إِنّيindeed I حَلَفتُI have sworn يَميناًan oath غَيرَnot كاذِبَةٍfalse
إِنّي حَلَفتُ يَميناً غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ
لَوif كانَthere had been لِلحارِثِfor al-Harith الجَفنِيِّal-Jafni أَصحابُcompanions
لَو كانَ لِلحارِثِ الجَفنِيِّ أَصحابُ
Indeed, I have sworn an oath that is not false:
I swear an oath not false,
Had al-Harith al-Jafni had companions
If Al-Harith's companions were from the unyielding tribe of Ghassan,
مِنfrom جِذمِthe stock of غَسّانَGhassan مُستَخٍhanging loose حَمائِلُهُمtheir sword-belts
مِن جِذمِ غَسّانَ مُستَخٍ حَمائِلُهُم
لاnot يُغبَنونَthey are cheated مِنَout of المَعزىthe goats إِذاwhen غابواthey were absent
لا يُغبَنونَ مِنَ المَعزى إِذا غابوا
from Ghassan's stock, their sword-belts hanging loose,
Bearing their engraved swords,
not cheated out of goats in their absence,
They would not fail to take vengeance when wronged,
وَلاand not يُذادونَthey are driven away مُحمَرّاًreddened عُيونُهُمُtheir eyes
وَلا يُذادونَ مُحمَرّاً عُيونُهُمُ
إِذاwhen تُحُضِّرِwas approached عِندَat الماجِدِthe noble man البابُthe gate
إِذا تُحُضِّرِ عِندَ الماجِدِ البابُ
nor driven away with reddened eyes
Nor would their red eyes relent,
when the nobleman's gate was approached—
When the door of the majestic one is prepared for them,
كانواthey were إِذاwhenever حَضَرواthey came شيبَwas mixed العُقارُthe wine لَهُمfor them
كانوا إِذا حَضَروا شيبَ العُقارُ لَهُم
وَطيفَand a round was made فيهِمamong them بِأَكواسٍwith goblets وَأَكوابِand cups
وَطيفَ فيهِم بِأَكواسٍ وَأَكوابِ
whenever they came, wine was mixed for them,
They would be there when called, the cooking pots boiled for them,
and goblets and cups were carried round among them—
And the cups passed amongst them.
إِذاًthen لَآبواthey would have returned جَميعاًall together أَوor لَكانَthere would have been لَهُمfor them
إِذاً لَآبوا جَميعاً أَو لَكانَ لَهُم
أَسرىcaptives مِنَfrom القَومِthe people أَوor قَتلىslain men وَأَسلابُand spoils
أَسرى مِنَ القَومِ أَو قَتلى وَأَسلابُ
then they would all have returned, or would have had
Then they would all return together or some taken captive or slain,
captives from the foe, or slain men and spoils.
They would fight wherever death overtook them,
لَجالَدواthey would have fought حَيثُwhere كانَhad المَوتُdeath أَدرَكَهُمovertaken them
لَجالَدوا حَيثُ كانَ المَوتُ أَدرَكَهُم
حَتّىuntil يَثوبواthey return لَهُمfor them أَسرىcaptives وَأَسلابُand spoils
حَتّى يَثوبوا لَهُم أَسرى وَأَسلابُ
They would have fought where death overtook them,
Until captives and spoils returned to them,
until they returned with captives and spoils.
But he met with misfortune,
لَكِنَّهُbut he إِنَّماonly لاقىmet بِمَأشَبَةٍwith a motley rabble
لَكِنَّهُ إِنَّما لاقى بِمَأشَبَةٍ
لَيسَthere is not لَهُمfor them عِندَat صِدقِthe reality of المَوتِdeath أَحسابُancestral honors
لَيسَ لَهُم عِندَ صِدقِ المَوتِ أَحسابُ
But he faced the foe with only a motley rabble,
And with the sincerity of death they had no excuses.
who have no ancestral honor when death comes in earnest.
Partial English translation: 13 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1