وَأَنتَand you الَّذيthe one who تُستَهزَمُare routed الخَيلُthe cavalry بِاِسمِهِby his name
وَأَنتَ الَّذي تُستَهزَمُ الخَيلُ بِاِسمِهِ
إِذاwhen لَحِقَتcatch up وَالطَعنُand spear-thrusting حُمرٌred بَصائِرُهits blood-marks
إِذا لَحِقَت وَالطَعنُ حُمرٌ بَصائِرُه
You are the one at whose name the cavalry is routed,
when they close in and spear-thrusts leave crimson marks.
وَداعٍand a caller for help حَجَزتَyou held back الخَيلَthe cavalry عَنهُfrom him بِطَعنَةٍwith a spear-thrust
وَداعٍ حَجَزتَ الخَيلَ عَنهُ بِطَعنَةٍ
لَهاit has عانِدٌa gushing blood-flow لاnot تَطمَئِنَّcome to rest مَسابِرُهits wound-probes
لَها عانِدٌ لا تَطمَئِنَّ مَسابِرُه
And you held the cavalry off a caller for help with a spear-thrust
that left a gushing wound where no probe could come to rest.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَknew الداعيكَthe one calling you أَنthat سَتُجيبُهُyou will answer him
وَقَد عَلِمَ الداعيكَ أَن سَتُجيبُهُ
بِحاجِزَةٍwith a warding thrust وَالنَقعُand the battle-dust أَكدَرَmurky ثائِرُهits rising cloud
بِحاجِزَةٍ وَالنَقعُ أَكدَرَ ثائِرُه
The man calling you knew you would answer him
with a warding thrust, as dark battle-dust rose.
عَطَفتَyou wheeled عَلَيهِtoward him الخَيلَthe cavalry مِنfrom خَلفِbehind ظَهرِهِhis back
عَطَفتَ عَلَيهِ الخَيلَ مِن خَلفِ ظَهرِهِ
وَقَدand already جاءَhad come بِالمَوتِwith death المُظِلِّlooming overhead مَقادِرُهhis decreed fates
وَقَد جاءَ بِالمَوتِ المُظِلِّ مَقادِرُه
You wheeled the cavalry toward him from behind,
when his fate had brought death looming overhead.
رَدَدتَyou restored لَهُto him الروحَthe spirit الَّذيwhich هُوَit قَدalready دَناhad drawn near
رَدَدتَ لَهُ الروحَ الَّذي هُوَ قَد دَنا
إِلىto فيهِhis mouth مِنbecause of مَجرٍa galloping rider إِلَيهِtoward him يُبادِرُهraces to overtake him
إِلى فيهِ مِن مَجرٍ إِلَيهِ يُبادِرُه
You restored to him the spirit that had already drawn near
to his lips, as a rider galloped toward him to overtake him.
وَأَنتَand you اِمرُؤٌa man يَبتاعُbuys بِالسَيفِwith the sword ماwhat غَلاis costly
وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ يَبتاعُ بِالسَيفِ ما غَلا
وَبِالرُمحِand with the spear لَمّاwhen أَكسَدَmade unsalable الطَعنَspear-thrusting تاجِرُهits merchant
وَبِالرُمحِ لَمّا أَكسَدَ الطَعنَ تاجِرُه
You are a man who buys with the sword what costs dear,
and with the spear, when its merchant has left spear-thrusts unsold:
مَكارِمَdeeds of honor يُغليهاmakes them costly الطِعانُspear-fighting إِذاwhen اِلتَقَتmeet
مَكارِمَ يُغليها الطِعانُ إِذا اِلتَقَت
عَوالٍtall lances مِنَof الخَطِّيِّKhatti make صُمٌّsolid مَكاسِرُهits fracture-points
عَوالٍ مِنَ الخَطِّيِّ صُمٌّ مَكاسِرُه
deeds of honor whose price spear-fighting raises when there clash
tall Khatti lances, solid to the core.
وَأَنتَand you اِبنُson of أَملاكٍkings وَكانَتand would إِذاwhenever دَعاcalled
وَأَنتَ اِبنُ أَملاكٍ وَكانَت إِذا دَعا
إِلَيهاto them نِساءُthe women الحَيِّof the tribe تَسعىhasten حَرائِرُهits freeborn women
إِلَيها نِساءُ الحَيِّ تَسعى حَرائِرُه
You are a son of kings; and whenever a call came
to them from the tribe’s women, its freeborn ladies would hasten.
يَداكَyour two hands يَدٌa hand إِحداهُماone of them النيلُbounty وَالنَدىand generosity
يَداكَ يَدٌ إِحداهُما النيلُ وَالنَدى
وَراحَتُهاand its palm الأُخرىthe other طِعانٌspear-fighting تُعاوِرُهyou exchange it in turn
وَراحَتُها الأُخرى طِعانٌ تُعاوِرُه
Of your two hands, one is bounty and generosity,
and the other palm is spear-thrusts you exchange.
وَلَوand if كانَhad لاقاهُmet him اِبنُIbn (son of) مامَةَMamah لَاِنتَهىhe would have desisted
وَلَو كانَ لاقاهُ اِبنُ مامَةَ لَاِنتَهى
وَجودُand the generosity أَبيAbu (father of) الأَشبالِal-Ashbal (the lion cubs) يَعلوهُrises above him زاخِرُهits surging flood
وَجودُ أَبي الأَشبالِ يَعلوهُ زاخِرُه
Had Ibn Mamah met him, he would have given up,
while Abu al-Ashbal’s surging generosity rose above him.
فَماso as long as أَحيَI live لاnot أَجعَلI devote لِسانيmy tongue لِغَيرِكُمto anyone but you
فَما أَحيَ لا أَجعَل لِساني لِغَيرِكُم
وَلاnor مِدَحيmy praises ماas long as حَيَّlives لِلزَيتِfor olive oil عاصِرُهits presser
وَلا مِدَحي ما حَيَّ لِلزَيتِ عاصِرُه
So long as I live, I shall give my tongue to none but you,
nor my praises, as long as anyone lives to press olive oil.
فَلَولاbut for أَبوAbu (father of) الأَشبالِal-Ashbal (the lion cubs) أَصبَحتُI would have become نائِياًfar away
فَلَولا أَبو الأَشبالِ أَصبَحتُ نائِياً
وَأَصبَحَand would have been فيon رِجلَيَّmy two feet قَيدٌa shackle أُحاذِرُهI dread it
وَأَصبَحَ في رِجلَيَّ قَيدٌ أُحاذِرُه
But for Abu al-Ashbal, I would have ended up far away,
and my feet would bear a shackle I dread.
تَدارَكَنيhe rescued me مِنfrom هُوَّةٍa chasm كانَwas قَعرُهاits bottom
تَدارَكَني مِن هُوَّةٍ كانَ قَعرُها
بَعيداًfar below وَأَعلاهاand its upper reaches كَؤودٌhard to climb مَصادِرُهits ways out
بَعيداً وَأَعلاها كَؤودٌ مَصادِرُه
He rescued me from a chasm whose bottom lay
far below, its upper exits steep and hard to climb.
فَأَصبَحتُso I became مِثلَlike الظَبيِthe gazelle أَفلَتَescaped بَعدَماafter
فَأَصبَحتُ مِثلَ الظَبيِ أَفلَتَ بَعدَما
مِنَfrom الحَبلِthe rope كانَتhad أَعلَقَتهُensnared it مَرائِرُهits tightly twisted strands
مِنَ الحَبلِ كانَت أَعلَقَتهُ مَرائِرُه
So I became like a gazelle that escaped after
the rope’s tightly twisted strands had caught it fast:
طَليقاًset free لِرَبِّby the Lord العالَمينَof all worlds وَلِلَّذيand by him who
طَليقاً لِرَبِّ العالَمينَ وَلِلَّذي
يَمُنُّgrants grace عَلىto الأَسرىthe captives وَجارٍand a neighbor يُجاوِرُهdwells beside him
يَمُنُّ عَلى الأَسرى وَجارٍ يُجاوِرُه
set free by the Lord of all worlds and by him
who grants grace to captives and to a neighbor living beside him.
طَليقَfreed by أَبيAbu (father of) الأَشبالِal-Ashbal (the lion cubs) أَصبَحَhas become جارُهُhis neighbor
طَليقَ أَبي الأَشبالِ أَصبَحَ جارُهُ
عَلىupon حَيثُa place where لاnot يَدنوdraws near مِنَto الطَودِthe mountain طائِرُهits bird
عَلى حَيثُ لا يَدنو مِنَ الطَودِ طائِرُه
His neighbor, freed by Abu al-Ashbal, now dwells
at a height where not even the mountain’s own bird draws near.
Sol 6.1