قطعتI crossed سهولthe plains of يثربYathrib والهضاباand the uplands
قطعت سهول يثرب والهضابا
علىon شدنيةa Shadani she-camel تطويshe traverses الشعاباthe ravines
على شدنية تطوي الشعابا
I crossed the plains of Yathrib and the uplands,
She traversed the plains of Yathrib and the hills,
On a Shadani she-camel traversing the ravines.
On a docile she-camel folding up the valleys,
سرتI journeyed تطويshe traverses الفدافدthe barren plains والروابيand the hills
سرت تطوي الفدافد والروابي
وتجتازand she crosses المفاوزthe desert wastes والرحاباand the open expanses
وتجتاز المفاوز والرحابا
I journeyed while she traversed barren plains and hills,
She continued folding the hollows and meadows,
And crossed desert wastes and open expanses.
And crossed the barren lands and vast deserts.
إذاwhen انبعثتshe springs forward يثورrises لهاaround her قتامdust
إذا انبعثت يثور لها قتام
لوجهfor the face of الشمسthe sun تنسجهshe weaves it نقاباa veil
لوجه الشمس تنسجه نقابا
Whenever she sprang forward, dust rose around her,
Whenever she sets forth chaos stirs up,
Which she wove into a veil for the sun's face.
For the face of the sun she weaves a veil,
يجشمهاhe makes her face المهالكmortal perils مشمعلa swift, vigorous man
يجشمها المهالك مشمعل
يخوضhe plunges into منof الردىdeath بحراًa sea عباباsurging
يخوض من الردى بحراً عبابا
A swift, vigorous man drives her into mortal perils,
The perils leer at her like a glowing coal,
Plunging into a surging sea of death.
It plunges into the tumultuous sea from the stench.
هزبرa lion منfrom بنيthe sons of الكرارal-Karrar أضحىhe began
هزبر من بني الكرار أضحى
يؤلبhe rallies للوغىfor battle أسداًlions غضاباwrathful
يؤلب للوغى أسداً غضابا
A lion from the sons of al-Karrar, he began
Hizbir of Bani al-Karrar has become,
To rally wrathful lions for battle.
Inciting for turmoil a furious lion.
غداةon the morning when تألبتmassed together أرجاسthe vile men of حربHarb
غداة تألبت أرجاس حرب
لتدركto attain بالطفوفat al-Tufuf لهاfor themselves طلاباa sought-for aim
لتدرك بالطفوف لها طلابا
That morning, Harb's vile men massed together
On the morrow when the bells of war stirred up,
To attain at al-Tufuf the object of their pursuit.
To overtake with the Cavalry her seeking ones.
فكرthen he charged عليهمupon them بليوثwith lions غابof the thickets
فكر عليهم بليوث غاب
لهاfor themselves اتخذتthey made قناthe spears الخطيof al-Khatt غاباa forest
لها اتخذت قنا الخطي غابا
Then he charged upon them with lions of the thickets,
So think about them a roaring lion,
Who made Khatti spears a forest for themselves.
It has taken the pass of al-Khati its den.
إذاwhen انتدبتthey answer the call وجردتand unsheathe المواضيthe keen blades
إذا انتدبت وجردت المواضي
تضيّقthey narrow فيamong بنيthe sons of حربHarb الرحاباthe open expanses
تضيّق في بني حرب الرحابا
When they answer the call and unsheathe their keen blades,
Whenever she recruits and prepares the pastures,
They make wide expanses narrow for the sons of Harb.
The open spaces in Bani Harb narrow.
وهبَّand there rose بهاwith them لحربto fight بنيthe sons of زيادZiyad
وهبَّ بها لحرب بني زياد
لدىamid الهيجاthe battle قساورةmighty lions صلاباunyielding
لدى الهيجا قساورة صلابا
And with them rose, to fight the sons of Ziyad,
And Hibat made them head with Harb bin Ziyad,
Amid the fray, mighty, unyielding lions.
By al-Hijr tough coats of mail.
فبينand among them مشمرone girded for action للموتfor death يصبوhe yearns
فبين مشمر للموت يصبو
صبوَّwith the longing of متيمa love-stricken man ولهاin lovesick rapture تصابىhe indulged youthful passion
صبوَّ متيم ولها تصابى
Among them was one, girded for death and yearning,
So one girds himself for death pouring himself,
With a love-stricken man's longing, raptly indulging youthful passion.
Like pouring of Mutaym and her seeking alike.
وآخرand another فيamong العدىthe foes يعدوhe charges فيغدوand then proceeds
وآخر في العدى يعدو فيغدو
يكسِّرhe shatters فيin صدورهمtheir chests الحراباthe lances
يكسِّر في صدورهم الحرابا
Another charges among the foes, then goes on
While the other in the foe goes in the morning to return,
To shatter lances in their chests.
Breaking in their chests the millstones.
إلىuntil أنthat غودرتwere left behind منهمof them جسوماًbodies
إلى أن غودرت منهم جسوماً
ترىyou see قانيthe crimson of الدماءblood لهاfor them خضاباa dye
ترى قاني الدماء لها خضابا
Until bodies of theirs lay abandoned,
Until she left among them bodies—
You see blood's crimson as their dye.
You see the blood dies them with its stain
وضلَّand he grew bewildered يديرhe turns فردthe peerless one of الدهرthe age طرفاًa gaze
وضلَّ يدير فرد الدهر طرفاً
يناديhe calls بالنصيرfor a helper فلنbut he will not يجاباbe answered
ينادي بالنصير فلن يجابا
And the age's peerless man, bewildered, turns his gaze about,
And he turns searching the time a glance,
Calling for a helper, but he will not be answered.
Calling for help but none shall respond.
فمهماand whenever كرَّhe charged ضلتthey lost their bearings منهof him رعباin terror
فمهما كرَّ ضلت منه رعبا
أسوداًlions لحربof Harb تضطربthey tremble اضطراباa violent trembling
أسوداً لحرب تضطرب اضطرابا
Whenever he charged, they lost their bearings in terror of him—
So whatever he did terrible fear spread,
Harb's lions, trembling violently.
Dark for war, chaotic in its chaos.
يصولhe charges بأسمرwith a brown-shafted spear طوراًat one time وطوراand at another
يصول بأسمر طوراً وطورا
بأبيضwith a white blade صارمkeen-edged يفريit cleaves الرقاباnecks
بأبيض صارم يفري الرقابا
He charges now with a brown-shafted spear, and now
He rages time and again,
With a white, keen-edged blade that cleaves necks.
With brown polished sword that shears the necks.
وأروعand an awe-inspiring man لمdid not تروّعهfrighten him المناياdeath's fates
وأروع لم تروّعه المنايا
إذاwhen ازدلفتthey drew near تجاذبهthey tug at him جذاباa forceful tugging
إذا ازدلفت تجاذبه جذابا
And an awe-inspiring warrior, whom death's fates did not frighten,
And most frightening, not frightened by death,
When they drew near, tugging fiercely at him.
When it approaches pulling him violently.
يهزhe brandishes مثقفاًa straightened lance ويسلّand he unsheathes عضباa keen sword
يهز مثقفاً ويسلّ عضبا
كومضlike the flash of البرقlightning يلتهبit blazes التهاباa fierce blazing
كومض البرق يلتهب التهابا
He brandishes a straightened lance and draws a keen sword,
He shakes fully armed and pours his anger,
Like lightning's flash, it blazes fiercely.
Like the flashing of lightning aflame.
نضاhe unsheathed للضربfor striking قرضاباa cleaving sword صنيعاfinely wrought
نضا للضرب قرضابا صنيعا
أبىit refused إلاexcept الرقابnecks لهfor itself قراباa sheath
أبى إلا الرقاب له قرابا
He drew for striking a finely wrought, cleaving sword,
Keen to strike, a piercing well-made sword,
That would have no sheath but necks.
That refused but to have the necks as its feast.
رمىhe shot ورمواand they shot سهامarrows of الحتفdeath حتىuntil
رمى ورموا سهام الحتف حتى
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle أخطأواthey missed مرمىًa target أصاباhe struck true
إذا ما أخطأوا مرمىً أصابا
He shot, and they shot, the arrows of death, until
They threw—and were thrown—the arrows of death until,
When they missed a mark, he struck true.
When they missed a target they’d hit.
إلىuntil أنthat خرَّhe fell منعفراdust-covered كستهthey clothed him
إلى أن خرَّ منعفرا كسته
سواقيthe currents of الريحthe wind غاديةpassing at dawn ثياباgarments
سواقي الريح غادية ثيابا
Until he fell, dust-covered, and was clothed
Until he fell bloodstained his coat,
In garments by the wind's currents passing at dawn.
The gusts of wind walking away with it.
Sol 6.1