لَقَدindeed صاحَcried out بِالبَينِof parting الحَمامُthe doves النَوائِحُthe mourning ones
لَقَد صاحَ بِالبَينِ الحَمامُ النَوائِحُ
وَهاجَتand stirred لَكَfor you الشَوقَlonging الحُمولُthe laden camels الرَوائِحُdeparting at evening
وَهاجَت لَكَ الشَوقَ الحُمولُ الرَوائِحُ
Indeed, the mourning doves cried out of parting.
The doves cried out with lamentation
And the laden camels departing at evening stirred your longing.
And yearning for you stirred fragrant passions
حَلَلناwe camped الحِمىthe protected pasture حَتّىuntil اِنمَحَتfaded away نَبهَةُthe glimmer النَدىof dew
حَلَلنا الحِمى حَتّى اِنمَحَت نَبهَةُ النَدى
وَسارَتand traveled بِأَخبارِwith tidings of المَصيفِsummer البَوارِحُthe hot winds
وَسارَت بِأَخبارِ المَصيفِ البَوارِحُ
We camped in the protected pasture until the dew's glimmer faded,
We pitched our tents until the dew's brilliance faded
And the hot winds carried tidings of summer.
And the news of summer set out on the winds
رَمَتنيshe struck me بِلَحظٍwith a glance فِعلَهُits effect المَوتُdeath واصِلٌreaching
رَمَتني بِلَحظٍ فِعلَهُ المَوتُ واصِلٌ
إِلىto النَفسِthe soul لاnot تَنأىlie far away عَلَيهِbeyond it المَطارِحُthe distances
إِلى النَفسِ لا تَنأى عَلَيهِ المَطارِحُ
She struck me with a glance whose effect is death, reaching
With a glance, death's messenger aimed
The soul; no distance lies beyond its reach.
Straight at my soul, beyond all defenses
كَلَحظَةِlike the glance of بازٍa hawk صائِدٍhunting قَبلَbefore كَفِّهِits talon
كَلَحظَةِ بازٍ صائِدٍ قَبلَ كَفِّهِ
بِمُقلَتِهِwith its eye وَالطَيرُand the birds عَنهُfrom it بَوارِحُflying away
بِمُقلَتِهِ وَالطَيرُ عَنهُ بَوارِحُ
Like the glance of a hawk that hunts, before its talon strikes,
Like the glance of a hunting falcon before its talons
With its eye, while the birds fly away from it.
Grasp prey while it flutters helplessly
لَناwe have وَفرَةٌa plentiful herd ماnot وَفَّرَتهاpreserved it دِماؤُناour blood
لَنا وَفرَةٌ ما وَفَّرَتها دِماؤُنا
وَلاnor ذَعَرَتهاfrightened it فيin الصَباحِthe morning الصَوابِحُthe dawn raiders
وَلا ذَعَرَتها في الصَباحِ الصَوابِحُ
We have a herd our blood has not kept intact,
We have a refuge that our blood has not sacrificed
Nor have dawn raiders frightened it in the morning.
Nor the keen blades of dawn terrified
تَقَسَّمَهُنَّdivided them up الحَربُwar إِلّاexcept بَقِيَّةًa remnant
تَقَسَّمَهُنَّ الحَربُ إِلّا بَقِيَّةً
تَرُدُّyields sustenance عَلَيناto us حينَwhen تُخشىare feared الجَوائِحُcalamities
تَرُدُّ عَلَينا حينَ تُخشى الجَوائِحُ
War divided them up, save a remnant
War divided them, leaving only a remnant
That provides for us when calamities are feared.
That returns to us when calamity is feared
إِذاif غَدَرَتfailed أَلبانُهاtheir milk بِضُيوفِناour guests
إِذا غَدَرَت أَلبانُها بِضُيوفِنا
وَفَتfulfilled its duty لِلقِرىto hospitality جيرانُهاtheir neighbors وَالصَفايِحُand the sword-blades
وَفَت لِلقِرى جيرانُها وَالصَفايِحُ
If their milk fails our guests,
When their milk betrays our guests
Their neighbors and the sword-blades fulfill hospitality's due.
And their neighbors unlock the village gates
وَقَيَّدَهاand tethered her بِالنَصلِwith the blade خِرقٌa deft man كَأَنَّهُas though he
وَقَيَّدَها بِالنَصلِ خِرقٌ كَأَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen جَدَّwas earnest لَولاwere it not for ماwhat جَنىwrought السَيفُthe sword مازِحُjesting
إِذا جَدَّ لَولا ما جَنى السَيفُ مازِحُ
And a deft man tethered her with the blade, as though,
Tying them with blades, the tatters
When earnest, he were jesting—but for what the sword wrought.
As if, without the sword's harvest, jesters playing
كَأَنَّas though أَكُفَّthe hands of القَومِthe people فيat جَنَباتِهِhis sides
كَأَنَّ أَكُفَّ القَومِ في جَنَباتِهِ
قَطاًsandgrouse لَمnot يُنَفِّرهُfrightened it away عَنِfrom الماءِthe water سارِحُa herdsman
قَطاً لَم يُنَفِّرهُ عَنِ الماءِ سارِحُ
As though the people's hands at his sides
As if enemy palms on their flanks
Were sandgrouse no herdsman had scared away from the water.
Were cats undriven from the water by a herdsman
وَقَدَّمَand set before لِلأَضيافِfor the guests فَوهاءَa wide-mouthed cauldron لَمnot تَزَلceased
وَقَدَّمَ لِلأَضيافِ فَوهاءَ لَم تَزَل
تُجاهِرُproclaiming aloud غَيظاًrage كُلَّماwhenever راحَpassed at evening رائِحُa traveler
تُجاهِرُ غَيظاً كُلَّما راحَ رائِحُ
And he set before the guests a wide-mouthed cauldron that never ceased
And served our guests only spittle that
Loudly proclaiming its rage whenever a traveler passed at evening.
Still seethes whenever the winds blow
كَأَنَّas though بَناتِthe daughters of الغَليِboiling فيin حَجَراتِهاits hollows
كَأَنَّ بَناتِ الغَليِ في حَجَراتِها
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِنجَلَتwere revealed أَفلاءُfoals of خَيلٍhorses رَوائِحُreturning at evening
إِذا ما اِنجَلَت أَفلاءُ خَيلٍ رَوائِحُ
As though the daughters of boiling within its hollows,
As if the daughters of oppression in their chambers
When revealed, were foals of horses returning at dusk.
When the vanguard of horses stirs the winds
وَكَمand how often حَضَرَhe entered الهَيجاءَbattle فيon ناصِحِsound in الشَظاthe splint bones
وَكَم حَضَرَ الهَيجاءَ في ناصِحِ الشَظا
تَكامَلَreached full development فيin أَسنانِهِits teeth فَهوَso it is قارِحُa mature horse
تَكامَلَ في أَسنانِهِ فَهوَ قارِحُ
And often he entered battle on a horse with sound leg-bones,
And how often the fool comes to sincere counsel
Its teeth fully developed: a mature steed.
Perfectly armed - his teeth ready to gnaw
لَهُit has عُنُقٌa neck يَغتالُsteals away طولَthe length of عِنانِهِits rein
لَهُ عُنُقٌ يَغتالُ طولَ عِنانِهِ
وَصَدرٌand a chest إِذاwhen أَعطَيتَهُyou grant it الجَريَrunning سابِحُswimming
وَصَدرٌ إِذا أَعطَيتَهُ الجَريَ سابِحُ
It has a neck that steals away the length of its rein,
With a neck that ambushes the length of his tether
And a chest that swims when you let it gallop.
And a chest - if you race him, a swimmer
إِذاwhen مالَit swayed فيin أَعطافِهِits flanks قُلتَyou would say شارِبٌa drinker
إِذا مالَ في أَعطافِهِ قُلتَ شارِبٌ
عَناهُovercame him بِتَصريفِwith repeated servings of المُدامَةِwine صابِحُa morning cupbearer
عَناهُ بِتَصريفِ المُدامَةِ صابِحُ
When it sways from side to side, you say: a drinker
If he veers into turns, you would say a drinker
Overcome by a morning cupbearer plying him with wine.
Befuddled by quaffing wine at daybreak
أَبىrefused المَوتُdeath أَنthat تُخشىshe should fear شُرَيرَةُShurayra حَلَّهُits coming
أَبى المَوتُ أَن تُخشى شُرَيرَةُ حَلَّهُ
لَعَلَّperhaps الَّذيthat which تَخشىyou fear شُرَيرَةَShurayra صالِحُgood
لَعَلَّ الَّذي تَخشى شُرَيرَةَ صالِحُ
Death would not have Shurayra fear its coming;
Death refused to fear his wicked turning
Perhaps what you fear, Shurayra, is good.
Perhaps the one you fear turns to righteousness
فَإِنso if مُتُّI die فَاِنعينيthen announce my death إِلىto المَجدِglory وَالتُقىand piety
فَإِن مُتُّ فَاِنعيني إِلى المَجدِ وَالتُقى
وَلاand do not تَسكُبيshed دَمعاًtears إِذاwhen قامَrises نائِحُa wailing mourner
وَلا تَسكُبي دَمعاً إِذا قامَ نائِحُ
So if I die, announce my death to glory and piety,
So if I die, lead me to glory and piety
And shed no tears when a wailing mourner rises.
And do not shed a tear when the keeners wail
وَقوليand say هَوىhas fallen عَرشُthe throne of المَكارِمِnoble deeds وَالعُلىand high honor
وَقولي هَوى عَرشُ المَكارِمِ وَالعُلى
وَعُطِّلَand was left idle ميزانٌa balance مِنَof العِلمِlearning راجِعُreturning
وَعُطِّلَ ميزانٌ مِنَ العِلمِ راجِعُ
And say: the throne of noble deeds and high honor has fallen,
Say the throne of honor and sublimity has fallen
And a returning balance of learning has been left idle.
And the scales of knowledge hang useless
فَماfor ... not يُخلِقُwears out الثَوبَthe garment الجَديدَnew اِبتِذالُهُits everyday use
فَما يُخلِقُ الثَوبَ الجَديدَ اِبتِذالُهُ
كَماas يُخلِقُwear out المَرءَa man العُيونُthe eyes اللَوامِحُglancing
كَما يُخلِقُ المَرءَ العُيونُ اللَوامِحُ
For everyday use does not wear out a new garment
For the new robe is not shamed by wearing it
As much as glancing eyes wear out a man.
As the eyes of the virtuous do not shame a man
Sol 6.1