إنّيindeed I امْرؤٌa man قدmay أُلْقِحُimpregnate الحَرْthe war (continued)
إنّي امْرؤٌ قد أُلْقِحُ الحَرْ
بَcompletes ‘war’ وإنْand even if كانَتْshe is كِشافاbred in successive years
بَ وإنْ كانَتْ كِشافا
I am a man who may impregnate war,
even when she is bred year after year.
فَإذاand when ماemphasis نُتِجَتْshe gives birth لَمْdoes not
فَإذا ما نُتِجَتْ لَمْ
تُنْتَتََجْbring forth إلاexcept خِلافاdiscord
تُنْتَتََجْ إلا خِلافا
And when she gives birth, she does not
bring forth anything but discord.
ثُمَّthen ماnot إنْemphasis تَمْتَرِيyou draw milk دَرَّmilk-flow (continued)
ثُمَّ ما إنْ تَمْتَرِي دَرَّ
تُهاher (completes ‘her milk-flow’) إلاexcept ذُعَافاdeadly venom
تُها إلا ذُعَافا
Then you draw no milk
from her but deadly venom,
حَينَwhen يَغْشَىpresses upon الدَّهْمُthe massed host بالدَّهupon the host (continued)
حَينَ يَغْشَى الدَّهْمُ بالدَّه
مِcompletes ‘host’ ويَنْسَوْنَand they forget الوِقافاholding back
مِ ويَنْسَوْنَ الوِقافا
when host presses upon host
and they forget to hold back.
فَتَرىthen you see القِرْنَthe champion معwith القِرْthe champion (continued)
فَتَرى القِرْنَ مع القِرْ
نِcompletes ‘champion’ صَرِيعَيْنِboth fallen رُدَافىone behind the other
نِ صَرِيعَيْنِ رُدَافى
Then you see champion beside champion,
both fallen, one behind the other.
لاnot يعَافانِthey both shun المنَاياthe fates of death
لا يعَافانِ المنَايا
وبَلاياهاand its afflictions عِيَافاaversion
وبَلاياها عِيَافا
Neither recoils from death
nor shrinks from its afflictions.
ولقدْand indeed يَحْمدُنيhe praises me الضَيّthe guest (continued)
ولقدْ يَحْمدُني الضَيّ
فُcompletes ‘guest’ إذاwhen ذَمَّhe condemns الضِّيافاthe hosts
فُ إذا ذَمَّ الضِّيافا
And indeed, the guest praises me
when he condemns other hosts.
ولقدand indeed أُرْويI slake the thirst of نَداماdrinking companions (continued)
ولقد أُرْوي نَداما
يَmy (word ending) منfrom الخَمْرِwine سُلافاchoice, pure wine
يَ من الخَمْرِ سُلافا
And indeed, I slake my drinking companions’ thirst
with the purest wine—
قَهْوةًwine تَتْرُكُit leaves ذاَa man possessing الحِلْsound judgment (continued)
قَهْوةً تَتْرُكُ ذاَ الحِلْ
مcompletes ‘sound judgment’ كَئيباًdowncast مُسْتَضافاfrightened
م كَئيباً مُسْتَضافا
wine that leaves a man of sound judgment
downcast and fearful,
مِنْfrom أبارِيقَpitchers تَراهاyou see them
مِنْ أبارِيقَ تَراها
لُثَّماًveiled ثُمَّthen عِكافاbent over
لُثَّماً ثُمَّ عِكافا
from pitchers that you see
veiled, then tilted,
وَبنُوand sons of مَجْدٍglory قُعودٌseated
وَبنُو مَجْدٍ قُعودٌ
يَتعاطَوْنَthey pass among themselves الصّحافاthe bowls
يَتعاطَوْنَ الصّحافا
while sons of glory sit,
passing the bowls among them.
Sol 6.1