طَرَقَتcame by night لَميسُLamis وَلَيتَهاand would that she لَمhad not تَطرُقِvisit by night
طَرَقَت لَميسُ وَلَيتَها لَم تَطرُقِ
حَتّىuntil تَفُكَّshe unties حِبالَthe ropes of عانٍa captive موثَقِfirmly bound
حَتّى تَفُكَّ حِبالَ عانٍ موثَقِ
Lamis came by night—if only she had not come,
Lamees knocked, I wish she hadn't knocked
until she could untie the ropes of a fettered captive.
Until she unties the ropes of the agonized prisoner
حَيَّيتُI greeted دارَكِyour dwelling بِالسَلامِwith peace تَحِيَّةًa greeting
حَيَّيتُ دارَكِ بِالسَلامِ تَحِيَّةً
يَومَthe day of السُلَيَّal-Sulayy فَماso what لَهاis with it لَمdid not تَنطِقِspeak
يَومَ السُلَيَّ فَما لَها لَم تَنطِقِ
I greeted your dwelling with a greeting of peace
I greeted your abode with peace and salutation
on the day of al-Sulayy—what ailed it that it did not speak?
On the day of departure, yet it did not speak
وَاِستَنكَرَand found strange الفَتَياتُthe young women شَيبَthe gray hair of المَفرِقِthe hair-parting
وَاِستَنكَرَ الفَتَياتُ شَيبَ المَفرِقِ
مِنfrom بَعدِafter طولِlong duration of صَبابَةٍardent love وَتَشَوُّقِand yearning
مِن بَعدِ طولِ صَبابَةٍ وَتَشَوُّقِ
And the young women found the gray at my hair's parting strange,
The young women were surprised by the white hair of separation
after prolonged ardent love and yearning.
After a long youthfulness and passion
قَدindeed كُنتُI used to أَتبَعُfollow حَبلَthe rope of قائِدَةِthe female guide of الصِباyouth
قَد كُنتُ أَتبَعُ حَبلَ قائِدَةِ الصِبا
إِذwhen لِلشَبابِbelonging to youth بَشاشَةٌradiance لَمnot تُخلَقِbe worn out
إِذ لِلشَبابِ بَشاشَةٌ لَم تُخلَقِ
I once followed the rope of youth's guide,
I used to follow the rope of the guide of youth
when youth had a radiance not yet faded.
When youth has a liveliness that was not created
أَقُفَيرَO Qufayr قَدindeed عَلِمَhas learned الزُبَيرُal-Zubayr وَرَهطُهُand his clan
أَقُفَيرَ قَد عَلِمَ الزُبَيرُ وَرَهطُهُ
أَنthat لَيسَis not حَبلُthe rope of مُجاشِعٍMujashiʿ بِالأَوثَقِthe strongest
أَن لَيسَ حَبلُ مُجاشِعٍ بِالأَوثَقِ
O Qufayr, al-Zubayr and his clan have learned
The Zubayr and his folks knew
that Mujashiʿ's rope is not the strongest.
That the rope of the coward is not the strongest
ذُكِرَwas mentioned البَلاءُvalor in battle فَلَمbut not يَكُنthere was لِمُجاشِعٍfor Mujashiʿ
ذُكِرَ البَلاءُ فَلَم يَكُن لِمُجاشِعٍ
حَملُbearing اللِواءَthe standard وَلاnor حُماةُdefenders المَصدَقِfierce combat
حَملُ اللِواءَ وَلا حُماةُ المَصدَقِ
Valor was recalled, but Mujashiʿ had neither
When ordeal was mentioned, Mujashe' had
the bearing of the standard nor defenders in fierce combat.
Neither carrying the banner, nor protecting the truthful
نَحنُwe الحُماةُthe defenders بِكُلِّat every ثَغرٍfrontier يُتَّقىfeared
نَحنُ الحُماةُ بِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ يُتَّقى
وَبِناand through us يُفَرَّجُis opened كُلُّevery بابٍgate مُغلَقِclosed
وَبِنا يُفَرَّجُ كُلُّ بابٍ مُغلَقِ
We are the defenders at every dreaded frontier,
We are the protectors in every feared frontier
and through us every closed gate is opened.
And through us every closed door is relieved
وَبِناand through us يُدافَعُis warded off كُلُّevery أَمرِmatter of عَظيمَةٍa grave calamity
وَبِنا يُدافَعُ كُلُّ أَمرِ عَظيمَةٍ
لَيسَتis not كَنَزوِكَlike your leaping فيin ثِيابِthe garments of الكَرَّقِkarraq (meaning uncertain)
لَيسَت كَنَزوِكَ في ثِيابِ الكَرَّقِ
And through us every grave calamity is warded off—
And through us every great matter is defended
not like your leaping in karraq garments.
Your treasures are not in the clothes of the liar
قَدindeed أَنكَرَتhas denied شَبَهَthe likeness of الفَرَزدَقِal-Farazdaq مالِكٌMalik
قَد أَنكَرَت شَبَهَ الفَرَزدَقِ مالِكٌ
وَنَزَلتَand you descended مَنزِلَةَthe station of الذَليلِthe abject man المُلصَقِthe spurious kinsman
وَنَزَلتَ مَنزِلَةَ الذَليلِ المُلصَقِ
Malik has denied any likeness to al-Farazdaq,
Malik denied the resemblance of Farazdaq
and you have sunk to the station of a lowly, spurious kinsman.
And you took the position of the disgraced attached
حَوضُthe trough of الحِمارِthe donkey أَبوfather of الفَرَزدَقِal-Farazdaq فَاِعلَمواso know, all of you
حَوضُ الحِمارِ أَبو الفَرَزدَقِ فَاِعلَموا
عَقَدَthe knotting of الأَخادِعِthe neck-veins وَاِنشِناجَand the contraction of المِرفَقِthe elbow
عَقَدَ الأَخادِعِ وَاِنشِناجَ المِرفَقِ
Donkey's Trough is al-Farazdaq's father—so mark
The donkey's trough, the father of Farazdaq, so know
his knotted neck-veins and his contracted elbow.
The contract of the deceivers and the creeping of the elbow
شَرُّthe worst of الخَليقَةِcreation مَنthose whom عَلِمناwe know مِنكُمُamong you
شَرُّ الخَليقَةِ مَن عَلِمنا مِنكُمُ
حَوضُthe trough of الحِمارِthe donkey وَشَرُّand the worst of مَنthose who لَمnot yet يُخلَقِbe created
حَوضُ الحِمارِ وَشَرُّ مَن لَم يُخلَقِ
Of all creatures, the worst we know among you
The worst of creatures is who we know among you
is Donkey's Trough—and the worst of those not yet created.
The donkey's trough, and the worst is who was not created
كَمhow many قَدindeed أُثيرَhas been stirred up عَلَيكُمُagainst you مِنof خِزيَةٍa disgrace
كَم قَد أُثيرَ عَلَيكُمُ مِن خِزيَةٍ
لَيسَis not الفَرَزدَقُal-Farazdaq بَعدَهاafter it بِفَرَزدَقِFarazdaq
لَيسَ الفَرَزدَقُ بَعدَها بِفَرَزدَقِ
How many a disgrace has been stirred up against you,
How much disgrace was stoked against you
after which al-Farazdaq is no longer Farazdaq!
Farazdaq after it is not Farazdaq
ذَكوانُDhakwan شَدَّcharged عَلىupon ظَعائِنَكُمyour women in howdahs ضُحىًat midmorning
ذَكوانُ شَدَّ عَلى ظَعائِنَكُم ضُحىً
وَسَقىand gave to drink أَباكَyour father مِنَof الأَمَرِّthe bitterest الأَعلَقِthe most acrid
وَسَقى أَباكَ مِنَ الأَمَرِّ الأَعلَقِ
Dhakwan charged upon your women in their howdahs at midmorning,
Dhakwan unleashed your defects at dawn
and gave your father the bitterest, most acrid draught to drink.
And gave your father the most bitter drink
Sol 6.1