لَعَمريby my life لَئِنif indeed أَمسىhas come to be يَزيدُYazid بنُson of نَهشَلٍNahshal
لَعَمري لَئِن أَمسى يَزيدُ بنُ نَهشَلٍ
حَشاwithin جَدَثٍa grave تُسفيscatter dust عَلَيهِover it الرَوائِحُthe evening winds
حَشا جَدَثٍ تُسفي عَلَيهِ الرَوائِحُ
By my life, though Yazid ibn Nahshal has come to lie
Within a grave over which evening winds scatter dust,
لَقَدindeed كانَhe was مِمَّنamong those who يَبسُطُstretches out الكَفَّthe palm بِالنَدىin generosity
لَقَد كانَ مِمَّن يَبسُطُ الكَفَّ بِالنَدى
إِذاwhen ضَنَّwere stingy بِالخَيرِwith bounty الأَكُفُّthe hands الشَحائِحُthe miserly
إِذا ضَنَّ بِالخَيرِ الأَكُفُّ الشَحائِحُ
He was indeed among those who stretched out their palms in generosity
When miserly hands withheld their bounty.
فَبَعدَكَso after you أَبدىrevealed ذوthe bearer of الضَغينَةِrancor ضِغنَهُhis rancor
فَبَعدَكَ أَبدى ذو الضَغينَةِ ضِغنَهُ
وَشَدَّand fixed لِيَon me الطَرفَthe gaze العُيونُthe eyes الكَواشِحُthe hostile
وَشَدَّ لِيَ الطَرفَ العُيونُ الكَواشِحُ
So after you, the bearer of rancor revealed his rancor,
And hostile eyes fixed their gaze on me.
ذَكَرتُI recalled الَّذيthe man who ماتَdied النَدىgenerosity عِندَat مَوتِهِhis death
ذَكَرتُ الَّذي ماتَ النَدى عِندَ مَوتِهِ
بِعاقِبَةٍat a later time إِذwhen صالِحُthe good of العَيشِlife طالِحُspoiled
بِعاقِبَةٍ إِذ صالِحُ العَيشِ طالِحُ
I recalled the man at whose death generosity died,
In later days, when the good of life had turned bitter.
إِذاwhen آرِقٌa sleepless man أَفنىhas exhausted مِنَof اللَيلِthe night ماwhat مَضىhas passed
إِذا آرِقٌ أَفنى مِنَ اللَيلِ ما مَضى
تَمَطّىstretches out بِهِover him ثِنيٌa second fold مِنَof اللَيلِthe night راجِحُheavy
تَمَطّى بِهِ ثِنيٌ مِنَ اللَيلِ راجِحُ
When a sleepless man has spent the hours of night already past,
Another heavy fold of night stretches out over him.
لِيَبكِlet him mourn يَزيدَYazid ضارِعٌone humbled لِخُصومَةٍby a dispute
لِيَبكِ يَزيدَ ضارِعٌ لِخُصومَةٍ
وَمُختَبِطٌand a seeker of aid مِمّاbecause of what تُطيحُcast down الطَوائِحُcalamities
وَمُختَبِطٌ مِمّا تُطيحُ الطَوائِحُ
Let one humbled by a dispute weep for Yazid,
And a suppliant whom calamities have cast down.
سَقىmay rain water جَدَثاًa grave أَمسىhas come to be بِدَومَةَat Dawma ثاوِياًdwelling
سَقى جَدَثاً أَمسى بِدَومَةَ ثاوِياً
مِنَfrom الدَلوِthe Bucket constellation وَالجَوزاءِand al-Jawza غادٍa morning raincloud وَرائِحُand an evening raincloud
مِنَ الدَلوِ وَالجَوزاءِ غادٍ وَرائِحُ
May a grave now lying at Dawma be watered
By morning and evening rain from the Bucket and al-Jawza.
عَراcame seeking bounty بَعدَماafter جَفَّhad dried الثَرىthe damp earth عَنfrom نِقابِهِhis face-veil
عَرا بَعدَما جَفَّ الثَرى عَن نِقابِهِ
بِعَصماءَwith a flawless ode تَدريthat knows كَيفَhow تَمشيwalk المَنائِحُgifts of milch animals
بِعَصماءَ تَدري كَيفَ تَمشي المَنائِحُ
He came seeking bounty after the earth had dried from his face-veil,
With a flawless ode that knows how gifted milk-beasts walk.
Sol 6.1