أَتَطرَبُdo you feel longing حينَwhen لاحَappeared بِكَupon you المَشيبُgray hair
أَتَطرَبُ حينَ لاحَ بِكَ المَشيبُ
وَذَلِكَand that إِنif عَجِبتَyou marvel هَوىًpassion عَجيبُstrange
وَذَلِكَ إِن عَجِبتَ هَوىً عَجيبُ
Do you thrill with longing when gray hair has appeared upon you?
I'm disturbed when old age appears in you,
And that, if you marvel, is a strange passion.
Though it's strange you're surprised by my love.
نَأىwent far away الحَيُّthe clan الَّذينَwho يَهيجُstirs longing مِنهُمfrom among them
نَأى الحَيُّ الَّذينَ يَهيجُ مِنهُم
عَلىdespite ماwhatever كانَthere was مِنof فَزَعٍfear رَكوبُRakub
عَلى ما كانَ مِن فَزَعٍ رَكوبُ
The clan has gone far away; from their midst longing is stirred—
The living avoid those who rouse them
despite whatever fear there has been—by Rakub.
To the panic of riding off in haste.
تَباعَدُmoves farther away مِنfrom جِواريmy neighborhood أُمُّmother of قَيسٍQays
تَباعَدُ مِن جِواري أُمُّ قَيسٍ
وَلَوand if قَدalready مُتَّyou died ظَلَّwould continue لَهاfor her نَحيبُwailing
وَلَو قَد مُتَّ ظَلَّ لَها نَحيبُ
Umm Qays moves farther away from my neighborhood.
Umm Qays's companions shun me,
Yet, had you died, her wailing would have endured.
And would mourn me if I passed away.
وَأَيَّand what a فتىًyoung man عَلِمتِyou knew إِذاwhen حَلَلتُمyou encamped
وَأَيَّ فتىً عَلِمتِ إِذا حَلَلتُم
بِأَجرازٍin barren wastes مُعَلِّلُهاtheir provider جَديبُwithout bounty
بِأَجرازٍ مُعَلِّلُها جَديبُ
And what a young man you knew when you encamped
And which young man have you known, when you meet,
in barren wastes whose provider had no bounty!
Who makes excuses with a mournful song?
فَإِنso if يَنأَgrows distant المَحَلُّthe campsite فَقَدthen indeed أَراكُمI used to see you
فَإِن يَنأَ المَحَلُّ فَقَد أَراكُم
وَبِالأَجوافِand at al-Ajwaf مَنزِلُكُمyour dwelling قَريبُnear
وَبِالأَجوافِ مَنزِلُكُم قَريبُ
Though your campsite is distant, I once saw you
If the abode becomes distant, I've shown you
when your home at al-Ajwaf was near.
That your dwelling is near at hand.
لَعَلَّmay اللَهَGod يُرجِعُكُمbring you back إِلَيناto us
لَعَلَّ اللَهَ يُرجِعُكُم إِلَينا
وَيُفنيand consume مالَكُمyour wealth سَنَةٌa drought year وَذيبُand a wolf
وَيُفني مالَكُم سَنَةٌ وَذيبُ
May God bring you back to us,
Perhaps God will return you to us
and may a drought year and a wolf consume your wealth.
And destroy your wealth in a year or two.
رَأَيتُكَI saw you ياO حَكيمُHakim عَلاكَcovered you شَيبٌgray hair
رَأَيتُكَ يا حَكيمُ عَلاكَ شَيبٌ
وَلَكِنbut ماwhat لِحِلمِكَwith your good sense لاnot يَثوبُreturns
وَلَكِن ما لِحِلمِكَ لا يَثوبُ
I saw you, Hakim, with gray hair covering you;
I saw you, wise one, grayness upon you,
but what ails your good sense, that it does not return?
Yet your patience does not again don youth.
وَعَمروٌand Amr قَدindeed كَرِهتُI hated عِتابَreproaching عَمروٍAmr
وَعَمروٌ قَد كَرِهتُ عِتابَ عَمروٍ
وَقَدand indeed كَثُرَgrew numerous المَعاتِبُreproaches وَالذُنوبُand offenses
وَقَد كَثُرَ المَعاتِبُ وَالذُنوبُ
And Amr—I have come to hate reproaching Amr;
And I've disliked reprimanding Amr,
and reproaches and offenses have multiplied.
Though rebukes and sins have multiplied.
تَمَنّىhe wished أَنthat أَموتَI should die وَأَينَbut where مِثليone like me
تَمَنّى أَن أَموتَ وَأَينَ مِثلي
لِقَومِكَfor your people حينَwhen تَشعَبُنيtears me away شَعوبُSha'ub (Death)
لِقَومِكَ حينَ تَشعَبُني شَعوبُ
He wished that I should die—but where is one like me
I wished that I might die—but where is one like me
for your people, when Sha'ub, Death, tears me away?
For your people when the tribes split apart?
لَقَدindeed صَدَّعتُI split صَخرَةَthe rock مَنwhoever رَماكُمassailed you
لَقَد صَدَّعتُ صَخرَةَ مَن رَماكُم
وَقَدand indeed يُرمىis struck بِيَwith me الحَجَرُthe stone الصَليبُhard
وَقَد يُرمى بِيَ الحَجَرُ الصَليبُ
I have indeed split the rock of whoever assailed you;
I've cracked the rock of those who pelt you,
and with me the hard stone is struck.
And I may be pelted with smooth stones.
وَقَدand indeed قَطَعَcut through الحَديدَiron فَلاso do not تَمارواdispute
وَقَد قَطَعَ الحَديدَ فَلا تَماروا
فَرِندٌa steel blade لاnot يُفَلُّis nicked وَلاand not يَذوبُmelts
فَرِندٌ لا يُفَلُّ وَلا يَذوبُ
And iron has indeed been cut—so do not dispute it—
It has severed iron—so do not resist,
by a steel blade that is never nicked and never melts.
A blade that neither chips nor melts.
نَسيتُمُyou forgot وَيلَwoe to غَيرِكُمthose other than you بَلائيmy service
نَسيتُمُ وَيلَ غَيرِكُم بَلائي
لَيالِيَon nights لاnot تَدُرُّyields milk لَكُمfor you حَلوبُa milch beast
لَيالِيَ لا تَدُرُّ لَكُم حَلوبُ
You forgot—woe to those other than you!—my service,
You forget the woe of others in my affliction—
on nights when no milch beast yielded milk for you.
Nights that do not gently turn for you.
فَإِنَّfor indeed الحَيَّthe clan قَدindeed غَضِبواgrew angry عَلَيكُمwith you
فَإِنَّ الحَيَّ قَد غَضِبوا عَلَيكُم
كَماjust as أَناI مِنfrom وَرائِهِمbehind them غَضوبُwrathful
كَما أَنا مِن وَرائِهِم غَضوبُ
For the clan has grown angry with you,
For the living have grown angry at you,
just as I, behind them, am full of wrath.
As I stand behind them, angry.
Sol 6.1