أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَنَّthat اللَهَGod أَنزَلَsent down مُزنَةًa raincloud
أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ اللَهَ أَنزَلَ مُزنَةً
وَعُفرُand the dun ones of الظِباءِthe gazelles فيin الكِناسِthe lair تَقَمَّعُhide away
وَعُفرُ الظِباءِ في الكِناسِ تَقَمَّعُ
Have you not seen that God sent down a raincloud,
while the dun gazelles cowered in their lairs?
فَخُلِّيَso was left clear لِلأَذوادِfor the small camel herds بَينَbetween عُوارِضٍʿUwarid
فَخُلِّيَ لِلأَذوادِ بَينَ عُوارِضٍ
وَبَينَand between عَرانينِthe heights of اليَمامَةِal-Yamamah مَرتَعُa grazing ground
وَبَينَ عَرانينِ اليَمامَةِ مَرتَعُ
So there was left for the camel herds, between ʿUwarid
and the heights of al-Yamamah, a grazing ground.
تَكَنَّفَناsurrounded us الأَعداءُthe enemies مِنfrom كُلِّevery جانِبٍside
تَكَنَّفَنا الأَعداءُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
لِيَنتَزِعواso they might uproot عَرقاتِناour roots ثُمَّthen يَرتَعواthey might graze freely
لِيَنتَزِعوا عَرقاتِنا ثُمَّ يَرتَعوا
Enemies surrounded us on every side,
to tear out our roots, then graze freely.
فَماso not جَبُنواthey lost courage أَنّاthat we نَسُدُّwe bar the way عَلَيهِمُagainst them
فَما جَبُنوا أَنّا نَسُدُّ عَلَيهِمُ
وَلَكِنbut لَقواthey encountered ناراًa fire تَحُسُّconsumes utterly وَتَسفَعُand scorches
وَلَكِن لَقوا ناراً تَحُسُّ وَتَسفَعُ
They did not quail when we barred their way,
but encountered a fire that consumed and scorched.
وَجاءَتand came سُلَيمٌSulaym قَضُّهاits whole host وَقَضيضُهاand all its following
وَجاءَت سُلَيمٌ قَضُّها وَقَضيضُها
بِأَكثَرِwith the greatest ماthat كانواthey had been عَديداًin number وَأَوكَعواand gathered in strength
بِأَكثَرِ ما كانوا عَديداً وَأَوكَعوا
And Sulaym came, every last one of them,
in their greatest numbers, massed in full strength.
وَجِئناand we came بِهاwith it شَهباءَsteel-grey ذاتَpossessing أَشِلَّةٍshort mailcoats
وَجِئنا بِها شَهباءَ ذاتَ أَشِلَّةٍ
لَهاit has عارِضٌa broad battlefront فيهِin which المَنِيَّةُdeath تَلمَعُflashes
لَها عارِضٌ فيهِ المَنِيَّةُ تَلمَعُ
And we brought a steel-grey host, clad in short coats of mail,
with a broad front where death flashed.
فَوَدَّthen wished أَبوfather of لَيلىLayla طُفَيلُTufayl بنُson of مالِكٍMalik
فَوَدَّ أَبو لَيلى طُفَيلُ بنُ مالِكٍ
بِمُنعَرَجِat the bend of السُؤبانِal-Suʾban لَوif only يَتَقَصَّعُhe might hide in a burrow
بِمُنعَرَجِ السُؤبانِ لَو يَتَقَصَّعُ
Then Abu Layla, Tufayl son of Malik, wished,
at the bend of al-Suʾban, that he could hide in a burrow.
يُلاعِبُtoys with أَطرافَthe tips of الأَسِنَّةِthe spearheads عامِرٌʿAmir
يُلاعِبُ أَطرافَ الأَسِنَّةِ عامِرٌ
وَصارَand became لَهُhis حَظُّthe share of الكَتيبَةِthe battalion أَجمَعُall of it
وَصارَ لَهُ حَظُّ الكَتيبَةِ أَجمَعُ
ʿAmir toyed with the tips of the spearheads,
and the battalion’s entire share fell to him.
كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were بَينَbetween الشُمَيطِal-Shumayt وَصارَةٍand Sarah
كَأَنَّهُمُ بَينَ الشُمَيطِ وَصارَةٍ
وَجُرثُمَand Jurthum وَالسُؤبانِand al-Suʾban خُشبٌtimber مُصَرَّعُfelled
وَجُرثُمَ وَالسُؤبانِ خُشبٌ مُصَرَّعُ
They seemed, between al-Shumayt and Sarah,
and Jurthum and al-Suʾban, like felled timber.
فَماso did not فَتِئَتcease خَيلٌhorsemen تَثوبُreturn to the fray وَتَدَّعيand cry their lineage
فَما فَتِئَت خَيلٌ تَثوبُ وَتَدَّعي
وَيَلحَقُand catches up مِنهاfrom among them لاحِقٌa following rider وَتَقَطَّعُand they split into groups
وَيَلحَقُ مِنها لاحِقٌ وَتَقَطَّعُ
The horsemen kept returning, shouting their tribal cries;
a rider from among them would catch up, and they broke into bands.
لَدىbeside كُلِّevery أُخدودٍgully يُغادِرنَthey leave behind دارِعاًan armored man
لَدى كُلِّ أُخدودٍ يُغادِرنَ دارِعاً
يُجَرُّhe is dragged كَماjust as جُرَّwas dragged الفَصيلُthe weaned camel-calf المُقَرَّعُbeaten
يُجَرُّ كَما جُرَّ الفَصيلُ المُقَرَّعُ
At every gully they left an armored man,
dragged as a beaten camel-calf is dragged.
فَماso did not فَتِئَتcease حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّas though غُبارَهاtheir dust
فَما فَتِئَت حَتّى كَأَنَّ غُبارَها
سُرادِقُa canopy يَومٍof a day ذيwith رِياحٍwinds تَرَفَّعُrises high
سُرادِقُ يَومٍ ذي رِياحٍ تَرَفَّعُ
They did not cease until their dust seemed
a canopy rising on a day of winds.
تَثوبُthey return to attack عَلَيهِمagainst them مِنfrom أَبانٍAban وَشُرمَةٍand Shurmah
تَثوبُ عَلَيهِم مِن أَبانٍ وَشُرمَةٍ
وَتَركَبُand they ride out مِنfrom أَهلِthe people of القَنانِal-Qanan وَتَفزَعُand rush to aid
وَتَركَبُ مِن أَهلِ القَنانِ وَتَفزَعُ
They charged back upon them from Aban and Shurmah,
and from al-Qanan’s people they rode out and rushed to aid.
لَدُنfrom غُدوَةٍearly morning حَتّىuntil أَغاثَrescued شَريدَهُمtheir fugitives
لَدُن غُدوَةٍ حَتّى أَغاثَ شَريدَهُم
طَويلُtall النَباتِvegetation وَالعُيونُand al-ʿUyun وَضَلفَعُand Dalfaʿ
طَويلُ النَباتِ وَالعُيونُ وَضَلفَعُ
From early morning, until their fugitives were saved by
the tall vegetation, al-ʿUyun, and Dalfaʿ.
فَفارَتso boiled up لَهُمfor them يَوماًall day إِلىuntil اللَيلِnight قِدرُناour cauldron
فَفارَت لَهُم يَوماً إِلى اللَيلِ قِدرُنا
تَصُكُّstrikes violently حَرابِيَّthe spinal ridges of الظُهورِthe backs وَتَدسَعُand spews forth
تَصُكُّ حَرابِيَّ الظُهورِ وَتَدسَعُ
So our cauldron boiled for them all day until night,
battering their backbones and spewing them out.
وَكُنتُمand you were كَعَظمِlike a bone of الريمِthe leftover portion لَمdid not يَدرِknow جازِرٌa butcher
وَكُنتُم كَعَظمِ الريمِ لَم يَدرِ جازِرٌ
عَلىonto أَيِّwhich of بَدأَيthe two portions مُقسِمُthe divider of اللَحمِthe meat يوضَعُit should be placed
عَلى أَيِّ بَدأَي مُقسِمُ اللَحمِ يوضَعُ
And you were like a leftover bone: no butcher knew
on which of two portions the meat-divider should set it.
وَجاءَتand came عَلىon وَحشِيِّهاher outer flank أُمُّmother of جابِرٍJabir
وَجاءَت عَلى وَحشِيِّها أُمُّ جابِرٍ
عَلىat حينِthe time when سَنّواthey fattened their herds فيin الرَبيعِthe spring وَأَمرَعواand found lush pasture
عَلى حينِ سَنّوا في الرَبيعِ وَأَمرَعوا
And Umm Jabir came from an unexpected quarter,
just when they fattened their herds in spring and found lush pasture.
Sol 6.1