أخوكَyour brother هذاthis بديعٌwondrous
أخوكَ هذا بديعٌ
مجاوزٌsurpassing كُلَّevery وَصْفdescription
مجاوزٌ كُلَّ وَصْف
This brother of yours is a marvel,
This brother of yours is outstanding,
surpassing every description,
Surpassing all description,
لأَنّهُbecause he is أخُa brother أَخِّ'Ah!' (an exclamation)
لأَنّهُ أخُ أَخِّ
وَغَيْرُهُand someone other than him أخُa brother نفِّ'Pah!' (spitting in contempt)
وَغَيْرُهُ أخُ نفِّ
for he is an 'Ah!' brother,
For he is a true brother,
while another is a 'Pah!' brother.
While others are brothers in name only.
ياO عينُeye جوديgive freely بِدَمعٍwith tears منكfrom you مُنْسَجمflowing
يا عينُ جودي بِدَمعٍ منك مُنْسَجم
وابكيand weep علىover فقدِthe loss of أكديشٍa crossbred horse لناof ours هَرِمِaged
وابكي على فقدِ أكديشٍ لنا هَرِمِ
O eye, give freely of your flowing tears,
Oh my eyes, weep plentiful tears
and weep for the loss of our aged crossbred nag.
And mourn the loss of our aged Akdish,
قضىdecreed لهُfor him الجوعُhunger أنْthat يُقضىhe be brought to his end بلاwithout سَبَبٍa cause
قضى لهُ الجوعُ أنْ يُقضى بلا سَبَبٍ
سواهُother than it لاnot مِنْfrom أذىthe harm of داءٍillness ولاand not أَلَمِpain
سواهُ لا مِنْ أذى داءٍ ولا أَلَمِ
Hunger decreed that he should die for no cause
Whom starvation took for no reason
but itself—not from the harm of illness or pain.
Other than disease or pain.
ماnot زالَceased يَستافُhe sniffs زِبلاًdung إذْas يروثُhe defecates إلىuntil
ما زالَ يَستافُ زِبلاً إذْ يروثُ إلى
أنْthat ماتَhe died منfrom علّةِthe ailment of الأمغاصِcolic pains والخَشَمِand loss of smell
أنْ ماتَ من علّةِ الأمغاصِ والخَشَمِ
He kept sniffing dung as he defecated, until
He persisted rummaging through trash
he died of colic and loss of smell.
Until he died of nasal tumors and catarrh.
كمhow many وقعةٍa battle ليfor me عليهِon him فيin الغزاةِthe raids وَكَمْand how often
كم وقعةٍ لي عليهِ في الغزاةِ وَكَمْ
جَفَلْتُI shied منfrom جَفلَةٍa sudden fright كالنّومlike sleep فيin الحُلُمِa dream
جَفَلْتُ من جَفلَةٍ كالنّوم في الحُلُمِ
How many a battle I had astride him on raids, and how often
How many battles have I fought with him
I shied at a sudden fright, like sleep within a dream.
And startled awake from nightmares of war!
يرجوhopes for الفِرارَescape سِوىexcept منwhoever كانwas راكِبُهُhis rider
يرجو الفِرارَ سِوى من كان راكِبُهُ
فيin الحَرْبِwar فَهْوَso he is شَهيدٌa martyr غيرُnot مُنْهَزِمِrouted
في الحَرْبِ فَهْوَ شَهيدٌ غيرُ مُنْهَزِمِ
Everyone hopes to escape except whoever rode him
He hoped to flee all who rode
in war: he is a martyr, never routed.
To battle, and was no coward.
قدindeed كانَwas عَونيmy help علىdespite ضَعْفٍweakness بهِin him زَمَناًfor a time
قد كانَ عَوني على ضَعْفٍ بهِ زَمَناً
حتّىuntil غداhe became زَمِناًcrippled بالوَيْلِwith woe ثمَّthen عَميhe went blind
حتّى غدا زَمِناً بالوَيْلِ ثمَّ عَمي
He was my help for a time, despite his weakness,
He was my support in times of weakness,
until, alas, he grew crippled, then went blind.
Until time itself grew infirm and blind.
وصارَand he became فيin عَرْصَةِthe yard of الإسطبلِthe stable تُبصِرُهُyou see him
وصارَ في عَرْصَةِ الإسطبلِ تُبصِرُهُ
كالخُلدlike a mole يَبْحَثُhe digs فيin الأَزبالdung heaps والاكَمِand mounds
كالخُلد يَبْحَثُ في الأَزبال والاكَمِ
And he ended up in the stable yard, where you would see him
In the stable yard you can see him
like a mole, digging through dung heaps and mounds.
Searching refuse and trash heaps like a dormouse.
وماتَand he died فيat آخرِthe end of التّسعينَninety ذاafflicted with هَرَمِold age
وماتَ في آخرِ التّسعينَ ذا هَرَمِ
وذاand with خنانcatarrh وذاand with مَغْلٍcolic وذاand with صَمَمdeafness
وذا خنان وذا مَغْلٍ وذا صَمَم
And he died at the close of ninety, worn with age,
He died at ninety, aged and deaf,
and with catarrh, and with colic, and with deafness.
Bent and blind.
فَبِتُّso I spent the night أَبكيweeping لأَيّامٍfor days لناof ours سَلَفَتْgone by
فَبِتُّ أَبكي لأَيّامٍ لنا سَلَفَتْ
لِحِفظِto keep عَهْديmy pledge وماand not بالعَهْدِin the pledge منany قِدَمage
لِحِفظِ عَهْدي وما بالعَهْدِ من قِدَم
So I spent the night weeping for our bygone days,
I weep for days gone by,
to honor my pledge, a pledge not grown old.
To keep my vow, though vows are fleeting.
إنَّindeed الرفيقَthe companion لَيَبْكيsurely weeps للرَّفيقِfor the companion وَقَدْand indeed
إنَّ الرفيقَ لَيَبْكي للرَّفيقِ وَقَدْ
قالواthey have said المعارفُacquaintanceships بينَamong النّاسpeople كالذِّمَمِlike binding pledges
قالوا المعارفُ بينَ النّاس كالذِّمَمِ
A companion surely weeps for a companion; and indeed,
A friend weeps for a friend—
they have said: 'Acquaintanceships among people are like binding pledges.'
As they say, people are judged by their friends.
Sol 6.1