أَهاجَكَdid ... stir you? لَيلىLayla إِذwhen أَجَدَّbecame urgent رَحيلُهاher departure
أَهاجَكَ لَيلى إِذ أَجَدَّ رَحيلُها
نَعَمyes وَثَنَتand she turned away لَمّاwhen اِحزَأَلَّتrose together حُمولُهاher laden camels
نَعَم وَثَنَت لَمّا اِحزَأَلَّت حُمولُها
Did Layla stir you when her departure became urgent?
Leila stirred him when she made ready to depart
Yes; and she turned away when her laden camels rose together.
Yes, and leaned aside when the litters were loaded
لَقَدindeed سِرتُI traveled شَرقِيَّthe eastern parts of البِلادِthe lands وَغَربِهاand their west
لَقَد سِرتُ شَرقِيَّ البِلادِ وَغَربِها
وَقَدand indeed ضَرَبَتنيhave struck me شَمسُهاtheir sun وَظُلولُهاand their shadows
وَقَد ضَرَبَتني شَمسُها وَظُلولُها
I have traveled the eastern lands and their west,
I have ranged over the lands, east and west
And their sun and shadows have beaten upon me.
And her sun has struck me, and her shades
يَنوءُit rises heavily فَيَعدوthen it runs مِنfrom قَريبٍnearby إِذاwhen عَداit runs
يَنوءُ فَيَعدو مِن قَريبٍ إِذا عَدا
وَيَكمُنُand it hides فيin خَشباءَa thicket وَعثٍrough مَقيلُهاits noonday resting-place
وَيَكمُنُ في خَشباءَ وَعثٍ مَقيلُها
It rises heavily, then, when it runs, bounds from nearby,
He limps, then races headlong when left alone
And hides in a thicket whose noonday resting-place is rough.
And ambushes in scrub and tangled grass
سَيَأتيwill reach أَميرthe Commander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful وَدونَهُand before him
سَيَأتي أَمير المُؤمِنينَ وَدونَهُ
صِمادٌrocky ridges مِنَof الصَوّانِflint مَرتٌbarren مُيولُهاtheir miles
صِمادٌ مِنَ الصَوّانِ مَرتٌ مُيولُها
It will reach the Commander of the Faithful, though before him lie
The Commander of the Faithful will come with his men
Flint ridges, their miles barren;
A bulwark of warriors, bows bent in hand
فَبيدُthen the deserts of المُنَقّىal-Munaqqa فَالمَشارِفُthen al-Masharif دونَهُbefore him
فَبيدُ المُنَقّى فَالمَشارِفُ دونَهُ
فَرَوضَةُthen the meadow of بُصرىBusra أَعرَضَتstretches wide فَبَسيلُهاthen its Basil
فَرَوضَةُ بُصرى أَعرَضَت فَبَسيلُها
Then al-Munaqqa's deserts and al-Masharif lie before him,
By the sacred heights, then the plains beneath
Then Busra's meadow stretches wide, and then its Basil.
The meadows of Busra have bared their arms
ثَنائيmy praise تُؤَدّيهِshe conveys it إليكto you وَمِدحَتيand my eulogy
ثَنائي تُؤَدّيهِ إليك وَمِدحَتي
صُهابِيَّةُa tawny she-camel الأَلوانِin color باقٍenduring ذَميلُهاher easy trot
صُهابِيَّةُ الأَلوانِ باقٍ ذَميلُها
My praise and eulogy are borne to you
My song I sing to you, and my eulogy
By a tawny-hued she-camel whose easy trot endures,
Colored like the falcon's wing, lasting as reproach
عَسوفٌboldly striding بِأَجوازِthrough the midst of الفَلاthe deserts حِميَرِيَّةٌHimyarite
عَسوفٌ بِأَجوازِ الفَلا حِميَرِيَّةٌ
مَريشٌplumed بِذِئبانِwith tufts of السَبيبِlong hair تَليلُهاher neck
مَريشٌ بِذِئبانِ السَبيبِ تَليلُها
Boldly striding through the heart of the deserts, a Himyarite,
Light horses in the stables of phaenix build
Her neck plumed with tufts of long hair.
Bay steeds whose bridles jingle with little bells
يُغاديhe greets the morning بَفارِwith pods of المِسكِmusk طَوراًat one time وَتارَةًand at another
يُغادي بَفارِ المِسكِ طَوراً وَتارَةً
تُرىis seen الدِرعُthe coat of mail مُرفَضّاًspread loosely عَلَيهِover him نَثيلُهاits hanging rings
تُرى الدِرعُ مُرفَضّاً عَلَيهِ نَثيلُها
At times he greets the morning with musk-pods, and at others,
Now he rides a scent of priceless musk
The mail is seen, its rings spread loosely over him.
Now you see his coat of mail cast off from him
وَقَدand indeed شَخَصَتhas risen بِالسابِرِيَّةِwith Sabiri cloth فَوقَهُabove him
وَقَد شَخَصَت بِالسابِرِيَّةِ فَوقَهُ
مُعَلَّبَةَsinew-bound الأُنبوبِin the shaft ماضٍpiercing أَليلُهاits gleam
مُعَلَّبَةَ الأُنبوبِ ماضٍ أَليلُها
And above him has risen, bearing Sabiri cloth,
The lances with their tubular hooks towards him
A spear with a sinew-bound shaft, its gleam piercing.
Their blades, polished smooth, glinting
تَرىyou see اِبنَthe son of أَبيAbu العاصيal-Asi وَقَدand indeed صُفَّhave been arrayed دونَهُbefore him
تَرى اِبنَ أَبي العاصي وَقَد صُفَّ دونَهُ
ثَمانونَeighty أَلفاًthousand قَدindeed تَوافَتhave assembled كُمولُهاtheir full complement
ثَمانونَ أَلفاً قَد تَوافَت كُمولُها
You see the son of Abu al-Asi, with ranks arrayed before him:
You see the son of Abi 'l-'Ass draw up his lines
Eighty thousand, their full complement assembled.
Eighty thousand all told, when their numbers mount
يُقَلِّبُhe turns عَينيthe two eyes of حَيَّةٍa serpent بِمَحارَةٍin a hollow
يُقَلِّبُ عَيني حَيَّةٍ بِمَحارَةٍ
أَضافَhas brought إِلَيهاto it السَارِياتِthe night-travelers سَبيلُهاtheir path
أَضافَ إِلَيها السَارِياتِ سَبيلُها
He turns eyes like a serpent's in a hollow,
He turns his dangerous eyes, wary and ominous
To which their path has brought the night-travelers.
To which he has added the swift intervening squadrons
يَصُدُّhe turns aside وَيُغضيand lowers his gaze وَهوَand he is لَيثُa lion of Khifiyya خِفِيَّةٍKhifiyya
يَصُدُّ وَيُغضي وَهوَ لَيثُ خِفِيَّةٍ
إِذاif أَمكَنَتهُis possible for him عَدوَةٌa pounce لاnot يُقيلُهاhe lets it pass
إِذا أَمكَنَتهُ عَدوَةٌ لا يُقيلُها
He turns aside and lowers his gaze, yet he is a lion of Khifiyya;
He charges and wheels away, a wolf in ambush
If he has the chance to pounce, he never lets it pass.
When the foe gives him room, he is merciless
بَسَطتَyou stretched out لِباغيto the seeker of العُرفِbounty كَفّاًa hand بَسيطَةًopen
بَسَطتَ لِباغي العُرفِ كَفّاً بَسيطَةً
تَنالُreaches العِدىenemies بَلهَlet alone الصَديقَa friend فضولُهاits abundant gifts
تَنالُ العِدى بَلهَ الصَديقَ فضولُها
You have stretched out an open hand to the seeker of bounty;
You extended a meager hand to the trespassing aggressor
Its bounty reaches enemies, let alone a friend.
Which suffices to wrong the kindred, but also the stranger
وَلَمand did not يَكُbe عَنthrough عَفرٍtoil تَفَرُّعُكَyour ascent to العُلىthe heights
وَلَم يَكُ عَن عَفرٍ تَفَرُّعُكَ العُلى
وَلَكِنbut rather مَواريثُlegacies of الجُدودِthe forefathers تَؤولُهاyou inherit them
وَلَكِن مَواريثُ الجُدودِ تَؤولُها
Your ascent to the heights was not achieved through toil,
Not from any noble stock did your highest fortune spring
But through your forefathers' legacies, which you inherit.
Rather, inheritances of forebears devolve upon you
حَمواthey guarded مَنزِلَthe domain of الأَملاكِthe kings مِنat مَرجِMarj راهِطٍRahit
حَموا مَنزِلَ الأَملاكِ مِن مَرجِ راهِطٍ
وَرَملَةِand the sands of لُدٍّLudd أَنlest تُباحَbe plundered سُهولُهاtheir plains
وَرَملَةِ لُدٍّ أَن تُباحَ سُهولُها
They guarded the kings' domain at Marj Rahit,
Protect the abode of the kings from the tribe of Raht
And Ludd's sands, lest their plains be plundered.
And the sands of Lud, lest their meadows be ravaged
Sol 6.1