رَأَتنيsaw me مَعَدٌّMaʿadd مُصحِراًout in the open فَتَناذَرَتso they warned one another
رَأَتني مَعَدٌّ مُصحِراً فَتَناذَرَت
بَديهَةَthe sudden onslaught of مَخشِيَّfeared for الجَريرَةِharmful deeds عارِمِfierce
بَديهَةَ مَخشِيَّ الجَريرَةِ عارِمِ
The people of Maʿadd saw me out in the open and warned one another
of the sudden assault of a fierce man whose harm is feared.
وَماand never جَرَّبَfound through testing الأَقوامُthe peoples مِنّيfrom me أَناثَةًsoftness
وَما جَرَّبَ الأَقوامُ مِنّي أَناثَةً
لَدُنsince عَجَمونيthey tested me بِالضُروسِwith the molars العَواجِمِprobing
لَدُن عَجَموني بِالضُروسِ العَواجِمِ
And men have never found softness in me,
since they tested me with probing molars.
بَرىwore down العَجمُthe testing أَقواماًmen فَرَقَّتso grew thin عِظامُهُمtheir bones
بَرى العَجمُ أَقواماً فَرَقَّت عِظامُهُم
وَأَبدىand revealed صِقاليmy polish وَقعُthe stroke of أَبيَضَa white blade صارِمِkeen
وَأَبدى صِقالي وَقعُ أَبيَضَ صارِمِ
The testing wore men down, so their bones grew thin,
but the stroke of a keen white blade revealed my polish.
أَتانيcame to me وَعيدٌa threat مِنfrom زِيادٍZiyad فَلَمso did not أَنَمI sleep
أَتاني وَعيدٌ مِن زِيادٍ فَلَم أَنَم
وَسَيلُand the torrent of اللِوىal-Liwa دونيbetween me and him وَهَضبُand the hills of التَهايِمِthe Tihamah regions
وَسَيلُ اللِوى دوني وَهَضبُ التَهايِمِ
A threat came to me from Ziyad, so I did not sleep,
though al-Liwa's torrent and Tihamah's hills lay between us.
فَبِتُّso I spent the night كَأَنّيas though I مُشعَرٌclad in خَيبَرِيَّةًa Khaybar fever
فَبِتُّ كَأَنّي مُشعَرٌ خَيبَرِيَّةً
سَرَتcoursed فيthrough عِظاميmy bones أَوor دِماءِthe blood of الأَراقِمِvipers
سَرَت في عِظامي أَو دِماءِ الأَراقِمِ
So I spent the night as though clad in a fever of Khaybar,
coursing through my bones—or in vipers' blood.
زِيادَZiyad اِبنَson of حَربٍHarb لَوif أَظُنُّكَI thought you تارِكيleaving me
زِيادَ اِبنَ حَربٍ لَو أَظُنُّكَ تارِكي
وَذاand the bearer of الضَغنِrancor قَدalready خَشَّمتَهُyou smashed his nose غَيرَnot ظالِمِunjust
وَذا الضَغنِ قَد خَشَّمتَهُ غَيرَ ظالِمِ
Ziyad son of Harb, if I thought you would leave me
with the rancorous man whose nose you have smashed without injustice,
لَقَدsurely كافَحَتconfronted مِنّيfrom me العِراقُIraq قَصيدَةٌa poem
لَقَد كافَحَت مِنّي العِراقُ قَصيدَةٌ
رَجومٌstone-hurling مَعَwith الماضيthe traveler crossing رُؤوسَthe crests of المَخارِمِmountain passes
رَجومٌ مَعَ الماضي رُؤوسَ المَخارِمِ
a poem from me would surely have confronted Iraq,
hurling stones, accompanying travelers across the crests of mountain passes;
خَفيفَةُlight on أَفواهِthe mouths of الرُواةِthe reciters ثَقيلَةٌheavy
خَفيفَةُ أَفواهِ الرُواةِ ثَقيلَةٌ
عَلىupon قِرنِهاits rival نَزّالَةٌoften alighting بِالمَواسِمِat the seasonal gatherings
عَلى قِرنِها نَزّالَةٌ بِالمَواسِمِ
light on the mouths of reciters, heavy
upon its rival, ever alighting at the seasonal gatherings.
رَأَيتُكَI have seen you مَنwhoever تَغضَبyou grow angry عَلَيهِwith him مِنِamong اِمرِئٍmen
رَأَيتُكَ مَن تَغضَب عَلَيهِ مِنِ اِمرِئٍ
وَلَوand even if كانَhe were ذاpossessing رَهطٍa band of kinsmen يَبِتhe spends the night غَيرَnot نائِمِsleeping
وَلَو كانَ ذا رَهطٍ يَبِت غَيرَ نائِمِ
I have observed you: any man you grow angry with,
even if he has a band of kinsmen, spends the night sleepless.
أَغَرُّbright-faced إِذاwhen اِغبَرَّgrew dusty اللِثامُthe face-veil تَخايَلَتmoved proudly
أَغَرُّ إِذا اِغبَرَّ اللِثامُ تَخايَلَت
يَداهُhis two hands بِسَيلِwith a torrent المُفعَمِbrimming المُتَراكِمِsurging in heaps
يَداهُ بِسَيلِ المُفعَمِ المُتَراكِمِ
Bright-faced when the face-veil grows dusty—with a proud flourish,
his hands pour out a brimming, surging torrent.
نَمَتكَbegot you العَرانينُthe chieftains الطِوالُlofty وَلاand not أَرىI see
نَمَتكَ العَرانينُ الطِوالُ وَلا أَرى
لِسَعيِكَfor your endeavors إِلّاexcept جاهِداًone striving غَيرَnot لائِمِa faultfinder
لِسَعيِكَ إِلّا جاهِداً غَيرَ لائِمِ
Lofty-nosed chieftains begot you, and I see
none but strivers for your cause, not faultfinders.
أَلَمhas ... not? يَأتِهِreached him أَنّيthat I تَخَلَّلُmoves among ناقَتيmy she-camel
أَلَم يَأتِهِ أَنّي تَخَلَّلُ ناقَتي
بِنَعمانَat Nuʿman أَطرافَthe tips of الأَراكِthe arak trees النَواعِمِtender
بِنَعمانَ أَطرافَ الأَراكِ النَواعِمِ
Has he not heard that my she-camel threads her way
at Nuʿman among the tender tips of the arak trees,
مُقَيَّدَةًtethered تَرعىshe grazes on البَريرَarak berries وَرَحلُهاand her saddle
مُقَيَّدَةً تَرعى البَريرَ وَرَحلُها
بِمَكَّةَin Mecca مُلقىًcast down عائِذاًseeking refuge بِالمَحارِمِin the sacred precincts
بِمَكَّةَ مُلقىً عائِذاً بِالمَحارِمِ
tethered, browsing on arak berries, while her saddle
lies cast down in Mecca, as I seek refuge in the sacred precincts?
فَإِلّاso unless تَدارَكنيrescues me مِنَfrom اللَهِGod نِعمَةًa blessing
فَإِلّا تَدارَكني مِنَ اللَهِ نِعمَةً
وَمِنand from آلِthe house of حَربٍHarb أَلقَI shall encounter طَيرَthe birds of الأَشايِمِill omen
وَمِن آلِ حَربٍ أَلقَ طَيرَ الأَشايِمِ
Unless a blessing from God comes to my rescue,
and from the house of Harb, I shall meet birds of ill omen.
فَدَعنيso let me أَكُنbe ماas long as دُمتُI remain حَيّاًalive حَمامَةًa dove
فَدَعني أَكُن ما دُمتُ حَيّاً حَمامَةً
مِنَamong القاطِناتِthose dwelling in البَيتِthe House غَيرِnot الرَوائِمِthose that depart
مِنَ القاطِناتِ البَيتِ غَيرِ الرَوائِمِ
So let me be, as long as I live, a dove,
among those dwelling at the House, never departing.
Sol 6.1