تَبَغَّتshe sought جِواراًprotection فيamong مَعَدٍّMaʿadd فَلَمbut did not تَجِدfind
تَبَغَّت جِواراً في مَعَدٍّ فَلَم تَجِد
لِحُرمَتِهاfor her honor كَالحَيِّlike the tribe of بَكرِBakr اِبنِson of وائِلِWaʾil
لِحُرمَتِها كَالحَيِّ بَكرِ اِبنِ وائِلِ
She sought protection among Maʿadd, but found none
To safeguard her honor like the tribe of Bakr ibn Waʾil—
أَبَرَّmore dutiful وَأَوفىand more faithful ذِمَّةًa covenant يَعقُدونَهاthey bind it
أَبَرَّ وَأَوفى ذِمَّةً يَعقُدونَها
وَخَيراًand better إِذاwhen ساوىbrought level الذُرىthe camel-humps بِالكَواهِلِwith the withers
وَخَيراً إِذا ساوى الذُرى بِالكَواهِلِ
More dutiful, more faithful to the covenant they bind,
Or better when humps are brought level with withers.
وَسارَتand she traveled إِلىto الرَوحاءِal-Rawhaʾ خَمساًfive nights فَأَصبَحَتthen she became
وَسارَت إِلى الرَوحاءِ خَمساً فَأَصبَحَت
مَكانَat the position of الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades مِنfrom يَدِthe hand of المُتَناوِلِone reaching out
مَكانَ الثُرَيّا مِن يَدِ المُتَناوِلِ
And she traveled to al-Rawhaʾ for five nights, and came to be
As far beyond a reaching hand as the Pleiades.
وَماand not ضَرَّهاharmed her إِذwhen جاوَرَتshe lived under protection فيin بِلادِهاher lands
وَما ضَرَّها إِذ جاوَرَت في بِلادِها
بَنيthe sons of الحِصنِal-Ḥiṣn ماwhatever كانَthere was اِختِلافُdiscord among القَبائِلِthe tribes
بَني الحِصنِ ما كانَ اِختِلافُ القَبائِلِ
And no harm came to her, when she lived under protection in her land with
The sons of al-Ḥiṣn, whatever discord there was among the tribes.
إِلىto الصيدِthe proud lords مِنamong أَبناءِthe sons of عَمروِʿAmr اِبنِson of مَرثَدٍMarthad
إِلى الصيدِ مِن أَبناءِ عَمروِ اِبنِ مَرثَدٍ
أُنيخَتwas made to kneel لَبونيmy milch-camel عِندَbeside خَيرِthe best of المَناهِلِthe watering places
أُنيخَت لَبوني عِندَ خَيرِ المَناهِلِ
To the proud lords among the sons of ʿAmr ibn Marthad,
My milch-camel was made to kneel beside the finest watering places.
إِلَيهِمto them فَأُمّيهِمso make for them فَإِنّيfor indeed I وَجَدتُهُمI found them
إِلَيهِم فَأُمّيهِم فَإِنّي وَجَدتُهُم
حِجازاًa protective barrier لِمَنfor whoever يَخشىfears اِصطِفاقَthe clashing of الزَلازِلِthe earthquakes
حِجازاً لِمَن يَخشى اِصطِفاقَ الزَلازِلِ
To them—make for them, for I have found them
A bulwark for whoever fears the clash of earthquakes.
وَكَمand how many فيهِمُamong them مِنof سَيِّدٍa chief وَاِبنِand a son of سَيِّدٍa chief
وَكَم فيهِمُ مِن سَيِّدٍ وَاِبنِ سَيِّدٍ
وَمِنand of قائِلٍa speaker يَومَon the day of الحَفيظَةِhonor-defending zeal فاصِلِdecisive
وَمِن قائِلٍ يَومَ الحَفيظَةِ فاصِلِ
And how many a chief and son of a chief is among them,
And a speaker who settles matters when honor is at stake,
وَمِنand of ماجِدٍa generous nobleman تَغشىfrequent الأَرامِلُthe widows بَيتَهُhis house
وَمِن ماجِدٍ تَغشى الأَرامِلُ بَيتَهُ
يُعارِضُhe confronts أَيّامَthe days of الصَباthe east wind كَالمَخائِلِlike clouds promising rain
يُعارِضُ أَيّامَ الصَبا كَالمَخائِلِ
And a generous nobleman whose house widows frequent,
Who confronts the east-wind days like clouds promising rain.
وَكانَتand it was يَداًa favor مِنكُمfrom you عَمَمتُمyou spread widely بِفَضلِهاwith its bounty
وَكانَت يَداً مِنكُم عَمَمتُم بِفَضلِها
عَلىover كُلِّevery حافٍbarefoot man مِنamong مَعَدٍّMaʿadd وَناعِلِand shod man
عَلى كُلِّ حافٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ وَناعِلِ
And yours was a favor whose bounty you spread
Over every man of Maʿadd, barefoot or shod.
بِكُمthrough you يُحسَمُis stopped الداءُthe disease العَياءُincurable وَيُتَّقىand is warded off
بِكُم يُحسَمُ الداءُ العَياءُ وَيُتَّقى
بِكُمthrough you قادِماًthe two fore-teats of مَخشِيَّةُfeared الدَرِّthe milk-flow باهِلِwith an unbound udder
بِكُم قادِماً مَخشِيَّةُ الدَرِّ باهِلِ
Through you the incurable sickness is stopped, and one is shielded—
Through you—from the two fore-teats of a she-camel, her milk feared and her udder unbound.
Sol 6.1