أَمنare ... from? آلِthe folk of شَعثاءَSha'tha' الحُمولُthe camel trains البَواكِرُdeparting early
أَمن آلِ شَعثاءَ الحُمولُ البَواكِرُ
مَعwith الصُبحِthe dawn قَدalready زالَتdeparted بِهِنَّwith them الأَباعِرُthe camels
مَع الصُبحِ قَد زالَت بِهِنَّ الأَباعِرُ
Are these early-departing camel trains from the folk of Sha'tha'?
When the early morning camels of Sha'tha's clan departed
At dawn the camels had already borne them away.
At dawn, driving the young she-camels away,
وَحَلَّتand she settled سُلَيمىSulayma فيamong هِضابٍhills وَأَيكَةٍand a thicket
وَحَلَّت سُلَيمى في هِضابٍ وَأَيكَةٍ
فَلَيسَso there is not عَلَيهاover her يَومَon the day ذَلِكَthat قادِرُone able to prevail
فَلَيسَ عَلَيها يَومَ ذَلِكَ قادِرُ
And Sulayma settled among hills and a thicket,
Sulaima settled in meadows and sand hills
so that day none could prevail over her.
Where none could reach her that day.
تُهيبُكdaunt you الأَسفارُjourneys مِنfrom خَشيَةِfear of الرَدىdeath
تُهيبُك الأَسفارُ مِن خَشيَةِ الرَدى
وَكَمand how many قَدindeed رأَيناwe have seen منof رَدٍa dead man لاnot يُسافِرُtravels
وَكَم قَد رأَينا من رَدٍ لا يُسافِرُ
Journeys daunt you through fear of death,
Long journeys make you anxious about mishaps
yet how many a dead man we have seen who never traveled!
And how often have we seen one who does not return from a journey!
وَأَلقَتand she cast down عَصاهاher staff وَأستقرَّتand came to rest بِهاwith her النَوىthe wandering
وَأَلقَت عَصاها وَأستقرَّت بِها النَوى
كَماjust as قَرَّgrew cool and content عَيناًin the eye بالإِيابِwith returning المُسافِرُthe traveler
كَما قَرَّ عَيناً بالإِيابِ المُسافِرُ
And she laid down her staff, and her wandering ceased there,
She cast down her staff and the camels halted,
as a traveler's eye grows cool with his return.
As the traveler's eye is gladdened by the return journey.
فَصَبَّحَهاthen came upon her at dawn أَملاكُهاher kings بكَتيبَةٍwith a battalion
فَصَبَّحَها أَملاكُها بكَتيبَةٍ
عَليهاover it إِذاwhen أَمسَتit reaches evening مِنfrom اللَهِGod ناظِرُa watcher
عَليها إِذا أَمسَت مِن اللَهِ ناظِرُ
Then her kings came upon her at dawn with a battalion,
In the morning, the kings who watched over her
over which, when evening falls, stands a watcher from God.
Attacked with a battalion,
مُعاويَةُMu'awiya بنson of الجَونِal-Jawn ذُبيانُDhubyan حَولَهُaround him
مُعاويَةُ بن الجَونِ ذُبيانُ حَولَهُ
وَحَسّانُand Hassan فيamid جَمعِthe host of الرِبابِal-Ribab مُكاثِرُmassing numbers
وَحَسّانُ في جَمعِ الرِبابِ مُكاثِرُ
Mu'awiya ibn al-Jawn, with Dhubyan around him,
Mu'awiyah ibn al-Harith and his army
and Hassan, massing numbers amid al-Ribab's host.
And Hassaan in the midst of the singing maidens
وَقَدand indeed جَمَعاthe two gathered جَمعاًa host كأَنَّas though زُهاءَهُits multitude
وَقَد جَمَعا جَمعاً كأَنَّ زُهاءَهُ
جَرادٌlocusts سَفىswept along فيin هَبوَةٍa dust cloud مُتَظاهِرُmassed together
جَرادٌ سَفى في هَبوَةٍ مُتَظاهِرُ
And the two had gathered a host whose multitude seemed
Had gathered an army as if its nobility
like locusts swept along in a dust cloud, massed together.
Were swarming locusts in a towering, teeming flock.
وَمَرواand they passed بأَطرافِby the outskirts of البيوتِthe tents فردَّهُمthen repelled them
وَمَروا بأَطرافِ البيوتِ فردَّهُم
رِجالٌmen بأَطرافِwith the points of الرِماحِthe spears مَساعِرُkindlers of war
رِجالٌ بأَطرافِ الرِماحِ مَساعِرُ
They passed along the outskirts of the tents, but were turned back
They passed by the edges of the houses but men at the tips of spears
by men who kindle war, with the points of spears.
Drove them back.
يُفَرِّجُdispels عَنّاfrom us كُلَّevery ثَغرٍvulnerable gap مَخافَةًfear
يُفَرِّجُ عَنّا كُلَّ ثَغرٍ مَخافَةً
جَوادٌa swift steed كسِرحانِlike a wolf of الأَباءَةِthe reed thicket ضامِرُlean
جَوادٌ كسِرحانِ الأَباءَةِ ضامِرُ
Our fear at every vulnerable gap is dispelled
A noble steed, like the grey stallion of the dunes,
by a lean steed, like a wolf of the reed thicket,
Carries us forth from every battle out of fear.
وَكُلُّand every طَموحٍeager mare فيin الجِراءِthe running كَأَنَّهاas though she
وَكُلُّ طَموحٍ في الجِراءِ كَأَنَّها
إِذاwhen أغتمسَتshe plunges فيinto الماءِthe water فتخاءُa broad-winged eagle كاسِرُswooping
إِذا أغتمسَت في الماءِ فتخاءُ كاسِرُ
and by every eager mare at the gallop, as though she,
Every high-climber in the valley is like
when plunging into water, were a broad-winged, swooping eagle.
A partridge immersing itself in water—a diver.
لَهاshe has ناهِضٌa fledgling فيin المَهدِthe cradle قَدalready مَهدَتshe has prepared لَهُfor him
لَها ناهِضٌ في المَهدِ قَد مَهدَت لَهُ
كَماas مَهَّدَتmakes a bed للبَعلِfor the husband حَسناءُa beautiful woman عاقِرُbarren
كَما مَهَّدَت للبَعلِ حَسناءُ عاقِرُ
She has a fledgling in a cradle she has prepared for him,
For her a baby camel rises in the cradle,
as a beautiful, barren woman makes a bed for her husband.
Just as the beautiful, barren wife prepared for her husband.
هَوىswooped زهدَمٌZahdam تَحتَbeneath الغُبارِthe dust لحاجِبٍat Hajib
هَوى زهدَمٌ تَحتَ الغُبارِ لحاجِبٍ
كَماjust as اِنقَضَّswooped down أَقنىa hook-beaked bird ذوwith جَناحَينِtwo wings فاتِرُslack-winged
كَما اِنقَضَّ أَقنى ذو جَناحَينِ فاتِرُ
Zahdam swooped beneath the dust at Hajib,
He collapsed under the dust for the sake of an eyebrow
as a hook-beaked bird swoops down, its two wings slack.
As a fledgling with weak wings collapses.
هُماthe two of them بَطلانِtwo champions يَعثُرانِstumbling كِلاهُماeach of them
هُما بَطلانِ يَعثُرانِ كِلاهُما
يُريدُseeks رياسَthe hilt of السَيفِthe sword وَالسَيفُand the sword نادِرُfallen free
يُريدُ رياسَ السَيفِ وَالسَيفُ نادِرُ
They are two champions stumbling; each of them
They are two champions both stumbling—
seeks the sword's hilt, while the sword has fallen free.
Each desires leadership of the sword but the sword is rare.
فَلاso no فَضلَadvantage إِلّاexcept أَنthat يَكونَthere is جَراءَةٌcourage
فَلا فَضلَ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ جَراءَةٌ
ذَويof two wearers of بَدَنَينِtwo coats of mail وَالرؤوسُand the heads حَواسِرُuncovered
ذَوي بَدَنَينِ وَالرؤوسُ حَواسِرُ
So there is no advantage except the courage
The only merit is to show courage
of two men in mail, their heads uncovered.
Despite weak bodies and crushed heads.
يَنوءُhe struggles to rise وَكَفّاand the two hands of زَهدَمٍZahdam منfrom وَرائِهِbehind him
يَنوءُ وَكَفّا زَهدَمٍ من وَرائِهِ
وَقَدand already عَلِقَتbecame caught ماthe space بَينَهُنَّbetween them الأَظافِرُthe fingernails
وَقَد عَلِقَت ما بَينَهُنَّ الأَظافِرُ
He struggles to rise, Zahdam's two hands behind him,
The shoulders and palms of Zuhaym behind him
and the fingernails are already caught between them.
Were clawed as if by eagles' talons.
وَباتواand they spent the night لَناwith us ضَيفاًas guests وَبِتناand we spent the night بنعمةٍin comfort
وَباتوا لَنا ضَيفاً وَبِتنا بنعمةٍ
لَناfor us مُسمِعاتٌwomen singers بالدفوفِwith frame drums وَسامِرُand night-talkers
لَنا مُسمِعاتٌ بالدفوفِ وَسامِرُ
They spent the night as our guests, and we spent it in comfort;
They spent the night as our guests and we spent it in prosperity,
we had women singing to frame drums, and companions for night talk.
With singers and a flute to entertain us.
فَلَمso not نقرهمwe offered them hospitality شَيئاًanything وَلكنَّbut قَصرَهُمtheir sole portion
فَلَم نقرهم شَيئاً وَلكنَّ قَصرَهُم
صَبوحٌa morning draught لَدَيناwith us مَطلعَat the rising of الشَمسِthe sun حازِرُsour
صَبوحٌ لَدَينا مَطلعَ الشَمسِ حازِرُ
We gave them no hospitality; their only fare
We did not lessen our gifts to them but their stay with us
was a sour morning draught with us at sunrise.
Ended at dawn when the sun rose with burning heat.
فَباكَرهُمthen came early upon them قَبلَbefore الشُروفِthe sun's rising كَتائِبٌbattalions
فَباكَرهُم قَبلَ الشُروفِ كَتائِبٌ
كأَركانِlike the buttresses of سَلمىSalma سَيرُهاtheir march مُتواتِرُin unbroken succession
كأَركانِ سَلمى سَيرُها مُتواتِرُ
Then battalions came early upon them, before sunrise,
They were met before daybreak by battalions
like the buttresses of Salma, their march unbroken,
In dense rows, continuously marching.
منof الضاربينَthose who strike الكَبشَthe ram-like war-chief يَبرُقُgleams بَيضُهhis helmets
من الضاربينَ الكَبشَ يَبرُقُ بَيضُه
إِذاwhen غَصَّchoke بالريقِon the saliva القَليلِscant الحَناجِرُthe throats
إِذا غَصَّ بالريقِ القَليلِ الحَناجِرُ
of men who strike the ram of battle, his helmets gleaming,
You could see the white of their teeth flashing
when throats choke on scant saliva.
As the warriors bit their short spears.
وَظَنَّand thought سَراةُthe chiefs of الحَيِّthe clan إِنthat لَنwould not يُقَتَّلواthey be slaughtered
وَظَنَّ سَراةُ الحَيِّ إِن لَن يُقَتَّلوا
إِذاwhen دُعيَتwere summoned بالسَفحِat the mountain's foot عَبسٌ'Abs وَعامِرُand 'Amir
إِذا دُعيَت بالسَفحِ عَبسٌ وَعامِرُ
And the clan's chiefs thought they would not be slaughtered
The elite troops thought they would not be killed
when 'Abs and 'Amir were summoned at the mountain's foot.
If the tribes of 'Abs and 'Amir were summoned at the low ground.
كَأَنَّas though نَعامَthe ostriches of الدوِّthe open desert باضَlaid eggs عليهمِupon them
كَأَنَّ نَعامَ الدوِّ باضَ عليهمِ
وَأعيُنُهمand their eyes تَحتَbeneath الحَبيكِthe woven mail جَواحِرُsunken
وَأعيُنُهم تَحتَ الحَبيكِ جَواحِرُ
It was as though the ostriches of the open waste had laid eggs on them,
It was as if the ostriches' eggs were laid upon them
and their eyes were sunken beneath the woven mail.
And their eyes were the eggs in the nest.
ضَرَبناwe struck حَبيكَthe woven mail of البَيضِthe helmets فيin غَمرِthe deep flood of لُجَّةٍa deep sea
ضَرَبنا حَبيكَ البَيضِ في غَمرِ لُجَّةٍ
فَلَمso not يَنجُescaped فيamong الناجينَthe survivors منهمof them مُفاخِرُa boaster
فَلَم يَنجُ في الناجينَ منهم مُفاخِرُ
We struck the helmets' woven mail in a deep sea's surge,
We broke the eggshells in a torrent of dark blood—
so no boaster of theirs escaped among the survivors.
None of their boastful warriors survived.
وَلَمand not يَنجُescaped إِلّاexcept أَنthat يَكونَthere be طِمرَّةٌa long-legged mare
وَلَم يَنجُ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ طِمرَّةٌ
نوايلُlong-striding أَوor نَهدٌa sturdy horse مُلِحٌّpressing on مُثابِرُunflagging
نوايلُ أَو نَهدٌ مُلِحٌّ مُثابِرُ
And none escaped except on a long-legged mare,
No one survived unless he was
long-striding, or a sturdy horse, persistent and unflagging.
A young ostrich fledgling or a persistent, mature, wild cow.
Sol 6.1