سَتَبلُغُwill reach عَنّيfrom me غُدوَةَthe morning journey of الريحِthe wind أَنَّهاthat it is
سَتَبلُغُ عَنّي غُدوَةَ الريحِ أَنَّها
مَسيرَةُthe journey of شَهرٍa month لِلرِياحِfor the winds الهَواجِمِthe onrushing ones
مَسيرَةُ شَهرٍ لِلرِياحِ الهَواجِمِ
The morning wind will carry word from me—for it is
A month's journey for the onrushing winds—
تَميماًTamim إِذاwhen مَرَّتit passes عَلَيهاover them مِنَof الَّذيthe one who
تَميماً إِذا مَرَّت عَلَيها مِنَ الَّذي
جَرىran جَريَthe running of مَرقومٍa dappled beast قَصيرِshort القَوائِمِthe legs
جَرى جَريَ مَرقومٍ قَصيرِ القَوائِمِ
To Tamim, when it passes over them, of the one
Who ran like a dappled, short-legged beast.
وَلَمّاand when جَرىraced بيwith me غالِبٌGhalib وَجَرىand raced بِهِwith him
وَلَمّا جَرى بي غالِبٌ وَجَرى بِهِ
عَطِيَّةُAtiyya لَمnot يَسطَعcould manage وُثوبَleaping over الجَراثِمِthe mounds
عَطِيَّةُ لَم يَسطَع وُثوبَ الجَراثِمِ
When Ghalib bore me in the race, and he was borne by
Atiyya, he could not leap the mounds.
تَلَقّاهُmet him مُشتَدُّfierce الحُساسِill fortune وَرَدَّهُand drove him back
تَلَقّاهُ مُشتَدُّ الحُساسِ وَرَدَّهُ
وَقامَتand stood بِهِin his way القَعساءُthe crushing calamity دونَshort of المَكارِمِnoble deeds
وَقامَت بِهِ القَعساءُ دونَ المَكارِمِ
Fierce ill-fortune met him and drove him back,
And a crushing calamity barred him from noble deeds.
وَلَمّاand when جَرَيناwe raced لَمnot نَجِدwe found جالِياًa leading racer لَهُfor him
وَلَمّا جَرَينا لَم نَجِد جالِياً لَهُ
وَلاnor جالِسَنone seated عِندَat المَدىthe finish مِثلَlike دارِمِDarim
وَلا جالِسَن عِندَ المَدى مِثلَ دارِمِ
When we raced, we found no champion for him,
Nor anyone seated at the finish to match Darim.
وَلَوand if سُؤِلَتshe were asked مَنwho كُفُؤُthe equal of الشَمسِthe sun أَومَأَتshe would point
وَلَو سُؤِلَت مَن كُفُؤُ الشَمسِ أَومَأَت
إِلىto اِبنَيthe two sons of مَنافٍManaf عَبدِAbd شَمسٍShams وَهاشِمِand Hashim
إِلى اِبنَي مَنافٍ عَبدِ شَمسٍ وَهاشِمِ
Were the sun asked who could equal her, she would point
To Manaf's two sons, Abd Shams and Hashim.
نَمانيgave me lineage بَنوthe sons of سَعدِSa'd اِبنِson of ضَبَّةَDabba فَاِنتَسِبso trace your descent
نَماني بَنو سَعدِ اِبنِ ضَبَّةَ فَاِنتَسِب
إِلىto مِثلِهِمtheir like أَخوالِmaternal uncles of هاجٍa satirist مُزاحِمِcontending
إِلى مِثلِهِم أَخوالِ هاجٍ مُزاحِمِ
The sons of Sa'd ibn Dabba gave me lineage—so trace yours
To their like, maternal uncles of a contending satirist.
إِذاwhen زَخَرَتsurge حَوليaround me الرُبابُal-Ribab وَجاءَنيand there come to me
إِذا زَخَرَت حَولي الرُبابُ وَجاءَني
لِمُرٍّbelonging to Murr أَواذِيُّbillows البُحورِthe seas الخَضارِمِthe vast ones
لِمُرٍّ أَواذِيُّ البُحورِ الخَضارِمِ
When al-Ribab surge around me, and there reach me
Murr's billows of vast, overflowing seas;
وَإِنand if شِئتُI wish مِنfrom حَيَّيthe two tribes خُزَيمَةَKhuzayma جاءَنيthere comes to me
وَإِن شِئتُ مِن حَيَّي خُزَيمَةَ جاءَني
وَخِندِفَand Khindif قَمقامُthe great deep of البُحورِthe seas اللُهامِمِthe all-engulfing ones
وَخِندِفَ قَمقامُ البُحورِ اللُهامِمِ
And if I wish, there comes to me from the two tribes, Khuzayma
And Khindif, the great deep of all-engulfing seas.
وَلَمّاand when دَعَوتُI called اِبنَthe son of المَراغَةِal-Maragha لِلَّتيto that which
وَلَمّا دَعَوتُ اِبنَ المَراغَةِ لِلَّتي
رَهَنتُI pledged لَهاfor it اِبنَيmy two sons أَيُّناwhich of us لِلعَظائِمِfor great deeds
رَهَنتُ لَها اِبنَي أَيُّنا لِلعَظائِمِ
And when I challenged Ibn al-Maragha to that contest
For which I pledged my two sons: which of us, for great deeds,
أَحَقُّworthier أَباًin father وَاِبناًand in son وَقَوماًand in people إِذاwhen جَرىhe raced
أَحَقُّ أَباً وَاِبناً وَقَوماً إِذا جَرى
إِلىtoward المَوتِdeath بِالمُستَأثَراتِfor coveted honors الجَسائِمِthe momentous ones
إِلى المَوتِ بِالمُستَأثَراتِ الجَسائِمِ
Was worthier in father, son, and people, when racing
Toward death for mighty, coveted honors?
وَكَيفَand how تُجاريcan you keep pace with دارِماًDarim حينَwhen تَلتَقيmeet
وَكَيفَ تُجاري دارِماً حينَ تَلتَقي
ذُراهاits summits إِلىup to شَعفِthe crests of النُجومِthe stars التَوائِمِthe paired ones
ذُراها إِلى شَعفِ النُجومِ التَوائِمِ
How can you keep pace with Darim, when there meet
Its summits and the crests of the twin stars?
جَرىraced اِبناthe two sons of عِقالٍIqal بيwith me وَعَمرٌand Amr وَحاجِبٌand Hajib
جَرى اِبنا عِقالٍ بي وَعَمرٌ وَحاجِبٌ
وَسَلمىand Salma وَجَدٌّand a grandsire نِعمَexcellent is جَدُّthe grandsire of المُزاحِمِthe contender
وَسَلمى وَجَدٌّ نِعمَ جَدُّ المُزاحِمِ
The two sons of Iqal bore me in the race, and Amr and Hajib,
And Salma, and a grandsire—fine indeed a contender's grandsire!
رَأىhe saw المُحتَبينَthose sitting with knees clasped الغُرَّthe illustrious ones مِنfrom آلِthe house of دارِمٍDarim
رَأى المُحتَبينَ الغُرَّ مِن آلِ دارِمٍ
عَلَوهُthey rose above him بِئاذِيِّwith the billow of البُحورِthe seas الخَضارِمِthe vast ones
عَلَوهُ بِئاذِيِّ البُحورِ الخَضارِمِ
He saw the illustrious men of Darim's house, sitting with knees clasped,
Towering above him with the surge of vast seas.
هُمُthey أَيَّهواcalled out بيto me إِذwhile عَطِيَّةُAtiyya قائِمٌstanding
هُمُ أَيَّهوا بي إِذ عَطِيَّةُ قائِمٌ
لِيَنهَقَto bray خَلفَbehind الجامِحاتِthe headstrong steeds الصَلادِمِthe hard-hoofed ones
لِيَنهَقَ خَلفَ الجامِحاتِ الصَلادِمِ
They urged me onward, while Atiyya stood
To bray behind the headstrong, hard-hoofed steeds,
خَناذيذَthoroughbreds يَنميهاhe traces their lineage لَأَعوَجَto A'waj مُشرِفٌa towering one
خَناذيذَ يَنميها لَأَعوَجَ مُشرِفٌ
عَلىabove الخَيلِthe horses حَطّامٌa shatterer of فُؤوسَthe iron heads of الشَكائِمِthe bits
عَلى الخَيلِ حَطّامٌ فُؤوسَ الشَكائِمِ
Thoroughbreds, traced to A'waj by a sire towering
Above the horses, shattering the iron heads of bits.
سَيَأتيwill reach تَميماًTamim حَيثُwhere قُمتُI stood وَرائَهاbehind them
سَيَأتي تَميماً حَيثُ قُمتُ وَرائَها
وَمِنand from دونِهاin front of them فيin المَأزِقِthe narrow battlefield المُتَلاحِمِthe tightly interlocked one
وَمِن دونِها في المَأزِقِ المُتَلاحِمِ
Word will reach Tamim of where I stood behind them,
And before them, in the tightly locked press of battle,
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle وُجوهُthe faces of القَومِthe men سالَتstreamed جِباهُهاtheir foreheads
إِذا ما وُجوهُ القَومِ سالَت جِباهُها
مِنَwith العَرَقِsweat المَغنوطِanguish-wrung تَحتَbeneath الحَلاقِمِthe throats
مِنَ العَرَقِ المَغنوطِ تَحتَ الحَلاقِمِ
When the men's faces streamed from their brows
With anguish-wrung sweat beneath their throats.
نَفَحتُI struck لِقَيسٍat Qays نَفحَةًa blow لَمnot تَدَعit left لَهاfor them
نَفَحتُ لِقَيسٍ نَفحَةً لَم تَدَع لَها
أُنوفاًnoses وَمَرَّتand passed طَيرُهاtheir birds بِالأَشائِمِwith ill omens
أُنوفاً وَمَرَّت طَيرُها بِالأَشائِمِ
I dealt Qays a blow that left them
No noses, and their birds flew with evil omens.
وَلَوand if أَنَّthat كَعباًKa'b أَوor كِلاباًKilab سَأَلتُمُyou had asked
وَلَو أَنَّ كَعباً أَو كِلاباً سَأَلتُمُ
عَلىin عَهدِهِمtheir own time قالاthe two would say لَكُمto you قَولَthe words of عالِمِone who knows
عَلى عَهدِهِم قالا لَكُم قَولَ عالِمِ
Had you asked Ka'b or Kilab
In their day, both would have answered you knowingly.
لَقالاthey both would surely say لَكُمto you كَنَتwas هَوازِنُHawazin حِقبَةًan age
لَقالا لَكُم كَنَت هَوازِنُ حِقبَةً
عَلىin عَهدِthe time of أَكّالِAkkal المُرارِal-Murar القُماقِمِthe mighty chiefs
عَلى عَهدِ أَكّالِ المُرارِ القُماقِمِ
They would have told you: Hawazin spent an age,
In the days of the mighty Akkal al-Murar,
قَديماًlong ago يَرُبّونَthey treat with syrup النِحاءَthe butter-skins لِيَفتَدواso they might ransom
قَديماً يَرُبّونَ النِحاءَ لِيَفتَدوا
بِهِنَّwith them بَنيهِمtheir sons مِنfrom غَوِيٍّGhawiyy وَسالِمِand Salim
بِهِنَّ بَنيهِم مِن غَوِيٍّ وَسالِمِ
Long ago, dressing butter-skins with syrup, to ransom
Their sons with them from Ghawiyy and Salim.
إِذاif النَحيُthe butter-skin لَمnot تَعجَلshe hastened بِهِwith it عامِرِيَّةٌan Amirite woman
إِذا النَحيُ لَم تَعجَل بِهِ عامِرِيَّةٌ
فَداهاransomed her اِبنُهاher son أَوor بِنتُهاher daughter فيamong المَقاسِمِthe shares of spoil
فَداها اِبنُها أَو بِنتُها في المَقاسِمِ
If an Amirite woman did not hasten with the butter-skin,
Her son or daughter ransomed her among the shares of spoil.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَتknows قَيسُQays اِبنُson of عَيلانَAylan أَنَّهاthat they are
وَقَد عَلِمَت قَيسُ اِبنُ عَيلانَ أَنَّها
إِذاwhen سَكَتَfell silent الأَصواتُthe voices غَيرَexcept الغَماغِمِmuffled murmurs
إِذا سَكَتَ الأَصواتُ غَيرَ الغَماغِمِ
And Qays ibn Aylan knows full well that they are—
When voices fall silent save for muffled murmurs—
مَوالٍdependents أَذِلّاءُabased in النُفوسِspirit ظُهورُهُمtheir backs
مَوالٍ أَذِلّاءُ النُفوسِ ظُهورُهُم
لَهُمfor them جُنَنٌshields عِندَbefore السُيوفِthe swords السَوارِمِthe keen-cutting ones
لَهُم جُنَنٌ عِندَ السُيوفِ السَوارِمِ
Dependents, abased in spirit, whose backs
Are their shields against the keen-edged swords.
تُوَتِّرُstrings ليfor me قَيسٌQays قِياسَthe bows of حِظائِهاits little arrows
تُوَتِّرُ لي قَيسٌ قِياسَ حِظائِها
وَماand not أَناI عَمّاto whatever ساءَgrieves قَيساًQays بِنائِمِasleep at all
وَما أَنا عَمّا ساءَ قَيساً بِنائِمِ
Qays strings against me the bows for its little arrows;
Yet I am not asleep to what brings Qays grief.
Sol 6.1