وَماand no صائِبٌa true-striking arrow مِنfrom نابِلٍan archer قَذَفَتcast بِهِwith it
وَما صائِبٌ مِن نابِلٍ قَذَفَت بِهِ
يَدٌa hand وَمُمِرُّand a tightly twisted bowstring العُقدَتَينِthe two knots وَثيقُfirm
يَدٌ وَمُمِرُّ العُقدَتَينِ وَثيقُ
And no true-striking arrow from an archer, loosed
No true arrow shot by skilled hands,
By a hand, with a stout bowstring twisted at both knots,
Bound tight with string in practiced grip,
لَهُit has مِنfrom خَوافيsecondary wing-feathers of النِسرِthe vulture حُمٌّdark ones نَظائِرٌmatching ones
لَهُ مِن خَوافي النِسرِ حُمٌّ نَظائِرٌ
وَنَصلٌand an arrowhead كَنَصلِlike the point of الزاعِبِيِّthe Zāʿibī spear فَتيقُbroad
وَنَصلٌ كَنَصلِ الزاعِبِيِّ فَتيقُ
With dark, matching fletching from the vulture's secondary feathers,
Has feathers like those arrows I body-pierce,
And a broad head like that of a Zāʿibī spear,
And blade as keen as swordsman’s whip,
عَلىon نَبعَةٍa nabʿ-wood bow زَوراءَcurved أَمّاas for خِطامُهاits rein (bowstring)
عَلى نَبعَةٍ زَوراءَ أَمّا خِطامُها
فَمَتنٌthen a stout cord وَأَمّاand as for عودُهاits wood فَعَتيقُthen seasoned
فَمَتنٌ وَأَمّا عودُها فَعَتيقُ
On a curved nabʿ-wood bow—as for its rein,
Against a hunter’s mound you stood, your reins—
It is a stout cord, and as for its wood, it is seasoned—
Old weathered leather, and your saddle old.
بِأَوشَكَany swifter قَتلاًin killing مِنكِthan you يَومَon the day رَمَيتِنيyou shot me
بِأَوشَكَ قَتلاً مِنكِ يَومَ رَمَيتِني
نَوافِذَpiercing shafts لَمdid not تَظهَرappear لَهُنَّfor them خُروقُholes
نَوافِذَ لَم تَظهَر لَهُنَّ خُروقُ
Is swifter to kill than you, the day you shot me
Near dead from my small arrows on the day
With piercing shafts that left no visible holes.
I shot you through unbroken window holes.
تَفَرَّقَparted أَهلاناour two families بُثَينٌButhayn فَمِنهُمُso among them
تَفَرَّقَ أَهلانا بُثَينٌ فَمِنهُمُ
فَريقٌa group أَقامواstayed وَاِستَمَرَّand moved on فَريقُa group
فَريقٌ أَقاموا وَاِستَمَرَّ فَريقُ
Our two families parted, Buthayn; among them,
Our tribe divided, some remained while some
One group stayed, and another moved on.
Departed, journeying on their way.
فَلَوso if كُنتُI were خَوّاراًfainthearted لَقَدsurely باحَrevealed itself مُضمَريmy secret
فَلَو كُنتُ خَوّاراً لَقَد باحَ مُضمَري
وَلَكِنَنيbut I صُلبُfirm القَناةِof spear-shaft عَريقُof noble stock
وَلَكِنَني صُلبُ القَناةِ عَريقُ
Had I been fainthearted, my secret would surely have come out;
If I were weak, my secret would be known,
But I am firm as a spear-shaft, of noble stock.
But I'm too proud for that, I cannot say.
كَأَنas though لَمnot نُحارِبwe fought ياO بُثَينَButhayn لَوَif اَنَّهُthat it
كَأَن لَم نُحارِب يا بُثَينَ لَوَ اَنَّهُ
تَكَشَّفَlifted غُمّاهاits gloom وَأَنتِand you صَديقُa friend
تَكَشَّفَ غُمّاها وَأَنتِ صَديقُ
It would be as though we had not fought, O Buthayn, if
As though we'd never warred, if only you
Its gloom were lifted and you were a friend.
Could know, O Buthaina, you my friend.
Sol 6.1