إِنّيindeed I حَلَفتُI have sworn بِرَبِّby the Lord of البُدنِthe sacrificial camels مُشعَرَةًritually marked
إِنّي حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ البُدنِ مُشعَرَةً
وَماand whatever بِجُمعٍat Jamʿ مِنَof الرُكبانِthe riders وَالظُعُنِand the women in howdahs
وَما بِجُمعٍ مِنَ الرُكبانِ وَالظُعُنِ
Indeed, I have sworn by the Lord of the ritually marked sacrificial camels,
I swear by the Lord of creation, with veils unfurled,
And by the riders and women in howdahs at Jamʿ:
Not with a caravan or litters are you girded.
لَتَأتِيَنَّwill surely come عَلىupon الدَيّانِal-Dayyān جادِعَةٌa nose-severing satire
لَتَأتِيَنَّ عَلى الدَيّانِ جادِعَةٌ
شَنعاءُhideous تَبلُغُreaches أَهلَthe people of السَيفِthe seacoast مِنof عَدَنِAden
شَنعاءُ تَبلُغُ أَهلَ السَيفِ مِن عَدَنِ
A nose-severing satire shall surely fall upon al-Dayyān,
Ruin will come upon the fort unmanned,
Hideous, reaching the coastal folk of Aden,
A grim-visaged hag reaching the swordsmen of Aden.
حَتّىuntil يَبيتَspends the night عَلَيهِمover them حَيزُan enclosure (unclear here) أَدرَكَهُمhas overtaken them
حَتّى يَبيتَ عَلَيهِم حَيزُ أَدرَكَهُم
مِنّاfrom us جَوادِعُnose-severing satires قَدalready أُلحِقنَhave been set بِالسُنَنِupon the established course
مِنّا جَوادِعُ قَد أُلحِقنَ بِالسُنَنِ
Until they spend the night hemmed in [reading uncertain], overtaken
Till she encamps on them in a circle they attained,
By nose-severing satires from us, now set upon the established course.
Desolaters from us, who have enacted the wont.
إِنَّindeed القَوافِيَthe rhymes لَنwill never يَرجِعنَturn back فَاِستَمِعواso listen
إِنَّ القَوافِيَ لَن يَرجِعنَ فَاِستَمِعوا
إِذاwhen بَلَغنَthey reach شِعابَthe ravines of الغَورِthe lowland ذيpossessing القُنَنِthe mountain peaks
إِذا بَلَغنَ شِعابَ الغَورِ ذي القُنَنِ
Indeed, the rhymes will never turn back, so listen,
The verses will not turn back, so hearken ye,
Once they reach the ravines of the peak-crowned lowland.
When they attain the gullies of Ghawr, abounding in streams.
لَوif وازَنواthey were weighed against حَضَناًḤaḍan مالَتwould tip the balance حُلومُهُمُtheir wisdom
لَو وازَنوا حَضَناً مالَت حُلومُهُمُ
بِالراسِياتِagainst the firmly rooted mountains الثِقالِthe heavy الشُمِّthe towering مِنof حَضَنِḤaḍan
بِالراسِياتِ الثِقالِ الشُمِّ مِن حَضَنِ
Were they weighed against Ḥaḍan, their wisdom would outweigh
If they weighed against us a tribe whose warriors inclined
Ḥaḍan’s firmly rooted, heavy, towering peaks.
With the heavily-pregnant, fat, fertile women.
كَمhow many فيهِمُamong them مِنof كُهولٍelders راجِحينَlending weight بِهِمto them
كَم فيهِمُ مِن كُهولٍ راجِحينَ بِهِم
يَومَon the day of اللِقاءِbattle وَشُبّانٍand young men ذَويpossessing سُنَنِestablished ways
يَومَ اللِقاءِ وَشُبّانٍ ذَوي سُنَنِ
How many elders among them lend them weight
How many aged men deciding their fate are among them
On the day of battle, and youths who follow established ways!
On the day they meet, and smooth-faced boys.
بَنيsons of الحُصَينِal-Ḥuṣayn وَهُمand they رَدّواreturned نِساءَكُمُyour women
بَني الحُصَينِ وَهُم رَدّوا نِساءَكُمُ
عَلَيكُمُto you يَومَon the day of غِبٍّaftermath ثابِتِenduring الدِمَنِtraces left behind
عَلَيكُمُ يَومَ غِبٍّ ثابِتِ الدِمَنِ
The sons of al-Ḥuṣayn—it was they who returned your women
Sons of Husain, who returned your women to you
To you, on a day whose aftermath left enduring traces.
On a distant day, with blood-price paid.
رَدّواthey returned عَلَيكُمto you سَباياكُمyour captive women مُقَرَّنَةًbound together
رَدّوا عَلَيكُم سَباياكُم مُقَرَّنَةً
وَقَدthough already تُقُسَّمنَthey had been divided فيamong زَوفٍZawf وَفيand among قَرَنِQaran
وَقَد تُقُسَّمنَ في زَوفٍ وَفي قَرَنِ
They returned your captive women to you, bound together,
They returned to you your prisoners coupled,
Though they had been divided among Zawf and Qaran.
Who were allotted among spoils and shared with allies.
كانَتthey were هَوامِلُstray she-camels فيin زَوفٍZawf مُعَطَّلَةًleft untended
كانَت هَوامِلُ في زَوفٍ مُعَطَّلَةً
إِنَّindeed الهَوابِلَthe bereaved she-camels قَدmay يَرجِعنَreturn لِلوَطَنِto the homeland
إِنَّ الهَوابِلَ قَد يَرجِعنَ لِلوَطَنِ
They were stray she-camels in Zawf, left untended;
They were pregnant spoils divided in shares,
Indeed, bereaved she-camels may return to their homeland.
Truly the pregnant ones will return to the homeland.
كانَwas اليَهودُthe Jews مَعَwith الدَيّانِal-Dayyān دينَهُمُtheir religion
كانَ اليَهودُ مَعَ الدَيّانِ دينَهُمُ
وَدينُهُمand their religion كانَwas شَرَّthe worst of الدينِreligion فيin الزَمَنِthe age
وَدينُهُم كانَ شَرَّ الدينِ في الزَمَنِ
With al-Dayyān, Judaism was their religion,
The Jews were with the fort, their religion
And theirs was the worst religion of the age.
Was the worst religion in the times.
بَنيsons of زِيادٍZiyād رَأَيتُI have seen اللَهَGod زادَكُمُhas increased you
بَني زِيادٍ رَأَيتُ اللَهَ زادَكُمُ
لُؤماًin baseness وَأُمُّكُمُand your mother مَخلوعَةُloosed from الرَسَنِthe halter
لُؤماً وَأُمُّكُمُ مَخلوعَةُ الرَسَنِ
Sons of Ziyād, I have seen God increase you
Sons of Ziyad, I saw God increase you
In baseness, while your mother is unhaltered.
Disgrace, and your mother is discarded, shorn.
لاno وَالَّذيby Him who هُوَHe بِالإِسلامِthrough Islam أَكرَمَناhonored us
لا وَالَّذي هُوَ بِالإِسلامِ أَكرَمَنا
وَجاعِلُand who places المَيتِthe dead person بَعدَafter المَوتِdeath فيin الجَنَنِthe grave
وَجاعِلُ المَيتِ بَعدَ المَوتِ في الجَنَنِ
No, by Him who honored us through Islam,
No - by Him who honored us with Islam,
And places the dead, after death, in the grave:
And revives the dead after death into the Gardens.
ماnot كانَdid يَبنيbuild up بَنوthe sons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyān مَكرُمَةًa noble deed
ما كانَ يَبني بَنو الدَيّانِ مَكرُمَةً
وَلَمand never تَكُنwas there لِبَنيfor the sons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyān مِنany حَسَنِgoodness
وَلَم تَكُن لِبَني الدَيّانِ مِن حَسَنِ
The sons of al-Dayyān never built up any honor,
The sons of the fort were not honorable,
Nor did the sons of al-Dayyān possess any goodness.
Nor did the sons of the fort have any virtue.
Sol 6.1