يَئِسنَthey despaired مِنَof اللَحاقِcatching up بِهِنَّwith them مِنكُمfrom among you
يَئِسنَ مِنَ اللَحاقِ بِهِنَّ مِنكُم
وَقَدand already قَطَعواthey crossed بِهِنَّwith them لِوىًwinding dunes حِداباhills
وَقَد قَطَعوا بِهِنَّ لِوىً حِدابا
They despaired of anyone among you catching up with them,
They have despaired of any of you catching up with them,
though riders had already driven them over winding, hump-backed ridges.
and they have crossed winding dunes and hills with them.
فَكَمso how many مِنof خائِفٍone who fears ليof me لَمnot أَضِرهُI harm him
فَكَم مِن خائِفٍ لي لَم أَضِرهُ
وَآخَرَand another قَدalready قَذَفتُI hurled لَهُat him شِهاباa meteor
وَآخَرَ قَد قَذَفتُ لَهُ شِهابا
How many a man afraid of me have I left unharmed,
So many who feared me I have left unharmed,
and at another I have hurled a shooting star.
and at another I have hurled a meteor.
وَغُرٍّand radiant ones قَدalready نَسَقتُI strung together مُشَهَّراتٍwidely proclaimed
وَغُرٍّ قَد نَسَقتُ مُشَهَّراتٍ
طَوالِعَrising forth لاnot تُطيقُyou can muster لَهاfor them جَواباan answer
طَوالِعَ لا تُطيقُ لَها جَوابا
And many illustrious, celebrated poems have I composed,
And many radiant verses I have strung together, widely proclaimed,
soaring forth—poems you cannot answer in kind.
rising forth, which you cannot answer.
بَلَغنَthey reached الشَمسَthe sun حَيثُwhere تَكونُit is شَرقاًin the east
بَلَغنَ الشَمسَ حَيثُ تَكونُ شَرقاً
وَمَسقَطَand the setting-place قَرنِهاits horn مِنfrom حَيثُwhere غاباit disappeared
وَمَسقَطَ قَرنِها مِن حَيثُ غابا
They reached the sun where she stands in the east,
They have reached the sun where it rises in the east,
and the setting-place of her rim, where it vanishes.
and the setting-place of its horn, where it disappears.
بِكُلِّat every ثَنِيَّةٍmountain pass وَبِكُلِّand at every ثَغرٍfrontier
بِكُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ وَبِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ
غَرائِبُهُنَّtheir rare marvels تَنتَسِبُdeclare their lineage اِنتِساباa declaration of lineage
غَرائِبُهُنَّ تَنتَسِبُ اِنتِسابا
At every mountain pass and every frontier post,
At every mountain pass and every frontier,
their rare strains unmistakably proclaim their pedigree.
their rare marvels plainly proclaim their lineage.
وَخاليand my maternal uncle بِالنَقاat al-Naqa تَرَكَleft اِبنَthe son of لَيلىLayla
وَخالي بِالنَقا تَرَكَ اِبنَ لَيلى
أَباfather of الصَهباءِal-Sahba مُحتَفِراًdigging out لِهاباhollows
أَبا الصَهباءِ مُحتَفِراً لِهابا
And at al-Naqā my maternal uncle left Ibn Laylā—
And my maternal uncle at al-Naqa left Ibn Layla,
Abū al-Ṣahbāʾ—digging up a blaze.
Abu al-Sahba, digging out hollows.
كَفاهُhe gave him enough التَبلِthe blood-feud تَبلَthe blood-feud of بَنيthe sons of تَميمٍTamim
كَفاهُ التَبلِ تَبلَ بَني تَميمٍ
وَأَجزَرَهُand made him carrion for الثَعالِبَthe foxes وَالذِئاباand the wolves
وَأَجزَرَهُ الثَعالِبَ وَالذِئابا
Ruin was ruin enough for him, O sons of Tamīm,
He gave him his fill of vengeance—Banu Tamim's vengeance—
and my uncle made him carrion for foxes and wolves.
and made him carrion for foxes and wolves.
Sol 6.1