ظَعَنَdeparted الَّذينَthose whose فَراقَهُمtheir parting أَتَوَقَّعُI anticipate
ظَعَنَ الَّذينَ فَراقَهُم أَتَوَقَّعُ
وَجَرىand sped بِبَينِهِمُwith their parting الغُرابُthe crow الأَبقَعُpied
وَجَرى بِبَينِهِمُ الغُرابُ الأَبقَعُ
Those whose parting I dread have departed.
I yearned for those who left me behind
And the pied crow sped with tidings of their parting.
And the spotted raven flew between us
حَرِقُragged الجَناحِof wing كَأَنَّas though لِحيَيthe two jaws of رَأسِهِits head
حَرِقُ الجَناحِ كَأَنَّ لِحيَي رَأسِهِ
جَلَمانِa pair of shears بِالأَخبارِfor tidings هَشَّeager مولَعُobsessed
جَلَمانِ بِالأَخبارِ هَشَّ مولَعُ
Ragged-winged, as though the two jaws of its head
Its wings scorched as if the cheeks of its head
Were shears—eager for tidings, obsessed with them.
Were live coals, burning with news
فَزَجَرتُهُso I rebuked it أَلّاthat not يُفَرِّخَhatch chicks عُشُّهُits nest
فَزَجَرتُهُ أَلّا يُفَرِّخَ عُشُّهُ
أَبَداًever وَيُصبِحَand may it wake واحِداًalone يَتَفَجَّعُgrieves bitterly
أَبَداً وَيُصبِحَ واحِداً يَتَفَجَّعُ
So I rebuked it: may its nest hatch no young
So I deterred it from nesting
Ever, and may it wake alone, lamenting.
Ever again, leaving it a lone mourner
إِنَّindeed الَّذينَthose whose نَعَيتَyou announced mournfully ليto me بِفِراقِهِمof their parting
إِنَّ الَّذينَ نَعَيتَ لي بِفِراقِهِم
هُمthey أَسهَرواthey kept awake لَيليmy night التَمامَthe longest فَأَوجَعواso they caused pain
هُم أَسهَروا لَيلي التَمامَ فَأَوجَعوا
Indeed, those whose parting you announced to me
Indeed, those whose loss you lamented to me
Are the ones who kept me awake through my longest night and caused me pain.
Kept me up all night, tormenting me
وَمُغيرَةٍand many a raiding band شَعواءَrampaging ذاتِhaving أَشِلَّةٍcoats of mail
وَمُغيرَةٍ شَعواءَ ذاتِ أَشِلَّةٍ
فيهاin it الفَوارِسُthe horsemen حاسِرٌbareheaded وَمُقَنَّعُand helmeted
فيها الفَوارِسُ حاسِرٌ وَمُقَنَّعُ
And many a fierce raiding band, bearing coats of mail,
And a windswept she-camel, slackened,
With horsemen bareheaded and helmeted in its ranks,
On which bold riders mount covered up
فَزَجَرتُهاso I drove it back عَنaway from نِسوَةٍwomen مِنof عامِرٍʿAmir
فَزَجَرتُها عَن نِسوَةٍ مِن عامِرٍ
أَفخاذُهُنَّtheir thighs كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were الخَروَعُthe castor plant
أَفخاذُهُنَّ كَأَنَّهُنَّ الخَروَعُ
I drove back from women of ʿAmir,
So I deterred her from women of Aamir
Their thighs like castor stalks.
Whose thighs seem like palm trunks
وَعَرَفتُand I knew أَنَّthat مَنِيَّتيmy destined death إِنif تَأتِنيit comes to me
وَعَرَفتُ أَنَّ مَنِيَّتي إِن تَأتِني
لاnot يُنجِنيsaves me مِنهاfrom it الفِرارُflight الأَسرَعُthe swiftest
لا يُنجِني مِنها الفِرارُ الأَسرَعُ
And I knew that, if my death should come to me,
And I knew that if death comes for me
The swiftest flight would not save me from it.
Fleeing faster won't save me from it
فَصَبَرتُso I held firm عارِفَةًaware لِذَلِكَof that حُرَّةًnoble
فَصَبَرتُ عارِفَةً لِذَلِكَ حُرَّةً
تَرسوis anchored إِذاwhen نَفسُthe soul of الجَبانِthe coward تَطَلَّعُstrains upward
تَرسو إِذا نَفسُ الجَبانِ تَطَلَّعُ
So I held my noble soul firm, aware of that,
So I waited patiently, knowing this, free
Anchored fast when the coward's soul strains upward.
While the coward's soul peeks out furtively
Sol 6.1