ياAh لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether أُسَيِّبُI shall let loose ضُمَّراlean she-camels
يا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أُسَيِّبُ ضُمَّرا
أُكِلَتwere eaten away عَرائِكُهُنَّtheir hump-flesh بِالأَكوارِby the saddles
أُكِلَت عَرائِكُهُنَّ بِالأَكوارِ
Ah, would that I knew: shall I send forth lean she-camels,
their hump-flesh eaten away by the saddles,
مِثلَlike الذِئابِwolves إِذاwhen غَدَتset out at dawn رُكبانُهاtheir riders
مِثلَ الذِئابِ إِذا غَدَت رُكبانُها
يَعسِفنَthey forge on tracklessly بَينَbetween صَرايِمٍsand tracts وَصَحاريand deserts
يَعسِفنَ بَينَ صَرايِمٍ وَصَحاري
like wolves when their riders set out at dawn,
forging on between sand tracts and deserts?
أُعطيwas granted خَليفَتُناour caliph بِقُوَّةِthrough the might of خالِدٍKhalid
أُعطي خَليفَتُنا بِقُوَّةِ خالِدٍ
نَهراًa river يَفيضُoverflows لَهُfor him عَلىover الأَنهارِthe rivers
نَهراً يَفيضُ لَهُ عَلى الأَنهارِ
Our caliph was granted, through Khalid's might,
a river whose flow, for him, surpasses other rivers.
إِنَّindeed المُبارَكَal-Mubarak, the Blessed كَاِسمِهِtrue to its name يُسقىis irrigated بِهِby it
إِنَّ المُبارَكَ كَاِسمِهِ يُسقى بِهِ
حَرثُthe cultivated crop of الطَعامِgrain وَلاحِقُand growth reaching الجَبّارِthe towering palms
حَرثُ الطَعامِ وَلاحِقُ الجَبّارِ
Indeed, al-Mubarak is true to its name: it waters
grain fields and high-reaching date palms.
أَسقاهُhe supplied it with water مِنfrom سَيحِthe flowing waters of الفُراتِthe Euphrates وَغَيرِهِand other waters
أَسقاهُ مِن سَيحِ الفُراتِ وَغَيرِهِ
كُدراًturbid غَوارِبُهُits wave-crests مِنَfrom التَيّارِthe rushing current
كُدراً غَوارِبُهُ مِنَ التَيّارِ
He fed it from the flow of the Euphrates and other waters,
its crests muddied by the rushing current.
لَمّاwhen تَدارَكَarrived in succession لِلمُبارَكِto al-Mubarak مَدُّهُits flood
لَمّا تَدارَكَ لِلمُبارَكِ مَدُّهُ
رَخُصَbecame cheap الطَعامُfood لِمايِحٍfor a water-drawer وَتِجارِand merchants
رَخُصَ الطَعامُ لِمايِحٍ وَتِجارِ
When its flood came pouring into al-Mubarak,
food grew cheap for water-drawers and merchants.
وَلَوَand if أَنَّthat دِجلَةَthe Tigris أُنبِأَتwere informed عَنabout خالِدٍKhalid
وَلَوَ أَنَّ دِجلَةَ أُنبِأَت عَن خالِدٍ
باتَتwould have lingered overnight مَخافَتُهُfear of him عَلىupon الأَقتارِthe banks
باتَت مَخافَتُهُ عَلى الأَقتارِ
And had the Tigris been told of Khalid,
fear of him would have lingered on her banks all night.
ياO دِجلَTigris إِنَّكِindeed you لَوif عَصَيتِyou disobeyed لِخالِدٍKhalid
يا دِجلَ إِنَّكِ لَو عَصَيتِ لِخالِدٍ
أَمراًa command سُقيتِyou would be made to drink بِأَملَحِwith the saltiest of الأَمرارِbitter draughts
أَمراً سُقيتِ بِأَملَحِ الأَمرارِ
O Tigris, had you disobeyed Khalid
in a command, you would have been made to drink the saltiest bitter draughts.
إِنif كانَhas أَثخَنَsubdued مَدَّthe flood of دِجلَةَthe Tigris خالِدٌKhalid
إِن كانَ أَثخَنَ مَدَّ دِجلَةَ خالِدٌ
فَلَطالَماthen long indeed غَلَبَتshe has overcome بَنيthe sons of الأَحرارِfreeborn men
فَلَطالَما غَلَبَت بَني الأَحرارِ
If Khalid has subdued the Tigris's flood,
she has long indeed overcome the sons of freeborn men.
ياO دِجلَTigris كُنتِyou were عَزيزَةًmighty فيماin what مَضىhas passed
يا دِجلَ كُنتِ عَزيزَةً فيما مَضى
فَلَقَدbut indeed أَصابَكِhas struck you خالِدٌKhalid بِصِغارِwith humiliation
فَلَقَد أَصابَكِ خالِدٌ بِصِغارِ
O Tigris, you were mighty in days gone by,
but Khalid has indeed struck you with humiliation.
اللَهُGod سَخَّرَهاmade her submit بِكَفَّيthrough the two hands of خالِدٍKhalid
اللَهُ سَخَّرَها بِكَفَّي خالِدٍ
وَلَقَدand indeed تَكونُshe could be عَزيزَةَhard to subject to الأَضرارِharm
وَلَقَد تَكونُ عَزيزَةَ الأَضرارِ
God subdued her through Khalid's two hands,
though she could indeed be hard to harm.
حَتّىuntil رَأَيتُI saw تُرابَthe soil of دِجلَةَthe Tigris خارِجاًexposed
حَتّى رَأَيتُ تُرابَ دِجلَةَ خارِجاً
تَخِدُstride briskly الرِكابُthe camels عَلَيهِover it بِالأَوقارِwith loads
تَخِدُ الرِكابُ عَلَيهِ بِالأَوقارِ
Until I saw the Tigris's earth laid bare,
camels striding over it beneath their loads.
يَجتازُcrosses دِجلَةَthe Tigris لاnot يَخافُfears خِياضَهاwading through it
يَجتازُ دِجلَةَ لا يَخافُ خِياضَها
مَنone who كانَused to يَقطَعُهاcross it عَلىaboard المِعبارِthe ferry
مَن كانَ يَقطَعُها عَلى المِعبارِ
The Tigris is crossed, without fear of wading through it,
by one who used to cross it aboard the ferry.
إِنّيindeed I هَتَفتُcried out بِخالِدٍto Khalid وَلَقَدand already دَنَتdrew near
إِنّي هَتَفتُ بِخالِدٍ وَلَقَد دَنَت
نَفسيmy soul لِثُغرَةِto the hollow of نَحرِهاits throat لِحِظارِfor protection
نَفسي لِثُغرَةِ نَحرِها لِحِظارِ
I cried out to Khalid; already drawing near
the hollow of my throat was my soul, seeking protection.
Sol 6.1