تَأَلّىhe swore حلفَةًan oath فيin غَيرِthe absence of جُرمٍwrongdoing
تَأَلّى حلفَةً في غَيرِ جُرمٍ
أَميريmy commander حارِثٌHarith شبهَlike الصرارِa cricket
أَميري حارِثٌ شبهَ الصرارِ
He swore an oath, though I had done no wrong—
He wrongfully accused me, my prince Harith,
my commander Harith, like a cricket—
Resembling the flowing stream.
عَلَيَّagainst me لأجلَدَنI shall surely be flogged فيin غَيرِthe absence of جُرمٍwrongdoing
عَلَيَّ لأجلَدَن في غَيرِ جُرمٍ
وَلاand not أُدنيI am admitted فَيَنفَعُنيso it may help me اِعتِذاريmy plea
وَلا أُدني فَيَنفَعُني اِعتِذاري
that I should surely be flogged, though guiltless;
He will flog me though I'm not guilty,
nor am I admitted, where my plea might help me.
And my pleading will not avail.
وَقُلتُand I said وَقَدand already ضَمَمتُI gathered إِلَيَّto myself جَأشيmy courage
وَقُلتُ وَقَد ضَمَمتُ إِلَيَّ جَأشي
تَحَلَّلrelease yourself from the oath لاdo not تأَلَّswear عَلَيَّagainst me حارِO Harith
تَحَلَّل لا تأَلَّ عَلَيَّ حارِ
And I said, having gathered my courage:
I said, as I gathered my provisions,
Release yourself from your oath; do not swear against me, Harith.
"Don't accuse me wrongly, stop!"
فَإِنّيfor indeed I سَوفَwill يَكفينيكَprotects me from you عَزميmy resolve
فَإِنّي سَوفَ يَكفينيكَ عَزمي
وَنَصيand my hard driving العيسَthe pale camels بِالبَلَدِthrough the land القِفارِbarren
وَنَصي العيسَ بِالبَلَدِ القِفارِ
For my resolve will protect me from you,
My resolve will suffice against you,
and my driving the pale camels hard through the barren land,
And my support, the stallions of the deserted country.
وَعَنسٌand a stout she-camel ذاتُpossessing مُعجَمَةٍtested strength أَمونٌsure-footed
وَعَنسٌ ذاتُ مُعجَمَةٍ أَمونٌ
عَلَنداةٌpowerfully built مُوَثَّقَةُfirmly knit الفِقارِthe vertebrae
عَلَنداةٌ مُوَثَّقَةُ الفِقارِ
and a stout she-camel, of tested strength and sure footing,
A she-camel, large-bodied, safe,
powerfully built, her backbone firmly knit.
With a sturdy spine.
تَزيفُshe struts إِذاwhen تَواهَقَتِrace neck and neck المَطاياthe mounts
تَزيفُ إِذا تَواهَقَتِ المَطايا
كَماjust as زافَstrutted المُشَرِّفُthe towering stallion لِلخِطارِin tail-tossing
كَما زافَ المُشَرِّفُ لِلخِطارِ
She struts when the mounts race neck and neck,
She prances when the riding beasts prance,
as a towering stallion struts, flicking his tail.
Like an honorable one facing dangers.
وَإِنand if ضَرَبَتshe thrashes بِلَحيَيهاwith her two jaws وَعامَتand swims
وَإِن ضَرَبَت بِلَحيَيها وَعامَت
تَفَصَّمَsnap apart عَنهماoff them both حَلقُthe rings السِّفارِof the halter
تَفَصَّمَ عَنهما حَلقُ السِّفارِ
And if she thrashes her jaws and swims along,
If she strikes with her cheeks and labors,
the halter's rings snap free of them—
The necks of the nobles are severed from her.
مِراحاًfrom high spirits غَيرَnot ماemphatic particle ضِغنٍrancor وَلَكِنbut rather
مِراحاً غَيرَ ما ضِغنٍ وَلَكِن
لجاجاًfrom obstinacy حينَwhen تَشتَبِهُlook alike الصَحاريthe deserts
لجاجاً حينَ تَشتَبِهُ الصَحاري
from high spirits, not rancor, but
Not slowly but quickly when the plains look alike,
from obstinacy when the deserts look alike.
When an open space appears before her,
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِستَقبَلَتshe faces جَوناًa dark expanse بَهيجاًdelightful
إِذا ما اِستَقبَلَت جَوناً بَهيجاً
تَفَرَّجَworks loose عَنfrom مُخَيَّسهِits secured place حصَاريmy saddle
تَفَرَّجَ عَن مُخَيَّسهِ حصَاري
Whenever she faces a dark, delightful expanse,
Her privation is relieved, and the enclosures.
my saddle works loose from its secured place.
When the garden of Rabab lies before me
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle حالcomes between رَوضُthe meadow of ربابRabab دونيin my way
إِذا ما حال رَوضُ رباب دوني
وَتَثليثٌand Tathlith فَشَأنُكَthen do as you will بِالبَكاريwith the young she-camels
وَتَثليثٌ فَشَأنُكَ بِالبَكاري
When Rawd Rabab stands between me and you,
And spoils, your concern is with the virgins.
and Tathlith, then do what you will with the young she-camels.
My sword will leave their fangs behind
وَأَنيابٌand old she-camels سَيُخلِفهُنَّwill replace them سَيفيmy sword
وَأَنيابٌ سَيُخلِفهُنَّ سَيفي
وَشَدّاتُand the charges الكَمِيِّof the armored warrior عَلىagainst التِجارِthe merchants
وَشَدّاتُ الكَمِيِّ عَلى التِجارِ
And old she-camels—my sword will replace them,
And the scabbard's bands on the merchants.
and an armored warrior's charges against merchants.
If it flashes from it, my people smile
فَإِنso if أَسطَعI can أرحI shall relieve مِنهُof him أناسيmy people
فَإِن أَسطَع أرح مِنهُ أناسي
بِضَربَةِwith a stroke فاتِكٍof a daring killer غَيرِwithout اِعتِذارِapology
بِضَربَةِ فاتِكٍ غَيرِ اِعتِذارِ
If I can, I shall rid my people of him
With a single, fatal stroke without apology.
with a killer's stroke, without apology.
And if he escapes, I will hurl
وَإِنand if يُفلِتhe escapes فَإِنّيthen I سَوفَwill ألقىI meet
وَإِن يُفلِت فَإِنّي سَوفَ ألقى
بَنيهhis sons بِالمَدينَةِin Medina أَوor صِرارِSirar
بَنيه بِالمَدينَةِ أَو صِرارِ
And if he escapes, I shall meet
His sons in Medina or the rocky plain.
his sons in Medina or Sirar.
Let the messenger inform Marwan about me,
أَلاah! مَنwho مُبلِغٌwill convey مَروانَMarwan عَنّيfrom me
أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ مَروانَ عَنّي
فَإِنّيfor I لَيسَis not دَهريmy way of life بِالفِرارِone of flight
فَإِنّي لَيسَ دَهري بِالفِرارِ
Ah, who will carry word to Marwan from me?
That my time is not for fleeing.
For flight is not my way of life,
I'm not afraid of youths in a day,
وَلاand no جَزعٌpanic مِنَat الحدثانِfortune's blows يَوماًever
وَلا جَزعٌ مِنَ الحدثانِ يَوماً
وَلَكِنّيbut I أَرودُscout لَكُمfor you وبارِWabar
وَلَكِنّي أَرودُ لَكُم وبارِ
nor do I ever panic at the blows of fate.
Rather, I aim ruin for you.
But I scout Wabar for you,
With neighing by which the steeds are controlled
بِهزمارٍat Hazmar تُرادُare driven about العيسُthe pale camels فيهاin it
بِهزمارٍ تُرادُ العيسُ فيها
إِذاwhen أَشفَقنthey fear مِنof قَلقِthe restlessness الصِّفارِthe whistling
إِذا أَشفَقن مِن قَلقِ الصِّفارِ
at Hazmar, where the pale camels are driven about
When dusk disturbs with the bells' commotion.
when they fear the restless whistling.
They crowd with necks like the cords of a tent,
وَهنand they يَحُشنَpress onward بِالأَعناقِwith their necks حَوشاًvigorously
وَهن يَحُشنَ بِالأَعناقِ حَوشاً
كَأَنَّas though عِظامَهُنَّtheir bones قِداحُarrow shafts بارِof a carver
كَأَنَّ عِظامَهُنَّ قِداحُ بارِ
And they press onward, straining their necks,
As if their bones are the sticks of tents.
as though their bones were a carver's arrow shafts.
As if the saddle secured a new crescent
كَأَنَّas though الرَحلَthe saddle أَسأَرَleft a remnant مِنof قَرهاher back
كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ أَسأَرَ مِن قَرها
هِلالَa crescent عَشِيَّةٍat evening بَعدَafter السرارِthe moonless nights
هِلالَ عَشِيَّةٍ بَعدَ السرارِ
As though the saddle had left of her back
In the evening after the departure of the caravan.
an evening crescent after the moonless nights.
I saw the seas had brought next to me
رَأَيتُI saw وَقَدand already أَتىcame بُحرانُBuhran دونيbefore me
رَأَيتُ وَقَد أَتى بُحرانُ دوني
لِلَيلىbelonging to Layla بِالغُمَيِّمِat al-Ghumayyim ضَوءَthe light of نارِa fire
لِلَيلى بِالغُمَيِّمِ ضَوءَ نارِ
I saw, though Buhran lay between us,
For Layla, in the darkness, the light of fire.
the glow of Layla's fire at al-Ghumayyim.
When I say its flames have died down,
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle قُلتُI said قَدalready خَمَدَتit had died down زُهاهاrevived it
إِذا ما قُلتُ قَد خَمَدَت زُهاها
عَصِيُّsticks الزَّندِof the fire drill وَالعَصفُand the gusts السَّواريsweeping by night
عَصِيُّ الزَّندِ وَالعَصفُ السَّواري
Whenever I said, 'It has died down,' it was revived by
The branches of acacia and stormy willows
kindling sticks and winds that sweep by night.
Stoke it, and it glows weakly
يُشَبُّis kindled وَقودُهاits fuel وَيَلوحُand gleams وَهناًlate at night
يُشَبُّ وَقودُها وَيَلوحُ وَهناً
كَماjust as لاحَgleamed الشَبوبُthe full-grown wild bull مِنَfrom among الصُّوارِthe herd of wild cattle
كَما لاحَ الشَبوبُ مِنَ الصُّوارِ
Its fuel is kindled and gleams late at night,
As embers glow from bellows.
as a full-grown wild bull gleams among the herd.
As if when kindled for Layla,
كَأَنَّas though النارَthe fire إِذاwhen شُبَّتwas kindled لِلَيلىfor Layla
كَأَنَّ النارَ إِذا شُبَّت لِلَيلى
أَضاءَتlit up جيدَthe neck of مغزِلَةٍa gazelle with a fawn نَوارِshy
أَضاءَت جيدَ مغزِلَةٍ نَوارِ
As though the fire, when kindled for Layla,
The fire illuminates the cheeks of a spinner of yarn.
lit the neck of a shy gazelle with a fawn.
It hunts hearts with its flames
وَتَصطادُand she ensnares القُلوبَthe hearts عَلىupon مَطاهاher back
وَتَصطادُ القُلوبَ عَلى مَطاها
بِلاwithout جَعدِtightly curled القُرونِtresses وَلاnor قِصارِshort ones
بِلا جَعدِ القُرونِ وَلا قِصارِ
And she ensnares hearts with the hair upon her back—
Without tangled locks or shortness.
tresses neither tightly curled nor short.
It smiles with sweet, pure whiteness
وَتبسمُand she smiles عَنrevealing نَقِيِّpure اللَّونِin color عَذبٍsweet
وَتبسمُ عَن نَقِيِّ اللَّونِ عَذبٍ
كَماjust as شيفَwere cleansed الأقاحيdaisies بِالقطارِby raindrops
كَما شيفَ الأقاحي بِالقطارِ
And she smiles to reveal a bright, sweet mouth,
As the gum exudes from the train.
like daisies washed clean by rain.
Are you afraid, knowing the abode
أَتجزَعُdo you grieve? أَنbecause عَرَفتَyou recognized بِبَطنِin the valley of قَوٍّQaww
أَتجزَعُ أَن عَرَفتَ بِبَطنِ قَوٍّ
وَصَحراءِand the desert of الأُدَيهمal-Udayhim رَسمَa trace of دارِa dwelling
وَصَحراءِ الأُدَيهم رَسمَ دارِ
Do you grieve because you recognized, in the valley of Qaww
Of Qawas and the deserts of Udayham?
and the desert of al-Udayhim, a dwelling's traces,
That you are among the mixed horde
وَأَنand because حَلَّsettled الخَليطُthe company وَلَستand you are not فيهِمamong them
وَأَن حَلَّ الخَليطُ وَلَست فيهِم
مَرابِعَspring encampments بَينَbetween ذِحلDhihl إِلىto سَرارِSarar
مَرابِعَ بَينَ ذِحل إِلى سَرارِ
and because the company has settled, with you not among them,
With no steadfastness between Dhahil and Sarar?
in spring camps stretching from Dhihl to Sarar?
When they camp at an empty meadow
إِذاwhen حَلّواthey camped بِناعِجَةٍat Naʿija خَلاءًin empty country
إِذا حَلّوا بِناعِجَةٍ خَلاءً
يُقَطِّفُpluck نورَthe blossoms of حَنوتِهاits hanwa herbs العَذاريthe maidens
يُقَطِّفُ نورَ حَنوتِها العَذاري
When they camp in lonely Naʿija,
Where its dew is picked by the young maidens.
the maidens pluck the blossoms of its hanwa herbs.
Partial English translation: 53 of 54 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1