لَقَدindeed عَلِمَتhave learned عُلياthe noblest of هَوازِنَHawazin أَنَّنيthat I
لَقَد عَلِمَت عُليا هَوازِنَ أَنَّني
أَناI الفارِسُthe horseman الحاميwho protects حَقيقَةَhonor جَعفَرِJa'far
أَنا الفارِسُ الحامي حَقيقَةَ جَعفَرِ
The noblest of Hawazin know full well that I
Ulayya Hawazin surely knew that I
am the horseman who guards Ja'far's honor.
Am the true knightly guardian, Ja'far
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَknows المَزنوقُal-Maznuq أَنّيthat I أَكُرُّهُI make him charge
وَقَد عَلِمَ المَزنوقُ أَنّي أَكُرُّهُ
عَشِيَّةَthe evening of فَيفِFayf الريحِal-Rih (the wind) كَرَّthe charge of المُشَهَّرِthe renowned one
عَشِيَّةَ فَيفِ الريحِ كَرَّ المُشَهَّرِ
And al-Maznuq knows that I make him charge
And al-Maznuq knew that I dislike him
on the evening of Fayf al-Rih, with the charge of one renowned.
On an evening when the wind blew like a drawn sword
إِذاwhen اِزوَرَّhe swerved away مِنfrom وَقعِthe impact of الرِماحِthe spears زَجَرتُهُI rebuked him
إِذا اِزوَرَّ مِن وَقعِ الرِماحِ زَجَرتُهُ
وَقُلتُand I said لَهُto him اِرجِعreturn مُقبِلاًadvancing غَيرَnot مُدبِرِretreating
وَقُلتُ لَهُ اِرجِع مُقبِلاً غَيرَ مُدبِرِ
When he shied from the thrusts of spears, I rebuked him
If he weakened at the clashing of spears I scolded him
and told him, 'Return advancing, not retreating.'
And said to him, "Return advancing not retreating!"
وَأَنبَأتُهُand I told him أَنَّthat الفِرارَflight خَزايَةٌa disgrace
وَأَنبَأتُهُ أَنَّ الفِرارَ خَزايَةٌ
عَلىfor المَرءِa man ماas long as لَمnot يُبلِhe makes good عُذراًan excuse فَيُعذَرِand so is excused
عَلى المَرءِ ما لَم يُبلِ عُذراً فَيُعذَرِ
And I told him that flight is a disgrace
And I told him that to flee is disgrace
for a man, unless he has done his utmost and may be excused.
Upon a man unless he has an excuse and is excused
أَلَستَdo you not تَرىsee أَرماحَهُمtheir spears فيَّat me شُرَّعاًleveled
أَلَستَ تَرى أَرماحَهُم فيَّ شُرَّعاً
وَأَنتَand you حِصانٌa stallion ماجِدُnoble العِرقِin lineage فَاِصبِرِso stand firm
وَأَنتَ حِصانٌ ماجِدُ العِرقِ فَاِصبِرِ
Do you not see their spears leveled at me?
Do you not see their spears assailing me
You are a stallion of noble stock—so stand firm!
While you are a glorious steed so be patient
أَرَدتُI wished لِكَيماso that يَعلَمَmight know اللَهُGod أَنَّنيthat I
أَرَدتُ لِكَيما يَعلَمَ اللَهُ أَنَّني
صَبَرتُI stood firm وَأَخشىand I fear مِثلَlike يَومِthe day of المُشَقَّرِal-Mushaqqar
صَبَرتُ وَأَخشى مِثلَ يَومِ المُشَقَّرِ
I wished that God might know that I
I wanted so that God would know that I
stood firm, though I fear a day like that of al-Mushaqqar.
Was patient and fear the like of the day of Mushaqqar
لَعَمريby my life وَماand not عَمريmy life عَلَيَّto me بِهَيِّنٍof little worth
لَعَمري وَما عَمري عَلَيَّ بِهَيِّنٍ
لَقَدindeed شانَhas marred حُرَّthe fairest part of الوَجهِthe face طَعنَةُthe thrust of مُسهَرِMus-har
لَقَد شانَ حُرَّ الوَجهِ طَعنَةُ مُسهَرِ
By my life—and my life is no small thing to me—
By my life, and my life is not easy upon me
Mus-har's thrust has indeed marred the fairest part of my face.
The cheek of the freeborn is surely pained by Musahhar's stab
فَبِئسَthen wretched is الفَتىthe young man إِنif كُنتَyou are أَعوَرَone-eyed عاقِراًbarren
فَبِئسَ الفَتى إِن كُنتَ أَعوَرَ عاقِراً
جَباناًcowardly فَماthen what عُذريmy excuse لَدىbefore كُلِّevery مُحضَرِgathering
جَباناً فَما عُذري لَدى كُلِّ مُحضَرِ
Then what a wretched young man you are if you are one-eyed, barren,
Evil is the youth if you are one-eyed, castrated
and cowardly! What excuse have I before every gathering?
Cowardly, so I have no excuse before any gathering
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمواthey know أَنّيthat I أَكُرُّI charge عَلَيهِمِagainst them
وَقَد عَلِموا أَنّي أَكُرُّ عَلَيهِمِ
عَشِيَّةَthe evening of فَيفِFayf الريحِal-Rih (the wind) كَرَّthe charge of المُدَوَّرِthe encircled one
عَشِيَّةَ فَيفِ الريحِ كَرَّ المُدَوَّرِ
And they know that I charge against them
And they knew that I attack them
on the evening of Fayf al-Rih, with the charge of one hemmed in.
On an evening when the wind blew like a whirlwind
وَماand not رِمتُI moved حَتّىuntil بَلَّsoaked صَدريmy chest وَنَحرَهُand his throat
وَما رِمتُ حَتّى بَلَّ صَدري وَنَحرَهُ
نَجيعٌfresh blood كَهُدّابِlike the fringes of الدِمَقسِsilk المُسَيَّرِstriped
نَجيعٌ كَهُدّابِ الدِمَقسِ المُسَيَّرِ
Nor did I budge until my chest and his throat were soaked
And I did not cast until I pierced his chest and throat
with fresh blood like the fringes of striped silk.
A piercing blow like a strongly-guided piercing spear
أَقولُI say لِنَفسٍto a soul لاnot يُجادُis freely given بِمِثلِهاwith its like
أَقولُ لِنَفسٍ لا يُجادُ بِمِثلِها
أَقِلّيcurb المِراحَexuberance إِنَّنيindeed I غَيرُnot مُقصِرِfalling short
أَقِلّي المِراحَ إِنَّني غَيرُ مُقصِرِ
I say to a soul whose like is not lightly given away:
I say to a soul the like of which is not magnanimous
'Curb your exuberance; I am not one to fall short.'
Restrain yourself, I am not negligent
فَلَوso if كانَit had been جَمعاًa host مِثلَناlike us لَمnot يَبُزُّناit would have bested us
فَلَو كانَ جَمعاً مِثلَنا لَم يَبُزُّنا
وَلَكِنbut أَتَتناcame to us أُسرَةٌa clan ذاتُpossessing مَفخَرِdistinction
وَلَكِن أَتَتنا أُسرَةٌ ذاتُ مَفخَرِ
Had their host been like ours, it would not have bested us,
If they were a group like us, they would not surpass us
but a clan of proud distinction came against us.
But captives came to us, those who boast
أَتَوناthey came to us بِشَهرانِwith Shahran العَريضَةِthe wide-spreading كُلِّهاall of it
أَتَونا بِشَهرانِ العَريضَةِ كُلِّها
وَأَكلُبَand Aklub طُرّاًall together فيin جِيادِfine coats of السَنَوَّرِmail armor
وَأَكلُبَ طُرّاً في جِيادِ السَنَوَّرِ
They came against us with all of wide-spreading Shahran
They came at us with all of al-Shahran
and all Aklub, clad in fine coats of mail.
And hounds swift as the lead camels
Sol 6.1