ياO عَجَباًwhat a wonder لِلعَذارىat the maidens يَومَon the day مَعقُلَةٍMaʿqulah
يا عَجَباً لِلعَذارى يَومَ مَعقُلَةٍ
عَيَّرنَنيthey taunted me تَحتَbeneath ظِلِّthe shade of السِدرَةِthe lote tree الكِبَراold age
عَيَّرنَني تَحتَ ظِلِّ السِدرَةِ الكِبَرا
Ah, what a wonder the maidens were that day at Maʿqulah!
O how strange are maidens on the day of Ma'qilah
They taunted me for old age beneath the lote tree's shade.
They mocked me beneath the shade of the great lote tree
فَظَلَّso remained دَمعِيَmy tears مَمّاbecause of what بانَbecame clear ليto me سَرِباًstreaming
فَظَلَّ دَمعِيَ مَمّا بانَ لي سَرِباً
عَلىover الشَبابِyouth إِذاwhenever كَفكَفتُهُI wiped it away اِنحَدَراit flowed down
عَلى الشَبابِ إِذا كَفكَفتُهُ اِنحَدَرا
So my tears kept streaming at what became clear to me,
So my tears from what was revealed to me streamed forth
over youth: whenever I wiped them away, they flowed down again.
Down upon my youth whenever I would wipe them away
فَإِنso if تَكُنbe لِمَّتيmy locks أَمسَتhave now become قَدِalready اِنطَلَقَتgone
فَإِن تَكُن لِمَّتي أَمسَت قَدِ اِنطَلَقَت
فَقَدthen indeed أَصيدُI would hunt بِهاwith them الغِزلانَgazelles وَالبَقَراand wild cattle
فَقَد أَصيدُ بِها الغِزلانَ وَالبَقَرا
So if my locks have now gone,
And if my tribe found my evening to have departed
I once hunted gazelles and wild cattle with them.
Then I would hunt gazelles and cows with it
هَلis ...? يُشتَمَنَّto be reviled كَبيرُone advanced السِنِّin age أَنbecause ذَرَفَتshed tears
هَل يُشتَمَنَّ كَبيرُ السِنِّ أَن ذَرَفَت
عَيناهُhis two eyes أَمor هُوَhe مَعذورٌexcused إِنِif اِعتَذَراhe offers an excuse
عَيناهُ أَم هُوَ مَعذورٌ إِنِ اِعتَذَرا
Is an aged man to be reviled because tears flowed from
Can an elderly man be blamed if his eyes shed tears
his eyes, or is he excused if he offers an excuse?
Or is he excused if he offers an apology?
ياO بِشرُBishr إِنَّكَindeed you are سَيفُthe sword of اللَهِGod صيلَan attack was made بِهِwith it
يا بِشرُ إِنَّكَ سَيفُ اللَهِ صيلَ بِهِ
عَلىagainst العَدُوِّthe enemy وَغَيثٌand rain يُنبِتُmakes grow الشَجَراthe trees
عَلى العَدُوِّ وَغَيثٌ يُنبِتُ الشَجَرا
O Bishr, you are God's sword, wielded in attack
O Bashir you are Allah’s sword, attack the enemy with it
against the enemy, and rain that makes the trees grow.
And a rain that makes the trees grow
مَنwho مِثلُis like بِشرٍBishr لِحَربٍfor a war غَيرِnot خامِدَةٍabating
مَن مِثلُ بِشرٍ لِحَربٍ غَيرِ خامِدَةٍ
إِذاwhen تَسَربَلَhe clothes himself بِالماذِيِّin fine mail وَاِتَّزَراand girds himself
إِذا تَسَربَلَ بِالماذِيِّ وَاِتَّزَرا
Who is like Bishr in a war that never abates,
Who is like Bashir for unrelenting war
when he clothes himself in fine mail and girds himself?
When he dons his coat of mail and loincloth
العاصِبِthe one who binds fast الحَربَwar حَتّىuntil تَستَقيدَit submits لَهُto him
العاصِبِ الحَربَ حَتّى تَستَقيدَ لَهُ
بِالمَشرِفِيَّةِwith Mashrafi swords وَالعافيand the pardoner إِذاwhen قَدَراhe has power
بِالمَشرِفِيَّةِ وَالعافي إِذا قَدَرا
Who binds war fast until it submits to him
Binding war until it is led captive for him
through Mashrafi swords, yet pardons when he has power.
At al-Musharifiyya and al-‘Afi if he so wills
سَيفٌa sword يَصولُcharges أَميرُthe Commander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful بِهِwith it
سَيفٌ يَصولُ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِهِ
وَقَدand indeed أَعَزَّhas strengthened بِهِthrough him الرَحمَنُthe Merciful مَنthose whom نَصَراHe aided
وَقَد أَعَزَّ بِهِ الرَحمَنُ مَن نَصَرا
A sword with which the Commander of the Faithful charges,
A sword brandished, the Commander of the Faithful wields it
and through him the Merciful has strengthened those He aided.
And through it the Merciful has given victory to the supported
كَمُخدِرٍlike a lair-dweller مِنamong لُيوثِthe lions of الغيلِthe thicket ذيpossessing لِبَدٍmatted mane-tufts
كَمُخدِرٍ مِن لُيوثِ الغيلِ ذي لِبَدٍ
ضِرغامَةٍa mighty lion يَحطِمُcrushes الهاماتِheads وَالقَصَراand necks
ضِرغامَةٍ يَحطِمُ الهاماتِ وَالقَصَرا
Like a lair-dweller among the thicket's lions, thick-maned,
Like the roaring of lions, strong necked ones
a mighty lion that crushes heads and necks.
Whose bellowing breaks fortresses and palaces
تَرىyou see الأُسودَthe lions لَهُbefore him خُرساًmute ضَراغِمُهاtheir fierce lions
تَرى الأُسودَ لَهُ خُرساً ضَراغِمُها
يَسجُدنَbow down مِنfrom فَرَقٍfear مِنهُof him إِذاwhen زَأَراhe roars
يَسجُدنَ مِن فَرَقٍ مِنهُ إِذا زَأَرا
You see the lions mute before him; their fiercest lions
You see the lions, dumbstruck by him, their manes
bow down in fear of him whenever he roars.
Prostrating out of fear of him when he roars
مُستَأنِسٍat ease بِلِقاءِin meeting الناسِpeople مُغتَصِبٍa vanquisher
مُستَأنِسٍ بِلِقاءِ الناسِ مُغتَصِبٍ
لِلأَلفِof a thousand يَأخُذُtakes مِنهُfrom him المِقنَبُthe cavalry troop الخَمَراcover
لِلأَلفِ يَأخُذُ مِنهُ المِقنَبُ الخَمَرا
At ease meeting people, a vanquisher
Familiar with meeting people, seizing
of a thousand; the cavalry troop takes cover from him.
The wineglass that takes the wine from it
كَأَنَّماas though يَنضَحُsprinkles العَطّارُthe perfumer كَلكَلَهُhis chest
كَأَنَّما يَنضَحُ العَطّارُ كَلكَلَهُ
وَساعِدَيهِand his two forearms بِوَرسٍwith wars (yellow dye) يَخضِبُdyes الشَعَراthe hair
وَساعِدَيهِ بِوَرسٍ يَخضِبُ الشَعَرا
As though a perfumer sprinkles his chest
As if the perfumer were sprinkling his perfume bottle
and his forearms with wars-dye that colors the hair.
And his arms with aloes wood, staining his hair
وَماand never فَرِحتُI rejoiced بِبُرءٍat recovery مِنfrom ضَنىthe wasting of مَرَضٍan illness
وَما فَرِحتُ بِبُرءٍ مِن ضَنى مَرَضٍ
كَفَرحَةٍlike a joy يَومَon the day قالواthey said أَخبَرَhe reported الخَبَراthe news
كَفَرحَةٍ يَومَ قالوا أَخبَرَ الخَبَرا
And never have I rejoiced at recovery from a wasting illness
And I have never delighted in the relief from the woes of illness
as much as on the day they said, "The news was reported
Like the delight on the day when they said the news has arrived
أَلفَتحُthe open-handed one عِكرِمَةُʿIkrimah البَكرِيُّal-Bakri خَبَّرَناtold us
أَلفَتحُ عِكرِمَةُ البَكرِيُّ خَبَّرَنا
أَنَّthat الرَبيعَspring أَباAbu (father of) مَروانَMarwan قَدalready حَضَراhad arrived
أَنَّ الرَبيعَ أَبا مَروانَ قَد حَضَرا
by open-handed ʿIkrimah al-Bakri; he told us
Al-Fatah ‘Ikrimah the Bakri has informed us
that spring—Abu Marwan—had arrived."
That Abu Marwan al-Rabi‘ has come
Sol 6.1