حَيِّgreet المَنازِلthe dwellings أَقفَرَتbecame desolate بِسِهامِat Siham
حَيِّ المَنازِل أَقفَرَت بِسِهامِ
وَعَفَتand faded away مَعالِمُهاtheir landmarks بِجَنبِbeside بِرامِBiram
وَعَفَت مَعالِمُها بِجَنبِ بِرامِ
Greet the dwellings, deserted at Siham,
The dwellings are desolate, struck by arrows,
and whose landmarks have faded beside Biram.
Their landmarks obscured, next to domed structures.
جَرَّتdragged عَلَيهاover them الرامِساتُthe dust-bearing winds ذُيولَهاtheir skirts
جَرَّت عَلَيها الرامِساتُ ذُيولَها
وَسِجالَand the downpours of كُلِّevery مُخَلخَلٍscattered cloud سجّامِpouring copiously
وَسِجالَ كُلِّ مُخَلخَلٍ سجّامِ
The dust-bearing winds dragged their skirts over them,
The winds have dragged their tails over them,
and the downpours of every scattered, streaming cloud.
And the clash of every shaky, unsteady one.
أَقوَتbecame empty وَقَدand once كانَتhad been تَحُلُّdwelling بِجوِّهاwithin their expanse
أَقوَت وَقَد كانَت تَحُلُّ بِجوِّها
حورُbright, dark-eyed المَدامِعِthe eyes' corners مِنamong ظِباءِthe gazelles of الشامِal-Sham
حورُ المَدامِعِ مِن ظِباءِ الشامِ
They lie empty, though once within their expanse dwelt
They were lively, though now devoid of their essence,
bright, dark-eyed gazelles of al-Sham.
The doe-eyed gazelles from the hills of Damascus.
تَرَكَتكَshe left you يَومَthe day تَعَرَّضَتshe appeared لَكَbefore you بِاللِواat al-Liwa
تَرَكَتكَ يَومَ تَعَرَّضَت لَكَ بِاللِوا
دَنَفاًwasted by illness تُعالِجُyou struggle with لَوعَةَthe burning anguish of الأَسقامِillnesses
دَنَفاً تُعالِجُ لَوعَةَ الأَسقامِ
She left you, the day she appeared before you at al-Liwa,
You abandoned me when you were afflicted
wasted by illness, struggling with sickness's burning anguish.
With a malady that exacerbates the pains of the sick.
إِنَّindeed الأَراقِمَthe Araqim أَصبَحَتhave become مَسؤولَةًcalled to account
إِنَّ الأَراقِمَ أَصبَحَت مَسؤولَةً
بِقَرارَةٍin a hollow لِمَواطِئِfor the treading of الأَقدامِthe feet
بِقَرارَةٍ لِمَواطِئِ الأَقدامِ
Indeed, the Araqim have now been called to account
Indeed the fates have become accountable
in a hollow for feet to tread.
For the firmness of footsteps’ landing places.
تَرَكَتleft ظُباةthe edges of سُيوفِناour swords ساداتِهِمtheir chiefs
تَرَكَت ظُباة سُيوفِنا ساداتِهِم
ماranging بَينَbetween مَصروعٍone struck down وَآخَرَand another داميbleeding
ما بَينَ مَصروعٍ وَآخَرَ دامي
The edges of our swords have left their chiefs
Our swords left their masters slain,
some struck down, others bleeding.
Between one fallen and another bloodied.
لاdo not تَحسَبَنَّever suppose إِذاwhen هَمَمتَyou contemplate بِحَربِناwar against us
لا تَحسَبَنَّ إِذا هَمَمتَ بِحَربِنا
أَنّاthat we لَداamid الهَيجاءِthe battle tumult غَيرُnot كِرامِnoble
أَنّا لَدا الهَيجاءِ غَيرُ كِرامِ
Do not suppose, when you contemplate war against us,
When you think to war against us, do not assume
that we are ignoble in the fray.
We are anything but honorable and magnanimous.
وَلَقَدand surely عَلَمتَyou have learned وَأَنتَwhile you are فيناamong us شاهِدٌa witness
وَلَقَد عَلَمتَ وَأَنتَ فينا شاهِدٌ
وَسُيوفُناand our swords تَفريcleave فُروعَthe crowns of الهامِheads
وَسُيوفُنا تَفري فُروعَ الهامِ
And you have surely learned, a witness among us,
You know, having witnessed us yourself,
as our swords cleave the crowns of heads,
Our blades shearing the branches of resolve.
أنّاthat we لَنَمنَعُsurely defend بِالطِعانِwith spear-thrusts دِيارَناour homes
أنّا لَنَمنَعُ بِالطِعانِ دِيارَنا
وَالضَربُand the striking تَحسَبُهُyou take it for شِهابَa meteor of ضِرامِblazing fire
وَالضَربُ تَحسَبُهُ شِهابَ ضِرامِ
that we surely defend our homes with spear-thrusts;
With thrusting spears we shall defend our lands,
and our blows seem to you a meteor of blazing fire.
A strike you’ll think a shooting star falling.
فَوقَupon الجِيادِthe noble steeds شَواخِصاًfixed and staring أَبصارُهاtheir eyes
فَوقَ الجِيادِ شَواخِصاً أَبصارُها
تَعدوgallop بِكُلِّwith every مُهَنَّدٍIndian-forged sword صَمصامِkeen and unbending
تَعدو بِكُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ صَمصامِ
Upon steeds whose eyes stare fixedly,
Over the steeds, their sights raised high,
galloping with every keen Indian-forged sword.
Galloping with each swift, fleet mount.
ضَمِنَتpledged لَهاto them أَرماحُناour spears وَسُيوفُناand our swords
ضَمِنَت لَها أَرماحُنا وَسُيوفُنا
بِهَلاكِfor the destruction of تَغلِبَTaghlib آخِرَthe end of الأَيّامِthe days
بِهَلاكِ تَغلِبَ آخِرَ الأَيّامِ
Our spears and swords have pledged to them
Our lances and swords have guaranteed
Taghlib's destruction until the end of days.
The destruction at the end of days.
وَإِذاand when الكِرامُthe noble تَذاكَرَتrecount to one another أَيّامَهاtheir battle-days
وَإِذا الكِرامُ تَذاكَرَت أَيّامَها
كُنتُمyou were عَلىthroughout الأَيّامِthe days غَيرَnot كِرامِnoble
كُنتُم عَلى الأَيّامِ غَيرَ كِرامِ
And when noble men recount their battle-days,
And when the honorable speak of their days,
you were ignoble throughout those days.
You are, in their days, devoid of honor.
فَاِسأَلso ask لِكِندَةَabout Kinda حينَwhen أَقبَلَadvanced جَمعُهاits host
فَاِسأَل لِكِندَةَ حينَ أَقبَلَ جَمعُها
حَولَaround اِبنِthe son of كَبشَةَKabsha وَاِبنِand the son of أُمِّUmm, mother of قَطامِQatam
حَولَ اِبنِ كَبشَةَ وَاِبنِ أُمِّ قَطامِ
So ask about Kinda, when its host advanced
Ask the tribes of Kindah when their army approached
around Ibn Kabsha and Ibn Umm Qatam:
The son of Kabashah and son of Umm Qatam,
مَلِكانِtwo kings قَدalready قاداthey both led الجُيوشَthe armies وَأَثخَناand they both laid low
مَلِكانِ قَد قادا الجُيوشَ وَأَثخَنا
بِالقَتلِthrough slaughter كُلَّevery مُتَوَّجٍcrowned ruler قَمقامِmighty
بِالقَتلِ كُلَّ مُتَوَّجٍ قَمقامِ
two kings who had led armies and laid low
Two kings who led armies and bloodied
through slaughter every mighty, crowned lord.
Every crowned head with killing,
رَجَعاthey both returned وَقَدand already نَسِياthey both forgot الَّذيwhat قَصَداthey both aimed لَهُfor it
رَجَعا وَقَد نَسِيا الَّذي قَصَدا لَهُ
وَالخَيلُand the horses تُقرَعُwere lashed onward مِثلَlike سَيلِa torrent of عُرامِviolent force
وَالخَيلُ تُقرَعُ مِثلَ سَيلِ عُرامِ
They returned, having forgotten what they had set out for,
They returned having forgotten their purpose,
while the horses were lashed onward like a raging torrent.
Their horses stamping like a flood of locusts.
وَجَرىand ran النَعامُthe ostriches عَلىacross الفَلاةِthe wilderness جَوافِلاًfleeing in flocks
وَجَرى النَعامُ عَلى الفَلاةِ جَوافِلاً
تَبغيseek الرِجالُthe men بَوادِرَthe neck-and-shoulder parts of الأَعظامِthe bones
تَبغي الرِجالُ بَوادِرَ الأَعظامِ
And ostriches ran across the wilderness in fleeing flocks,
The ostriches ran in droves over the desert,
as men aimed for the bones at neck and shoulder.
Seeking the remains of men’s bones.
وَوَجَدتَّand you found ثَمَّthere حُلومَناour judgment عادِيَّةًlike that of 'Ad
وَوَجَدتَّ ثَمَّ حُلومَنا عادِيَّةً
وَكَأَنَّand as though أَعداناour enemies بِلاwithout أَحلامِjudgment
وَكَأَنَّ أَعدانا بِلا أَحلامِ
And there you found our judgment like that of 'Ad,
You found our dreams placid,
as though our enemies had no judgment.
As if our enemies were without aspirations.
أَفَبَعدَis it then after مَقتَلِكُمyour killing of بُجَيراًBujayr عَنوَةًby force
أَفَبَعدَ مَقتَلِكُم بُجَيراً عَنوَةً
تَرجونَyou hope for وِدّاًaffection آخِرَthe end of الأَيامِthe days
تَرجونَ وِدّاً آخِرَ الأَيامِ
Can you, after slaying Bujayr by violence,
After treacherously killing Bujayr,
hope for friendship to the end of days?
Can you hope for affection in the future?
كَلّاno وَرَبِّby the Lord of الراقِصاتِthe dancing camels إِلىtoward مِنّيMina
كَلّا وَرَبِّ الراقِصاتِ إِلى مِنّي
كَلّاno وَرَبِّby the Lord of الحِلِّthe unconsecrated state وَالإِحرامِand pilgrim consecration
كَلّا وَرَبِّ الحِلِّ وَالإِحرامِ
No—by the Lord of the camels dancing toward Mina!
No, by the Lord of swaying dancers,
No—by the Lord of the unconsecrated state and pilgrim consecration!
No, by the Lord of permitted and forbidden.
حَتّىuntil تُقيدوناyou give us blood-requital النُفوسَthe lives بِقَتلِهِfor killing him
حَتّى تُقيدونا النُفوسَ بِقَتلِهِ
وَتَرومواand you seek فيamid الشَحناءِbitter enmity كُلَّevery مَرامِaim
وَتَروموا في الشَحناءِ كُلَّ مَرامِ
Until you yield us lives in blood-requital for his killing,
Until you bind us by killing him
and pursue every aim amid bitter enmity,
And set out to obtain every goal,
وَتَجولَand wander رَبّاتُthe ladies of الخُدورِcurtained chambers حَواسِراًbareheaded
وَتَجولَ رَبّاتُ الخُدورِ حَواسِراً
يَبكينَthey weep for كُلَّevery مُغاوِرٍraiding warrior ضَرغامِlion
يَبكينَ كُلَّ مُغاوِرٍ ضَرغامِ
and the ladies of curtained chambers wander bareheaded,
The ladies of the homes will roam around
weeping for every lion-hearted raider.
Weeping for every deep, dark dwelling.
Sol 6.1