أَماnot? (interrogative) كُنتَyou were مَعَwith الحَيِّthe tribe
أَما كُنتَ مَعَ الحَيِّ
صَباحاًone morning حينَwhen وَلَّيناwe turned away
صَباحاً حينَ وَلَّينا
Were you not with the tribe
Were you not with the living
one morning, when we turned away?
One morn when glory called us
وَقَدand already صاحَcried out بِناto us المَجدُGlory
وَقَد صاحَ بِنا المَجدُ
إِلىto أَينَwhere إِلىto أَيناwhere
إِلى أَينَ إِلى أَينا
And Glory had cried out to us:
On, then on! Till the sweat poured
"Where to? Where to?"
Down. So we leapt and encountered
إِلىuntil أَنthat أُدرِكَwas recognized العِرقُthe bloodline
إِلى أَن أُدرِكَ العِرقُ
فَثُبناso we returned ثُمَّthen لاقَيناwe joined battle
فَثُبنا ثُمَّ لاقَينا
Until the bloodline was recognized,
Those who guarded the waterskin.
so we returned, then joined battle.
We fought them, we brought them low.
حُميناwe were fired بِالحَفيظاتِby zeal for honor
حُمينا بِالحَفيظاتِ
فَقارَعناso we exchanged blows وَحامَيناand we defended
فَقارَعنا وَحامَينا
We were fired by zeal for honor,
Ask not about the cup we shared
so we exchanged blows and defended.
Where once we met and drank deep.
فَلاso do not تَسأَلask عَنِabout الكاسِthe cup الbeginning of 'which'
فَلا تَسأَل عَنِ الكاسِ ال
لَتيcompletion of 'which' فيهاin it تَساقَيناwe gave one another drink
لَتي فيها تَساقَينا
So do not ask about the cup
We reveled, till matters shifted
from which we plied one another with drink.
And weeping replaced our cheer.
تَناكَيناwe wounded one another فَلَمّاthen when غَbeginning of 'overwhelmed'
تَناكَينا فَلَمّا غَ
لَبَcompletion of 'overwhelmed' الأَمرُthe affair تَباكَيناwe wept together
لَبَ الأَمرُ تَباكَينا
We wounded one another; then, when
Wisdom kept us apart awhile;
the affair overwhelmed us, we wept together.
Need brought us together again.
عَنِout of الحِلمِforbearance تَحاجَزناwe kept one another apart
عَنِ الحِلمِ تَحاجَزنا
وَبِالضِغنِand with rancor تَلاقَيناwe met one another
وَبِالضِغنِ تَلاقَينا
Out of forbearance we kept one another apart,
But for the tenderness of wombs
and with rancor we met.
We had severed all ties, lost hope.
وَلَولاand but for أَطَّةُthe groaning of الأَرحاbeginning of 'kinship bonds'
وَلَولا أَطَّةُ الأَرحا
مِcompletion of 'kinship bonds' أَعذَرناwe did our utmost وَأَبلَيناand we proved our mettle
مِ أَعذَرنا وَأَبلَينا
And but for the groaning of kinship
When kinship's claims grow too loud
bonds, we would have done our utmost and proved our mettle.
We ignore them and persevere,
إِذاwhen ناشَدَتِpleaded القُربىkinship
إِذا ناشَدَتِ القُربى
تَباقَيناwe spared one another وَأَبقَيناand we spared lives
تَباقَينا وَأَبقَينا
When kinship pleaded,
Cousins, have patience awhile:
we spared one another and spared lives.
Our houses will drift apart.
بَنيsons of أَعمامِناour paternal uncles مَهلاًhold back
بَني أَعمامِنا مَهلاً
سَيَنأىwill grow distant بَينُthe space between دارَيناour two homes
سَيَنأى بَينُ دارَينا
Sons of our uncles, hold back:
Dread will prowl between our homes,
the gap between our two homes will widen.
When war drums sound in the valley.
وَيَغدوand will become رَهَجُthe dust of الرَوعِbattle's terror
وَيَغدو رَهَجُ الرَوعِ
لِحاماًa weld بَينَbetween غارَيناour two armies
لِحاماً بَينَ غارَينا
And the dust of battle will become
Kinship may yet call us back
a weld between our two armies,
If we turn and oppose each other.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ضَرَبَpitched النَقعُthe battle dust
إِذا ما ضَرَبَ النَقعُ
عَلىover الحَربِthe battle رِواقَيناour two canopies
عَلى الحَربِ رِواقَينا
when the dust pitches
You opposed us and we opposed you.
our two canopies over battle.
No weakling faced us, no craven.
عَسىmay الأَرحامُkinship bonds تَثنيناrestrain us
عَسى الأَرحامُ تَثنينا
إِذاif نَحنُwe تَباغَيناwronged one another
إِذا نَحنُ تَباغَينا
May ties of kinship restrain us
Each lad of ours dreams of the day
if we wrong one another.
He will redeem his vow, or pay
تَبالواtest one another لِتُلاقوناto meet us
تَبالوا لِتُلاقونا
فَإِنّاfor indeed we قَدalready تَبالَيناtested one another
فَإِنّا قَد تَبالَينا
Test one another, to face us,
What he owes, with keen-edged steel.
for we have already tested one another.
Sleep cannot dull the warrior's ears,
فَلَمso did not يَلقَfind لَناamong us العاجِbeginning of 'the tester'
فَلَم يَلقَ لَنا العاجِ
مُcompletion of 'the tester' رِعديداًa trembling coward وَلاnor هَيناa weakling
مُ رِعديداً وَلا هَينا
So the tester found among us
The softness of a girl's skin.
neither a trembling coward nor a weakling.
When the journey rubs hands raw,
لَناwe have كُلُّevery غُلامٍyoung man هَمbeginning of 'his concern'
لَنا كُلُّ غُلامٍ هَم
مُهُcompletion of 'his concern' أَنto يَرِدَcome to الحَيناdeath
مُهُ أَن يَرِدَ الحَينا
Among us, every youth's concern
These hands shine with jeweled rings.
is to meet his doom.
Stand still. Let me tell you how I
يُخالُhe is thought مُوَفِّياًfulfilling نَذراًa vow
يُخالُ مُوَفِّياً نَذراً
بِهِby it أَوor قاضِياًdischarging دَيناa debt
بِهِ أَو قاضِياً دَينا
He seems to be fulfilling a vow
Endure your absence patiently.
thereby, or discharging a debt.
Ask not about the temper of
حَديدُkeen السَمعِof hearing فيin حَيثُwhere
حَديدُ السَمعِ في حَيثُ
تَكونُbecomes الأُذُنُthe ear العَيناthe eye
تَكونُ الأُذُنُ العَينا
Keen of hearing wherever
My sword, but the courage it serves.
the ear becomes the eye.
Our feet race to glory and fame.
غِرارُa snatch النَومِof sleep يَجلوclears عَنfrom
غِرارُ النَومِ يَجلو عَن
لِحاظِthe eyes of الضَرِمِthe fiery one الرَيناthe rust
لِحاظِ الضَرِمِ الرَينا
A snatch of sleep clears away
Hear the growls of lions in our thickets.
the rust from the fiery one's eyes,
When wrong would wrest our honor,
إِذاwhen السَيرُthe march حَذاshod أَيديthe forelegs of الthe
إِذا السَيرُ حَذا أَيدي ال
رِكابِriding camels الدَمَblood وَالأَيناand weariness
رِكابِ الدَمَ وَالأَينا
when the march has shod the forelegs of
We pay any price to keep it.
the riding camels with blood and weariness.
When truth contests our wealth,
أَذاتَO wearer of الطَوقِthe necklace تَجلوreveals فيin
أَذاتَ الطَوقِ تَجلو في
هِit بَرّاقَgleaming الطُلىthe necks لَيناtender
هِ بَرّاقَ الطُلى لَينا
O necklace-wearer, revealing within
We toss that wealth away.
it one gleaming-necked and tender,
When the noble show generosity,
قِفيstop أُخبِركِI shall tell you عَنabout صَبريmy endurance
قِفي أُخبِركِ عَن صَبري
إِذاwhen أَوعَدتِنيyou threatened me البَيناwith separation
إِذا أَوعَدتِني البَينا
stop, and I shall tell you of my endurance
We give more, do not stint.
when you threaten me with separation.
The rash think we conspire
سَليask عَنabout هَيئَةِthe nature of السَيفِthe sword
سَلي عَن هَيئَةِ السَيفِ
شُجاعَthe brave man of القَومِthe tribe لاnot القَيناthe smith
شُجاعَ القَومِ لا القَينا
About the sword's nature, ask
To surpass them in charity.
the tribe's brave man, not the smith.
We who ruled the bread of life
لَناours is السَبقُthe lead بِأَقدامٍwith feet
لَنا السَبقُ بِأَقدامٍ
إِلىtoward المَجدِglory تَساعَيناwe raced one another
إِلى المَجدِ تَساعَينا
Ours is the lead, with feet
Grew poor, and enriched others.
on which we raced each other toward glory.
Grieving, we obeyed fate,
تَرَيyou see زَمجَرَةَthe roaring of الآساbeginning of 'the lions'
تَرَي زَمجَرَةَ الآسا
دِcompletion of 'the lions' هَمساًa whisper بَينَbetween غابَيناour two thickets
دِ هَمساً بَينَ غابَينا
You see the roaring of lions
Offended, then appeased it.
as a whisper between our two thickets.
When bounty will not bend
إِذاwhen ساوَمَناbargained with us الضَيمُoppression
إِذا ساوَمَنا الضَيمُ
عَلىfor الأَعراضِhonor غاليناwe drove the price high
عَلى الأَعراضِ غالينا
When oppression bargains with us
To our wrath or diplomacy,
for our honor, we drive the price high.
We gather swiftly, reconnect,
وَإِنand if نازَعناcontended with us الحَقُّjustice
وَإِن نازَعنا الحَقُّ
عِنانَthe reins of المالِwealth أَلقَيناwe cast aside
عِنانَ المالِ أَلقَينا
And if justice contends with us
Aid each other, draw together.
for wealth's reins, we cast them aside.
When death's envoy calls us home,
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رَوَّحَdeparted at evening الأُعياbeginning of 'the weary'
إِذا ما رَوَّحَ الأُعيا
نُcompletion of 'the weary' أَعطَيناwe gave وَأَمطَيناand we provided mounts
نُ أَعطَينا وَأَمطَينا
When the weary depart at evening,
We come running to his summons.
we give, and provide mounts.
What use to escape that day
يَظُنُّthinks المُجتَديthe gift-seeker أَنّاthat we
يَظُنُّ المُجتَدي أَنّا
عَلىon الجودِgenerosity تَواطَيناwe agreed together
عَلى الجودِ تَواطَينا
The seeker of gifts thinks that we
Of reckoning, seek safety?
have agreed together on generosity.
We did not know we raced
مَلَكناwe controlled مَقطَعَthe allotment of الرِزقِsustenance
مَلَكنا مَقطَعَ الرِزقِ
فَأَفقَرناso we impoverished وَأَغنَيناand we enriched
فَأَفقَرنا وَأَغنَينا
We controlled the allotment of sustenance,
Toward the final goal.
so we impoverished and enriched.
وَحُزناand we secured طاعَةَthe obedience of الدَهرِTime
وَحُزنا طاعَةَ الدَهرِ
فَأَغضَبناso we angered وَأَرضَيناand we pleased
فَأَغضَبنا وَأَرضَينا
And we secured Time's obedience,
so we angered and appeased.
مَتىwhenever لَمdid not يُطِعِobey الجودُgenerosity
مَتى لَم يُطِعِ الجودُ
سَخَوناwe gave freely أَوor تَساخَيناwe made ourselves generous
سَخَونا أَو تَساخَينا
Whenever generosity will not obey,
we give freely, or make ourselves give.
سِراعاًswiftly فَتَفاقَدناthen we lost one another
سِراعاً فَتَفاقَدنا
جَميعاًall together وَتَناعَيناand we announced one another's deaths
جَميعاً وَتَناعَينا
Swiftly, then, we lost one another,
all of us, and announced one another's deaths.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ثَوَّبَrepeated the summons الداعيthe caller
إِذا ما ثَوَّبَ الداعي
إِلىto المَوتِdeath تَداعَيناwe rallied together
إِلى المَوتِ تَداعَينا
When the caller repeats his summons
to death, we rally together.
وَماand not يَنفَعُناbenefits us يَوماًever
وَما يَنفَعُنا يَوماً
إِذاif نَحنُwe تَفادَيناevaded death
إِذا نَحنُ تَفادَينا
Nor will it ever help us
if we try to evade death.
وَماand how أَعلَمناwell we know أَنّاthat we
وَما أَعلَمنا أَنّا
إِلىtoward الغايَةِthe goal أَجرَيناwe raced
إِلى الغايَةِ أَجرَينا
And how well we know that we
have raced toward the finish!
Partial English translation: 59 of 72 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1