لَوif كانَthere had been ناهٍan admonisher لِاِبنِfor the son of حَيَّةَHayya زاجِراًrestraining
لَو كانَ ناهٍ لِاِبنِ حَيَّةَ زاجِراً
لَنَهاهُwould have restrained him ذاthis one عَنfrom وَقعَةِthe battle of السُلانِal-Sulan
لَنَهاهُ ذا عَن وَقعَةِ السُلانِ
Had there been an admonisher to restrain Ibn Hayya,
If warning the son of a viper were effective
this man would have kept him from the battle of al-Sulan.
He would have warned him against the doings of Sulaan
يَومٌa day لَناours كانَتwas رِئاسَةٌleadership أَهلِهِits people
يَومٌ لَنا كانَت رِئاسَةٌ أَهلِهِ
دونَto the exclusion of القَبائِلِthe tribes مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of عَدنانِAdnan
دونَ القَبائِلِ مِن بَني عَدنانِ
A day when leadership of its people was ours,
One day we were the leaders of our people
to the exclusion of the tribes descended from Adnan.
Above the other tribes of the Adnanites
غَضِبَتgrew angry مَعَدٌّMa'add غَثُّهاits lean ones وَسَمينُهاand its fat ones
غَضِبَت مَعَدٌّ غَثُّها وَسَمينُها
فيهِin it مُمالاةًjoining forces عَلىagainst غَسّانِGhassan
فيهِ مُمالاةً عَلى غَسّانِ
Ma'add grew angry, its lean and its fat alike,
The Ma'add were angry, their fat and plump ones
in that battle, joining forces against Ghassan.
Accommodating Ghassan over us
فَأَزالَهُمso he drove them away عَنّاfrom us كُلَيبُKulayb بِطَعنَةٍwith a spear-thrust
فَأَزالَهُم عَنّا كُلَيبُ بِطَعنَةٍ
فيinto عَمرِAmr بابِلَBabil مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of قَحطانِQahtan
في عَمرِ بابِلَ مِن بَني قَحطانِ
So Kulayb drove them away from us with a spear-thrust
So Kulayb finished them off with one thrust
into Amr of Babil, of the descendants of Qahtan.
In the lifetime of Babylon, of Qahtan's sons
وَلَقَدand indeed مَضىwent away عَنهاfrom it اِبنُthe son of حَيَّةَHayya مُدبِراًretreating
وَلَقَد مَضى عَنها اِبنُ حَيَّةَ مُدبِراً
تَحتَbeneath العَجاجَةِthe dust-cloud وَالحُتوفُand deadly fates دَوانِclose at hand
تَحتَ العَجاجَةِ وَالحُتوفُ دَوانِ
And indeed Ibn Hayya went away from it, retreating,
Indeed, Ibn Hayya fled from it in retreat
beneath the dust-cloud, with deadly fates close at hand.
Under coats of mail and attacks renewed
لَمّاwhen رَآناhe saw us بِالكُلابِat al-Kulab كَأَنَّناas though we were
لَمّا رَآنا بِالكُلابِ كَأَنَّنا
أُسدٌlions مَلاوِثَةٌgrappling عَلىat خَفّانِKhaffan
أُسدٌ مَلاوِثَةٌ عَلى خَفّانِ
When he saw us at al-Kulab, as though we were
When he saw us like growling lions
lions grappling at Khaffan.
Pouncing on prey over the low hills
تَرَكَhe abandoned الَّتيthe one who سَحَبَتtrailed عَلَيهِover him ذُيولَهاher skirts
تَرَكَ الَّتي سَحَبَت عَلَيهِ ذُيولَها
تَحتَbeneath العَجاجِthe dust بِذِلَّةٍin humiliation وَهَوانِand disgrace
تَحتَ العَجاجِ بِذِلَّةٍ وَهَوانِ
He abandoned the one who had trailed her skirts over him,
He left those who had dragged their tails at him
beneath the dust, in humiliation and disgrace.
In humiliation and disgrace under coats of mail
وَنَجاand he escaped بَمُهجَتِهِwith his life وَأَسلَمَand abandoned قَومَهُhis people
وَنَجا بَمُهجَتِهِ وَأَسلَمَ قَومَهُ
مُتَسَربِلينَclad in رَواعِفَthe blood-dripping points of المُرّانِashwood spears
مُتَسَربِلينَ رَواعِفَ المُرّانِ
And he escaped with his life and abandoned his people,
And he saved his people by his wisdom
clad in the blood-dripping points of ashwood spears.
Wearing coats of mail and spear shafts
يَمشونَthey walk فيin حَلَقِrings of الحَديدِiron كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
يَمشونَ في حَلَقِ الحَديدِ كَأَنَّهُم
جُربُmangy الجِمالِcamels طُلينَwere coated بِالقَطِرانِwith tar
جُربُ الجِمالِ طُلينَ بِالقَطِرانِ
They walk in rings of iron, as though they were
Walking amidst rings of iron as if they were
mangy camels coated with tar.
Camels tarred over with pitch
نِعمَexcellent are الفَوارِسُthe horsemen لاnot فَوارِسُthe horsemen of مَذحِجٍMadhhij
نِعمَ الفَوارِسُ لا فَوارِسُ مَذحِجٍ
يَومَon the day of الهِياجِbattle وَلاand not بَنوthe sons of هَمدانِHamdan
يَومَ الهِياجِ وَلا بَنو هَمدانِ
Fine horsemen indeed—not the horsemen of Madhhij,
What excellent horsemen, not horsemen of Mudhij
on the day of battle, nor the sons of Hamdan.
On a day of skirmish, nor the sons of Hamdan
هَزَمواthey routed العِداةَthe foes بِكُلِّwith every أَسمَرَbrown spear مارِنٍsupple
هَزَموا العِداةَ بِكُلِّ أَسمَرَ مارِنٍ
وَمُهَنَّدٍand an Indian-steel sword مِنلِunclear; likely 'like' الغَديرِthe pool يَمانيYemeni
وَمُهَنَّدٍ مِنلِ الغَديرِ يَماني
They routed the foes with every supple brown spear
They routed the enemies with every brown spear
and a Yemeni sword of Indian steel, [like] a pool.
And every flashing Yemeni sword
Sol 6.1