ياO آلhouse of فِهرٍFihr أينwhere ذاكthat الشباkeen edge
يا آل فِهرٍ أين ذاك الشبا
ليستare not ضُباكِyour blades اليومtoday تلكthose الضُباblades
ليست ضُباكِ اليوم تلك الضُبا
O clan of Fihr, where are those keen blades?
O house of Fihr, where is that keen edge?
The blades you bear today are not those blades.
Your blades today are not those blades.
للضيمsubject to oppression أصبحتyou have become وشالَتand departed ضُحًىat midmorning
للضيم أصبحت وشالَت ضُحًى
نَعامةُthe ostrich العزِّof glory بذاكwith that الإِباproud defiance
نَعامةُ العزِّ بذاك الإِبا
To humiliation it has submitted, and flown off in broad daylight—
You have fallen prey to oppression, and at midmorning departed
glory’s ostrich-banner, for all that proud defiance.
the ostrich of glory, along with that proud defiance.
فلستِso you are not بعدafter اليومtoday فيin حبوةٍa knee-binding wrap
فلستِ بعد اليوم في حبوةٍ
مثلُكِlike you بالأمسyesterday فحليّso loosen الحُباthe knee-binding wraps
مثلُكِ بالأمس فحليّ الحُبا
After today, you have no share in any place of honor,
So, seated with knees bound, from this day on you are not
though yesterday your peers adorned honor’s highest stations.
what you were yesterday; so loosen the knee-bands.
فعزمُكfor your resolve انصبَّwas poured علىupon جَمرِهits embers
فعزمُك انصبَّ على جَمرِه
دمُblood الطلىof throats منكfrom you إلىuntil أنthat خَباit died down
دمُ الطلى منك إلى أن خَبا
Your resolve poured upon its embers
For upon the embers of your resolve was poured
the blood of your own necks, until the fire went out.
blood from your throats, until its fire died.
ماnot بقيتremained فيكِin you لمُستنهِضٍfor one who rouses
ما بقيت فيكِ لمُستنهِضٍ
بقيَّةٌa remnant للسيفfor the sword تُدميbloodies شَباan edge
بقيَّةٌ للسيف تُدمي شَبا
Nothing remains in you for one calling you to rise,
Nothing remains in you for one who calls you to rise—
no remnant for the sword with which to redden its edge.
no remnant to bloody a sword's edge.
ماnot الذلَّhumiliation كلّall الذلhumiliation يوماًever سِوىother than
ما الذلَّ كلّ الذل يوماً سِوى
طرحكِyour casting off أثقالthe burdens الوغىof battle لُغّباexhausted
طرحكِ أثقال الوغى لُغّبا
No abasement is utter abasement, ever, except
Utter humiliation has never been anything but
your casting off the burdens of war out of weariness.
your casting off war's burdens in exhaustion.
لاnot يُنبتmakes grow العزَّglory سوىexcept مَربعa spring pasture
لا يُنبت العزَّ سوى مَربع
ليسis not بهin it بَرقthe lightning الضباof blades خُلَّباrainless
ليس به بَرق الضبا خُلَّبا
Glory flourishes only on a battlefield
Glory sprouts only in a spring pasture
where the lightning of blades is no false flash.
where the lightning of blades is no rainless flash.
ولمand has not يطأtrodden عرشthe throne العُلاof high glory راضياًcontentedly
ولم يطأ عرش العُلا راضياً
مَنwhoever لمhas not يطأtrodden شوكَthe thorns القناof spears مغضباin anger
مَن لم يطأ شوكَ القنا مغضبا
No one mounts the throne of glory contentedly
No one has trodden the throne of high glory in contentment
who has not trodden the thorns of spears in wrath.
who has not trodden the thorns of spears in anger.
حيَّcome! علىto الموتِdeath بنيsons of غالبٍGhalib
حيَّ على الموتِ بني غالبٍ
ماhow أبردcool الموتdeath بِحرِّin the heat of الضباthe blades
ما أبرد الموت بِحرِّ الضبا
Hasten to death, O sons of Ghalib!
Come to death, sons of Ghalib!
How cool death is amid the blaze of blades!
How cool is death amid the heat of blades!
لاmay not قرَّبتكbring you near الخيلthe horses مِنto مطلبٍa goal
لا قرَّبتك الخيل مِن مطلبٍ
إنif فاتكِeludes you الثأرُvengeance فلنthen will never يُطلباbe sought
إن فاتكِ الثأرُ فلن يُطلبا
May horses never bring you near a cherished goal
May horses never bring you near any goal
if blood vengeance escapes you—for then it will never be pursued.
if vengeance eludes you—for then it will never be sought.
قُوميrise! فأماthen either أَنto تُجيليsend galloping علىover
قُومي فأما أَن تُجيلي على
أشلاءِtorn bodies حربٍof war خيلكyour horses الشُزَّباthe gaunt
أشلاءِ حربٍ خيلك الشُزَّبا
Rise: either wheel onward
Rise: either send galloping over
over battle’s scattered limbs, your steeds gaunt and lean,
war's torn bodies your gaunt horses,
أَوor ترجعيyou return بالموتwith death محمولةًborne
أَو ترجعي بالموت محمولةً
علىupon العواليthe lofty spears أغلباًa thick-necked lion أَغلباa thick-necked lion
على العوالي أغلباً أَغلبا
or return laden with death,
or return dead, borne
borne upon the tall spears, lion after lion.
upon lofty spears, lion after lion.
ماnot أَنتِyou للعلياءfor high glory أَوunless تَقبليyou advance
ما أَنتِ للعلياء أَو تَقبلي
بالقُبِّon lean horses تنزوleaping بكِwith you نزوthe leaping of الدبىyoung locusts
بالقُبِّ تنزو بكِ نزو الدبى
You will not attain glory’s heights until you advance
You are not fit for high glory unless you advance
on slender-waisted steeds that leap with you like swarming locusts,
on lean horses that leap with you like young locusts.
تقدمُهاprecedes them منfrom نَقعِهاtheir battle-dust غُبرةٌa dust cloud
تقدمُها من نَقعِها غُبرةٌ
تُطبّقُblankets المشرقَthe East والمغرباand the West
تُطبّقُ المشرقَ والمغربا
preceded by a pall of dust from the battle-cloud they raise,
Before them goes a cloud of the dust they raise,
blanketing East and West.
blanketing the East and the West.
ياO فِئَةًa company لمhas not تدرِknown غيرother than الوَغىbattle
يا فِئَةً لم تدرِ غير الوَغى
أُمًّاas a mother ولاnor غيرother than المراضيthe blades أَباas a father
أُمًّا ولا غير المراضي أَبا
O band that knew no mother but war,
O company that knew nothing but battle
and no father but noble deeds!
as mother, and nothing but blades as father.
نومكِyour sleep تحتunder الضيمoppression لاnot عنfrom كرًىdrowsiness
نومكِ تحت الضيم لا عن كرًى
أسهرhas kept awake فيin الأجفانthe sheaths بيضَthe white الضُباblades
أسهر في الأجفان بيضَ الضُبا
Your sleep beneath humiliation is not born of drowsiness:
Your sleep under oppression, not born of drowsiness,
it has made the white blades sleepless in their eyelid-sheaths.
has kept the white blades sleepless in their sheaths.
أللهُGod! ياO هاشمُHashim أينwhere الحمىthe sanctuary
أللهُ يا هاشمُ أين الحمى
أينَwhere الحفاظُdefense of honor المرُّbitter أينwhere الإِباproud defiance
أينَ الحفاظُ المرُّ أين الإِبا
By God, O Hashim, where is the sanctuary?
God! O Hashim, where is the sanctuary?
Where is fierce protective honor—where proud defiance?
Where is bitter defense of honor? Where is proud defiance?
أَتشرقُdoes it rise? الشمسthe sun ولاand not عينُهاits eye
أَتشرقُ الشمس ولا عينُها
بالنقعby battle-dust تعمىis blinded قبلbefore أنthat تغرباit sets
بالنقع تعمى قبل أن تغربا
Does the sun rise without its eye
Can the sun rise without its eye
blinded by battle-dust before it sets?
being blinded by battle-dust before it sets?
وهيand it لكمof yours فيin السبيcaptivity كَمhow many لاحظتhas gazed upon
وهي لكم في السبي كَم لاحظت
مصونةًa sheltered woman لمnot تبدُwas exposed قبلbefore السِباcaptivity
مصونةً لم تبدُ قبل السِبا
And she is one of yours—now captive, how many eyes gaze upon her,
And in captivity it has gazed upon so many of yours—
though guarded and veiled, she never showed herself before captivity.
sheltered women never exposed before their capture.
كيفhow بناتُthe daughters الوحيof revelation أعداؤكمyour enemies
كيف بناتُ الوحي أعداؤكم
تدخلenter بالخيلِon horseback عَليهاupon them الخِباthe tents
تدخل بالخيلِ عَليها الخِبا
How can your enemies ride against the daughters of Revelation
How can your enemies intrude upon the daughters of revelation,
with cavalry, and enter their tents?
entering their tents on horseback,
ولمand have not تَساقطfallen apart قطعاًin pieces بيضكمyour white swords
ولم تَساقط قطعاً بيضكم
وسمرُكمand your brown spears لمhave not تنتثرscattered أكعُباin joint-sections
وسمرُكم لم تنتثر أكعُبا
Did your gleaming swords not fall apart in pieces,
without your white swords falling in fragments
nor your brown-shafted spears scatter like broken limbs?
and your brown spears scattering joint by joint?
لقدindeed سَرتjourneyed أسرىas captives علىin حالةٍa plight
لقد سَرت أسرى على حالةٍ
قلَّwas little لهاbeside it مَوتُكِyour death تحتbeneath الضُباthe blades
قلَّ لها مَوتُكِ تحت الضُبا
Indeed, they journeyed as captives in such a plight
Indeed, they journeyed as captives in a plight
that even your death beneath the blades would have been too little for it.
beside which your death beneath the blades would be little.
تُساقطُshed الأدمعَtears أجفانهاtheir eyelids
تُساقطُ الأدمعَ أجفانها
كالجمرlike embers عنfrom ذوبِthe melting of حشاًa heart أُلهباset ablaze
كالجمر عن ذوبِ حشاً أُلهبا
Her eyelids poured forth tears
Their eyelids shed tears
like embers from the molten core of a blazing heart.
like embers from a melting heart set aflame.
فدمعُهاfor their tears لوif لمnot يكنwere مُحرقاًsearing
فدمعُها لو لم يكن مُحرقاً
عادَwould become بهwith it وجهthe face الثرىof the earth مُعشباgrass-covered
عادَ به وجه الثرى مُعشبا
Had her tears not been searing,
For if their tears were not searing,
the face of the earth would have grown green through them.
the earth's face would have grown green with them.
تَنعىmourns أفاعيthe vipers الحيَّof the clan مَنthose who كمhow often وطواtrampled
تَنعى أفاعي الحيَّ مَن كم وطوا
مَنwhoever دبَّcrept بالشرِّwith malice لهمtoward them عقرباlike a scorpion
مَن دبَّ بالشرِّ لهم عقربا
She mourns the tribe’s serpents—those among you who trampled
They mourn the vipers of the clan, who so often trampled
every scorpion that crept maliciously toward them.
whoever crept toward them in malice like a scorpion.
تنعىmourns بَهاليلاًnoble chiefs تسلُّunsheathes الوغىbattle
تنعى بَهاليلاً تسلُّ الوغى
مِنfrom كلِّevery شهمٍvaliant man منهمamong them مِقضباa keen sword
مِن كلِّ شهمٍ منهم مِقضبا
She mourns lionhearted lords whom battle unsheathed,
They mourn noble chiefs: battle unsheathes
every valiant man among them a cutting blade.
a keen sword from every valiant man among them.
تنعىmourns الأُلىthose who سُحبthe clouds أياديهمُof their bounty
تنعى الأُلى سُحب أياديهمُ
تَستضحكmake laugh العامَthe year إذاwhen قطَّباit frowned
تَستضحك العامَ إذا قطَّبا
She mourns those whose generous hands were rainclouds,
They mourn those whose clouds of bounty
making the year smile whenever it frowned.
make the year laugh when it frowns.
تنعاهُمmourns them عطشىthirsty ولكنand yet لهمfor them
تنعاهُم عطشى ولكن لهم
جَداولُstreams البيضof white swords حلتbecame مشرباa drinking place
جَداولُ البيض حلت مشربا
She mourns them thirsty—though for them
They mourn them, thirsty, yet for them
the streams of white blades became a watering place.
the streams of white swords became a drinking place.
خُطَّتwere marked out بأطرافِwith the points of العواليthe lofty spears لهمfor them
خُطَّت بأطرافِ العوالي لهم
مضاجعُbeds تسقىwatered with الدمَblood الصِّيباpouring like rain
مضاجعُ تسقى الدمَ الصِّيبا
The points of tall spears marked out for them
With the points of lofty spears were traced for them
resting places watered by blood pouring like rain.
beds watered with a downpour of blood.
سلask! بهمabout them أماif تسلyou question كربلاKarbala
سل بهم أما تسل كربلا
إذwhen واجهواthey faced فيهاin it البلاthe ordeal المُكرباanguish-bringing
إذ واجهوا فيها البلا المُكربا
Ask of them—if you would ask, then ask Karbala,
Should you question Karbala, ask about them
when there they faced its grief-laden ordeal.
as they faced the anguish-laden ordeal there.
دكُّواthey leveled رُباهاits hills ثمthen قالواthey said لهاto it
دكُّوا رُباها ثم قالوا لها
وقدand already جَثواthey knelt نحنُwe مكانin place of الرُباthe hills
وقد جَثوا نحنُ مكان الرُبا
They leveled its hills, then said to it,
They leveled its hills, then said to it,
as they lay fallen: “Now we take the place of the hills.”
as they knelt: "We are in the hills' place."
ياO بأبيmay my father be ransom بالطفat al-Taff أشلاؤُهاtheir torn limbs
يا بأبي بالطف أشلاؤُها
تنسجweaves فيin التربthe dust عليهاover them الصَباthe east wind
تنسج في الترب عليها الصَبا
Ah, may my father be their ransom! At al-Taff, their scattered limbs—
O, may my father be ransom for their torn limbs at al-Taff,
over them the east wind weaves the dust.
over which the east wind weaves the dust.
ياO بأبيmay my father be ransom بالطفat al-Taff أوداجُهاtheir jugular veins
يا بأبي بالطف أوداجُها
للسيفfor the sword أضحتbecame مرتعاًa pasture مُخصباfertile
للسيف أضحت مرتعاً مُخصبا
Ah, may my father be their ransom! At al-Taff, their jugular veins
O, may my father be ransom for their jugular veins at al-Taff,
became for the sword a fertile, luxuriant pasture.
which became a fertile pasture for the sword.
ياO بأبيmay my father be ransom بالطفat al-Taff أحشاؤهاtheir entrails
يا بأبي بالطف أحشاؤها
عادتbecame لأطرافِfor the points of القناthe spears مَلعباa playground
عادت لأطرافِ القنا مَلعبا
Ah, may my father be their ransom! At al-Taff, their entrails
O, may my father be ransom for their entrails at al-Taff,
became a playground for the spearheads.
which became a playground for the spear-points.
Sol 6.1