أَلاAh كَيفَhow البَقاءُsurvival لِباهِلِيٍّfor a Bahili
أَلا كَيفَ البَقاءُ لِباهِلِيٍّ
هَوىfell بَينَbetween الفَرَزدَقِal-Farazdaq وَالجَحيمِand Hell
هَوى بَينَ الفَرَزدَقِ وَالجَحيمِ
Ah, how can a Bahili survive,
Alas! How can the ignorant survive
fallen between al-Farazdaq and Hell?
When he has fallen between Farazdaq and Hell?
أَلَستَare you not أَصَمَّdeaf أَبكَمَmute باهِلِيّاًa Bahili
أَلَستَ أَصَمَّ أَبكَمَ باهِلِيّاً
مَسيلَthe gutter قَرارَةِthe bottom of الحَسَبِancestral standing اللَئيمِignoble
مَسيلَ قَرارَةِ الحَسَبِ اللَئيمِ
Are you not a deaf, mute Bahili,
Are you not a deaf mute, O ignorant one,
the gutter at the bottom of ignoble ancestry?
Shedding the pained tears of despised origins?
أَلَستَare you not إِذاwhen نُسِبتَyou are traced in descent لِباهِلِيٍّto a Bahili
أَلَستَ إِذا نُسِبتَ لِباهِلِيٍّ
لَأَلأَمَsurely the basest مَنthose who تَرَكَّضَkicked فيin المَشيمِthe fetal membranes
لَأَلأَمَ مَن تَرَكَّضَ في المَشيمِ
Are you not, when traced to a Bahili,
When you are attributed to the ignorant,
surely the basest of all who kicked within the fetal sac?
I will humiliate those who strut proudly.
وَهَلand can يُنجيsave اِبنَthe son of نَخبَةَNakhbah حينَwhen يَعويhe howls
وَهَل يُنجي اِبنَ نَخبَةَ حينَ يَعوي
تَناوُلُreaching for ذيthe bearer of السِلاحِweapons مِنَamong النُجومِthe stars
تَناوُلُ ذي السِلاحِ مِنَ النُجومِ
And can the son of Nakhbah, when he howls, be saved
Will the son of an elite tribe survive
by reaching for the Weapon-Bearer among the stars?
When the armed man seizes him from the stars?
أَلَمdid ... not نَترُكwe leave هَوازِنَHawazin حَيثُwhere هَبَّتblew
أَلَم نَترُك هَوازِنَ حَيثُ هَبَّت
عَلَيهِمupon them ريحُناour wind مِثلَlike الهَشيمِshattered dry stalks
عَلَيهِم ريحُنا مِثلَ الهَشيمِ
Did we not leave Hawazin—where there blew
Did we not leave Hawazin when our wind
our wind upon them—like shattered dry stalks,
Blew upon them like chaff?
عَشِيَّةَon the evening لاnot قُتَيبَةَQutaybah مِنof نِزارٍNizar
عَشِيَّةَ لا قُتَيبَةَ مِن نِزارٍ
إِلىin respect of عَدَدٍnumbers وَلاnor نَسَبٍlineage كَريمِnoble
إِلى عَدَدٍ وَلا نَسَبٍ كَريمِ
that evening when Qutaybah had no place among Nizar,
One evening not Qutaybah of Nizar
in its numbers, nor in noble lineage;
Nor a noble lineage with any number.
عَشِيَّةَon the evening زَيَّلَتseparated out عَنهُfrom him المَناياdeaths
عَشِيَّةَ زَيَّلَت عَنهُ المَنايا
دِماءَthe blood of المُلزَقينَthe grafted-on مِنَfrom الصَميمِthe true stock
دِماءَ المُلزَقينَ مِنَ الصَميمِ
that evening when death cut away from him
One evening when death unveiled for him
the blood of the grafted-on from that of true stock?
The blood of the tenacious from their core.
فَمَنso whoever يَكُmay be تارِكاًabandoning ماwhatever كانَwas شَيئاًanything
فَمَن يَكُ تارِكاً ما كانَ شَيئاً
فَإِنّيfor I لاnot أُضيعُI neglect بَنيthe sons of تَميمِTamim
فَإِنّي لا أُضيعُ بَني تَميمِ
So whoever may abandon anything at all,
So whoever remains as nothing,
I, for my part, will not forsake the sons of Tamim.
I do not fail the clan of Tamim.
أَناI الحاميthe protector المُضَمَّنُheld responsible كُلَّevery أَمرٍmatter
أَنا الحامي المُضَمَّنُ كُلَّ أَمرٍ
جَنَوهُthey committed it مِنَof الحَديثِthe recent مَعَalong with القَديمِthe old
جَنَوهُ مِنَ الحَديثِ مَعَ القَديمِ
I am the protector, bound to answer for every deed
I am the guaranteed protector of every matter,
they have committed, recent and old alike.
Its dangers old and new.
فَإِنّيfor I قَدindeed ضَمِنتُI have pledged عَلىin defiance of المَناياdeath
فَإِنّي قَد ضَمِنتُ عَلى المَنايا
نَوائِبَthe misfortunes of كُلِّevery ذيone with حَدَثٍan offense عَظيمِgrave
نَوائِبَ كُلِّ ذي حَدَثٍ عَظيمِ
For I have pledged to bear, in defiance of death,
I have guaranteed against the days of death
the burdens of every man responsible for a grave offense.
The misfortunes of each tremendous event.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَتhas learned مَعَدُّMa'add الفَضلِnoble worth أَنّاthat we
وَقَد عَلِمَت مَعَدُّ الفَضلِ أَنّا
ذَوُوpossessors of الحَسَبِancestral honor المَكَمَّلِperfected وَالحُلومِand wisdom
ذَوُو الحَسَبِ المَكَمَّلِ وَالحُلومِ
And noble Ma'add knows full well that we
The virtuous Maʿadd knows we
possess consummate ancestral honor and wisdom,
Possess perfect pedigree and forbearance.
وَأَنَّand that رِماحَناour spears تَأبىare defiant وَتَحمىand grow fierce
وَأَنَّ رِماحَنا تَأبى وَتَحمى
عَلىover ماwhat بَينَbetween عالِيَةٍAliyah (the uplands) وَرومِand Rum
عَلى ما بَينَ عالِيَةٍ وَرومِ
and that our spears are defiant and grow fierce
Our spears refuse and protect
over all that lies between Aliyah and Rum.
All between lofty Syria and Rome.
حَلَفتُI swore بِشُحَّبِby the gaunt الأَجسامِbodies شُعثٍdisheveled
حَلَفتُ بِشُحَّبِ الأَجسامِ شُعثٍ
قِيامٍstanding بَينَbetween زَمزَمَZamzam وَالحَطيمِand al-Hatim
قِيامٍ بَينَ زَمزَمَ وَالحَطيمِ
I swore by the gaunt-bodied, disheveled ones,
I swore by the unkempt bodies, disheveled hair,
standing between Zamzam and al-Hatim:
Standing between Zamzam and the Ruins:
لَقَدindeed رَكِبَتhas ridden هَوازِنُHawazin مِنbecause of هِجائيmy satire
لَقَد رَكِبَت هَوازِنُ مِن هِجائي
عَلىupon حَدباءَa humpbacked mount يابِسَةِdry العُقومِthe joints
عَلى حَدباءَ يابِسَةِ العُقومِ
Hawazin has indeed ridden, because of my satire,
Hawazin rode the barren humps
upon a humpbacked mount with dried-out joints.
Of my insults upon slender camels.
Sol 6.1