فَقَدتُI lost بَنيthe sons of لُبنىLubna فَلَمّاand when فَقَدتُهُمI lost them
فَقَدتُ بَني لُبنى فَلَمّا فَقَدتُهُم
صَبَرتُI endured وَلَمand did not أَقطَعI cut عَلَيهِمover them أَباجِليmy arm-veins
صَبَرتُ وَلَم أَقطَع عَلَيهِم أَباجِلي
I lost the sons of Lubna, and when I lost them,
I lost the sons of Lubna, and when I lost them,
I endured, and did not cut my veins in grief for them.
I was patient and did not shorten my resolve.
حِسانُfair الوُجوهِthe faces طَيِّبٌpure حُجُزاتُهُمtheir waistbands (chastity)
حِسانُ الوُجوهِ طَيِّبٌ حُجُزاتُهُم
كَريمٌnoble نَثاهُمtheir renown غَيرُnot لُفٍّtongue-tied men مَعازِلِbattle-shy men
كَريمٌ نَثاهُم غَيرُ لُفٍّ مَعازِلِ
Fair of face, pure of loins,
The beauty of their faces was wholesome,
Noble their renown, neither tongue-tied nor battle-shy;
Their burial place generous, not mean dwellings.
رِماحٌspears مِنَof الخَطِّيَّKhatti make زُرقٌblue نِصالُهاtheir spearheads
رِماحٌ مِنَ الخَطِّيَّ زُرقٌ نِصالُها
حِدادٌsharp أَعاليهاtheir upper ends شِدادُsturdy الأَسافِلِthe lower ends
حِدادٌ أَعاليها شِدادُ الأَسافِلِ
Khatti spears, their spearheads blue,
Lances from Khati, their blades gleaming blue,
Sharp at their tips, sturdy at their bases.
Their heights polished, their bases rugged.
قَتَلتَyou slew قَتيلاًa slain man لاnot يُحالِفُhe makes a pact with غَدرَةًan act of treachery
قَتَلتَ قَتيلاً لا يُحالِفُ غَدرَةً
وَلاnor سُبَّةًdisgrace لاnever زِلتَyou cease to be أَسفَلَthe lowest سافِلِa lowly one
وَلا سُبَّةً لا زِلتَ أَسفَلَ سافِلِ
You slew a man who made no pact with treachery,
You killed a victim who betrays no treachery
Nor with disgrace—may you ever be the lowest of the low!
Nor disgrace, you remain the lowest of the low.
وَقَدand indeed أَمِنونيthey trusted me وَاِطمَأَنَّتand grew tranquil نُفوسُهُمtheir souls
وَقَد أَمِنوني وَاِطمَأَنَّت نُفوسُهُم
وَلَمand did not يَعلَمواthey know كُلَّall الَّذيthat which هُوَit داخِليwithin me
وَلَم يَعلَموا كُلَّ الَّذي هُوَ داخِلي
And they had trusted me, and their souls were at ease,
They had trusted me, their souls felt secure,
And did not know all that was within me.
Not knowing all that was inside me.
فَمَنso whoever كانَwas يَرجوhe hopes for الصُلحَpeace مِنهُمamong them فَإِنَّهُthen indeed he
فَمَن كانَ يَرجو الصُلحَ مِنهُم فَإِنَّهُ
كَأَحمَرِlike Ahmar عادٍʿAd أَوor كُلَيبٍKulayb لِوائِلِof Waʾil
كَأَحمَرِ عادٍ أَو كُلَيبٍ لِوائِلِ
So whoever among them hopes for peace is
Whoever hopes for reconciliation from them,
Like Ahmar of ʿAd, or Kulayb of Waʾil.
Is like the red sands of ‘Ad or an owl crying at dusk.
أُصيبَتwas stricken هُذَيلٌHudhayl بِاِبنِthrough the son of لُبنىLubna وَجُدِّعَتand were cut off
أُصيبَت هُذَيلٌ بِاِبنِ لُبنى وَجُدِّعَت
أُنوفُهُمُtheir noses بِاللَوذَعِيِّthrough the keen-witted man الحُلاحِلِthe mighty chief
أُنوفُهُمُ بِاللَوذَعِيِّ الحُلاحِلِ
Hudhayl was stricken by the loss of Lubna’s son, and severed were
Hudhayl was hit by Lubna’s son and their
Their noses at the loss of that keen-witted, mighty chief.
Noses were cut by the biting swords.
رَأَيتُI saw بَنيthe sons of العَلّاتِco-wives لَمّاwhen تَضافَرواthey joined forces
رَأَيتُ بَني العَلّاتِ لَمّا تَضافَروا
يَحوزونَthey gather in سَهميmy share دونَهُمapart from them بِالشَمائِلِwith left hands
يَحوزونَ سَهمي دونَهُم بِالشَمائِلِ
I saw the sons of co-wives, when they joined forces,
I saw the sons of ‘Allat, when they swarmed
Gathering in my share, apart from their own, with their left hands.
Seizing my arrows ahead of them with their wristbands.
فَلَهفيso, my grief عَلىfor عَمرِوʿAmr بنِson of مُرَّةَMurra لَهفَةًdeep grief
فَلَهفي عَلى عَمرِو بنِ مُرَّةَ لَهفَةً
وَلَهفىand my grief عَلىfor مَيتٍa dead man بِقَوسىat Qawsa المَعاقِلِthe strongholds
وَلَهفى عَلى مَيتٍ بِقَوسى المَعاقِلِ
So my grief for ʿAmr ibn Murra—what grief!
My craving for ‘Amr bin Murrah is a burning craving,
And my grief for a dead man at Qawsa of the strongholds!
And my craving for the dead with my powerful bow.
Sol 6.1