أَجاعِلَةٌis she making? أُمُّmother of الحُصَينِal-Ḥuṣayn خِزايَةًa disgrace
أَجاعِلَةٌ أُمُّ الحُصَينِ خِزايَةً
عَلَيَّagainst me فِراريmy flight أَنbecause لَقيتُI encountered بَنيsons of عَبسِʿAbs
عَلَيَّ فِراري أَن لَقيتُ بَني عَبسِ
Does Umm al-Ḥuṣayn hold it a disgrace
The mother of fortresses made me a coward,
against me that I fled when I met the sons of ʿAbs,
When I met the Banu 'Abs,
وَرَهطَand the clan of بَنيsons of عَمرٍʿAmr وَعَمروَand ʿAmr بنِson of عامِرٍʿĀmir
وَرَهطَ بَني عَمرٍ وَعَمروَ بنِ عامِرٍ
وَتَيماًand Taym فَجاشَتso it surged مِنfrom لِقائِهِمُmeeting them نَفسيmy soul
وَتَيماً فَجاشَت مِن لِقائِهِمُ نَفسي
and the clan of the sons of ʿAmr, and ʿAmr son of ʿĀmir,
And the group of Banu 'Amr and 'Amr ibn 'Aamir,
and Taym—so my soul churned at meeting them?
And Taym - at the sight of them my soul shuddered,
كَأَنَّas though جُلودَskins of النُمرِleopards جيبَتwere slit عَلَيهِمُover them
كَأَنَّ جُلودَ النُمرِ جيبَت عَلَيهِمُ
إِذاwhen جَعجَعواthey halted بَينَbetween الإِناخَةِmaking camels kneel وَالحَبسِand confinement
إِذا جَعجَعوا بَينَ الإِناخَةِ وَالحَبسِ
It was as though leopard skins had been slit and fitted over them,
As if the skins of leopards were draped over them,
when they halted, between kneeling their camels and holding them back.
When they clashed between couching and charging.
لَقوناthey met us فَضَمّواso they hemmed in جانِبَيناour two flanks بِصادِقٍwith true
لَقونا فَضَمّوا جانِبَينا بِصادِقٍ
مِنَof الطَعنِspear-thrusting حَشَّstoking النارِthe fire فيin الحَطَبِthe wood اليَبسِdry
مِنَ الطَعنِ حَشَّ النارِ في الحَطَبِ اليَبسِ
They met us and hemmed in both our flanks with true
We met them and they hemmed us in with true lances,
spear-thrusts, like stoking fire in dry wood.
With stabbing like fire sparked in dry wood.
وَلَمّاand when دَخَلناwe entered تَحتَbeneath فَيءِthe shade of رِماحِهِمtheir spears
وَلَمّا دَخَلنا تَحتَ فَيءِ رِماحِهِم
خَبَطتُI flailed بِكَفّيwith my palm أَطلُبُI seek الأَرضَthe ground بِاللَمسِby touch
خَبَطتُ بِكَفّي أَطلُبُ الأَرضَ بِاللَمسِ
And when we entered beneath the shade of their spears,
And when we entered under the shade of their spears,
I flailed with my palm, seeking the ground by touch.
I groped with my palms seeking the ground by touch.
فَأُبتُso I returned سَليماًunharmed لَمnot تُمَزَّقbe torn عِمامَتيmy turban
فَأُبتُ سَليماً لَم تُمَزَّق عِمامَتي
وَلَكِنَّهُمand yet they بِالطَعنِwith spear-thrusts قَدindeed خَرَّقواthey pierced تُرسيmy shield
وَلَكِنَّهُم بِالطَعنِ قَد خَرَّقوا تُرسي
So I returned unharmed, my turban untorn,
Yet I came away unharmed, my turban not ripped,
but they had pierced my shield with spear-thrusts.
Though with stabbing they had shredded my shield.
وَلَيسَand is not يُعابُis reproached المَرءُa man مِنfor جُبنِcowardice يَومِهِhis day
وَلَيسَ يُعابُ المَرءُ مِن جُبنِ يَومِهِ
وَقَدwhen already عُرِفَتwas known مِنهُof him الشَجاعَةُcourage بِالأَمسِyesterday
وَقَد عُرِفَت مِنهُ الشَجاعَةُ بِالأَمسِ
Nor is a man reproached for a day's cowardice
No man should be blamed for the fear of his day
when his courage was already known yesterday.
When yesterday his courage was made known.
مَطاعينُmighty spear-thrusters فيin الهَيجاbattle مَطاعيمُgenerous feeders لِلقِرىfor hospitality
مَطاعينُ في الهَيجا مَطاعيمُ لِلقِرى
إِذاwhen اِصفَرَّturned yellow آفاقُhorizons of السَماءِthe sky مِنَfrom القَرسِbitter cold
إِذا اِصفَرَّ آفاقُ السَماءِ مِنَ القَرسِ
Mighty spear-thrusters in battle, lavish providers of food for guests,
Obeyed in heyja, obeyed in the lands,
when the sky's horizons turn yellow from bitter cold.
When the horizons of the sky yellowed with twilight.
Sol 6.1