تَكاثَرُboasts of greater numbers يَربوعٌYarbu‘ عَلَيكَover you وَمالِكٌand Malik
تَكاثَرُ يَربوعٌ عَلَيكَ وَمالِكٌ
عَلىover آلِthe clan of يَربوعٍYarbu‘ فَماso there is no لَكَfor you مَسرَحُroom to roam
عَلى آلِ يَربوعٍ فَما لَكَ مَسرَحُ
Yarbu‘ boasts its numbers over you, and Malik
The throngs of Jarbu increase against you, and Malik has supremacy
over the clan of Yarbu‘; you have nowhere to roam.
Over the family of Jarbu, yet you have no stage left.
إِذاwhen اِقتَسَمَdivide among themselves الناسُthe people الفَعالَnoble deeds وَجَدتَناyou find us
إِذا اِقتَسَمَ الناسُ الفَعالَ وَجَدتَنا
لَناfor us مِقدَحاtwo lot-drawing arrows مَجدٍglory وَلِلناسِand for the people مِقدَحُone lot-drawing arrow
لَنا مِقدَحا مَجدٍ وَلِلناسِ مِقدَحُ
When people divide up noble deeds, you find us
If people were to divide up actions, you would find us
with two arrows of glory, while others have one.
Having a chalice of glorious deeds, and the people a chalice.
فَأَغضِso lower بِشُفرَيكَwith your two eyelids الذَليلَينِthe two abased وَاِجتَدِحand stir
فَأَغضِ بِشُفرَيكَ الذَليلَينِ وَاِجتَدِح
شَرابَكَyour drink ذاcontaining الغَيلِmilk from a pregnant nursing woman الَّذيwhich كُنتَyou used to تَجدَحُyou stir
شَرابَكَ ذا الغَيلِ الَّذي كُنتَ تَجدَحُ
So lower your two abased eyelids, and stir
So disdain the two abject ones with your sword blades and draw
your drink of a pregnant nursing mother's milk, which you used to stir.
Your drink with pride, that drink you used to gulp down.
وَرَدَّand returned عَلَيكُمto you all مُردَفاتٍriding pillion نِساءَكُمyour women
وَرَدَّ عَلَيكُم مُردَفاتٍ نِساءَكُم
بِناbearing us يَومَon the day of ذيDhu بيضٍBayd صَلادِمُsturdy horses قُرَّحُfull-grown
بِنا يَومَ ذي بيضٍ صَلادِمُ قُرَّحُ
And your women were returned to you, riding pillion,
And rebutting you were unveiled women, your wives,
by sturdy, full-grown steeds bearing us, on the day of Dhu Bayd,
With us on a white day, long-necked bustards gashed.
وَكُلُّand every طَويلُlong الساعِدَينِin both forearms كَأَنَّهُas though he were
وَكُلُّ طَويلُ الساعِدَينِ كَأَنَّهُ
قَريعُa breeding camel-stallion هِجانٍpurebred white camels يَخبِطُhe strikes الناسَpeople شَرمَحُtall and long-limbed
قَريعُ هِجانٍ يَخبِطُ الناسَ شَرمَحُ
and every long-armed man, as though he were
And every long-armed one was as though
a towering sire of purebred white camels, striking at men.
He were a noisy bell, clanging at people a meaningless clang.
فَأَنزَلَهُنَّso made them dismount الضَربُblows وَالطَعنُand thrusts بِالقَناwith spears
فَأَنزَلَهُنَّ الضَربُ وَالطَعنُ بِالقَنا
وَبيضٌand gleaming swords بِأَيمانِin the right hands of المُغيرَةِthe raiders تَجرَحُinflict wounds
وَبيضٌ بِأَيمانِ المُغيرَةِ تَجرَحُ
So blows and spear-thrusts made them dismount,
So killing and stabbing them with spears brought them down,
and gleaming swords in the raiders' right hands inflicted wounds.
And white swords in the hands of Mughirah bled them.
وَرَدناwe came عَلىupon سودِblack الوُجوهِthe faces كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
وَرَدنا عَلى سودِ الوُجوهِ كَأَنَّهُم
ظَرابِيُّpolecats أَوor هُمthey فيin القَراميصِthe burrows أَقبَحُuglier
ظَرابِيُّ أَو هُم في القَراميصِ أَقبَحُ
We came upon black-faced men, as though they were
And we attacked the black-faced ones as though they were
polecats—or, in their burrows, even uglier.
Crows, or uglier than they in their shirts.
إِذاwhen سَأَلوهُنَّthey asked the women العِناقَan embrace مَنَعنَهُمthe women refused them
إِذا سَأَلوهُنَّ العِناقَ مَنَعنَهُم
وَفَدَّينَand they pledged themselves as ransom حَيَّيthe two clans of مالِكٍMalik حينَwhen أَصبَحواthey reached morning
وَفَدَّينَ حَيَّي مالِكٍ حينَ أَصبَحوا
When they asked the women for an embrace, the women refused them,
When they asked them for an embrace, they refused them
and pledged themselves as ransom for Malik's two clans when morning came upon them.
And ransomed the lives of Malik's horsemen when they woke up,
جَريرٌJarir وَقَيسٍand Qays مِثلُlike كَلبٍa dog وَثُلَّةٍand a flock of sheep
جَريرٌ وَقَيسٍ مِثلُ كَلبٍ وَثُلَّةٍ
يَبيتُhe spends the night حَوالَيهاaround it يَطوفُhe circles وَيَنبَحُand he barks
يَبيتُ حَوالَيها يَطوفُ وَيَنبَحُ
Jarir and Qays are like a dog and a flock:
While Jarir and Qays were like a dog and a company of them
he spends the night around it, circling and barking.
That spends the night prowling around it, circling and barking,
وَماand not هُوَhe مِنهاof it غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat نِباحَهُhis barking
وَما هُوَ مِنها غَيرَ أَنَّ نِباحَهُ
لِيونِعَso that he may thrive فيin أَلبانِهاits milk حينَwhen يُصبِحُhe reaches morning
لِيونِعَ في أَلبانِها حينَ يُصبِحُ
And he is not of the flock; his barking is only
And it is nothing to it but that its barking
so he may thrive on its milk when morning comes.
Keeps it awake in their milk when dawn breaks,
وَعانَقَand grappled مِنّاfrom among us الحَوفَزانَal-Hawfazan فَرَدَّهُthen sent him back
وَعانَقَ مِنّا الحَوفَزانَ فَرَدَّهُ
إِلىto الحَيِّthe clan ذوa man with رِدءٍbacking عَنِaway from الأَصلِthe root مِزرَحُa forceful shover
إِلى الحَيِّ ذو رِدءٍ عَنِ الأَصلِ مِزرَحُ
And a man of ours grappled al-Hawfazan and sent him back
And one of us embraced the cowardly poltroons and repelled him
to the clan—a man with backing, an uprooter of foes.
Back to the tribe, someone far removed from the origin, a spineless wretch.
Sol 6.1