وَلَمand did not تَحمَfeel protective anger عَبدُʿAbd (servant) اللَهِAllāh (God) لاmay … not دَرَّflow دَرُّهاher milk
وَلَم تَحمَ عَبدُ اللَهِ لا دَرَّ دَرُّها
عَلىover خَيرِthe best of قَتلاهاher slain وَلَمnor did تَحمَfeel protective anger جَعفَرُJaʿfar
عَلى خَيرِ قَتلاها وَلَم تَحمَ جَعفَرُ
And ʿAbd Allāh felt no outrage—may her milk run dry!—
Abdullah's servant did not protect, her pearls no longer glisten,
over the best of her slain; nor did Jaʿfar.
Nor did Ja'far, though slain in glorious battle,
وَلَمnor did تَحمَfeel protective anger أَولادُthe sons of الضَبابِal-Ḍabāb كَأَنَّماas though
وَلَم تَحمَ أَولادُ الضَبابِ كَأَنَّما
تُساقُare driven بِهِمfor them وَسطَamid الصَريمَةِthe thicket أَبكُرُyoung camels
تُساقُ بِهِم وَسطَ الصَريمَةِ أَبكُرُ
Nor did the sons of al-Ḍabāb feel outrage, as though
Nor the lads of Dhubyan, led to death unresisting,
young camels were being driven for them amid the thicket.
Through the wait-thicket at dawn as though goats to the slaughter.
وَدَوكُمthey paid you blood money غَضاghada trees الواديof the valley فَلَمso … not تَكُbe دِمنَةٌrancor
وَدَوكُم غَضا الوادي فَلَم تَكُ دِمنَةٌ
وَلاnor تِرَةٌa blood-debt يَسعىstrives بِهاover it المُتَذَكِّرُone who remembers
وَلا تِرَةٌ يَسعى بِها المُتَذَكِّرُ
They paid you the valley’s ghada trees as blood money, so there was no rancor,
Your blood wherein Wolf Gorge lay soaked
nor any blood-debt that one who remembers might pursue.
Was no pool muddied for the remembered to ponder,
أَجِدَّكُمُare you in earnest? لَمnot تَمنَعواyou defended الدَهرَever تَلعَةًa ravine
أَجِدَّكُمُ لَم تَمنَعوا الدَهرَ تَلعَةً
كَماas مَنَعَتdefended عُرضَthe reaches of الحِجازِthe Hijaz مُبَشِّرُMubashshir
كَما مَنَعَت عُرضَ الحِجازِ مُبَشِّرُ
Is it true you have never defended a ravine,
Yet, kinsmen, you allowed no respite for Time to boast
as Mubashshir defended the reaches of the Hijaz?
That he had robbed Hijaz of honour and defender.
لَوَشكانَhow very swiftly ماthat أَعطَيتَنيyou gave me القَومَthe people عَنوَةًunder duress
لَوَشكانَ ما أَعطَيتَني القَومَ عَنوَةً
هِيَit السُنَّةُthe custom الشَنعاءُhideous وَالطَعنُand spear-thrusting يَظأَرُcompels submission
هِيَ السُنَّةُ الشَنعاءُ وَالطَعنُ يَظأَرُ
How swiftly you handed the people over to me under duress!
Had you begrudged me the men, you had treated me foully;
Such is the hideous custom, and spear-thrusts compel submission.
Such, alas, is the wont of the bitter cynic's slander;
لَشَتّانَhow very different حَربٌwar أَوor تَبوءواyou return بِخِزيَةٍwith disgrace
لَشَتّانَ حَربٌ أَو تَبوءوا بِخِزيَةٍ
وَقَدand may يَقبَلُaccept الضَيمَoppression الذَليلُthe abject man المُسَيَّرُdriven about
وَقَد يَقبَلُ الضَيمَ الذَليلُ المُسَيَّرُ
What a gulf between war and your returning in disgrace!
War, not abasement, may visit a man; and the spiritless
And the abject man, driven about, may accept oppression.
May yet bow under humiliation's burden.
Sol 6.1