ياO ظَميَẒami وَيحَكِalas for you إِنّيindeed I ذوpossessing مُحافَظَةٍguarding of honor
يا ظَميَ وَيحَكِ إِنّي ذو مُحافَظَةٍ
أَنميI trace my descent إِلىto مَعشَرٍa people شُمُّlofty الخَراطيمِthe noses
أَنمي إِلى مَعشَرٍ شُمُّ الخَراطيمِ
O Ẓami, alas for you! I am a guardian of honor,
O Zami, woe to you, I am of virtuous character
Tracing my descent to a people with lofty noses,
I yearn for a group whose moustaches are sniffed
مِنfrom كُلِّevery أَبلَجَbright-browed man كَالدينارِlike a dinar غُرَّتُهُhis brow's radiance
مِن كُلِّ أَبلَجَ كَالدينارِ غُرَّتُهُ
مِنfrom آلِthe clan of حَنظَلَةَḤanẓala البيضِthe bright-faced المَطاعيمِthe lavish food-givers
مِن آلِ حَنظَلَةَ البيضِ المَطاعيمِ
Each a bright-browed man whose brow gleams like a dinar,
All of them as bright as golden dinars
Of Ḥanẓala's clan, bright-faced and lavish providers of food.
From the family of Hanzala, righteous and fair
ياO لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowing عَلىin light of قيلِthe words of الوُشاةِthe slanderers لَناto us
يا لَيتَ شِعري عَلى قيلِ الوُشاةِ لَنا
أَصَرَّمَتhas she severed حَبلَناour cord أَمor غَيرَnot مَصرومِsevered
أَصَرَّمَت حَبلَنا أَم غَيرَ مَصرومِ
If only I knew, in light of what the slanderers tell us:
I wish I knew, from the talk of slanderers about us
Has she severed our cord, or does it remain uncut?
Whether our rope is firmly tied or still loose
أَمor تَنشَحَنَّwill she remain faithful عَلىdespite الحَربِthe war الَّتيwhich جَرَمَتhas torn away
أَم تَنشَحَنَّ عَلى الحَربِ الَّتي جَرَمَت
مِنّيfrom me فُؤادَthe heart of اِمرِئٍa man حَرّانَburning with thirst مَهيُومِmaddened by love
مِنّي فُؤادَ اِمرِئٍ حَرّانَ مَهيُومِ
Or will she remain faithful, despite the war that has torn
Or if they grieve over the war I started
From me the heart of a man burning with thirst and maddened by love?
Against the passionate heart of a distressed man
أَهليmy family فِداؤُكِyour ransom مِنas جارٍa neighbor عَلىby عَرَضٍchance
أَهلي فِداؤُكِ مِن جارٍ عَلى عَرَضٍ
مُوَدَّعٍbidden farewell لِفِراقٍfor parting غَيرَnot مَذمومِblamed
مُوَدَّعٍ لِفِراقٍ غَيرَ مَذمومِ
May my family ransom you—a neighbor encountered by chance,
May my family be your ransom, from a neighbor whose honor
Bidden farewell at parting, free of blame.
Is bid farewell in a separation without blame
يَومَon the day of العَناقَةِإِذal-ʿAnāqa, when تُبديshe reveals نَصيحَتَهاher sincere counsel
يَومَ العَناقَةِإِذ تُبدي نَصيحَتَها
سِرّاًsecretly بِمُضطَمِرِin a hiding place of الحاجاتِthe desires مَكتومِconcealed
سِرّاً بِمُضطَمِرِ الحاجاتِ مَكتومِ
On the day at al-ʿAnāqa, when she revealed her sincere counsel
The day of intimacy, when she gives her advice
Secretly, in a concealed hiding place for desires,
Secretly, about concealed desires, veiled
تَقولُshe says وَالعيسُwhile the pale camels قَدalready كانَتhad been سَوالِفُهاtheir fore-necks
تَقولُ وَالعيسُ قَد كانَت سَوالِفُها
دونَin front of المَوارِكِthe saddle-rests قَدalready عيجَتhad been turned بِتَقويمِby straightening
دونَ المَوارِكِ قَد عيجَت بِتَقويمِ
She says, while the pale camels' fore-necks
She says, by God, her conversations before
Had been turned before the saddle-rests and set straight:
Were improper, now corrected and reformed
أَلاdo you not تَرىsee القَومَthe people مِمّاbecause of what فيin صُدورِهِمُtheir breasts
أَلا تَرى القَومَ مِمّا في صُدورِهِمُ
كَأَنَّas though أَوجُهَهُمtheir faces تُطلىare smeared بِتَنّومِwith tannūm dye
كَأَنَّ أَوجُهَهُم تُطلى بِتَنّومِ
Do you not see the people, because of what lies in their breasts,
Do you not see, because of what is in their chests
As though their faces were smeared with tannūm dye?
Their faces appear as if smeared with dung
إِذاwhen رَأَوكَthey see you أَطالَmay prolong اللَهُGod غَيرَتَهُمtheir jealousy
إِذا رَأَوكَ أَطالَ اللَهُ غَيرَتَهُم
عَضّواthey bite مِنَfrom الغَيظِthe rage أَطرافَthe tips of الأَباهيمِthe thumbs
عَضّوا مِنَ الغَيظِ أَطرافَ الأَباهيمِ
When they see you—may God prolong their jealousy—
When they see you, may God prolong your glory, their envy makes them
They bite the tips of their thumbs in rage.
Bite the tips of their fingers in rage
إِنّيindeed I بِهاwith her وَبِرَأسِand at Raʾs العَينِal-ʿAyn مَحضَرُهاher encampment
إِنّي بِها وَبِرَأسِ العَينِ مَحضَرُها
وَأَنتَwhile you ناءٍfar away بِجَنبيat the two flanks of رَعنَa mountain spur مَقرومِMaqrūm
وَأَنتَ ناءٍ بِجَنبي رَعنَ مَقرومِ
I am with her, and her encampment is at Raʾs al-ʿAyn,
I swear by it and by my eyes that bear witness, you are blameless next to me
While you are far away, at the flanks of Maqrūm's mountain spur.
While I am a weaver of broken threads
لاno كَيفَway إِلّاexcept عَلىon غَلباءَthick-necked دَوسَرَةٍa mighty she-camel
لا كَيفَ إِلّا عَلى غَلباءَ دَوسَرَةٍ
تَأويshe makes for إِلىto عَيدَةٍa sturdy camel لِلرَحلِwith the saddle مَلمومِclosely bound
تَأوي إِلى عَيدَةٍ لِلرَحلِ مَلمومِ
There is no way except on a thick-necked, mighty she-camel,
How could it be otherwise, except for mighty warriors
That makes for a sturdy camel with a closely bound saddle,
Who take refuge in a place for the doomed caravan
صَهباءَreddish قَدalready أَخلَفَتshe has passed beyond عامَينِtwo years باذِلَهاher mature fang (probable reading)
صَهباءَ قَد أَخلَفَت عامَينِ باذِلَها
تَلُطُّshe withholds عَنfrom جاذِبِthe puller of الأَخلافِthe teats مَعقومِthwarted
تَلُطُّ عَن جاذِبِ الأَخلافِ مَعقومِ
Reddish, two years beyond the coming of her mature fang,
A gray-haired woman who has lived two years of her prime
Withholding milk from the thwarted puller of her teats,
Slipping away from the pull of the loins, fruitless
إِحدىone of اللَواتيthose who إِذاwhen الحاديthe camel-driver تَناوَلَهاtakes hold of her
إِحدى اللَواتي إِذا الحادي تَناوَلَها
مَدَّتshe stretches لَهاfor her شَطَنَa long rope القودِthe leading of العَياهيمِthe swift, powerful camels
مَدَّت لَها شَطَنَ القودِ العَياهيمِ
One of those who, when the camel-driver takes hold of her,
One of those, when the train takes her
Stretches for herself the long rope leading the swift, powerful camels,
She extends to it the poles of the litters
حَتّىuntil يُرىhe is seen وَهوَwhile he مَحزومٌtightly girt كَأَنَّas though بِهِin him
حَتّى يُرى وَهوَ مَحزومٌ كَأَنَّ بِهِ
حُمّىfever المَدينَةِMedina أَوor داءَنan illness مِنَof المومِmūm (a febrile disease)
حُمّى المَدينَةِ أَو داءَن مِنَ المومِ
Until he appears, tightly girt, as though he had
Until he is seen, while he is trussed up as if in him
Medina's fever, or a bout of mūm.
Is the plague of the city, or a disease of maggots
Sol 6.1