand with the loss of the Tamimi?
أَحِنُّI yearn إِلَيهِfor him وَاللُقياwhile reunion ضِمارٌis beyond hope
أَحِنُّ إِلَيهِ وَاللُقيا ضِمارٌ
حَنينَwith the yearning of العَودِan aged camel لِلوَطَنِfor the homeland القَديمِof old
حَنينَ العَودِ لِلوَطَنِ القَديمِ
I yearn for him, though reunion is beyond hope,
as an aged camel yearns for its old home.
وَأُنشِدُهُand I seek him وَأَعلَمُand I know أَينَwhere أَمسىhe now lies
وَأُنشِدُهُ وَأَعلَمُ أَينَ أَمسى
مِطالاًa postponement لِلبَلابِلِof anguish وَالهُمومِand cares
مِطالاً لِلبَلابِلِ وَالهُمومِ
And I seek him, though I know where he now lies,
to put off anguish and cares.
كَأَدماءِlike a pale doe القِراof back نَشَدَتthat sought طَلاهاher fawn
كَأَدماءِ القِرا نَشَدَت طَلاها
وَماand what وِجدانُfinding جازِيَةٍa wild doe بَغومِlowing
وَما وِجدانُ جازِيَةٍ بَغومِ
Like a pale-backed doe that sought her fawn—
yet what can a lowing wild doe find?
تُطيعُshe yields to اليَأسَdespair ثُمَّthen تَعودُreturns وَجداًin longing
تُطيعُ اليَأسَ ثُمَّ تَعودُ وَجداً
إِلَيهِto him بِالمِقَصَّةِby tracking وَالشَميمِand sniffing
إِلَيهِ بِالمِقَصَّةِ وَالشَميمِ
She yields to despair, then turns back in longing
toward him, tracking and sniffing.
يُعارِضُنيconfronts me بِذِكرِكَwith your memory كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing
يُعارِضُني بِذِكرِكَ كُلُّ شَيءٍ
عِدادَlike the recurrence of الداءِillness غَبَّreturning at intervals عَلىupon السَليمِthe snakebitten man
عِدادَ الداءِ غَبَّ عَلى السَليمِ
Everything confronts me with your memory,
like illness returning at intervals to one snakebitten.
أَجِدَّكَare you in earnest? أَنthat تَرىyou will see بَعدَafter اِبنِthe son of لَيلىLayla
أَجِدَّكَ أَن تَرى بَعدَ اِبنِ لَيلى
طِعاناًspear-fighting بَينَbetween رامَةَRamah وَالغَميمِand al-Ghamim
طِعاناً بَينَ رامَةَ وَالغَميمِ
Can you truly expect to see, after Ibn Layla,
spear-fighting between Ramah and al-Ghamim,
وَلاnor نَقعاًdust يَثورُrising عَلىover مُغيرٍa raider
وَلا نَقعاً يَثورُ عَلى مُغيرٍ
وَلاnor بَيتاًa tent يَظَلُّcasting shade عَلىover مُقيمِan encamped man
وَلا بَيتاً يَظَلُّ عَلى مُقيمِ
or dust rising above a raider,
or a tent shading a man in camp,
وَلاnor لَجَّpersisted in الصَهيلَneighing مُسَوَّماتٌmarked steeds
وَلا لَجَّ الصَهيلَ مُسَوَّماتٌ
مَجَجنَthey spat دَماًblood عَلىwhile عَلِكِchewing الشَكيمِthe bits
مَجَجنَ دَماً عَلى عَلِكِ الشَكيمِ
or marked steeds persisting in their neighing,
spitting blood as they champ their bits,
جَعَلنَthey made ثِيابَthe garments of بَذلَتِهاtheir everyday wear الدِياجيthe dark nights
جَعَلنَ ثِيابَ بَذلَتِها الدِياجي
وَقَسطَلَهاand their thick dust غِماداًa sheath لِلنُجومِfor the stars
وَقَسطَلَها غِماداً لِلنُجومِ
making the dark nights their everyday garments,
and their dust a sheath for the stars,
وَلاnor أَسَلاًspears إِسِنَّتُهاwhose points ظِماءٌare thirsty
وَلا أَسَلاً إِسِنَّتُها ظِماءٌ
مُنِعنَwere denied مَنابِتَthe growing places of الكَلإِpasture العَميمِluxuriant
مُنِعنَ مَنابِتَ الكَلإِ العَميمِ
or spears whose points are thirsty,
barred from the places where lush pasture grows,
وَلاnor عوداًa bough مِنَof الأَحسابِnoble lineages يُمسيremaining
وَلا عوداً مِنَ الأَحسابِ يُمسي
نَقِيَّpure اللَيطِin bark مِنfrom عُقَدِthe knots of الوُصومِdisgrace
نَقِيَّ اللَيطِ مِن عُقَدِ الوُصومِ
or a bough of noble lineage that remains
clean-barked, free of the knots of disgrace?
فَكانَfor he was كَلِبدَةِlike the mane of الضِرغامِthe lion عِزّاًin might
فَكانَ كَلِبدَةِ الضِرغامِ عِزّاً
إِذاwhen ذَلَّyielded المُوَقِّعُthe hard-pressed man لِلخُصومِto adversaries
إِذا ذَلَّ المُوَقِّعُ لِلخُصومِ
For he was, in might, like the lion's mane,
when the hard-pressed man bowed before his foes.
إِذاwhen أَرعىhe pastured his herds بِأَرضٍin a land لَمnot تَجِدهُyou would find him
إِذا أَرعى بِأَرضٍ لَم تَجِدهُ
يُشارِكُsharing فيin الجِمامِfull pools وَفيand in الجَميمِfresh-grown grass
يُشارِكُ في الجِمامِ وَفي الجَميمِ
When he pastured his herds in a land, you would not find him
sharing its full pools or its fresh-grown grass.
أَأَرجوdo I hope? لِلحَواضِنِfrom nursing mothers كَاِبنِlike the son of لَيلىLayla
أَأَرجو لِلحَواضِنِ كَاِبنِ لَيلى
أَحَلتُI would be relying إِذاًthen عَلىupon بَطنٍa womb عَقيمِbarren
أَحَلتُ إِذاً عَلى بَطنٍ عَقيمِ
Can I hope for one like Ibn Layla from nursing mothers?
Then I would be relying on a barren womb.
Sol 6.1