لِيَبكِlet them weep وَكيعاًWakiʿ خَيلُhorses حَربٍwar مُغيرَةٌraiding
لِيَبكِ وَكيعاً خَيلُ حَربٍ مُغيرَةٌ
تَساقىgive one another to drink المَناياdeaths بِالرُدَينِيَّةِwith Rudayni spears السُمرِbrown
تَساقى المَنايا بِالرُدَينِيَّةِ السُمرِ
Let the raiding warhorses weep for Wakiʿ,
Let War's horses weep copiously, a defeated army
exchanging draughts of death with brown Rudayni spears.
Death drank from goblets at Rudayniyyah's feast
لَقواthey met مِثلَهُمtheir equals فَاِستَهزَموهُمthen they routed them بِدَعوَةٍwith a cry
لَقوا مِثلَهُم فَاِستَهزَموهُم بِدَعوَةٍ
دَعوهاthey called it وَكيعاًWakiʿ وَالجِيادُand the noble steeds بِهِمwith them تَجريrun
دَعوها وَكيعاً وَالجِيادُ بِهِم تَجري
They met their equals and routed them with a cry,
They met the like of them but were routed by a shout
crying “Wakiʿ!” as their noble steeds carried them along.
He shouted "O Khaibar" though the steeds raced with them
وَبَينَand between الَّذيthe one who نادىcalled وَكيعاًWakiʿ وَبَينَهُمand between them
وَبَينَ الَّذي نادى وَكيعاً وَبَينَهُم
مَسيرَةُa journey شَهرٍa month لِلمُقَصَّصَةِfor the cropped-maned horses البُترِdock-tailed
مَسيرَةُ شَهرٍ لِلمُقَصَّصَةِ البُترِ
And between the one who called Wakiʿ and them
Between the shouter "Khaibar" and them
lay a month's journey for cropped-maned, dock-tailed horses.
A month's journey for the maimed she-camel
وَكَمand how many هَدَّتِbrought down الأَيّامُthe days مِنof جَبَلٍa mountain لَناof ours
وَكَم هَدَّتِ الأَيّامُ مِن جَبَلٍ لَنا
وَسابِغَةٍand a full-length mail-coat زَغفٍsupple وَأَبيَضَand a bright sword ذيbearing أَثرِa blade-pattern
وَسابِغَةٍ زَغفٍ وَأَبيَضَ ذي أَثرِ
And how many a mountain of ours have the days brought down,
How many days has fate demolished a mountain for us
and a full, supple coat of mail, and a bright, patterned sword!
With pouring rains, rumbling thunder, the mount is effaced
وَإِنّاand indeed we عَلىdespite أَمثالِهِthe likes of him مِنamong جِبالِناour mountains
وَإِنّا عَلى أَمثالِهِ مِن جِبالِنا
لَأَبقىsurely the most enduring مَعَدٍّMaʿadd لِلنَوائِبِagainst calamities وَالدَهرِand time
لَأَبقى مَعَدٍّ لِلنَوائِبِ وَالدَهرِ
Yet despite the loss of such as he among our mountains,
Yet we remain, like our mountains, enduring
we are surely the most enduring of Maʿadd against calamities and time.
Against misfortunes and time, steadfast and firm
وَماand not كانَwas كَالمَوتىlike the dead وَكيعٌWakiʿ فَيَمنَعواso they might forbid
وَما كانَ كَالمَوتى وَكيعٌ فَيَمنَعوا
نَوائِحَwailing women لاneither رَثَّshabby السِلاحِweapons وَلاnor غَمرِinexperienced
نَوائِحَ لا رَثَّ السِلاحِ وَلا غَمرِ
Wakiʿ was not like other dead men, that they should silence
The dead cannot prevent, like Khaibar's clans
the wailing women; he was neither poorly armed nor inexperienced.
Wailings, not the clash of arms, nor our plunge
فَإِنَّfor indeed الَّذيthe one who نادىsummoned وَكيعاًWakiʿ فَنالَهُand overtook him
فَإِنَّ الَّذي نادى وَكيعاً فَنالَهُ
تَناوَلَtook صِدّيقَthe ever-truthful one النَبِيِّof the Prophet أَباAbu بَكرِBakr
تَناوَلَ صِدّيقَ النَبِيِّ أَبا بَكرِ
For the one who summoned Wakiʿ and claimed him
For he who shouted "Khaibar" was granted
also claimed the Prophet's ever-truthful companion, Abu Bakr.
To slay the Prophet's friend, Abu Bakr
فَماتَso he died وَلَمand was not يُؤثَرfavored وَماand there is no مِنany قَبيلَةٍtribe
فَماتَ وَلَم يُؤثَر وَما مِن قَبيلَةٍ
مِنَamong الناسِmankind إِلّاexcept قَدindeed أَباتَmade spend the night عَلىwith وِترِa blood-grievance
مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا قَد أَباتَ عَلى وِترِ
He died, with no favor shown him; and there is no tribe
Who died, not survived, no tribe of men
among mankind that death has not left to pass the night with a blood-grievance.
But mourned him bitterly, all were aggrieved
فَلَوso if أَنَّthat مَيتاًa dead man لاnot يَموتُdies لِعِزِّهِbecause of his high standing
فَلَو أَنَّ مَيتاً لا يَموتُ لِعِزِّهِ
عَلىamong قَومِهِhis people ماnot ماتَdied صاحِبُthe occupant ذاthis القَبرِgrave
عَلى قَومِهِ ما ماتَ صاحِبُ ذا القَبرِ
So if a mortal could escape death through his high standing
If the honored dead could death defeat
among his people, the man in this grave would not have died.
For his people's glory, this tomb's owner would not have died
أُصيبَتwere stricken بِهِby his loss عَمروٌʿAmr وَسَعدٌand Saʿd وَمالِكٌand Malik
أُصيبَت بِهِ عَمروٌ وَسَعدٌ وَمالِكٌ
وَضَبَّةُand Dabba عُمّواthey were all overwhelmed بِالعَظيمِby the enormity مِنَof الأَمرِthe calamity
وَضَبَّةُ عُمّوا بِالعَظيمِ مِنَ الأَمرِ
ʿAmr, Saʿd, and Malik were stricken by his loss,
In him were struck down Amr, Sa'd, Malik
and Dabba—all overwhelmed by the enormity of the calamity.
And Omar's clan by fate's mighty blow
Sol 6.1