إِذاwhen نَحنُwe حالَفناwe allied ourselves with شِفارَthe edges of البَواتِرِcleaving swords
إِذا نَحنُ حالَفنا شِفارَ البَواتِرِ
وَسُمرَand brown القَناspears فَوقَatop الجِيادِsteeds الضَوامِرِlean
وَسُمرَ القَنا فَوقَ الجِيادِ الضَوامِرِ
When we ally ourselves with the edges of cleaving swords,
When we pledged allegiance over the edges of swords
And brown spears upon lean steeds,
And the spears were raised above the noble steeds
عَلىfor حَربِwar against قَومٍa people كانَthere was فيناin us كِفايَةًsufficiency
عَلى حَربِ قَومٍ كانَ فينا كِفايَةً
وَلَوand even if أَنَّهُمthat they مِثلُlike البِحارِthe seas الزَواخِرِsurging
وَلَو أَنَّهُم مِثلُ البِحارِ الزَواخِرِ
To fight a people, we have strength enough,
To war against a tribe, though we sufficed
Even if they are like surging seas.
Even if they were like the vast, turbulent seas
وَماand not الفَخرُglory فيin جَمعِmustering الجُيوشِarmies وَإِنَّماbut rather
وَما الفَخرُ في جَمعِ الجُيوشِ وَإِنَّما
فَخارُthe glory of الفَتىthe young man تَفريقُscattering جَمعِthe mass of العَساكِرِtroops
فَخارُ الفَتى تَفريقُ جَمعِ العَساكِرِ
And glory lies not in mustering armies; rather,
Glory lies not in gathering armies but rather
A young man's glory is to scatter the gathered troops.
The valor of a man is breaking up a host of soldiers
سَليask ياO اِبنَةَdaughter of الأَعمامِthe paternal uncles عَنّيabout me وَقَدand already أَتَتcame
سَلي يا اِبنَةَ الأَعمامِ عَنّي وَقَد أَتَت
قَبائِلُthe tribes of كَلبٍKalb مَعwith غَنِيٍّGhani وَعامِرِand Amir
قَبائِلُ كَلبٍ مَع غَنِيٍّ وَعامِرِ
Ask about me, O daughter of my uncles, when there came
Hold off, O daughter of uncles, the tribes of Kalb
The tribes of Kalb, with Ghani and Amir,
Have come with Ghaneem and Amir
تَموجُsurge كَمَوجِlike the waves of البَحرِthe sea تَحتَbeneath غَمامَةٍa cloud
تَموجُ كَمَوجِ البَحرِ تَحتَ غَمامَةٍ
قَدِalready اِنتَسَجَتhad been woven مِنfrom وَقعِthe impact of ضَربِthe pounding of الحَوافِرِhooves
قَدِ اِنتَسَجَت مِن وَقعِ ضَربِ الحَوافِرِ
Surging like the sea's waves beneath a cloud
They surge like the waves of the sea beneath clouds
That had been woven from the impact of pounding hooves.
That have gathered from the striking of hooves
فَوَلَّواso they turned away سِراعاًswiftly وَالقَناand the spears فيin ظُهورِهِمtheir backs
فَوَلَّوا سِراعاً وَالقَنا في ظُهورِهِم
تَشُكُّpierce الكُلىthe kidneys بَينَbetween الحَشاthe entrails وَالخَواصِرِand the flanks
تَشُكُّ الكُلى بَينَ الحَشا وَالخَواصِرِ
So they fled swiftly, with spears in their backs,
So they fled hastily with the spears in their backs
Piercing their kidneys between their entrails and flanks.
Almost cleaving kidney from abdomen and chest
وَبِالسَيفِand with the sword قَدindeed خَلَّفتُI left behind فيin القَفرِthe wasteland مِنهُمُof them
وَبِالسَيفِ قَد خَلَّفتُ في القَفرِ مِنهُمُ
عِظاماًbones وَلَحماًand flesh لِلنُسورِfor the vultures الكَواسِرِrapacious
عِظاماً وَلَحماً لِلنُسورِ الكَواسِرِ
And with the sword I left of them in the wasteland
With the sword I left in the wasteland bones
Bones and flesh for the ravening vultures.
And flesh of theirs for the tearing eagles
وَماand not راعَalarmed قَوميmy people غَيرُother than قَولِthe words of اِبنِthe son of ظالِمٍZalim
وَما راعَ قَومي غَيرُ قَولِ اِبنِ ظالِمٍ
وَكانَand was خَبيثاًvile قَولُهُhis speech قَولَthe speech of ماكِرِa schemer
وَكانَ خَبيثاً قَولُهُ قَولَ ماكِرِ
And nothing alarmed my people but Ibn Zalim's words,
Yet my tribe did not heed except the word of the son of an oppressor
And his speech was vile, the speech of a schemer.
Wicked were his words, the words of a deceiver
بَغىhe transgressed وَاِدَّعىand claimed أَنthat لَيسَthere is not فيon الأَرضِthe earth مِثلُهُhis equal
بَغى وَاِدَّعى أَن لَيسَ في الأَرضِ مِثلُهُ
فَلَمّاso when اِلتَقَيناwe met بانَbecame clear فَخرُthe glory of المُفاخِرِthe boaster
فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا بانَ فَخرُ المُفاخِرِ
He transgressed and claimed that none on earth was his equal;
He sought and claimed none on earth matched him
So when we met, the boaster's glory became plain.
But when we met the pride of the arrogant was laid bare
أُحِبُّI love بَنيthe sons of عَبسٍAbs وَلَوand even if هَدَرواthey deemed forfeit دَميmy blood
أُحِبُّ بَني عَبسٍ وَلَو هَدَروا دَمي
مَحَبَّةَthe love of عَبدٍa slave صادِقِtruthful in القَولِspeech صابِرِpatient
مَحَبَّةَ عَبدٍ صادِقِ القَولِ صابِرِ
I love the sons of Abs, even if they deem my blood forfeit,
I love the clan of Abs though they spill my blood
With the love of a slave, truthful in speech and patient.
With the love of a truthful, steadfast slave
وَأَدنوand I draw near إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَبعَدونيthey cast me away وَأَلتَقيand I face
وَأَدنو إِذا ما أَبعَدوني وَأَلتَقي
رِماحَthe spears of العِداthe foes عَنهُمon their behalf وَحَرَّand the heat of الهَواجِرِthe hot midday hours
رِماحَ العِدا عَنهُم وَحَرَّ الهَواجِرِ
And I draw near whenever they cast me away, and face
And I approach when they distance me and I meet
The foes' spears on their behalf, and the heat of midday.
The spears of foes and hot arrows
تَوَلّىdeparted زُهَيرٌZuhayr وَالمَقانِبُand the cavalry squadrons حَولَهُaround him
تَوَلّى زُهَيرٌ وَالمَقانِبُ حَولَهُ
قَتيلاًslain وَأَطرافُand the points of الرِماحِthe spears الشَواجِرِinterlacing
قَتيلاً وَأَطرافُ الرِماحِ الشَواجِرِ
Zuhayr departed, with cavalry squadrons around him,
Zuhair turned his back and spears surrounded him
Slain, amid the points of interlacing spears.
A corpse with the blades of long spears
وَكانَand he was أَجَلَّthe noblest of الناسِpeople قَدراًin rank وَقَدand indeed غَداbecame
وَكانَ أَجَلَّ الناسِ قَدراً وَقَد غَدا
أَجَلَّthe noblest قَتيلٍslain man زارَvisited أَهلَthe dwellers of المَقابِرِthe graveyards
أَجَلَّ قَتيلٍ زارَ أَهلَ المَقابِرِ
And he was the noblest of men in rank, and now has become
He was the greatest of men in worth yet he arose
The noblest slain man to visit the dwellers of the graveyards.
The greatest corpse to visit the graves
فَواso, O أَسَفاsorrow! كَيفَhow اِشتَفىfound relief قَلبُthe heart of خالِدٍKhalid
فَوا أَسَفا كَيفَ اِشتَفى قَلبُ خالِدٍ
بِتاجِthrough the crown of بَنيthe sons of عَبسِAbs كِرامِnoble among العَشائِرِthe clans
بِتاجِ بَني عَبسِ كِرامِ العَشائِرِ
Alas! How did Khalid's heart find relief
Alas how Khalid's heart was gladdened
Through the crown of the sons of Abs, noble among the clans?
By the crown of Banu Abs, the honored tribes
وَكَيفَand how أَنامُI sleep اللَيلَat night مِنfrom دونِwithout ثَأرِهِvengeance for him
وَكَيفَ أَنامُ اللَيلَ مِن دونِ ثَأرِهِ
وَقَدand indeed كانَhe was ذُخريmy treasure فيin الخُطوبِthe calamities الكَبائِرِgreat
وَقَد كانَ ذُخري في الخُطوبِ الكَبائِرِ
And how can I sleep at night without avenging him,
How can I sleep the night without avenging him
When he was my treasure amid great calamities?
When he was my protection in major calamities
Sol 6.1