بَنيO sons of نَهشَلٍNahshal أَبقواspare عَلَيكُمyourselves وَلَمand have not تَرَواyou seen
بَني نَهشَلٍ أَبقوا عَلَيكُم وَلَم تَرَوا
سَوابِقَswift sallies حامٍa defender لِلذِمارِof honor مُشَهَّرِrenowned
سَوابِقَ حامٍ لِلذِمارِ مُشَهَّرِ
Sons of Nahshal, spare yourselves—you have yet to see
the swift sallies of a renowned defender of honor,
كَريمٍnoble تَشَكّىcomplained of قَومُهُhis people مُسرِعاتِهِhis swift attacks
كَريمٍ تَشَكّى قَومُهُ مُسرِعاتِهِ
وَأَعداؤُهُand his enemies مُصغونَlistening intently لِلمُتَسَوِّرِto the wall-scaling assailant
وَأَعداؤُهُ مُصغونَ لِلمُتَسَوِّرِ
a noble man whose people complain of his swift attacks,
while his enemies listen intently to the wall-scaling assailant.
أَلانَhas it grown soft? إِذاwhen هَرَّتsnarled مَعَدٌMa'add عُلالَتيmy last reserves
أَلانَ إِذا هَرَّت مَعَدٌ عُلالَتي
وَنابَيand the two fangs of دُموعٍa tearful lion لِلمُدِلّينَbefore the boastful مُصحِرِout in the open
وَنابَي دُموعٍ لِلمُدِلّينَ مُصحِرِ
Have my last reserves grown soft when Ma'add snarls,
and the two fangs of a tearful lion facing the boastful in the open?
بَنيO sons of نَهشَلٍNahshal لاdo not تَحمِلونيmake me ride عَلَيكُمُagainst you
بَني نَهشَلٍ لا تَحمِلوني عَلَيكُمُ
عَلىon دَبِرٍa sore-backed mount أَندابُهُits scabs لَمhave not تَقَشَّرِpeeled away
عَلى دَبِرٍ أَندابُهُ لَم تَقَشَّرِ
Sons of Nahshal, do not make me ride against you
on a sore-backed mount whose scabs have not yet peeled.
وَإِنّاand indeed we وَإِيّاكُمand you جَرَيناwe raced فَأَيُّناso which of us
وَإِنّا وَإِيّاكُم جَرَينا فَأَيُّنا
تَقَلَّدَwore around his neck حَبلَthe rope of المُبطِئِthe slow one المُتَأَخِّرِthe one left behind
تَقَلَّدَ حَبلَ المُبطِئِ المُتَأَخِّرِ
We and you have run a race; which of us
has worn the rope of the slow one left behind?
وَلَوand if كانَwere حَرِّيُّHarri بنُson of ضَمرَةَDamra فيكُمُamong you
وَلَو كانَ حَرِّيُّ بنُ ضَمرَةَ فيكُمُ
لَقالَhe would surely say لَكُمto you لَستُمyou are not عَلىon المُتَخَيَّرِthe better course
لَقالَ لَكُم لَستُم عَلى المُتَخَيَّرِ
If Harri ibn Damra were among you,
he would tell you, 'Yours is not the better course.'
عَشِيَّةَon the evening when خَلّىhe let go عَنof رَقاشِRaqash وَجَلَّحَتand sped away
عَشِيَّةَ خَلّى عَن رَقاشِ وَجَلَّحَت
بِهِwith him سَوحَقٌa tall mare كَالطائِرِlike a bird المُتَمَطِّرِswooping down
بِهِ سَوحَقٌ كَالطائِرِ المُتَمَطِّرِ
That evening he abandoned Raqash, and there sped away
with him a tall mare, like a swooping bird.
يُفَدّيhe offers himself in ransom for عُلالاتِthe last bursts of speed of العِبايَةِal-'Ibaya إِذwhen دَناdrew near
يُفَدّي عُلالاتِ العِبايَةِ إِذ دَنا
لَهُto him فارِسُthe rider of المِدعاسِal-Mid'as غَيرُnot المُغَمِّرِa novice
لَهُ فارِسُ المِدعاسِ غَيرُ المُغَمِّرِ
He offers his life for al-'Ibaya's last bursts of speed, as there draws near
to him the rider of al-Mid'as, no novice.
وَأَيقَنَand he knew for certain أَنَّthat الخَيلَthe cavalry إِذwhen تَلتَبِسclose in بِهِaround him
وَأَيقَنَ أَنَّ الخَيلَ إِذ تَلتَبِس بِهِ
يَقِظawake عانِياًa captive أَوor جيفَةًa carcass بَينَamong أَنسُرِvultures
يَقِظ عانِياً أَو جيفَةً بَينَ أَنسُرِ
He knew for certain that, when the cavalry closed around him,
he would wake a captive, or lie a carcass among vultures.
وَماand not تَرَكَتleft مُنكُمof you رِماحُthe spears of مُجاشِعٍMujashi'
وَما تَرَكَت مُنكُم رِماحُ مُجاشِعٍ
وَفُرسانُهاand its horsemen إِلّاexcept أَكولَةَfood for مَنسِرِa raptor's beak
وَفُرسانُها إِلّا أَكولَةَ مَنسِرِ
The spears of Mujashi' left none of you,
nor did its horsemen, but food for a raptor's beak.
عَشِيَّةَon the evening when رَوَّحناwe drove out at evening عَلَيكُمagainst you خَناذِذاًnoble steeds
عَشِيَّةَ رَوَّحنا عَلَيكُم خَناذِذاً
مِنَof الخَيلِthe horses إِذwhile أَنتُمyou قَعودٌsitting بِقَرقَرِat Qarqar
مِنَ الخَيلِ إِذ أَنتُم قَعودٌ بِقَرقَرِ
That evening we drove against you the noblest
of horses, while you sat at Qarqar.
أَباO father of مَعقِلٍMa'qil لَولاwere it not for حَواجِزُrestraints بَينَناbetween us
أَبا مَعقِلٍ لَولا حَواجِزُ بَينَنا
وَقُربىand kinship ذَكَرناهاwe remembered it لِآلِfor the house of المُجَبِّرِal-Mujabbir
وَقُربى ذَكَرناها لِآلِ المُجَبِّرِ
Abu Ma'qil, were it not for restraints between us,
and kinship we remembered for the house of al-Mujabbir,
إِذاًthen لَرَكِبناwe would surely have ridden العامَthis year حَدَّthe sharp ridge of ظُهورِهِمtheir backs
إِذاً لَرَكِبنا العامَ حَدَّ ظُهورِهِم
عَلىover وَقَرٍan injury أَندابُهُits scars لَمhave not تَغَفَّرِhealed over
عَلى وَقَرٍ أَندابُهُ لَم تَغَفَّرِ
then this year we would have ridden the sharp ridges of their backs,
over an injury whose scars have not yet healed.
فَماso what بِكَtroubles you مِنin هَذاthis وَقَدwhen already كُنتَyou used to تَجتَنيyou gather
فَما بِكَ مِن هَذا وَقَد كُنتَ تَجتَني
جَنىthe fruit of شَجَرٍtrees مُرَّbitter in العَواقِبِthe consequences مُمقِرِacrid
جَنى شَجَرٍ مُرَّ العَواقِبِ مُمقِرِ
What troubles you in this, when you have been gathering
the fruit of acrid trees, bitter in its consequences?
Sol 6.1