عَفّىeffaced المَنازِلَthe dwelling-places آخِرَat the end of الأَيّامِthe days
عَفّى المَنازِلَ آخِرَ الأَيّامِ
قَطرٌrain وَمورٌand swirling dust وَاِختِلافُand the coming and going of نَعامِostriches
قَطرٌ وَمورٌ وَاِختِلافُ نَعامِ
The dwelling-places were effaced in the latter days
The abodes have excused at the end of days
by rain, swirling dust, and ostriches coming and going.
A drizzle, cloudiness, and ostriches’ disagreement
قالَsaid اِبنُthe son of صانِعَةَthe woman who makes الزُروبِthe animal pens لِقَومِهِto his people
قالَ اِبنُ صانِعَةَ الزُروبِ لِقَومِهِ
لاnot أَستَطيعُI can withstand رَواسِيَthe immovable heights of الرَعلامِal-Raʿlām
لا أَستَطيعُ رَواسِيَ الرَعلامِ
The son of the woman who makes animal pens said to his people:
The son of the dressmaker said to his people
I cannot withstand the immovable heights of al-Raʿlām.
I cannot endure the heads of ostrich chicks
ثَقُلَتweighed heavily عَلَيَّupon me عَمايَتانِthe two ʿAmāyah mountains وَلَمand did not أَجِدI find
ثَقُلَت عَلَيَّ عَمايَتانِ وَلَم أَجِد
سَبَباًa means يُحَوِّلُthat moves ليfor me جِبالَthe mountains of شَمامِShamām
سَبَباً يُحَوِّلُ لي جِبالَ شَمامِ
The two ʿAmāyah mountains weighed upon me, and I found no
Two blindnesses have burdened me, and I have not found
means to move the mountains of Shamām for me.
A way to change for me the mountains of Syria
قالَتsaid تُجاوِبُهُanswering him المَراغَةُal-Marāghah أُمُّهُhis mother
قالَت تُجاوِبُهُ المَراغَةُ أُمُّهُ
قَدindeed رُمتَyou sought وَيلَwoe to أَبيكَyour father كُلَّevery مَرامِgoal
قَد رُمتَ وَيلَ أَبيكَ كُلَّ مَرامِ
His mother, al-Marāghah, said in answer to him:
His ostrich dam said answering him
You have sought every goal—woe to your father!
You have flung yourself, woe to your father, into every ambition
فَاِسكُتso be silent فَإِنَّكَfor you قَدindeed غُلِبتَhave been defeated فَلَمand so did not تَجِدyou find
فَاِسكُت فَإِنَّكَ قَد غُلِبتَ فَلَم تَجِد
لِلقاصِعاءِfor the jerboa's burrow مَآثِرَglorious deeds of الأَيّامِthe days
لِلقاصِعاءِ مَآثِرَ الأَيّامِ
So be silent, for you have been defeated and have found no
So be silent, for you have been defeated and did not find
glorious deeds of bygone days for the jerboa's burrow.
For the unfeathered ostriches the days’ glories
وَوَجَدتَand you found قَومَكَyour people فَقَّأواthey gouged out مِنout of لُؤمِهِمtheir baseness
وَوَجَدتَ قَومَكَ فَقَّأوا مِن لُؤمِهِم
عَينَيكَyour two eyes عِندَbefore مَكارِمِthe noble deeds of الأَقوامِthe peoples
عَينَيكَ عِندَ مَكارِمِ الأَقوامِ
And you found your people, out of their baseness, had gouged out
And you found your people who gouged out your eyes with their villainy
your eyes before the noble deeds of other peoples.
At the generosity of the people
صَغُرَتwere small دِلائُهُمُtheir buckets فَماso they did not مَلَأواfill بِهاwith them
صَغُرَت دِلائُهُمُ فَما مَلَأوا بِها
حَوضَنa watering trough وَلاnor شَهِدواthey took part in عِراكَthe struggle of زِحامِjostling
حَوضَن وَلا شَهِدوا عِراكَ زِحامِ
Their buckets were small; with them they filled no
Their buckets were small, so they did not fill them
watering trough, nor did they join the jostling fray.
Nor did they witness a battle’s fray
أَرداكَbrought you down حَينُكَyour doom إِذwhen تُعارِضُyou challenged دارِماًDārim
أَرداكَ حَينُكَ إِذ تُعارِضُ دارِماً
بِأَدِقَّةٍwith petty men مُتَأَشِّبينَof mixed descent لِئامِignoble
بِأَدِقَّةٍ مُتَأَشِّبينَ لِئامِ
Your doom brought you down when you challenged Dārim
They wanted you when you contend with a mighty warrior
with petty, mixed-stock, ignoble men.
With the most cunning rogues
وَحَسِبتَand you thought بَحرَthe sea of بَنيthe sons of كُلَيبٍKulayb مُصدِرَنallowing a return
وَحَسِبتَ بَحرَ بَني كُلَيبٍ مُصدِرَن
فَغَرِقتَso you drowned حينَwhen وَقَعتَyou fell فيinto القَمقامِthe vast sea
فَغَرِقتَ حينَ وَقَعتَ في القَمقامِ
You thought Banū Kulayb's sea would let you return,
And you reckoned the sea of the clan of Kulaib as exporters
but you drowned when you fell into the vast deep,
So you drowned when you fell into the eddies
فيin حَومَةٍa deep expanse غَمَرَتengulfed أَباكَyour father بُحورُهاits seas
في حَومَةٍ غَمَرَت أَباكَ بُحورُها
فيin الجاهِلِيَّةِthe pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance كانَhe was وَالإِسلامِand Islam
في الجاهِلِيَّةِ كانَ وَالإِسلامِ
in a deep expanse whose seas engulfed your father,
In a battle in which its seas drowned your father
both in the Age of Ignorance and in the days of Islam.
In the Days of Ignorance and Islam
إِنَّindeed الرَقارِعَal-Raqāriʿ وَالحُتاتَand al-Ḥutāt وَغالِباًand Ghālib
إِنَّ الرَقارِعَ وَالحُتاتَ وَغالِباً
وَأَباand Abū هُنَيدَةَHunaydah دافَعواthey defended لِمَقاميfor my standing
وَأَبا هُنَيدَةَ دافَعوا لِمَقامي
Indeed, al-Raqāriʿ, al-Ḥutāt, and Ghālib,
Verily, the chiefs and the valiant and Ghalib
and Abū Hunaydah defended my standing,
And Abu Hunaidah warded off from my status
بِمَناكِبٍwith shoulders سَبَقَتoutstripped أَباكَyour father صُدورُهاtheir fronts
بِمَناكِبٍ سَبَقَت أَباكَ صُدورُها
وَمَآثِرٍand glorious deeds لِمُتَوَّجينَof crowned men كِرامِnoble
وَمَآثِرٍ لِمُتَوَّجينَ كِرامِ
with shoulders whose fronts outstripped your father,
With shoulders whose nobility preceded your father’s
and glorious deeds of noble, crowned men.
And glories for the crowned honorable
إِنّيindeed I وَجَدتُfound أَبيmy father بَنىbuilt ليfor me بَيتَهُhis house
إِنّي وَجَدتُ أَبي بَنى لي بَيتَهُ
فيin دَوحَةِthe great tree of الرُؤَساءِthe chiefs وَالحُكّامِand judges
في دَوحَةِ الرُؤَساءِ وَالحُكّامِ
Indeed, I found my father had built his house for me
I found my father built his house for me
within the great tree of chiefs and judges,
Among the abodes of chieftains and rulers
مِنfrom كُلِّevery أَبيَضَbright, illustrious man فيin ذُؤابَةِthe crest of دارِمٍDārim
مِن كُلِّ أَبيَضَ في ذُؤابَةِ دارِمٍ
مَلِكٍa king إِلىto نَضَدِthe ordered ranks of المُلوكِkings هُمامِvaliant
مَلِكٍ إِلى نَضَدِ المُلوكِ هُمامِ
from every bright, illustrious man at Dārim's crest,
Of every white-clad in the tribe of Darim
a valiant king among the ordered ranks of kings.
A king up to the greatest of majestic kings
فَاِسأَلso ask بِناabout us وَبِكُمand about you إِذاwhen لاقَيتُمُyou meet
فَاِسأَل بِنا وَبِكُم إِذا لاقَيتُمُ
جُشُمَJushum الرَراقِمِal-Rarāqim أَوor بَنيthe sons of هَمّامِHammām
جُشُمَ الرَراقِمِ أَو بَني هَمّامِ
So ask about us and you when you meet
So ask, when you meet them,
Jushum al-Rarāqim or Banū Hammām.
The countenances of chiefs or the clan of Hammam
مِنّاfrom among us الَّذيthe one who جَمَعَgathered المُلوكَthe kings وَبَينَهُمwhile between them
مِنّا الَّذي جَمَعَ المُلوكَ وَبَينَهُم
حَربٌa war يَشِبُّflares up سَعيرُهاits blaze بِضِرامِwith kindling
حَربٌ يَشِبُّ سَعيرُها بِضِرامِ
One of us gathered the kings together, while between them
Who amongst us gathered the kings while between them
was a war, its blaze flaring with kindling.
Was a war whose flames roared with spears
وَأَبيand my father اِبنُson of صَعصَعَةَṢaʿṣaʿah اِبنِson of لَيلىLaylā غالِبٌGhālib
وَأَبي اِبنُ صَعصَعَةَ اِبنِ لَيلى غالِبٌ
غَلَبَbested المُلوكَthe kings وَرَهطُهُand his kinsmen أَعماميmy paternal uncles
غَلَبَ المُلوكَ وَرَهطُهُ أَعمامي
And my father, Ghālib, son of Ṣaʿṣaʿah, son of Laylā,
My father the son of Sa’sa’ah the son of Layla, Ghalib
bested kings; his kinsmen are my paternal uncles.
Who conquered the kings and his uncles are my uncles
خاليmy maternal uncle الَّذيthe one who تَرَكَleft النَجيعَthe gore بِرُمحِهِwith his spear
خالي الَّذي تَرَكَ النَجيعَ بِرُمحِهِ
يَومَon the day of النَقاal-Naqā شَرِقَنchoking عَلىupon بِسطاميBisṭām
يَومَ النَقا شَرِقَن عَلى بِسطامي
My maternal uncle is he who, with his spear, left gore
My uncle who left al-Naji’ with his spear
on the day of al-Naqā, choking Bisṭām.
The day al-Naqa’s valleys glimmered over Bistam
وَالخَيلُand the horses تَنحَطُsnort بِالكُماةِbearing armored warriors تَرىyou see لَهاbelonging to them
وَالخَيلُ تَنحَطُ بِالكُماةِ تَرى لَها
رَهَجَنdust-clouds بِكُلِّwith every مُجَرَّبٍseasoned warrior مِقدامِdaring
رَهَجَن بِكُلِّ مُجَرَّبٍ مِقدامِ
And the horses snort, bearing armored warriors; you see their
And the horses descend the hillocks—for them you see
dust-clouds with every seasoned, daring fighter.
Delighted with every experienced hero
وَالحَوفَزانِand al-Ḥawfazān تَدارَكَتهُovertook him غارَةٌa raid
وَالحَوفَزانِ تَدارَكَتهُ غارَةٌ
مِنّاfrom us بِأَسفَلِin the lower reaches of أودَAwd ذيpossessing الآرامِgazelles
مِنّا بِأَسفَلِ أودَ ذي الآرامِ
And al-Ḥawfazān was overtaken by a raid
And al-Hawfazan, a raid from us
from us, in the lower reaches of Awd, home to gazelles.
Assailed it from below Mount Aram
مُتَجَرِّدينَstripped for battle عَلىon الجِيادِfine steeds عَشِيَّةًone evening
مُتَجَرِّدينَ عَلى الجِيادِ عَشِيَّةً
عُصَباًin bands مُجَلَّحَةًbold and unyielding بِدارِracing ahead of ظَلامِdarkness
عُصَباً مُجَلَّحَةً بِدارِ ظَلامِ
Stripped for battle on fine steeds one evening,
Bare on steeds in the evening
in unyielding bands, racing the darkness.
A band armored in the land of darkness
وَتَرىand you see عَطِيَّةَʿAṭiyyah ضارِباًmaking بِفِنائِهِin his courtyard
وَتَرى عَطِيَّةَ ضارِباً بِفِنائِهِ
رِبقَينِtwo tethering ropes بَينَamong حَظائِرِthe pens of الأَغنامِsheep
رِبقَينِ بَينَ حَظائِرِ الأَغنامِ
And you see ʿAṭiyyah in his courtyard, making
And you see ‘Atiyyah striking in its outskirts
two tethering ropes among the sheepfolds,
With twilight between the sheepfolds
مُتَقَلِّداًwearing round his neck لِأَبيهِbelonging to his father كانَتhad been عِندَهُin his possession
مُتَقَلِّداً لِأَبيهِ كانَت عِندَهُ
أَرباقُtether-ropes صاحِبَa keeper of ثَلَّةٍa flock of sheep وَبِهامِand young stock
أَرباقُ صاحِبَ ثَلَّةٍ وَبِهامِ
wearing round his neck what his father once kept:
Girded with his father’s; with him were
tether-ropes, as keeper of a flock and young stock.
The straps of a chief with might and glory
ماnot مَسَّtouched مُذsince وَلَدَتgave birth to عَطِيَّةَʿAṭiyyah أُمُّهُhis mother
ما مَسَّ مُذ وَلَدَت عَطِيَّةَ أُمُّهُ
كَفّاthe two hands of عَطِيَّةَʿAṭiyyah مِنany of عِنانِthe rein of لِجامِa bridle
كَفّا عَطِيَّةَ مِن عِنانِ لِجامِ
Since his mother bore ʿAṭiyyah, never have
Never since ‘Atiyyah's mother gave birth to him
ʿAṭiyyah's two hands touched a bridle-rein.
Has ‘Atiyyah touched the bridle of a camel
Sol 6.1