يَنامُsleeps الطَريدُthe fugitive بَعدَهاafter it نَومَةَa sleep of الضُحىlate morning
يَنامُ الطَريدُ بَعدَها نَومَةَ الضُحى
وَيَرضىand is satisfied بِهاwith it ذوthe bearer of الإِحنَةِthe grudge المُتَجَرِّمِthe fault-finder
وَيَرضى بِها ذو الإِحنَةِ المُتَجَرِّمِ
After it, the fugitive sleeps a late-morning sleep,
The fugitive sleeps his mid-morning nap
and the fault-finder who bears a grudge is satisfied with it.
Satisfied with her, though steeped in sin,
فَقامَso he rose عَنِfrom القَبرِthe grave الَّذيwhich كانَhe had been عائِذاًseeking refuge
فَقامَ عَنِ القَبرِ الَّذي كانَ عائِذاً
بِهِat it إِذwhen أَطافَتencircled عيطُهاits tall, long-necked camels حَولَaround مُسلَمِMuslam
بِهِ إِذ أَطافَت عيطُها حَولَ مُسلَمِ
So he rose from the grave where he had sought refuge,
So he rose from the grave where he had sheltered
when its tall, long-necked camels gathered around Muslam.
When her wailing encircled the Muslim throng.
وَلَوand even if كانَhad been زَبّانُZabban العُلَيمِيُّal-Ulaymi جارَهاtheir protector
وَلَو كانَ زَبّانُ العُلَيمِيُّ جارَها
وَآلُand the clan of أَبيAbu العاصيal-Asi غَدَتthey went forth لَمnot تُقَسَّمِbe divided up
وَآلُ أَبي العاصي غَدَت لَم تُقَسَّمِ
Even had Zabban al-Ulaymi been their protector,
Had Zubyan been her neighbor,
and the clan of Abu al-Asi, they would have gone undivided.
And the clan of Abul Asi, they'd not be divided.
وَفيمَand what concern has اِبنُthe son of بَحرٍBahr مِنwith قِلاصِyoung she-camels أَشَذَّهاdrove them off
وَفيمَ اِبنُ بَحرٍ مِن قِلاصِ أَشَذَّها
بِسَيفَينِwith two swords أَغشىcovered رَأسَهُhis head لَمnot يُعَمَّمِbe turbaned
بِسَيفَينِ أَغشى رَأسَهُ لَم يُعَمَّمِ
And what has Ibn Bahr to do with young she-camels he drove off?
Yet why should the son of Bahir fear her,
With two swords his head was covered, not wrapped in a turban.
When his two swords cover his head though bare of turban?
وَلَمand did not أَرَI see مَدعُوَّينِtwo men called أَسرَعَquicker جابَةًin answering
وَلَم أَرَ مَدعُوَّينِ أَسرَعَ جابَةً
وَأَكفىand more helpful لِراعٍto a herdsman مِنthan عُبَيدٍUbayd وَأَسلَمِand Aslam
وَأَكفى لِراعٍ مِن عُبَيدٍ وَأَسلَمِ
I have never seen two men called who answered more swiftly,
Never have I seen two quicker to answer a call,
or better aided a herdsman, than Ubayd and Aslam.
Or, for a shepherd, better guards than Ubayd and Aslam.
أَهيباurge onward, you two بِهاthem ياO اِبنَيtwo sons of جُبَيرٍJubayr فَإِنَّهاfor indeed they
أَهيبا بِها يا اِبنَي جُبَيرٍ فَإِنَّها
جَلَتhave wiped away عَنكُماfrom you both أَعناقُهاtheir necks لَونَthe hue of عِظلِمِblack dye
جَلَت عَنكُما أَعناقُها لَونَ عِظلِمِ
Urge them onward, O sons of Jubayr, for they
Urge them on, O sons of Jubayr, for she
have, through their necks, wiped black dye's hue from you both.
Has turned her neck from you, the hue of darkest night.
دَفَعتُI handed over إِلىto أَيديهِماthe hands of both فَتَقَبَّلاand both accepted
دَفَعتُ إِلى أَيديهِما فَتَقَبَّلا
عَصاthe staff of مِئَةٍa hundred مِثلَlike الفَسيلِyoung date palms المُكَمَّمِsheathed
عَصا مِئَةٍ مِثلَ الفَسيلِ المُكَمَّمِ
I placed in their hands, and both accepted,
I handed over to them a staff of a hundred
the staff of a hundred camels, like sheathed young palms.
Like a crowded caravan laden with goods.
فَراحاso both departed بِجُرجورٍwith a great camel herd كَأَنَّas though إِفالَهاits camel calves
فَراحا بِجُرجورٍ كَأَنَّ إِفالَها
فَسيلٌyoung date palms دَماًblood قِنوانُهُits date clusters مِنfrom مُحَلِّمِMuhallim
فَسيلٌ دَماً قِنوانُهُ مِن مُحَلِّمِ
So both departed with a great herd, its calves like
They sped off with a rumble as if her groaning
young palms from Muhallim, their date clusters blood-red.
Was a torrent of blood poured from battered vessels.
أَلاlisten! ياO اِخبِرونيtell me أَيُّهاO you الناسُpeople إِنَّماonly
أَلا يا اِخبِروني أَيُّها الناسُ إِنَّما
سَأَلتُI asked وَمَنand whoever يَسأَلasks عَنِabout العِلمِknowledge يَعلَمِlearns
سَأَلتُ وَمَن يَسأَل عَنِ العِلمِ يَعلَمِ
Listen! Tell me, O people; I have only
Come tell me, O people - for he who asks after knowledge will gain it -
asked—and whoever asks about knowledge learns—
The question of a man whose mind learning has not neglected,
سُؤالَthe question of اِمرِئٍa man لَمdid not يُغفِلِneglect العِلمَknowledge صَدرُهُhis breast
سُؤالَ اِمرِئٍ لَم يُغفِلِ العِلمَ صَدرُهُ
وَماand not العالِمُthe learned man الواعيwho remembers الأَحاديثَthe accounts كَالعَميlike the blind
وَما العالِمُ الواعي الأَحاديثَ كَالعَمي
as a man asks whose breast has not neglected knowledge;
For the scholar, wakeful, is not like the ignorant,
the learned man who remembers accounts is not like the blind.
Have you known a corpse, before Ghalib, who hosted a hundred guests and spoke no word?
أَلاlisten! هَلwhether عَلِمتُمyou have known مَيِّتاًa dead man قَبلَbefore غالِبٍGhalib
أَلا هَل عَلِمتُم مَيِّتاً قَبلَ غالِبٍ
قَرىoffered hospitality مِئَةًa hundred ضَيفاًa guest وَلَمand did not يَتَكَلَّمِspeak
قَرى مِئَةً ضَيفاً وَلَم يَتَكَلَّمِ
Have you known, before Ghalib, a dead man
My father, keeper of the grave, he who takes shelter there,
who gave a guest a hundred camels without speaking?
Saves him from the debt his shedding of blood imposes.
أَبيmy father صاحِبُthe lord of القَبرِthe grave الَّذيwho مَنwhoever يَعُذseeks refuge بِهِwith him
أَبي صاحِبُ القَبرِ الَّذي مَن يَعُذ بِهِ
يُجِرهُhe protects him مِنَfrom الغُرمِthe liability الَّذيwhich جَرَّhe incurred وَالدَمِand blood vengeance
يُجِرهُ مِنَ الغُرمِ الَّذي جَرَّ وَالدَمِ
My father is the lord of the grave: whoever seeks refuge with him,
And the seeker of Ghalib's tomb knew
he shields from the liability he incurred and from blood vengeance.
The sword he bore declared no truce.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَhas learned الساعيthe one hastening إِلىto قَبرِthe grave of غالِبٍGhalib
وَقَد عَلِمَ الساعي إِلى قَبرِ غالِبٍ
مِنَfrom السَيفِthe sword يَسعىhe hastens أَنَّهُthat he غَيرُis not مُسلَمِhanded over
مِنَ السَيفِ يَسعى أَنَّهُ غَيرُ مُسلَمِ
And the man hastening to Ghalib's grave knows,
When dogs snarled over the people, which most deserved
as he flees the sword, that he will not be handed over.
The crown of glory, sublimely honored?
وَإِذand when نَحَّبَتmade a wager كَلبٌKalb عَلىwith الناسِthe people أَيُّهُمwhich of them
وَإِذ نَحَّبَت كَلبٌ عَلى الناسِ أَيُّهُم
أَحَقُّmost entitled بِتاجِto the crown of الماجِدِthe noble man المُتَكَرِّمِthe generous one
أَحَقُّ بِتاجِ الماجِدِ المُتَكَرِّمِ
And when Kalb wagered with the people as to which of them
Over a pack, the remains of Nizari's line,
most deserved the crown of the noble, generous man,
And a rabble whose huts were never ruined.
عَلىamong نَفَرٍa group of men هُمthey مِنfrom نِزارٍNizar ذُؤابَةٌa crest
عَلى نَفَرٍ هُم مِن نِزارٍ ذُؤابَةٌ
وَأَهلُand possessors of الجَراثيمِthe ancestral foundations الَّتيwhich لَمnot تُهَدَّمِbe demolished
وَأَهلُ الجَراثيمِ الَّتي لَم تُهَدَّمِ
among men who were the crest of Nizar,
To which of them did he grant it, not knowing who they were,
and possessors of ancestral foundations never torn down,
Who allowed him the rule of a thousand fully veiled?
عَلىas to أَيِّهِمwhich of them أَعطىgave وَلَمand did not يَدرِknow مَنwho هُمُthey were
عَلى أَيِّهِم أَعطى وَلَم يَدرِ مَن هُمُ
أَحَلَّhe permitted لَهُمfor them تَعقيلَthe hobbling of أَلفٍa thousand مُصَتَّمِcomplete
أَحَلَّ لَهُم تَعقيلَ أَلفٍ مُصَتَّمِ
as to which would give without knowing who they were—
he allowed them to hobble a full thousand camels.
Partial English translation: 30 of 32 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1