وَلاand no اللَهِby God لاnot أَنسىI forget زُهَيراًZuhayr
وَلا اللَهِ لا أَنسى زُهَيراً
وَلَوand even if كَثُرَmultiply المَرازيbereavements وَالفُقودُand losses
وَلَو كَثُرَ المَرازي وَالفُقودُ
No, by God, I shall not forget Zuhayr,
I swear by God, I'll ne'er forget Zuhair
Though bereavements and losses multiply.
Though hosts of years and friends I've lost and missed
أَبىrefused نِسيانَهُforgetting him فَقريmy need إِلَيهِfor him
أَبى نِسيانَهُ فَقري إِلَيهِ
وَمَشهَدُهُand his presence إِذاwhen اِربَدَّturned livid الجُلودُskins
وَمَشهَدُهُ إِذا اِربَدَّ الجُلودُ
My need for him would not let me forget him,
My soul refuses to forget that peer
Nor his presence when skins turned livid,
When wintry blasts have made my skin resistant
وَذِمَّتُهُand his pledged protection إِذاwhen قَحَمَتburst in جُمادىJumada
وَذِمَّتُهُ إِذا قَحَمَت جُمادى
وَعاقَبَand followed نَوءَهاits rain خَصَرٌcold شَديدُsevere
وَعاقَبَ نَوءَها خَصَرٌ شَديدُ
Nor his pledged protection when Jumada burst in,
And when the penetrating spears draw near
And bitter cold followed its rain.
Midst cutting edges keen and unrelenting
وَلاand no وَاللَهِand by God لاnot يُنجيكَsaves you دِرعٌa coat of mail
وَلا وَاللَهِ لا يُنجيكَ دِرعٌ
مُظاهَرَةٌdoubled وَلاnor شَبحٌa bodily frame وَشيدُlofty
مُظاهَرَةٌ وَلا شَبحٌ وَشيدُ
No, by God, no coat of mail can save you,
By God! No coat of mail shall save or cheer
Though doubled, nor a towering frame.
When war brings perils great and unpreventing
وَلاnor يَبقىsurvives عَلىthrough الحَدَثانِtime's vicissitudes عِلجٌa stout wild ass
وَلا يَبقى عَلى الحَدَثانِ عِلجٌ
بِكُلِّin every فَلاةِdesert waste ظاهِرَةٍopen يَرودُseeks pasture
بِكُلِّ فَلاةِ ظاهِرَةٍ يَرودُ
Nor does a wild ass survive the ravages of time,
Nor shall the freshest youth escape the bier
Who seeks pasture in every open desert waste.
Amid those trackless wastes where death is haunting
تَخَطّاهُhave passed him by الحُتوفُdeath's blows فَهوَand he is جَونٌdark-hued
تَخَطّاهُ الحُتوفُ فَهوَ جَونٌ
كِنازُfirmly packed اللَحمِof flesh فائِلُهُhis haunch-muscle رَديدُthickly layered
كِنازُ اللَحمِ فائِلُهُ رَديدُ
Death's blows have passed him by; he is dark-hued,
Though pierced by lances, yet he showed no fear
Firm-fleshed, his haunch-muscle thick and full.
But bravely galloped on, the bold, undaunted
غَداwent at dawn يَرتادُseeking pasture فيin حَجَراتِoutlying tracts غَيثٍrain
غَدا يَرتادُ في حَجَراتِ غَيثٍ
فَصادَفَthen met نَوءَهُhis setting out حَتفٌdeath مُجيدُskillful
فَصادَفَ نَوءَهُ حَتفٌ مُجيدُ
He went at dawn seeking pasture on the fringes of rain-watered land,
Next day he marched where storms of death blew near
But a skillful death met him as he set out.
And fate assailed him with its weapons dreaded
غَداwent at dawn يَرتادُseeking pasture بَينَbetween يَدَيthe two hands of قَنيصٍa hunter
غَدا يَرتادُ بَينَ يَدَي قَنيصٍ
تُدافِعُهُdrives him onward سَفَنَّجَةٌa long-striding mare عَنودُheadstrong
تُدافِعُهُ سَفَنَّجَةٌ عَنودُ
He went at dawn seeking pasture before a hunter,
Next day he marched upon the battlefield
Whom a long-striding, headstrong mare drove onward.
Though foemen's shafts flew swift as lightnings threaded
جَمومٌtireless نَهدَةٌpowerfully built ثَبتٌfirm شَظاهاher shank-bones
جَمومٌ نَهدَةٌ ثَبتٌ شَظاها
إِذاwhen رُكِبَتshe is mounted عَلىin عَجَلٍhaste تَصيدُshe catches game
إِذا رُكِبَت عَلى عَجَلٍ تَصيدُ
Tireless and powerfully built, her shank-bones firm,
Stout camels trained that naught their speed could yield
When mounted in haste, she catches game.
Unless caparisoned and riders goaded
فَأَلجَمَهاso he bridled her فَأَرسَلَهاthen he sent her عَلَيهِafter him
فَأَلجَمَها فَأَرسَلَها عَلَيهِ
وَوَلّىand he turned away وَهُوَand he was مُنتَفِدٌracing بَعيدُfar ahead
وَوَلّى وَهُوَ مُنتَفِدٌ بَعيدُ
So he bridled her, then sent her after him,
He curbed them, then upon the foe impelled
And he turned to flee, racing far ahead.
And turned him in retreat, by fear bested
كَأَنَّas if المَروَflint pebbles بَينَهُماbetween the two of them إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic)
كَأَنَّ المَروَ بَينَهُما إِذا ما
أَصابَhe struck الوَعثَsoft ground مُنتَقِفاًkicking up stones هَبيدُcolocynth seeds
أَصابَ الوَعثَ مُنتَقِفاً هَبيدُ
It was as if the flints between them, whenever
As though between them when the war-clouds swelled
He struck soft ground, kicking them up, were colocynth seeds.
A deadly wind swept by, the soft sands shifting
فَأَدرَكَهُthen he overtook him فَأَشرَعَthen he drove فيinto نَساهُhis sciatic sinew
فَأَدرَكَهُ فَأَشرَعَ في نَساهُ
سِناناًa spearhead حَدُّهُits edge حَرِقٌbitingly sharp حَديدُkeen
سِناناً حَدُّهُ حَرِقٌ حَديدُ
Then he overtook him and drove into his thigh-sinew
He followed till his thirst for vengeance quelled
A spearhead with a biting, razor-sharp edge.
He pierced him with his sword--its edge blood-dripping
فَخَرَّthen he fell عَلىupon الجَبينِthe brow فَأَدرَكَتهُthen overtook him
فَخَرَّ عَلى الجَبينِ فَأَدرَكَتهُ
حُتوفُthe death-blows of الدَهرِtime وَالحَينُand doom المُفيدُdeath-dealing
حُتوفُ الدَهرِ وَالحَينُ المُفيدُ
Then he fell upon his brow, overtaken by
He fell upon his brow. Thus fate dispelled
Time's death-blows and death-dealing doom.
His years. Fleeting is each life's brief equipping.
Sol 6.1