أُعاذِلَO reproacher ماwhat باليmy condition أَرىI see الحَيَّthe clan وَدَّعواthey bade farewell
أُعاذِلَ ما بالي أَرى الحَيَّ وَدَّعوا
وَباتواand they spent the night عَلىupon طِيّاتِهِمtheir intended destinations فَتَصَدَّعواthen they scattered
وَباتوا عَلى طِيّاتِهِم فَتَصَدَّعوا
O reproacher, what ails me? I see the clan has said farewell,
I blame not what has befallen me, I see the beloved bid farewell
and spent the night intent on their destinations, then scattered.
And sleep upon their mats as they crumble and fall apart
إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتwas mentioned شَعثاءُShaʿthāʾ طارَtook flight فُؤادُهُhis heart
إِذا ذُكِرَت شَعثاءُ طارَ فُؤادُهُ
لِطَيرِwith the flight of الهَوىlove وَاِرفَضَّتِand overflowed العَينُthe eye تَدمَعُshedding tears
لِطَيرِ الهَوى وَاِرفَضَّتِ العَينُ تَدمَعُ
When Shaʿthāʾ is mentioned, his heart takes flight
When her name is mentioned his heart takes flight
with love's flight, and his eye overflows with tears.
At the bird of passion, and the eye flows with tears
تَمَنّىhe wished for هَواهاher love مِنfrom تَعَلُّلِself-consolation باطِلٍvain
تَمَنّى هَواها مِن تَعَلُّلِ باطِلٍ
وَتَعرِضُand arise حاجاتُthe needs of المُحِبِّthe lover فَتُمنَعُthen are denied
وَتَعرِضُ حاجاتُ المُحِبِّ فَتُمنَعُ
He longed for her love, indulging a vain hope,
She desires his love with false excuses
and the lover's needs arise, only to be denied.
And the lover's needs are refused and denied
وَلَوand if أَنَّهاthat she شاءَتwished لَقَدsurely بَذَلَتshe offered لَهُto him
وَلَو أَنَّها شاءَت لَقَد بَذَلَت لَهُ
شَراباًa drink بِهِwith it يَروىis quenched الغَليلُburning thirst وَيَنقَعُand is slaked
شَراباً بِهِ يَروى الغَليلُ وَيَنقَعُ
And had she wished, she would surely have offered him
If she willed she could have offered him
a drink to quench and slake his burning thirst.
A drink to quench his thirst and settle his unease
وَشُعثٍand disheveled men عَلىupon خوصٍnarrow-eyed camels دِقاقٍslender كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَشُعثٍ عَلى خوصٍ دِقاقٍ كَأَنَّها
قِسِيٌّbows مِنَof الشِريانِshiryān wood تُبرىare pared وَتُرقَعُand are patched
قِسِيٌّ مِنَ الشِريانِ تُبرى وَتُرقَعُ
And disheveled men on narrow-eyed, slender camels, as though they were
Disheveled hair upon slender twigs as if
bows of shiryān wood, pared and patched.
It were a bracelet of arteries displayed and mended
إِذاwhen رَفَعواthey lifted طَيَّthe folded flap of الخِباءِthe tent رَأَيتَهُyou saw it
إِذا رَفَعوا طَيَّ الخِباءِ رَأَيتَهُ
كَضارِبِlike a wing-beating طَيرٍbird فيin الحِبالَةِthe snare يَلمَعُflutters
كَضارِبِ طَيرٍ في الحِبالَةِ يَلمَعُ
When they lift the tent's folded flap, you see it
When they raised the tent cover you would see it
fluttering like a bird beating its wings in a snare.
Like a bird catcher in the marshlands shimmering
تَرىyou see القَومَthe men فيهِwithin it مُمسِكينَholding fast بِجانِبٍto one side
تَرى القَومَ فيهِ مُمسِكينَ بِجانِبٍ
وَلِلريحِand for the wind مِنهُof it جانِبٌa side يَتَزَعزَعُshudders
وَلِلريحِ مِنهُ جانِبٌ يَتَزَعزَعُ
You see the men within it holding fast to one side,
You see the people therein holding to its edges
while the wind has another side of it, which shudders.
While the wind takes one side fluttering free
أَلاtake heed ياO لَقَومٍpeople appealed to لاdo not تَهِدكُمdaunt you مُجاشِعٌMujāshiʿ
أَلا يا لَقَومٍ لا تَهِدكُم مُجاشِعٌ
فَأَصلَبُfor harder مِنهاthan it خَيزُرانٌbamboo وَخِروَعُand castor plants
فَأَصلَبُ مِنها خَيزُرانٌ وَخِروَعُ
Listen, O people: do not let Mujāshiʿ daunt you,
Oh people whom no firm-planted stakes can steady
for bamboo and castor plants are sturdier than they are.
More rigid than them are withered grass and lavender
فَهُمfor they ضَيَّعواabandoned الجارَthe neighbor الكَريمَnoble وَلاand not أَرىI see
فَهُم ضَيَّعوا الجارَ الكَريمَ وَلا أَرى
كَحُرمَةِlike the inviolability of ذاكَthat الجارِneighbor جاراًa neighbor يُضَيَّعُbeing forsaken
كَحُرمَةِ ذاكَ الجارِ جاراً يُضَيَّعُ
For they abandoned the noble neighbor, and I cannot imagine
They lost the noble neighbor and I do not see
a neighbor as entitled to protection as that one being forsaken.
One held in such esteem as that neighbor tossed aside
تَقولُsays قُرَيشٌQuraysh بَعدَafter غَدرِthe treachery of مُجاشِعٍMujāshiʿ
تَقولُ قُرَيشٌ بَعدَ غَدرِ مُجاشِعٍ
لَحىmay curse اللَهُGod جيرانَthe neighbors of الزُبَيرِal-Zubayr وَرَجَّعواand repeated their lament
لَحى اللَهُ جيرانَ الزُبَيرِ وَرَجَّعوا
Quraysh says, after Mujāshiʿ's treachery,
The Quraysh say after the betrayal of Mujashi
'May God curse al-Zubayr's neighbors!'—and they repeated their lament.
May Allah disfigure the neighbors of al-Zubayr and return them
فَلَوfor if أَنَّthat يَربوعاًYarbūʿ دَعاhe called upon إِذwhen دَعاهُمُhe called upon them
فَلَو أَنَّ يَربوعاً دَعا إِذ دَعاهُمُ
لَآبَwould surely have returned جَميعاًall together رَحلُهُhis belongings المُتَمَزِّعُscattered
لَآبَ جَميعاً رَحلُهُ المُتَمَزِّعُ
For had he called on Yarbūʿ when he called on them,
If the little spider had invited them when it called
his scattered belongings would surely all have returned.
Its bags would have come together completely torn apart
فَأَدّواso return حَوارِيَّthe devoted disciple of الرَسولِthe Messenger وَرَحلَهُand his belongings
فَأَدّوا حَوارِيَّ الرَسولِ وَرَحلَهُ
إِلىto أَهلِهِhis family ثُمَّthen اِفخَرواboast بَعدُafterward أَوor دَعواleave off
إِلى أَهلِهِ ثُمَّ اِفخَروا بَعدُ أَو دَعوا
So return the Messenger's disciple and his belongings
They handed over the Prophet's close companions and his family
to his family; then boast afterward—or refrain.
To their tribes and then afterward boasted or blamed
أَلَمdid not? تَرَyou see بَيتَthe house of اللُؤمِbaseness بَينَamong مُجاشِعٍMujāshiʿ
أَلَم تَرَ بَيتَ اللُؤمِ بَينَ مُجاشِعٍ
مُقيماًabiding إِلىuntil أَنthat يَمضِيَpasses الدَهرُtime أَجمَعُall of it
مُقيماً إِلى أَن يَمضِيَ الدَهرُ أَجمَعُ
Have you not seen the house of baseness among Mujāshiʿ,
Do you not see the house of villainy between Mujashi
abiding until the whole of time has passed?
Settled there until the end of time entire
عَلَوناwe rose high كَماjust as تَعلوrise النُجومُthe stars عَلَيهِمُabove them
عَلَونا كَما تَعلو النُجومُ عَلَيهِمُ
وَقَصَّرَand he fell short حَتّىuntil ماnot لِكَفَّيهِfor his two hands مَدفَعُmeans of defense
وَقَصَّرَ حَتّى ما لِكَفَّيهِ مَدفَعُ
We rose high, as the stars rise above them,
We rose above them as stars rise above them
and he fell short, until his two hands had no means of defense.
And it stooped until there was no escape for its palms
فَإِنso if تَسأَلواyou ask حَيِّيthe two clans of نِزارٍNizār تُنَبَّأواyou are told
فَإِن تَسأَلوا حَيِّي نِزارٍ تُنَبَّأوا
إِذاwhen الحَربُwar شالَتrose مَنwho يَضُرُّharms وَيَنفَعُand benefits
إِذا الحَربُ شالَت مَن يَضُرُّ وَيَنفَعُ
If you ask the two clans of Nizār, you will be told,
If you ask of my clan, the noble Nizar, foretell
when war rises, who harms and who helps.
When war takes off its veil, who shall harm and benefit
وَإِنّاand indeed we لَنَكفيsurely shield الخورَthe weaklings لَوif يَشكُرونَناthey thank us
وَإِنّا لَنَكفي الخورَ لَو يَشكُرونَنا
ثَناياthe mountain passes of المَناياdeath وَالقَناand the spears يَتَزَعزَعُquiver
ثَنايا المَنايا وَالقَنا يَتَزَعزَعُ
And we surely shield the weaklings—if they would thank us—
We suffice to guard the mountain passes, if only they thank us
from the mountain passes of death, while the spears quiver.
The undulations of death and the spears fluttering free
نَحُلُّwe encamp عَلىat الثَغرِthe frontier المَخوفِfeared وَأَنتُمُand you
نَحُلُّ عَلى الثَغرِ المَخوفِ وَأَنتُمُ
سَرابٌa mirage عَلىover قيقاءَةٍa hard, level plain يَتَرَيَّعُwavers
سَرابٌ عَلى قيقاءَةٍ يَتَرَيَّعُ
We encamp at the feared frontier, while you are
We carry to the formidable mountain pass while you
a mirage wavering over a hard, level plain.
Are a mirage upon the glowing sands fluttering weak
وَتَنفيكَand banishes you عَمروٌʿAmr عَنfrom حِماهاits protected pasture وَعامِرٌand ʿĀmir
وَتَنفيكَ عَمروٌ عَن حِماها وَعامِرٌ
فَماso not لَكَfor you إِلّاexcept عِندَbeside كيرِكَyour bellows مَطبَعُa forge
فَما لَكَ إِلّا عِندَ كيرِكَ مَطبَعُ
And ʿAmr drives you from its protected pasture, and ʿĀmir too;
And Tanfek denies you the protection of her tribal alliance
so your only forging-place is beside your bellows.
While for you with your Kirek tribe there is only degradation
Sol 6.1