وَكَمand how many مِنof ناذِرينَmen vowing to shed دَميmy blood رَمَتهُمshe confronted them
وَكَم مِن ناذِرينَ دَمي رَمَتهُم
إِلَيكَtoward you عَلىdespite مَخافَتِهِمfear of them وَفَقرِand poverty
إِلَيكَ عَلى مَخافَتِهِم وَفَقرِ
And how many men who vowed to shed my blood she braved,
How many votaries have devoted their blood to you
on her way to you, despite fear of them and poverty,
Out of their fear and poverty,
لِتَلقىso that she may meet اِبنَthe son الوَليدِal-Walid وَلاand not تُباليshe heeds
لِتَلقى اِبنَ الوَليدِ وَلا تُبالي
إِذاwhen لَقِيَتshe has met نَداهُhis bounty بَناتِdaughters دَهرِof Time
إِذا لَقِيَت نَداهُ بَناتِ دَهرِ
to meet the son of al-Walid, caring nothing,
That you may meet Ibn al-Walid and care naught
once she finds his bounty, for Time's daughters.
If you should meet his threats, O days of time!
أَتَيتُكَI came to you بِالجَريضِwith choking breath وَقَدand already تَلاقَتhad come together
أَتَيتُكَ بِالجَريضِ وَقَد تَلاقَت
عُرىloops الأَنساعِthe saddle-straps مِنof حَقَبٍa girth وَضَفرِand a braided cord
عُرى الأَنساعِ مِن حَقَبٍ وَضَفرِ
I came to you choking; already drawn together were
I have come to you haltingly when the bands
the loops of the saddle-straps—girths and braided cords.
Of human kindreds have been parted by epochs and graves,
وَكَمand how often خَبَطَتshe struck the ground بِأَرساغٍwith fetlocks وَجَرَّتand dragged
وَكَم خَبَطَت بِأَرساغٍ وَجَرَّت
نِعالَsandals الجِلدِof leather وَهيَwhile she إِلَيكَtoward you تَسريtravels by night
نِعالَ الجِلدِ وَهيَ إِلَيكَ تَسري
And how often she struck with her fetlocks and dragged
And how often have sandals chafed at the heels
her leather sandals, traveling by night toward you.
And feet dragged along to you!
وَتَلقىand she meets اِبنَthe son الوَليدِal-Walid وَإِنand if أُنيخَتshe is made to kneel
وَتَلقى اِبنَ الوَليدِ وَإِن أُنيخَت
إِلىbeside مُغلَولَبٍone abounding بِنَداهُin his bounty غَمرِoverflowing
إِلى مُغلَولَبٍ بِنَداهُ غَمرِ
And she meets the son of al-Walid; and if made to kneel
Meet Ibn al-Walid even though you be bowed down
beside one whose bounty is abundant and overflowing,
To deep gloom by his threats!
تَكُنshe will be مِثلَlike الَّتيthe one that مُطِرَتwas rained upon وَكانَتand had been
تَكُن مِثلَ الَّتي مُطِرَت وَكانَت
بِأَعوامٍthrough years قَوائِظِهُنَّtheir scorching summers غُبرِdust-gray
بِأَعوامٍ قَوائِظِهُنَّ غُبرِ
she will be like land rained upon after enduring
Be like her who was rained upon throughout years
years whose scorching summers were dust-gray.
Whose rainy seasons were dust colored.
وَجَدتُمyou found ياO بَنيsons of زَيدٍZayd نُجوماًstars
وَجَدتُم يا بَني زَيدٍ نُجوماً
يَنُؤنَbring rain مِنَfrom السَماءِthe sky بِكُلِّwith every قَطرِrainfall
يَنُؤنَ مِنَ السَماءِ بِكُلِّ قَطرِ
You have found, O sons of Zayd, stars
You have found, O Banū Zayd, stars
that bring every shower down from the sky.
That glare from the sky with every rainfall,
بِهِنَّby them المُدلَجونَthe night travelers بَدَواtook to the desert وَسارواand journeyed
بِهِنَّ المُدلَجونَ بَدَوا وَساروا
وَإِيّاهُنَّand them يَتبَعُfollows كُلُّevery مَجرِrider
وَإِيّاهُنَّ يَتبَعُ كُلُّ مَجرِ
By them night travelers took to the desert and journeyed,
By them the late travellers journeyed and went their way
and every rider follows them.
And by them every wide-stretching course is directed.
حَلَفتُI swore بِكَعبَةٍby the Kaaba يَهويhastens إِلَيهاto it
حَلَفتُ بِكَعبَةٍ يَهوي إِلَيها
مِنَfrom الآفاقِthe horizons مِنfrom يَمَنٍYemen وَمِصرِand Egypt
مِنَ الآفاقِ مِن يَمَنٍ وَمِصرِ
I swore by the Kaaba, to which people hasten
I swear by a Kaaba men passionately yearn for
from the horizons, from Yemen and Egypt.
From far horizons, from Yemen and from Egypt,
إِلَيهاtoward it لِلمَساجِدِfor the places of prayer كُلُّevery وَجهٍface
إِلَيها لِلمَساجِدِ كُلُّ وَجهٍ
وَإِيّاهاand toward it يُوَجَّهُis directed كُلُّevery قَبرِgrave
وَإِيّاها يُوَجَّهُ كُلُّ قَبرِ
Toward it every face turns in the places of prayer,
To it all faces are turned in mosques
and toward it every grave is directed.
And to it every tomb is oriented.
لِأَقتَلِعَنI shall surely uproot صَفاةَthe rock الشِعرِof poetry عَنهُfrom him
لِأَقتَلِعَن صَفاةَ الشِعرِ عَنهُ
فَماfor not أَناI مِنwith regard to دَوامِغِهِits head-crushing blows بِغُمرِa novice
فَما أَنا مِن دَوامِغِهِ بِغُمرِ
I shall surely wrench poetry's rock away from him,
I will pluck out the gray hair of poetry about it
for I am no novice at its head-crushing blows.
For I am not good at its subtle meanings.
كَأَنَّas though مَواقِعَthe impact sites الآثارِof the marks مِنهاfrom them
كَأَنَّ مَواقِعَ الآثارِ مِنها
مَواقِعُimpact sites مِنfrom صَوارِمَkeen swords ذاتِbearing أُثرِblade-patterning
مَواقِعُ مِن صَوارِمَ ذاتِ أُثرِ
As though the marks left by them
It is as if its vestiges were vestiges
were marks left by keen swords with patterned blades.
Of a flashing sword that has left an impact.
رَأَيتِكَI saw you ياO أَبانُAban تَمَمتَyou reached fullness لَمّاwhen
رَأَيتِكَ يا أَبانُ تَمَمتَ لَمّا
بَلَغتَyou reached الأَربَعينَforty تَمامَthe fullness بَدرِof a full moon
بَلَغتَ الأَربَعينَ تَمامَ بَدرِ
I saw you, O Aban, reach fullness when
I saw you, O Abān, when you had completed
you reached forty—the fullness of a full moon,
Forty years, the fullness of the moon.
أَضاءَilluminated الأَرضَthe earth وَالأُخرىand the other heaven عَلَيهاabove it
أَضاءَ الأَرضَ وَالأُخرى عَلَيها
مِنَof السَبعِthe seven الطِباقِlayered one above another بِكُلِّin every شَهرِmonth
مِنَ السَبعِ الطِباقِ بِكُلِّ شَهرِ
which lit the earth and the heaven above it,
He illuminated the earth while it had over it
one of the seven heavens, tier upon tier, each month.
One of the seven planets in every month.
Sol 6.1