لَولاwere it not for اِبنُson of حَكّامٍHakkam وَأَشرافُand the nobles of قَومِهِhis people
لَولا اِبنُ حَكّامٍ وَأَشرافُ قَومِهِ
لَشَقَّwould have been hard عَلىon سَعدِSa'd بنِson of قَيسٍQays حَنينُهاher plaintive cry
لَشَقَّ عَلى سَعدِ بنِ قَيسٍ حَنينُها
Were it not for Ibn Hakkam and the nobles of his people,
Had it not been for the son of rulers and nobles of his people,
her plaintive cry would have weighed heavily on Sa'd ibn Qays.
Sa'd ibn Qays would have found it hard to bear his yearning.
أَماdid ... not? خِفتَنيyou feared me ياO جَنبُJanb إِذwhen بِتَّyou spent the night لاعِباًat play
أَما خِفتَني يا جَنبُ إِذ بِتَّ لاعِباً
وَباتَتand they spent the night لِقاحيmy milch camels ماnot تَجِفُّgrow dry عُيونُهاtheir eyes
وَباتَت لِقاحي ما تَجِفُّ عُيونُها
Did you not fear me, Janb, when you spent the night at play,
Were you not afraid of me, O ribs, when you passed the night being playful,
while my milch camels spent the night with eyes that would not dry?
While my eyes were sleepless from intense passion?
فَياso, O جَنبُJanb قَدalready أَسلَفتَyou advanced فيin الحَزنِal-Hazn دينَةًa loan
فَيا جَنبُ قَد أَسلَفتَ في الحَزنِ دينَةً
عَسَتmay تُقتَضىbe exacted مِنfrom أُمِّmother of جَنبٍJanb دُيونُهاits debts
عَسَت تُقتَضى مِن أُمِّ جَنبٍ دُيونُها
So, O Janb, you have advanced a loan in al-Hazn,
So O ribs, you have incurred a debt of sorrow,
whose debts may yet be exacted from Janb's mother.
Which will have to be repaid by the mother of ribs with her pains.
وَأَقرَضتَand you lent قَرضاًa loan سَوفَwill تُجزىyou be repaid بِمِثلِهِwith its like
وَأَقرَضتَ قَرضاً سَوفَ تُجزى بِمِثلِهِ
وَحَرَّبتَand you provoked أُسداًlions ماnot يُرامُis assailed عَرينُهاtheir lair
وَحَرَّبتَ أُسداً ما يُرامُ عَرينُها
And you have lent a loan for which you will be repaid in kind,
You have advanced a loan which will be repaid in kind,
and provoked lions whose lair cannot be assailed.
And provoked a lion whose den cannot be approached.
فَلَوand if صادَفَتstruck تِلكَthose الحِجارَةُthe stones رَأسَهُhis head
فَلَو صادَفَت تِلكَ الحِجارَةُ رَأسَهُ
لَغادَرتَyou would have left أُمَّthe crown of الرَأسِthe head تَغليseethe شُؤُونُهاits sutures
لَغادَرتَ أُمَّ الرَأسِ تَغلي شُؤُونُها
And had those stones struck his head,
Had those stones hit his head,
you would have left the crown of his head with its sutures seething.
You would have left the mother of the head boiling in her calamities.
فَكَيفَhow, then تَقولُyou say اللَهُGod يُزكيapproves صَحيفَةًa document
فَكَيفَ تَقولُ اللَهُ يُزكي صَحيفَةً
بِعُنوانِهاin its heading جَنبٌJanb وَجَنبٌand Janb أَمينُهاits trusted keeper
بِعُنوانِها جَنبٌ وَجَنبٌ أَمينُها
How, then, can you say that God approves a document
How can you say “May God purify a scroll”
with Janb in its heading and Janb as its trusted keeper?
With its title being, “faithful ribs and faithful ribs”?
أَياO جَنبُJanb قَدindeed كانَتshe was تَميمَةُTamima حُرَّةًfree
أَيا جَنبُ قَد كانَت تَميمَةُ حُرَّةً
وَلَكِنَّهاbut as for her بِئسَwretched is القَرينُthe companion قَرينُهاher companion
وَلَكِنَّها بِئسَ القَرينُ قَرينُها
O Janb, Tamima had indeed been free,
O ribs, Tamima was once a free woman,
but what a wretched companion her companion is!
But what an evil companion she found as her mate!
وَماand not فارَقَتshe departed ياO جَنبُJanb حَتّىuntil حَبَستَهاyou imprisoned her
وَما فارَقَت يا جَنبُ حَتّى حَبَستَها
مُسَلسَلَةًchained وافىcame with الهِلالَthe crescent moon جُنونُهاher madness
مُسَلسَلَةً وافى الهِلالَ جُنونُها
And she did not depart, Janb, until you imprisoned her,
And O ribs, no sooner had she left,
in chains; her madness came with the crescent moon.
Than you imprisoned her in chains, while her madness reached its crescent.
Sol 6.1