وَلَكِنَّbut خِرباناًmale bustards تَنوسُsway لِحاهُمُtheir beards
وَلَكِنَّ خِرباناً تَنوسُ لِحاهُمُ
عَلىon قُصُبٍreeds جوفٍhollow تَناوَحَswayed toward one another خورُهاtheir frail stalks
عَلى قُصُبٍ جوفٍ تَناوَحَ خورُها
But they are male bustards, their beards swaying
On hollow reeds whose frail stalks sway against one another.
مُنِعنَwere protected وَيَستَحيِينَand feel shame بَعدَafter فِرارِهِمtheir flight
مُنِعنَ وَيَستَحيِينَ بَعدَ فِرارِهِم
إِلىto حَيثُwhere لِلأَولادِfor the children يُطوىis folded up صَغيرُهاits little one
إِلى حَيثُ لِلأَولادِ يُطوى صَغيرُها
They were protected, and feel shame after their flight
To where, for the children, its little one is folded away.
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed لاقَتencountered مِنَof الشَرِّevil جَعفَرٌJa'far
لَعَمري لَقَد لاقَت مِنَ الشَرِّ جَعفَرٌ
بِطِخفَةَat Tikhfah أَيّاماًdays طَويلاًlong قَصيرُهاtheir shortest
بِطِخفَةَ أَيّاماً طَويلاً قَصيرُها
By my life, Ja'far has indeed met with evil
At Tikhfah—days whose shortest was long.
بِطِخفَةَat Tikhfah وَالرَيّانِand al-Rayyan حَيثُwhere تَصَوَّبَتswooped down
بِطِخفَةَ وَالرَيّانِ حَيثُ تَصَوَّبَت
عَلىupon جَعفَرٍJa'far عِقبانُهاits eagles وَنُسورُهاand its vultures
عَلى جَعفَرٍ عِقبانُها وَنُسورُها
At Tikhfah and al-Rayyan, where swooped down
Upon Ja'far its eagles and its vultures.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَتhave learned أَفناءُthe clans جَعفَرَJa'far أَنَّهُthat it
وَقَد عَلِمَت أَفناءُ جَعفَرَ أَنَّهُ
يَقيshields جَعفَراًJa'far وَقعُthe impact العَواليthe spearpoints ظُهورُهاits backs
يَقي جَعفَراً وَقعُ العَوالي ظُهورُها
And the clans of Ja'far have learned that
Its backs shield Ja'far from the blows of spearpoints.
تَضاغىwhimpers وَقَدand indeed ضَمَّتhave clasped ضَغابيثُweaklings جَعفَرٍJa'far
تَضاغى وَقَد ضَمَّت ضَغابيثُ جَعفَرٍ
شَباًsharp points بَينَbetween أَشداقٍjaws رِحابٍwide شُجورُهاtheir openings
شَباً بَينَ أَشداقٍ رِحابٍ شُجورُها
It whimpers, while Ja'far's weaklings have clasped
Sharp points between jaws whose openings are wide.
شَقاsuffered misery شَقَّتَيهِits two branches جَعفَرٌJa'far بيthrough me وَقَدand indeed أَتَتhave passed
شَقا شَقَّتَيهِ جَعفَرٌ بي وَقَد أَتَت
عَلَيَّover me لَهُمfor them سَبعونَseventy تَمَّتwere completed شُهورُهاtheir months
عَلَيَّ لَهُم سَبعونَ تَمَّت شُهورُها
Ja'far has suffered through me in both its branches, and there have passed
Over me, for them, seventy years, all their months complete.
بَنيsons of جَعفَرٍJa'far هَلdo تَذكُرونَyou remember وَأَنتُمُwhile you
بَني جَعفَرٍ هَل تَذكُرونَ وَأَنتُمُ
تُساقونَare driven along إِذwhen يَعلوoverwhelms القَليلَthe few كَثيرُهاits many
تُساقونَ إِذ يَعلو القَليلَ كَثيرُها
Sons of Ja'far, do you remember, when you
Were herded along, when its many overwhelmed the few?
وَإِذand when لاno طَعامٌfood غَيرَexcept ماwhat أَطعَمَتكُمُfed you
وَإِذ لا طَعامٌ غَيرَ ما أَطعَمَتكُمُ
بُطونُbellies جَواريmaidens جَعفَرٍJa'far وَظُهورُهاand their backs
بُطونُ جَواري جَعفَرٍ وَظُهورُها
And when there was no food but what was fed to you by
The bellies of Ja'far's maidens and their backs?
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَتhas learned مَيسونُMaysun أَنَّthat رِماحَكُمyour spears
وَقَد عَلِمَت مَيسونُ أَنَّ رِماحَكُم
تَهابُfear أَباAbu بَكرٍBakr جِهاراًopenly صُدورُهاtheir points
تَهابُ أَبا بَكرٍ جِهاراً صُدورُها
And Maysun has learned that your spears
Have points that openly fear Abu Bakr.
عَشِيَّةَon the evening أَعطَيتُمyou gave سَوادَةَSawadah جَحوَشاًJahwash
عَشِيَّةَ أَعطَيتُم سَوادَةَ جَحوَشاً
وَلَمّاand not yet يُفَرَّقwas scattered بِالعَواليby the spearpoints نَصيرُهاits defender
وَلَمّا يُفَرَّق بِالعَوالي نَصيرُها
On the evening you gave Jahwash to Sawadah,
While its defender had not yet been routed by spearpoints.
أَقامَتremained عَلىat الأَجبابِal-Ajbab حاضِرَةًencamped بِهِthere
أَقامَت عَلى الأَجبابِ حاضِرَةً بِهِ
ضَبينَةُDabinah لَمnot تُهتَكwere torn down لِظَعنٍfor departure كُسورُهاits tent-sides
ضَبينَةُ لَم تُهتَك لِظَعنٍ كُسورُها
There remained at al-Ajbab, encamped there,
Dabinah; its tent-sides were not torn down for departure.
تُريحُbrings home at evening المَخازيdisgraces جَعفَرٌJa'far كُلَّevery لَيلَةٍnight
تُريحُ المَخازي جَعفَرٌ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ
عَلَيهاupon itself وَتَغدوand go out at dawn حينَwhen تَغدوgo out at dawn بُكورُهاits young camels
عَلَيها وَتَغدو حينَ تَغدو بُكورُها
Ja'far brings disgraces home every night
Upon itself; they go out at dawn when its young camels go.
فَإِنso if تَكُbe قَيسٌQays قَدَّمَتكَhas put you forward لِنَصرِهاto defend it
فَإِن تَكُ قَيسٌ قَدَّمَتكَ لِنَصرِها
فَقَدthen indeed خَزِيَتwas disgraced قَيسٌQays وَذَلَّand was humbled نَصيرُهاits defender
فَقَد خَزِيَت قَيسٌ وَذَلَّ نَصيرُها
So if Qays has put you forward to defend it,
Then Qays has been disgraced, and its defender humbled.
Sol 6.1