أَتَجزَعُdo you grieve? كُلَّماwhenever خَفَّdeparted القَطِينُthe encamped folk
أَتَجزَعُ كُلَّما خَفَّ القَطِينُ
وَشَطَّتand went far away بِالخَليطِwith the companions نَوىًseparation شَطُونُfar-reaching
وَشَطَّت بِالخَليطِ نَوىً شَطُونُ
Do you grieve whenever the encamped folk depart,
and far-reaching separation bears the companions away?
وَهُمand they صَرَمُواsevered حِبالَكَyour bonds يَومَon the day of سَلعٍSalʿ
وَهُم صَرَمُوا حِبالَكَ يَومَ سَلعٍ
وَخانَكَand betrayed you مِنهُمُamong them الثِقَةُthe trusted one الأَمِينُthe faithful
وَخانَكَ مِنهُمُ الثِقَةُ الأَمِينُ
Yet they severed your bonds on the day at Salʿ,
and their trusted, faithful one betrayed you.
وَماand not أَسِفُواthey grieved عَشِيَّةَthe evening بِنتَyou parted عَنهُمfrom them
وَما أَسِفُوا عَشِيَّةَ بِنتَ عَنهُم
فَتَأسَفَso you should grieve أَنthat يَشِطُّواthey go far away أَوor يَبِينُواthey depart
فَتَأسَفَ أَن يَشِطُّوا أَو يَبِينُوا
They did not grieve the evening you left them,
so why should you grieve if they go far away or depart?
تَسَلَّconsole yourself عَنِover الحِسانِthe beauties وَكَيفَand how تَسلُوyou forget
تَسَلَّ عَنِ الحِسانِ وَكَيفَ تَسلُو
وَبَينَand between ضُلوعِكَyour ribs الداءُthe sickness الدَفِينُhidden
وَبَينَ ضُلوعِكَ الداءُ الدَفِينُ
Console yourself for the beauties—but how can you forget,
when the hidden sickness lies between your ribs?
وَفيand among الأَظعانِthe departing litters مِنfrom جُشَمِJusham بنِson of بَكرٍBakr
وَفي الأَظعانِ مِن جُشَمِ بنِ بَكرٍ
ظِباءٌgazelles حَشوُthe filling of أَعينُهاtheir eyes فُتُونُenchantment
ظِباءٌ حَشوُ أَعينُها فُتُونُ
Among the departing litters of Jusham ibn Bakr
are gazelles whose eyes are filled with enchantment.
عَلَيهِنَّover them الهَوادِجُthe howdahs مُطبَقاتٌclosed
عَلَيهِنَّ الهَوادِجُ مُطبَقاتٌ
كَماjust as اِنطَبَقَتclosed عَلىover الحَدقِthe pupils الجُفونُthe eyelids
كَما اِنطَبَقَت عَلى الحَدقِ الجُفونُ
Their howdahs are closed over them,
as eyelids close over pupils.
كَأَنَّas though قُدودَهُنَّtheir figures قُدُودُthe shapes of سُمرٍtawny lances
كَأَنَّ قُدودَهُنَّ قُدُودُ سُمرٍ
مُثَقَّفَةٍstraightened بِهِنَّin them حَفاًslenderness وَلينُand suppleness
مُثَقَّفَةٍ بِهِنَّ حَفاً وَلينُ
Their figures resemble the shafts of tawny lances,
straightened, with slenderness and suppleness in them.
تَهَفهَفَتِgrew slender الصُدُورُthe chests فَهُنَّso they are لُدنٌsupple
تَهَفهَفَتِ الصُدُورُ فَهُنَّ لُدنٌ
وَأُفعِمَتِand were filled out الرَوادِفُthe buttocks وَالبُطُونُand the bellies
وَأُفعِمَتِ الرَوادِفُ وَالبُطُونُ
Their chests are slender, and they are pliant,
while their buttocks and bellies are full.
جَلَبنَthey brought لَناto us بِرامَةَat Rāmah كُلَّevery حَينٍdoom
جَلَبنَ لَنا بِرامَةَ كُلَّ حَينٍ
أَلاtake heed إِنَّindeed الحَوائِنَcalamities قَدmay تَحينُstrike
أَلا إِنَّ الحَوائِنَ قَد تَحينُ
At Rāmah they brought us every kind of doom—
take heed: calamities may indeed strike—
عَشِيَّةَthe evening مِسنَthey swayed غَيرَnot مًصَنَّعاتٍaffected
عَشِيَّةَ مِسنَ غَيرَ مًصَنَّعاتٍ
كَماjust as ماسَتswayed مِنَamong الأَيكِthe thickets الغُصونُthe branches
كَما ماسَت مِنَ الأَيكِ الغُصونُ
the evening they swayed without affectation,
as branches sway among the thickets.
وَعَنَّand appeared لَهُنَّbefore them سِربُa herd مُهىًof oryx بِوادٍin a valley
وَعَنَّ لَهُنَّ سِربُ مُهىً بِوادٍ
مَريعٍlush with pasture فَالتَقىthen met عَينٌan eye وَعِينُand wide-eyed ones
مَريعٍ فَالتَقى عَينٌ وَعِينُ
A herd of oryx appeared before them in a valley
lush with pasture, and eye met eye.
كِلاeach of السِربَينِthe two herds لَيسَthere is not لَهُfor it وَفاءٌfidelity
كِلا السِربَينِ لَيسَ لَهُ وَفاءٌ
وَلاnor حَبلٌa cord يُمَدُّis stretched بِهِby it مَتِينُstrong
وَلا حَبلٌ يُمَدُّ بِهِ مَتِينُ
Neither herd has any fidelity,
nor a strong cord that can be drawn taut.
ضَنِيناتٌgrudging عَلَيكَtoward you وَكَيفَand how يُرجىcan be hoped for
ضَنِيناتٌ عَلَيكَ وَكَيفَ يُرجى
زَوالُthe yielding of يَدٍa hand وَصاحِبُهاand its owner ضَنينُmiserly
زَوالُ يَدٍ وَصاحِبُها ضَنينُ
They begrudge you their favors—how can one hope
for a hand to yield when its owner is miserly?
جُنِنّاwe were driven mad بِالحِسانِby the beauties البِيضِfair-skinned دَهراًfor a long time
جُنِنّا بِالحِسانِ البِيضِ دَهراً
وَإِنَّand indeed هَوىlove of الحِسانُthe beauties هُوَis itself الجُنونُmadness
وَإِنَّ هَوى الحِسانُ هُوَ الجُنونُ
Long have we been crazed by fair-skinned beauties,
and love of beauties is madness itself.
تَناسَينَthey feigned forgetting العُهُودَthe pledges فَلاso no عُهُودٌpledges
تَناسَينَ العُهُودَ فَلا عُهُودٌ
وَأَلوَينَand they repudiated الدُيونَthe debts فَلاso no دُيونُdebts
وَأَلوَينَ الدُيونَ فَلا دُيونُ
They feigned forgetfulness of their pledges: no pledges remain;
they repudiated their debts: no debts remain.
كَأَنَّas though أُمامَةًUmāmah حَلَفَتswore يَمِيناًan oath
كَأَنَّ أُمامَةً حَلَفَت يَمِيناً
لَناto us أَنthat لاnot يَصِحَّwould hold true لَهاfor her يَمينُan oath
لَنا أَن لا يَصِحَّ لَها يَمينُ
It is as though Umāmah swore an oath
to us that no oath of hers would hold true.
أَغِيُّis this folly? بَعدَafter ماthat ذَهَبَhas passed التَصابِيyouthful dalliance
أَغِيُّ بَعدَ ما ذَهَبَ التَصابِي
وَشابَتand turned gray بَعدَafter حُلكَتِهاtheir jet-blackness القُرونُthe locks
وَشابَت بَعدَ حُلكَتِها القُرونُ
Is this folly, after youthful dalliance has passed
and locks once jet-black have turned gray?
وَعِندَكَand with you يابنَO son of وَثّابٍWaththāb جَميلٌkindness
وَعِندَكَ يابنَ وَثّابٍ جَميلٌ
فَإِنso if تُشكَرyou are thanked فَمَحقُوقٌthen deserving قَمِينُworthy
فَإِن تُشكَر فَمَحقُوقٌ قَمِينُ
And with you, O son of Waththāb, there is kindness;
if you are thanked, you are deserving and worthy.
فَتىًa young man أَولاكَbestowed upon you مَكرُومَةًhonor وَفَضلاًand bounty
فَتىً أَولاكَ مَكرُومَةً وَفَضلاً
وَعَزَّand grew mighty بِهِthrough him حِماكَyour sanctuary فَلاso not يَهُونُbe abased
وَعَزَّ بِهِ حِماكَ فَلا يَهُونُ
A young man bestowed honor and bounty upon you,
and through him your sanctuary grew mighty, never to be abased.
أَباO father of الزِمّاعِal-Zimmāʿ صُنتَyou safeguarded عَلَيَّfor me جاهِيmy standing
أَبا الزِمّاعِ صُنتَ عَلَيَّ جاهِي
وَمِثلُكَand one like you مَنone who يَذِبَّdefends وَمَنand one who يَصُونُprotects
وَمِثلُكَ مَن يَذِبَّ وَمَن يَصُونُ
O Abū al-Zimmāʿ, you preserved my standing for me,
and one like you is the one to defend and protect.
وَراعَيتَand you tended الَّذيwhat راعىtended شَبيبٌShabīb
وَراعَيتَ الَّذي راعى شَبيبٌ
سَقَتmay water مَثواهُhis resting place سارِيَةٌa night-traveling raincloud هَتُونُcopiously raining
سَقَت مَثواهُ سارِيَةٌ هَتُونُ
You tended what Shabīb had tended—
may a copiously raining night-cloud water his resting place.
وَلَولاand but for أَنتَyou لاتسَعَتwould surely have widened خُروقٌbreaches
وَلَولا أَنتَ لاتسَعَت خُروقٌ
عَلىin ماwhat فيin يَدِيmy hand وَجَرَتand would have flowed شُئُونُtears
عَلى ما في يَدِي وَجَرَت شُئُونُ
But for you, the breaches would have widened
in what I possess, and tears would have streamed.
وَلَكِنbut أَنتَyou لِيfor me وَزَرٌa refuge مَنِيعٌimpregnable
وَلَكِن أَنتَ لِي وَزَرٌ مَنِيعٌ
وَحِصنٌand a fortress اِستَجِنُّI take shelter بِهِin it حَصِينُwell-fortified
وَحِصنٌ اِستَجِنُّ بِهِ حَصِينُ
But you are an impregnable refuge for me,
and a strong fortress in which I take shelter.
Sol 6.1