أياO عَيْنُeye بَكّيweep for تَوْبَةَTawba بنson of حُمَيِّرِHumayyir
أيا عَيْنُ بَكّي تَوْبَةَ بن حُمَيِّرِ
بسَحٍّwith a torrent كَفَيْضِlike the flood of الجَدْوَلِthe stream المُتَفَجّرِgushing forth
بسَحٍّ كَفَيْضِ الجَدْوَلِ المُتَفَجّرِ
O eye, weep for Tawba son of Humayyir,
O eye, weep for Tubba son of Humayyir
with a torrent like the flood of a gushing stream.
With copious tears like a gushing stream
لِتَبْكِlet them weep عَلَيْهِover him مِنْfrom خَفَاجَةٍKhafaja نِسْوَةٌwomen
لِتَبْكِ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَفَاجَةٍ نِسْوَةٌ
بماءِwith the water of شُؤُونِtear ducts العَبْرَةِtears المُتَحَدِّرِflowing down
بماءِ شُؤُونِ العَبْرَةِ المُتَحَدِّرِ
Let women of Khafaja weep over him
So that some ladies may weep for him
with water streaming from their tear ducts.
With flowing tears of sorrow
سَمِعْنَthey heard بِهَيْجاof a battle أزهَقَتْtook life فَذَكَرْنَهُso they remembered him
سَمِعْنَ بِهَيْجا أزهَقَتْ فَذَكَرْنَهُ
ولاand not يَبْعَثُawakens الأَحْزانَsorrows مِثْلُthe like of التّذَكُّرِremembrance
ولا يَبْعَثُ الأَحْزانَ مِثْلُ التّذَكُّرِ
They heard of a deadly battle and remembered him;
They heard his passionate cry and it reminded them
and nothing awakens grief like remembrance.
For nothing evokes sorrow like remembrance
كأنَّas though فَتىthe youth of الفِتْيانِthe youths تَوْبَةَTawba لَمْdid not يَسِرْjourney
كأنَّ فَتى الفِتْيانِ تَوْبَةَ لَمْ يَسِرْ
بِنَجْدٍthrough Najd ولَمْand did not يَطْلُعْset forth مَعَwith المُتَغَوِّرِthe lowland-bound traveler
بِنَجْدٍ ولَمْ يَطْلُعْ مَعَ المُتَغَوِّرِ
As though Tawba, youth of youths, had never journeyed
It was as if the finest of young men, Tubba, had not traveled
through Najd, nor set forth with one bound for the lowlands;
Through Najd or rode out at dawn
ولَمْand did not يَرِدِreach الماءَthe water السِّدامَstagnant إذاwhen بَداappeared
ولَمْ يَرِدِ الماءَ السِّدامَ إذا بَدا
سَناthe radiance of الصُّبْحdawn فيon بادِيexposed الجَواشيthe chests مُوَّرِswift-moving
سَنا الصُّبْح في بادِي الجَواشي مُوَّرِ
nor reached stagnant water when there appeared
He did not fetch sweet water when it appeared
dawn's radiance, on a lean-chested, swift-moving mount;
Beautiful in the morning in the sandy wilderness
ولَمْand did not يَغْلِبِovercome الخَصْمَthe opponent الضِّجاجَclamorous ويَمْلأand fill
ولَمْ يَغْلِبِ الخَصْمَ الضِّجاجَ ويَمْلأ
الجِفانَthe great bowls سَدِيفاًcamel-hump fat يَوْمَon a day of نَكْباءَa crosswind صَرْصَرِhowling and bitterly cold
الجِفانَ سَدِيفاً يَوْمَ نَكْباءَ صَرْصَرِ
nor overcome a clamorous opponent, nor filled
He did not defeat his clamorous opponent and fill
the great bowls with hump-fat on a day of cold, howling crosswinds;
The leather buckets on the day of great turmoil
ولَمْand did not يَعْلُascend بالجُرْدِwith short-coated horses الجِيادِthe noble steeds يَقُودُهاleading them
ولَمْ يَعْلُ بالجُرْدِ الجِيادِ يَقُودُها
بسُرَّةَat Surra بَيْنَbetween الأَشْمَساتِal-Ashmasat فأَيْصُرِand Aysur
بسُرَّةَ بَيْنَ الأَشْمَساتِ فأَيْصُرِ
nor climbed with sleek, noble steeds, leading them
He did not know horses with armor that he led
at Surra, between al-Ashmasat and Aysur.
Joyfully between encampments, so skillful
وصَحْراءَand a desert مَوْماةٍtrackless يَحارُlose their way بهاin it القَطاthe sandgrouse
وصَحْراءَ مَوْماةٍ يَحارُ بها القَطا
قَطَعْتَyou crossed عَلىdespite هَوْلِthe terror of الجِنانِthe jinn بِمِنْسَرِwith a band of horsemen
قَطَعْتَ عَلى هَوْلِ الجِنانِ بِمِنْسَرِ
And a trackless desert where sandgrouse lose their way—
And a barren desert where he lost his way
you crossed it, despite the terror of jinn, with a band of horsemen.
You crossed the awe of ghosts with a caravan
يَقُودُونَthey lead قُبّاًlean-bellied horses كالسَّراحِينِlike wolves لاحَهاmade them lean
يَقُودُونَ قُبّاً كالسَّراحِينِ لاحَها
سُراهُمْtheir night marches وسَيْرُand the travel of الرّاكِبِthe rider المُتَهَجِّرِtraveling in midday heat
سُراهُمْ وسَيْرُ الرّاكِبِ المُتَهَجِّرِ
They lead lean-bellied horses like wolves, thinned by
They lead a group like sprinters, made radiant
their night marches and the rider's travel in midday heat.
By their departure and the travel of the estranged rider
فَلَمَّاthen when بَدَتْappeared أَرْضُthe land of العَدُوِّthe enemy سَقَيْتَهاyou watered them
فَلَمَّا بَدَتْ أَرْضُ العَدُوِّ سَقَيْتَها
مُجاجَtrickles بَقِيّاتِthe remnants of المَزادِthe waterskins المُقَيَّرِpitch-coated
مُجاجَ بَقِيّاتِ المَزادِ المُقَيَّرِ
Then, when the enemy's land appeared, you watered them with
So when the enemy's land appeared, you watered it
the last trickles from the pitch-coated waterskins.
With pure, filtered remains of the treasured stocks
ولَمّاand when أَهابُواthey shouted بالنِّهابِto the plundered herds حَوَيْتَهاyou gathered them
ولَمّا أَهابُوا بالنِّهابِ حَوَيْتَها
بخاظِيon one thick البَضِيعِin flesh كَرُّهُhis wheeling charge غَيْرُnot أَعْسَرِawkward
بخاظِي البَضِيعِ كَرُّهُ غَيْرُ أَعْسَرِ
And when they shouted the plundered herds onward, you rounded them up
And when they recoiled in alarm, you surrounded them
on a thick-fleshed horse whose wheeling charge was never awkward,
With the guard's sword - its blow made no weaker
مُمَرٍّfirmly knit كَكَرِّlike the rope of الأنْدَرِيّthe Andari مُثابِرٍunflagging
مُمَرٍّ كَكَرِّ الأنْدَرِيّ مُثابِرٍ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle وَنَيْنَthey flagged مُهَلِبِdriving hard الشَدِّin running مُحْضِرِswift-galloping
إذا ما وَنَيْنَ مُهَلِبِ الشَدِّ مُحْضِرِ
firmly knit as an Andari rope, tireless
Insistent as the striking of stone on flint
when the others flagged, fierce in his running, swift at the gallop.
When the kindling of war's blaze brought strife
فألْوَتْso they turned بأعْناقٍwith necks طِوالٍlong وَراعَهاand frightened them
فألْوَتْ بأعْناقٍ طِوالٍ وَراعَها
صَلاصِلُclanging sounds بِيضٍhelmets سابغٍfull-length mail وسَنَوَّرِand armor
صَلاصِلُ بِيضٍ سابغٍ وسَنَوَّرِ
So they turned their long necks, frightened by
So they submitted with long necks, and it frightened them -
the clanging of helmets, full-length mail, and armor.
Fair chains, thick and interlinked
أَلَمْdid ... not? تَرَyou see أنَّthat العَبْدَthe slave يَقْتُلُkills رَبَّهُhis master
أَلَمْ تَرَ أنَّ العَبْدَ يَقْتُلُ رَبَّهُ
فَيَظْهَرُand so prevails جَدُّthe fortune of العبدِthe slave مِنْfrom غَيْرِother than مَظْهَرِa means of victory
فَيَظْهَرُ جَدُّ العبدِ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَظْهَرِ
Have you not seen that a slave kills his master,
Do you not see that the slave kills his lord
and the slave's fortune prevails without means of victory?
Yet the slave's zeal appears without pretense?
قَتَلْتُمْyou killed فَتىًa youth لاnot يُسْقِطُmakes fall الرَّوْعُterror رُمْحَهُhis spear
قَتَلْتُمْ فَتىً لا يُسْقِطُ الرَّوْعُ رُمْحَهُ
إذاwhen الخَيْلُthe horses جالَتْwheeled فيamong قناًspear-shafts مُتَكَسِّرِsplintered
إذا الخَيْلُ جالَتْ في قناً مُتَكَسِّرِ
You killed a youth whose spear terror could not make him drop,
You killed a man whose spear would not fall
when horses wheeled among splintered spears.
When the horses plunged into the breaking fray
فَياso, O تَوْبَTawba للهَيْجاfor battle وياand O تَوْبَTawba للنَّدىfor generosity
فَيا تَوْبَ للهَيْجا ويا تَوْبَ للنَّدى
وياand O تَوْبَTawba لِلْمُسْتَنْبحِfor one seeking dogs' answering barks المُتَنَوِّرِone seeking firelight
ويا تَوْبَ لِلْمُسْتَنْبحِ المُتَنَوِّرِ
So, O Tawba, for battle! And O Tawba, for bounty!
So alas for the passion and alas for the dew
And O Tawba, for the traveler seeking dogs' answering barks and firelight!
And alas for the polished sword!
أَلاBehold رُبَّmany a مَكْرُوبٍdistressed person أَجَبْتَyou answered ونائِلٍand bounty
أَلا رُبَّ مَكْرُوبٍ أَجَبْتَ ونائِلٍ
بَذَلْتَyou bestowed ومَعْرُوفٍand good لَدَيْكَbefore you ومُنْكَرِand evil
بَذَلْتَ ومَعْرُوفٍ لَدَيْكَ ومُنْكَرِ
Ah, how many a distressed man you answered, how much bounty
Oh how many afflicted you have answered and seekers
you bestowed—and how much good and evil lay before you!
You have given to, and good and evil you have known
فأحْرَزْتَand so you secured مِنْهُfrom it ماwhat أَرَدْتَyou wanted بقُدْرَةٍwith strength
فأحْرَزْتَ مِنْهُ ما أَرَدْتَ بقُدْرَةٍ
وسَطْوَةِand the force of جبّارٍa mighty man وإقدامِand the daring of قَسْوَرِa lion
وسَطْوَةِ جبّارٍ وإقدامِ قَسْوَرِ
And from it you won what you wished, through strength
Thus you attained what you wanted by force
and a mighty man's force, and a lion's daring.
And the might of an obstinate, fierce tyrant
Sol 6.1