بانَتshe departed لَميسُLamis بِحَبلٍwith a cord مِنكَfrom you أَقطاعِcut to pieces
بانَت لَميسُ بِحَبلٍ مِنكَ أَقطاعِ
وَاِحتَلَّتِand she settled الغَمرَal-Ghamr تَرعىpasturing ذاتَDhat أَشراعِAshraʿ
وَاِحتَلَّتِ الغَمرَ تَرعى ذاتَ أَشراعِ
Lamis has departed, the cord between you cut to pieces.
Lamis appeared bound by a rope from you, cutting off pieces,
And settled in al-Ghamr, pasturing at Dhat Ashraʿ.
And she sailed the deep water, grazing with her large sails.
وَأَصبَحَتand she came to be فيamong بَنيthe sons of نَصرٍNasr مُجاوِرَةًdwelling as a neighbor
وَأَصبَحَت في بَني نَصرٍ مُجاوِرَةً
تَرعىpasturing الأَباطِحَthe gravelly valleys فيin عِزٍّhonor وَإِمراعِand lush abundance
تَرعى الأَباطِحَ في عِزٍّ وَإِمراعِ
And now she dwells as a neighbor among Banu Nasr,
And she dwelled among the Bani Nasr as a neighbor,
Pasturing in the gravelly valleys, in honor and abundance.
Grazing the sand dunes proudly and freely.
كَأَنَّas though عَينَيَّmy two eyes إِذwhen وَلَّتdeparted حُمولُهُمُtheir laden camels
كَأَنَّ عَينَيَّ إِذ وَلَّت حُمولُهُمُ
فيat الفَجرِdawn فَيضُan overflow غُروبٍlarge water-buckets ذاتِpossessing إِتراعِbrimming fullness
في الفَجرِ فَيضُ غُروبٍ ذاتِ إِتراعِ
It was as though my eyes, when their laden camels departed,
As if my eyes, when their caravans departed
At dawn, were a flood from brimful water-buckets.
At dawn, were the outpouring of a sunset with fluttering robes.
هَلّاwhy did you not سَأَلتِyou asked هَداكِmay He guide you اللَهِGod ماwhat حَسَبيmy noble standing
هَلّا سَأَلتِ هَداكِ اللَهِ ما حَسَبي
أُمَّO mother of الوَليدِal-Walid وَخَيرُand the best القَولِspeech لِلواعيfor one who heeds
أُمَّ الوَليدِ وَخَيرُ القَولِ لِلواعي
Why did you not ask—may God guide you—what my noble standing is,
Why didn’t you ask your rightly guided one, O mother of Al-Walid and the best of speakers,
O Umm al-Walid? The best words are for one who heeds.
Should I forgive the great sin though its injuries have pierced me?
هَلdo أَغفِرُI forgive الذَنبَthe offense ذاbearing الجُرحَthe wound العَظيمِgrievous وَلَوeven if
هَل أَغفِرُ الذَنبَ ذا الجُرحَ العَظيمِ وَلَو
مَرَّتpassed عَجارِفُهُits harsh assaults مِنّيover me بِأَوجاعِwith pains
مَرَّت عَجارِفُهُ مِنّي بِأَوجاعِ
Do I forgive a grievously wounding offense, even if
God knows what I strive for on behalf of all of them,
Its harsh assaults have brought me pain?
And what pains my chest and ribs with its absence.
اللَهُGod يَعلَمُknows ماwhat أَسعىI strive لِجُلِّهِمِfor most of them
اللَهُ يَعلَمُ ما أَسعى لِجُلِّهِمِ
وَماand what يَغيبُis hidden بِهِwithin it صَدريmy breast وَأَضلاعيand my ribs
وَما يَغيبُ بِهِ صَدري وَأَضلاعي
God knows how I strive for the greater part of them,
I strive for a people whose striving
And what lies hidden within my breast and ribs.
Among the clan was heedless wandering without purpose.
أَسعىI labor عَلىon behalf of جُلِّthe greater part of قَومٍa people كانَwas سَعيُهُمُtheir striving
أَسعى عَلى جُلِّ قَومٍ كانَ سَعيُهُمُ
وَسطَamid العَشيرَةِthe clan سَهواًeasy and gentle غَيرَnot دَعداعِwavering
وَسطَ العَشيرَةِ سَهواً غَيرَ دَعداعِ
I labor for the greater part of a people whose efforts were
I will not reconcile with those who opposed us and I will forsake them
Easy within the clan, without faltering.
And I will never fail them with disloyalty.
وَلاand not أُصالِحُI make peace with مَنthose whom عادَواthey opposed وَأَخذُلُهُمand I forsake them
وَلا أُصالِحُ مَن عادَوا وَأَخذُلُهُم
وَلاand not أَغيبُI backbite لَهُمabout them يَوماًon any day بِأَقذاعِwith foul abuse
وَلا أَغيبُ لَهُم يَوماً بِأَقذاعِ
Nor do I make peace with those they oppose and forsake them;
I have set out at dawn to the tavern, awakened
Nor do I ever malign them behind their backs with foul abuse.
By a neck like the eye of a rooster, very bright.
وَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI went early عَلىto الحانوتِthe tavern يَصبَحُنيhe serves me a morning drink
وَقَد غَدَوتُ عَلى الحانوتِ يَصبَحُني
مِنof عاتِقٍaged wine مِثلِlike عَينِthe eye of الديكِthe rooster شَعشاعِdiluted with water
مِن عاتِقٍ مِثلِ عَينِ الديكِ شَعشاعِ
And I have gone early to the tavern, where he serves me a morning draught
She sets out to me and rebukes me for his company-
Of aged wine, like a rooster's eye, diluted with water.
We while away the morning in play and listening.
تَغدوit comes in the morning عَلَيَّto me وَنَدمانيand my drinking companion لِمِرفَقِهِthrough his service
تَغدو عَلَيَّ وَنَدماني لِمِرفَقِهِ
نَقضيwe take our fill of اللَذاذَةَpleasure مِنfrom لَهوٍamusement وَإِسماعِand song
نَقضي اللَذاذَةَ مِن لَهوٍ وَإِسماعِ
It comes in the morning to me and my drinking companion through his service;
When we desire, we call him and he pours for us
We take our fill of pleasure in amusement and song.
From his inflated nostril’s outpouring, bent over.
إِذاwhenever نَشاءُwe wish دَعَوناهُwe called him فَصَبَّthen he poured لَناfor us
إِذا نَشاءُ دَعَوناهُ فَصَبَّ لَنا
مِنfrom فَرغِthe spout of مُنتَفِخِswollen الحَيزومِthe breast رَكّاعِbowing low
مِن فَرغِ مُنتَفِخِ الحَيزومِ رَكّاعِ
Whenever we wish, we call him, and he pours for us
And she showed me before the living, speaking
From the spout of a swollen-breasted vessel, bowing low.
With a sword-like tongue the color of salt that slices.
وَقَدand indeed أَرانيI see myself أَمامَbefore الحَيَّthe clan مُنتَطِقاًgirded
وَقَد أَراني أَمامَ الحَيَّ مُنتَطِقاً
بِصارِمِwith a sharp sword مِثلِlike لَونِthe color of المِلحِsalt قَطّاعِkeenly cutting
بِصارِمِ مِثلِ لَونِ المِلحِ قَطّاعِ
And I see myself before the clan, girded
She urges the steeds of the sword along, fully covering
With a sharp sword, the color of salt, that cuts clean through.
The sand like a prohibition at the bottom of a valley.
تَحفِزُpushes away عَنّيfrom me نِجادَthe baldric of السَيفِthe sword سابِغَةٌa full coat of mail
تَحفِزُ عَنّي نِجادَ السَيفِ سابِغَةٌ
تَغشىcovers الأَنامِلِthe fingertips مِثلُlike النَهيِa pool بِالقاعِon the level plain
تَغشى الأَنامِلِ مِثلُ النَهيِ بِالقاعِ
A full coat of mail pushes the sword's baldric away from me,
Their faces, like Indian swords, toward the shouting
Covering the fingertips, like a pool on the level plain.
Whenever the caller stirs them for battle.
فيamong فِتيَةٍyoung men كَسُيوفِlike the swords of الهِندِIndia أَوجُهُهُمtheir faces
في فِتيَةٍ كَسُيوفِ الهِندِ أَوجُهُهُم
نَحوَtoward الصَريخِthe one crying for help إِذاwhenever ماan emphatic particle ثَوَّبَcalled out repeatedly الداعيthe caller
نَحوَ الصَريخِ إِذا ما ثَوَّبَ الداعي
Among young men whose faces, like the swords of India,
Turn toward the one crying for help whenever the caller repeats his summons.
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1