تَقولُshe says سُلَيمىSulayma لاdo not تَعَرَّضexpose yourself لِتَلفَةٍto destruction
تَقولُ سُلَيمى لا تَعَرَّض لِتَلفَةٍ
وَلَيلُكَand your night عَنheedless of لَيلِthe night of الصَعاليكِthe outlaws نائِمُasleep
وَلَيلُكَ عَن لَيلِ الصَعاليكِ نائِمُ
Sulayma says: Do not expose yourself to destruction,
Sulayma says, do not expose yourself to ruin
and your night sleeps, heedless of the outlaws' night.
While your night is sleeping unlike the nights of vagabonds
وَكَيفَand how يَنامُsleeps اللَيلَat night مَنone whose جُلُّmost of مالِهِhis wealth
وَكَيفَ يَنامُ اللَيلَ مَن جُلُّ مالِهِ
حُسامٌa keen sword كَلَونِlike the color of المِلحِsalt أَبيَضُwhite صارِمُsharp-cutting
حُسامٌ كَلَونِ المِلحِ أَبيَضُ صارِمُ
And how can a man sleep at night when most of his wealth
How can one who owns nothing but a sword sleep?
is a sword, white as salt, keen-edged?
White like salt, always unsheathed and ready
غَمُوضٌdeep-penetrating إِذاwhen عَضَّit bites الكَريهَةَbattle لَمdoes not يَدَعleave
غَمُوضٌ إِذا عَضَّ الكَريهَةَ لَم يَدَع
لَهُfor him طَمَعاًhope طَوعُobedient to اليَمينِthe right hand مُلازِمُinseparable
لَهُ طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَمينِ مُلازِمُ
Deep-penetrating: when it bites into battle, it leaves
When it strikes the neck of the enemy it does not stop
him no hope—obedient to the right hand, an inseparable companion.
Until obeying the right hand, always attached
أَلَمhave you not تَعلَميlearned أَنَّthat الصَعاليكَthe outlaws نَومُهُمtheir sleep
أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنَّ الصَعاليكَ نَومُهُم
قَليلٌlittle إِذاwhen نامَsleeps الخَلِيُّthe carefree man المُسالِمُthe peaceable
قَليلٌ إِذا نامَ الخَلِيُّ المُسالِمُ
Have you not learned that the outlaws' sleep
Do you not know that vagabonds only briefly sleep
is scant when the carefree, peaceable man sleeps?
When the peaceful weak one is sleeping?
جُرازٌa cleaving blade إِذاwhen مَسَّit touches الضَريبَةَthe target struck لَمdoes not يَدَعleave
جُرازٌ إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ لَم يَدَع
بِهاin it طَمَعاًhope طَوعُobedient to اليَدَينِboth hands مُكَارِمُvying in generosity
بِها طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَدَينِ مُكَارِمُ
A cleaving blade: when it touches its target, it leaves
My sword, when it strikes the tax does not stop
no hope there—obedient to both hands, vying in generosity.
Until obeying the two hands, always generous
إِذاwhen اللَيلُthe night أَدجىgrows dark وَاِكفَهَرَّand grows grim ظَلامُهُits darkness
إِذا اللَيلُ أَدجى وَاِكفَهَرَّ ظَلامُهُ
وَصاحَand cry out مِنَfrom الأَفراطِthe heights بومٌowls جَواثِمُroosting
وَصاحَ مِنَ الأَفراطِ بومٌ جَواثِمُ
When night grows dark and its darkness turns grim,
When the night grows dark and its darkness bellows
and roosting owls cry out from the heights,
And the excess screams with unjust voices
وَمالَand makes droop بِأَصحابِthe companions of الكَرىsleep غالِباتُهُits overpowering spells
وَمالَ بِأَصحابِ الكَرى غالِباتُهُ
فَإِنّيthen indeed I عَلىin أَمرِthe business of الغَوايَةِwaywardness حازِمُresolute
فَإِنّي عَلى أَمرِ الغَوايَةِ حازِمُ
and sleep's overpowering spells make its companions droop,
And defeat comes to the people of villages
then I am resolute in the business of waywardness.
I am determined to the matter of misguidance
كَذَبتُمyou have lied وَبَيتِby the House of اللَهِGod لاnot تَأخُذونَهاyou take it
كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ لا تَأخُذونَها
مُراغَمَةًby force مادامَso long as لِلسَيفِthe sword has قائِمُa hilt
مُراغَمَةً مادامَ لِلسَيفِ قائِمُ
You lie! By the House of God, you shall not take it
You lied! By God's house you will not take it
by force, as long as the sword has a hilt.
As long as the sword remains standing
تَحالَفَswore an alliance أَقوامٌgroups of people عَلَيَّagainst me لِيَسلَمواto keep themselves safe
تَحالَفَ أَقوامٌ عَلَيَّ لِيَسلَموا
وَجَرواand brought عَلَيَّupon me الحَربَwar إِذwhen أَناI سالِمُat peace
وَجَروا عَلَيَّ الحَربَ إِذ أَنا سالِمُ
Groups swore an alliance against me to keep themselves safe,
A group of people allied against me to make peace
and brought war upon me when I was at peace.
And they dragged war against me while I am peaceful
أَفَاليَومَis it then today أَدعىI am summoned لِلهَوادَةِto a truce بَعدَماafter
أَفَاليَومَ أَدعى لِلهَوادَةِ بَعدَما
أُجيلَwere driven عَلىagainst الحَيِّthe clan المَذاكيthe full-grown steeds الصَلادِمُthe sturdy ones
أُجيلَ عَلى الحَيِّ المَذاكي الصَلادِمُ
Am I then called to a truce today, after
Shall I today call for peace after
full-grown, sturdy steeds were driven against the clan?
I was wronged by the living, the strong and the fighters?
كَأَنَّas though حَريماًHarim إِذwhen رَجاhe hoped أَنthat أَرُدَّهاI return it
كَأَنَّ حَريماً إِذ رَجا أَن أَرُدَّها
وَيَذهَبَand would vanish ماليmy wealth ياO اِبنَةَdaughter of القَومِthe clan حالِمُa dreamer
وَيَذهَبَ مالي يا اِبنَةَ القَومِ حالِمُ
It is as though Harim, when he hoped that I would return it
It is as if it is an inviolable thing if I wish to return it
and my wealth would vanish, O daughter of the clan, were dreaming.
And my money disappears, O daughter of the people, dreamer
مَتىwhen تَجمَعِyou unite القَلبَthe heart الذَكِيَّthe keen وَصارِماًand a cutting sword
مَتى تَجمَعِ القَلبَ الذَكِيَّ وَصارِماً
وَأَنفاًand a nose أَبِيّاًproudly unyielding تَجتَنِبكَavoid you المَظالِمُinjustices
وَأَنفاً أَبِيّاً تَجتَنِبكَ المَظالِمُ
When you unite a keen heart and a cutting sword,
When will you gather a wise heart and a sharp sword
and a proud, unyielding nose, injustices shun you.
And avoid wrongdoings with a dignified nose?
وَمَنand whoever يَطلُبِseeks المَالَwealth المُمَنَعَّstrongly guarded بِالقَناwith spears
وَمَن يَطلُبِ المَالَ المُمَنَعَّ بِالقَنا
يَعِشlives مُثرِيّاًwealthy أَوor تَختَرِمهُcut his life short المَخارِمُdeadly perils
يَعِش مُثرِيّاً أَو تَختَرِمهُ المَخارِمُ
And whoever seeks strongly guarded wealth with spears
Whoever seeks protected money with his spear
lives rich, or deadly perils cut his life short.
Will live rich or the calamities will wound him
وَكُنتُand I used to إِذاwhen قَومٌa people غَزَونيthey raided me غَزَوتُهُمI raided them
وَكُنتُ إِذا قَومٌ غَزَوني غَزَوتُهُم
فَهَلthen, am أَناI فيin ذاthis يالَO هَمدانَHamdan ظالِمُunjust
فَهَل أَنا في ذا يالَ هَمدانَ ظالِمُ
And whenever a people raided me, I raided them.
Whenever a people attacked me I would attack them
Am I then unjust in this, O Hamdan?
So am I in this, O Hamdan, unjust?
فَلاso no صُلحَpeace حَتّىuntil تُقدَعَare checked الخَيلُthe horses بِالقَناwith spears
فَلا صُلحَ حَتّى تُقدَعَ الخَيلُ بِالقَنا
وَتُضرَبَand are struck بِالبيضِwith white swords الخِفافِthe light ones الجَماجِمُskulls
وَتُضرَبَ بِالبيضِ الخِفافِ الجَماجِمُ
So no peace until horses are checked by spears,
No peace until the horses are cut by the spear
and skulls are struck with light, white blades.
And the light helmets are struck against the skulls
وَلاand no أَمنَsafety حَتّىuntil تَغشِمَravages ruthlessly الحَربُwar جَهرَةًopenly
وَلا أَمنَ حَتّى تَغشِمَ الحَربُ جَهرَةً
عُبَيدَةَUbayda يَوماًone day والحُروبُand wars غَواشِمُruthless
عُبَيدَةَ يَوماً والحُروبُ غَواشِمُ
Nor safety until war openly ravages
No safety until war openly attacks
Ubayda one day—and wars are ruthless.
Ubaydah one day when wars are ferocious
أَمُستَبطِئٌdoes ... find slow عَمرُوAmr بنِson of نَعمانَNu'man غارَتيmy raid
أَمُستَبطِئٌ عَمرُو بنِ نَعمانَ غارَتي
وَماand not يُشبِهُresembles اليَقظانَthe wakeful one مَنone who هُوَhe نائِمُasleep
وَما يُشبِهُ اليَقظانَ مَن هُوَ نائِمُ
Does Amr ibn Nu'man think my raid slow in coming?
Is Amr ibn Na'man delaying my raids?
And the one asleep does not resemble the one awake.
What sleep resembles the awake?
إِذاwhen جَرَّbrings مَولاناour ally عَلَيناupon us جَريرَةًan offense
إِذا جَرَّ مَولانا عَلَينا جَريرَةً
صَبَرناwe bear patiently لَهاwith it إِنّاindeed we كِرامٌnoble دَعائِمُpillars
صَبَرنا لَها إِنّا كِرامٌ دَعائِمُ
When our ally brings an offense upon us,
If our Lord wrongs us with an injury
we bear it patiently; we are noble pillars.
We are patient with it, we are firm pillars
وَنَنصُرُand we support مَولاناour ally وَنَعلَمُand we know أَنَّهُthat he
وَنَنصُرُ مَولانا وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ
كَمَاlike النّاسُpeople مَجرومٌwronged عَلَيهِagainst him وَجارِمُand a wrongdoer
كَمَا النّاسُ مَجرومٌ عَلَيهِ وَجارِمُ
And we support our ally, and we know that he,
And we support our Lord, and we know
like other people, is wronged and does wrong.
He is wronged against and sinned upon like the people
Sol 6.1