تَطاوَلَgrew long لَيلُكَyour night بِالأَثمَدِat al-Athmad
تَطاوَلَ لَيلُكَ بِالأَثمَدِ
وَنامَand slept الخَلِيُّthe carefree man وَلَمand did not تَرقُدِyou sleep
وَنامَ الخَلِيُّ وَلَم تَرقُدِ
Your night at al-Athmad has grown long,
Your night has grown long with sleeplessness
and the carefree man slept, but you did not sleep.
While the tribesman slept, you did not rest
وَباتَand he passed the night وَباتَتand there passed لَهُfor him لَيلَةٌa night
وَباتَ وَباتَت لَهُ لَيلَةٌ
كَلَيلَةِlike the night of ذيone with العائِرِan eye-mote الأَرمَدِsore-eyed
كَلَيلَةِ ذي العائِرِ الأَرمَدِ
And he passed the night, and his night was
And he spent a night like the night
like that of a sore-eyed man with a mote in his eye.
Of the blind man with failing sight
وَذَلِكَand that مِنbecause of نَبَإٍtidings جاءَنيthat reached me
وَذَلِكَ مِن نَبَإٍ جاءَني
وَخُبِّرتُهُand I was told it عَنfrom أَبيAbu الأَسوَدِal-Aswad
وَخُبِّرتُهُ عَن أَبي الأَسوَدِ
And that was because of tidings that reached me,
This news has come to me
reported to me from Abu al-Aswad.
I was told about Abu Al-Aswad
وَلَوand if عَنthrough نَثاًa report غَيرِهِsomeone other than him جاءَنيit reached me
وَلَو عَن نَثاً غَيرِهِ جاءَني
وَجُرحُand the wound of اللِسانِthe tongue كَجُرحِlike the wound of اليَدِthe hand
وَجُرحُ اللِسانِ كَجُرحِ اليَدِ
Had it reached me through anyone else's report—
Even if the news came from another
a wound from the tongue is like one from the hand—
The wound of the tongue is like the wound of the hand
لَقُلتُI would have said مِنَof القَولِspeech ماwhat لاnot يَزاceases (first part)
لَقُلتُ مِنَ القَولِ ما لا يَزا
لُ(completes 'ceases') يُؤثِرُis handed down عَنّيfrom me يَدَfor the duration of المُسنِدِtime
لُ يُؤثِرُ عَنّي يَدَ المُسنِدِ
I would have spoken words that would never cease
I would have said something unseemly
to be handed down from me through all the ages.
That the supporter’s hand would not transmit from me
بِأَيِّwhich of عَلاقَتِناour bond تَرغَبونَyou desire
بِأَيِّ عَلاقَتِنا تَرغَبونَ
أَعَنis it over دَمِthe blood of عَمروٍAmr عَلىowed by مَرثِدِMarthad
أَعَن دَمِ عَمروٍ عَلى مَرثِدِ
Which of our bonds do you seek?
With what bond do they want us
Is it for Amr's blood, owed by Marthad?
Is it the blood-tie with Amr on Murthid?
فَإِنso if تَدفُنواyou bury الداءَthe ill لاnot نُخفِهِwe uncover it
فَإِن تَدفُنوا الداءَ لا نُخفِهِ
وَإِنand if تَبعَثواyou stir up الحَربَwar لاnot نَقعُدِwe sit idle
وَإِن تَبعَثوا الحَربَ لا نَقعُدِ
If you bury the ill, we shall not unearth it;
If you bury disease we do not conceal it
and if you rouse war, we shall not sit idle.
And if you resurrect war we do not sit
فَإِنso if تَقتُلوناyou kill us نُقَتِّلُكُمwe slaughter you
فَإِن تَقتُلونا نُقَتِّلُكُم
وَإِنand if تَقصِدواyou seek لِدَمٍfor blood نَقصُدِwe seek likewise
وَإِن تَقصِدوا لِدَمٍ نَقصُدِ
If you kill us, we shall slaughter you;
If you kill us we will kill you
and if you seek blood, we too shall seek it.
And if you seek blood we will seek it
مَتىwhen عَهدُناour acquaintance بِطِعانِwith spear-fighting against الكُماthe warriors (first part)
مَتى عَهدُنا بِطِعانِ الكُما
ةِ(completes 'warriors') وَالحَمدِand praise وَالمَجدِand glory وَالسُؤدُدِand lordship
ةِ وَالحَمدِ وَالمَجدِ وَالسُؤدُدِ
How long since our spear-fights with champions,
When did we make a habit of praising
and praise, glory, and lordship,
Glory, praise, honor and necklaces?
وَبَنيِand building القِبابِdomed tents وَمَلءِand filling الجِفاthe bowls (first part)
وَبَنيِ القِبابِ وَمَلءِ الجِفا
نِ(completes 'bowls') وَالنارِand fire وَالحَطَبِand firewood المُفأَدِkindled
نِ وَالنارِ وَالحَطَبِ المُفأَدِ
and raising domed tents and filling bowls,
The lineage of dignitaries and the filling of leather skins
and fires and kindled firewood?
Fire, firewood and expensive horses?
وَأَعدَدتُand I prepared لِلحَربِfor war وَثّابَةًa leaping mare
وَأَعدَدتُ لِلحَربِ وَثّابَةً
جَوادَswift المَحَثَّةِwhen urged on وَالمِروَدِand when gently handled
جَوادَ المَحَثَّةِ وَالمِروَدِ
And I prepared for war a leaping mare,
I have prepared sturdy, noble steeds for war
swift when urged on and when gently handled,
Galloping, stamping, bringing them is like
سَموحاًwilling جَموحاًheadstrong وَإِحضارُهاand her gallop
سَموحاً جَموحاً وَإِحضارُها
كَمَعمَعَةِlike the crackling of السَعَفِpalm fronds الموقَدِset alight
كَمَعمَعَةِ السَعَفِ الموقَدِ
willing, headstrong—and her gallop
The flashing of burning palm branches
is like the crackle of burning palm fronds.
Tightly girded, leaping, they appear in the sand like lightning
وَمَشدودَةَand tightly fastened السَكِّin its rivets مَوضونَةٍclosely woven
وَمَشدودَةَ السَكِّ مَوضونَةٍ
تَضاءَلُit shrinks فيin الطَيِّfolding كَالمِبرَدِlike a file
تَضاءَلُ في الطَيِّ كَالمِبرَدِ
And tightly riveted, closely woven mail,
Their chests pouring forth on the warriors
that folds down to the size of a file;
Like the outpouring of clouds on the lush land
تَفيضُflow عَلىover المَرءِthe man أَردانُهاits sleeves
تَفيضُ عَلى المَرءِ أَردانُها
كَفَيضِlike the flooding of الأَتِيِّthe torrent عَلىover الجَدجَدِhard, level ground
كَفَيضِ الأَتِيِّ عَلى الجَدجَدِ
its sleeves flow over a man
Charging like the torrents of heavy rain
like a torrent over hard, level ground.
From the clusters of the smooth palm tree
وَمُطَّرِداًand a straight spear كَرِشاءِlike the rope of الجَروthe deep well (first part)
وَمُطَّرِداً كَرِشاءِ الجَرو
رِ(completes 'deep well') مِنfrom خُلُبِfiber النَخلَةِof the palm tree الأَجرَدِsmooth and bare
رِ مِن خُلُبِ النَخلَةِ الأَجرَدِ
And a straight spear, like a deep well's rope
With obscured inscriptions, cryptic is their speech
of smooth, bare palm fiber;
When they strike the bone they do not bend
وَذاand one bearing شَطَبٍgrooves غامِضاًdeep كَلمُهُits wound
وَذا شَطَبٍ غامِضاً كَلمُهُ
إِذاwhen صابَit struck بِالعَظمِagainst bone لَمdid not يَنأَدِbend
إِذا صابَ بِالعَظمِ لَم يَنأَدِ
and a grooved sword, deep in its wounding:
when it strikes bone, it does not bend.
Partial English translation: 30 of 32 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1