تَوَقَّbeware كَلاميmy speech ياO ابنَson of عَمروAmr فَإِنَّهُfor it is
تَوَقَّ كَلامي يا ابنَ عَمرو فَإِنَّهُ
أَسنَّةُspearheads عارٍshame لاnot يُبَلُّis healed طَعينُهاone pierced by them
أَسنَّةُ عارٍ لا يُبَلُّ طَعينُها
Beware my speech, O son of Amr, for it is
Cease your words, O son of Amr, for they are
Spearheads of shame: whoever they pierce never heals.
A shameful gossip whose drivel has no worth.
فَقَدfor indeed نازَعتَنيcontended with me العِزَّhonor فيكَover you قَبائِلٌtribes
فَقَد نازَعتَني العِزَّ فيكَ قَبائِلٌ
مَلأتَyou filled عَلَيهاupon them دَهرَهاtheir lifetime ماwhat يُهِينُهاdisgraces them
مَلأتَ عَلَيها دَهرَها ما يُهِينُها
For tribes have contested honor with me over you;
You have disputed my glory among the tribes,
You have filled their whole lifetime with what disgraces them.
Filling their lifetimes with that which degrades them.
وَفارَقتُهاand I left them مُستَبدِلاًtaking in exchange دارَa home غُربَةٍexile
وَفارَقتُها مُستَبدِلاً دارَ غُربَةٍ
أَلاtake heed إِنَّindeed أَوطانَhomelands الغناwealth ماnot يَصونُهاsafeguards them
أَلا إِنَّ أَوطانَ الغنا ما يَصونُها
And I left them, taking instead a home in exile.
I left them, settling in a foreign land.
Know that wealth does not safeguard homelands.
Alas, homelands of song do not preserve their honor.
تَوَقَّدُblaze مِنwith غَيظٍrage عَليَّagainst me صُدورُهاtheir breasts
تَوَقَّدُ مِن غَيظٍ عَليَّ صُدورُها
وَتَزوَرُّand turn askance مِنfrom خَوفfear إلَيَّtoward me عُيونُهاtheir eyes
وَتَزوَرُّ مِن خَوف إلَيَّ عُيونُها
Their breasts blaze against me with rage,
Their chests blaze against me with anger,
And their eyes turn askance toward me in fear.
And their eyes glance at me in pretended fear.
غَدَتhave become فِقَرٌpithy lines مِنّيfrom me تُثيرُstir up مَخازِياًdisgraces
غَدَت فِقَرٌ مِنّي تُثيرُ مَخازِياً
بِأَعراضِهاagainst their honor لَوif كانَwere لُؤمٌbaseness يُشينُهاdisgraces them
بِأَعراضِها لَو كانَ لُؤمٌ يُشينُها
Lines of mine have begun to stir up disgrace
My poverty has made me a target for their slander
Against their honor—if baseness could disgrace them.
With their chastity, if baseness could diminish it.
خَلائِقُqualities نَدبٍa noble man أَطمَعَتكُمhave tempted you سُهولُهاtheir plains
خَلائِقُ نَدبٍ أَطمَعَتكُم سُهولُها
سَتُفزِعُكُمwill terrify you عَمّاin just قَليلٍa short while حُزونُهاtheir rugged ground
سَتُفزِعُكُم عَمّا قَليلٍ حُزونُها
A noble man's qualities—their easy plains have tempted you;
O fools who hope to easily seduce them,
Soon their rugged ground will terrify you.
Soon their sadness will startle you.
وَكَيفَand how يُرامُis sought الذُّلُّhumiliation مِنّيfrom me وَعامِرٌwhile Amir
وَكَيفَ يُرامُ الذُّلُّ مِنّي وَعامِرٌ
تُقَضَّىare repaid بِأَطرافِwith the points of العَواليlong spears دُيونُهاits debts
تُقَضَّى بِأَطرافِ العَوالي دُيونُها
And how can humiliation be sought from me, when Amir's
How could I be shamed when Aamir
Debts are settled with the points of long spears?
Settles their debts at mountain peaks?
وَماand not نَكَرَتfound unfamiliar بيضَgleaming السُّيوفِswords صُدورُهاtheir breasts
وَما نَكَرَت بيضَ السُّيوفِ صُدورُها
وَلاnor جَهِلَتhave been ignorant of سُمرَdusky الرِّماحِspears مُتونُهاtheir backs
وَلا جَهِلَت سُمرَ الرِّماحِ مُتونُها
And their breasts have not been strangers to gleaming swords,
Their chests are not ignorant of the white swords,
Nor have their backs been unfamiliar with dusky spears.
Nor are their spear-shafts unaware of the brown lance.
نَبَذتُكَI cast you off نَبذَthe casting off of العارِdisgrace مِنيfrom me فَلَوso if صَبَتit yearned
نَبَذتُكَ نَبذَ العارِ مِني فَلَو صَبَت
إِلَيكَtoward you شِماليmy left hand فارَقَتهاwould forsake it يَمينُهاits right hand
إِلَيكَ شِمالي فارَقَتها يَمينُها
I cast you off like disgrace from myself; and were
I have discarded you as I would discard dishonor; if
My left hand to yearn toward you, my right would forsake it.
My left hand extended to you, my right would forsake it.
وَلَوand if كُنتُI were بَرقاًlightning بِالغُوَيرِat al-Ghuwayr بَدَتappeared بِهِby it
وَلَو كُنتُ بَرقاً بِالغُوَيرِ بَدَت بِهِ
مَنازِلُdwellings سَلمىSalma سَهلُهاtheir plain وَوَجينُهاand their stony ground
مَنازِلُ سَلمى سَهلُها وَوَجينُها
And were I lightning at al-Ghuwayr that revealed
If I were lightning in Al-Ghuwair then would appear
Salma's dwellings, their plain and their stony ground,
The abodes of Salma, its plains and undulating dunes,
لأَعرَضتُI would surely turn away عَنهُfrom it وَالجَوىwhile heartache فيin مَقَرِّهِits abode
لأَعرَضتُ عَنهُ وَالجَوى في مَقَرِّهِ
وَنازَعتُand I would wrestle with نَفساًa soul جُنَّwas driven mad مِنهاby it جُنونُهاits madness
وَنازَعتُ نَفساً جُنَّ مِنها جُنونُها
I would turn away from it, though heartache remained in its abode,
I would turn away from it while passion dwells within it
And wrestle with a soul that drove its own madness mad.
And wrest from it a soul made mad by its madness.
مَتىwhen أَناI غادٍsetting out at dawn بِالغَميمِat al-Ghamim وَصُحبَتيand my companions
مَتى أَنا غادٍ بِالغَميمِ وَصُحبَتي
تُجاوِدُvie in lavishness with هَطّالَthe downpour of الغَواديmorning rainclouds شُؤونُهاtheir tear-ducts
تُجاوِدُ هَطّالَ الغَوادي شُؤونُها
When shall I set out at dawn at al-Ghamim, with my companions,
When I wander with the clouds as my friends,
Their tear-ducts rivalling the downpour of the morning clouds,
My concerns commune with the winding valleys.
عَلَىon ضُمُرٍlean camels بارَيتُهُمI rivalled them بِحَنينِهاwith their plaintive cries
عَلَى ضُمُرٍ بارَيتُهُم بِحَنينِها
غَراماًin passion وَبارَهاand tested them سَقاماًwith sickness حَنينُهاtheir plaintive cries
غَراماً وَبارَها سَقاماً حَنينُها
On lean camels—I rivalled them with their plaintive cries
For hearts I have filled with yearning for them,
In passion, and their plaintive cries tested them with sickness.
Passionately in love, and in love driving them mad.
تَجِدyou find إِذاwhen هَبَّتblew رِياحٌwinds مَريضَةٌsickly
تَجِد إِذا هَبَّت رِياحٌ مَريضَةٌ
ضَلالَكَyour lost ones مِنهاamong them إِنif تَوَعَّكَgrew fevered لينُهاtheir softness
ضَلالَكَ مِنها إِن تَوَعَّكَ لينُها
You find, when sickly winds blow,
You will find, when the treasonous winds blow,
Your lost ones among them, if their softness grows fevered.
That you are misguided if you expect softness from them.
إِذاwhen خِلنَthey imagined غُدرانَthe pools of الغُوَيرِal-Ghuwayr صَوارِماًkeen swords
إِذا خِلنَ غُدرانَ الغُوَيرِ صَوارِماً
تَمَنَّينَthey wished لَوthat أَجفانَهُنَّtheir eyelids جُفونُهاtheir scabbards
تَمَنَّينَ لَو أَجفانَهُنَّ جُفونُها
When they imagined al-Ghuwayr's pools to be keen swords,
When the polished blades of Al-Ghuwair are unsheathed,
They wished their eyelids were scabbards for those blades.
You will wish their eyelids were closed fast.
فَإِنَّfor indeed بِقَلبيin my heart مِنfrom فِراقparting from عُذَيبَةٍUdhayba
فَإِنَّ بِقَلبي مِن فِراق عُذَيبَةٍ
طَماعَةُa greedy hope شَكّdoubt لاmay not عَرانيbefall me يَقينُهاits certainty
طَماعَةُ شَكّ لا عَراني يَقينُها
For in my heart, since parting from Udhayba,
In my heart is such anguish over 'Udhaybah
Is a greedy hope born of doubt—may its certainty never befall me.
That doubt's greed admits no certainty.
Sol 6.1