أدِيَارَO dwellings of أميّمةUmaymah بالعَلمِat al-Alam
أدِيَارَ أميّمة بالعَلمِ
وإلىand to سكانِthe dwellers of زَرُودZarud عمىbe well! (uncertain reading)
وإلى سكانِ زَرُود عمى
O dwellings of Umaymah at al-Alam,
The homes of my people were filled with knowledge,
And to the dwellers of Zarud—[unclear greeting].
While the people of Zaroud were blind.
وسقاكand may it water you الدلوal-Dalw (the Bucket) مرزّمةًthundering
وسقاك الدلو مرزّمةً
والسِّماكُand al-Simak بواكفهwith its downpours الدِّيمsteady rains
والسِّماكُ بواكفه الدِّيم
May al-Dalw water you, thundering,
And the bucket drew for you bitter water,
And al-Simak with its pouring, steady rains.
While destiny was cruel to you.
فلكمso how often قدindeed كسوتyou have clothed ضبْنيthe two sides of جسديmy body
فلكم قد كسوت ضبْني جسدي
ولكمand how often قدindeed شفيتyou have healed منfrom السقمsickness
ولكم قد شفيت من السقم
How often you have clothed the two sides of my body,
For your sake my body was clothed,
And how often you have healed me of sickness!
For your sake I was cured of illness.
وَلكمand how often قدindeed عهدتُكI have known you مُرتبعاًa springtime dwelling
وَلكم قد عهدتُك مُرتبعاً
للحسانِfor the beautiful women العقايلthe noble ladies منof جُشمJusham
للحسانِ العقايل من جُشم
And how often I have known you as a springtime dwelling
For your sake I made a vow
For the beautiful, noble women of Jusham.
To be kind to the innocent and the oppressed.
رَبَّmany a خُرْعُبةٍslender young beauty ومُثْقَّبَةand a woman with pierced ears
رَبَّ خُرْعُبةٍ ومُثْقَّبَة
ومُحَجَّبةand a secluded woman بالظُباbehind sword blades الخُذُمkeen-cutting
ومُحَجَّبة بالظُبا الخُذُم
Many a slender beauty, and one with pierced ears,
A hut, a shack, veiled with shrubs,
And one secluded behind keen sword blades;
Secluded and obscured from view.
وخِدَلّجَةٌand a full-limbed woman ومُدَمْلجَةٍand a woman adorned with armlets
وخِدَلّجَةٌ ومُدَمْلجَةٍ
ومُفلّجةِand a woman with spaced teeth الأشْنَبِpearly and fresh الشبمcool
ومُفلّجةِ الأشْنَبِ الشبم
And a full-limbed woman, and one adorned with armlets,
Ruined and tattered,
And one with delicately spaced, pearly, cool teeth.
Its door askew.
خُلِبٌbeguiling سُلْبٌheart-stealing تُرَبٌalike in age عُرُبٌaffectionate
خُلِبٌ سُلْبٌ تُرَبٌ عُرُبٌ
كثبٌsand dunes قضُبٌslender boughs شهبٌbright stars of الظُلمthe darkness
كثبٌ قضُبٌ شهبٌ الظُلم
Beguiling, heart-stealing, alike in age, affectionate;
Confused, plundered, Arabian, mixed,
Sand dunes, slender boughs, stars of the darkness;
Packed together, straight like a stick.
شعرluxuriant-haired نفرshy سِحرٌmagic سحرٌdawn
شعر نفر سِحرٌ سحرٌ
غُدُرٌfaithless بالعهدِto the pledge وبالذممand to the covenants
غُدُرٌ بالعهدِ وبالذمم
Luxuriant-haired, shy; magic and dawn;
Poetry like magic, magical indeed,
Faithless to pledges and covenants.
Treacherous, untrue to oaths and covenants.
هْيسٌmeaning uncertain مُيسٌswaying لُعسٌdark-lipped نُعْسٌdrowsy-eyed
هْيسٌ مُيسٌ لُعسٌ نُعْسٌ
شُمُسٌaloof لاnot يَلِينُyielding لمهتضمto an oppressor
شُمُسٌ لا يَلِينُ لمهتضم
[Unclear], swaying, dark-lipped, drowsy-eyed;
Drowsy, sleepy, miserable, depressed,
Aloof, yielding to no oppressor.
A sun that does not shine on the oppressed.
بُهُجٌradiant بَلجٌbright-faced دعجقdark-eyed (probable reading) شيحٌwary غُنجٌcoquettish
بُهُجٌ بَلجٌ دعجق شيحٌ غُنجٌ
كالحمائمlike doves فيamid النِّعمblessings
كالحمائم في النِّعم
Radiant, bright-faced, [dark-eyed?], wary, coquettish,
Cooing like doves enjoying bounty.
Like doves amid blessings.
If you could see the one who came out to face us,
لوif ترىyou saw يمنىYumna أذwhen بَرَزْنthey came forth لناbefore us
لو ترى يمنى أذ بَرَزْن لنا
لرايتyou would have seen فتىًa young man تَعْسُthe ruin of كلّevery كمّىarmored warrior
لرايت فتىً تَعْسُ كلّ كمّى
Had you seen Yumna when they came forth before us,
You would see a hero who humbles every tyrant.
You would have seen a youth, the ruin of every armored warrior.
They crept, crawled, stood like sticks,
رَجْرَجُواthey made quiver كُثْبِاًsand dunes سَلّواthey unsheathed قُضُباًswords
رَجْرَجُوا كُثْبِاً سَلّوا قُضُباً
اظهرواthey revealed عَجَبَاa marvel صِحْتُI cried out واندميalas for my regret!
اظهروا عَجَبَا صِحْتُ واندمي
They made dunes quiver and unsheathed swords;
Showed wonder and amazement. I awoke and regretted.
They revealed marvels; I cried, 'Alas, my regret!'
They ruled, unravelled, ripped apart,
مَلكواthey conquered أفكواthey deceived فَتَكواthey slew treacherously
مَلكوا أفكوا فَتَكوا
هَتَكواthey violated حرمةthe sanctity of الأشهرthe months الحرمthe sacred
هَتَكوا حرمة الأشهر الحرم
They conquered, deceived, slew;
Violating the sanctity of the holy months.
They violated the sanctity of the sacred months.
They lingered around Safa, then rushed to desecrate it.
وظللتand I remained حَولَaround الصفاal-Safa اذهمواwhen they set about لثمkissed (verb stem)
وظللت حَولَ الصفا اذهموا لثم
واthey (preceding verb's suffix) جانِبَاهits two sides ووضعتand I placed هناكthere فميmy mouth
وا جانِبَاه ووضعت هناك فمي
And I remained around al-Safa when they set about kissing—
And leaned against it, and placed their mouths on it.
—Its two sides, and I placed my mouth there.
O pure one, it passes away,
ياO عذولُreproacher تقولُyou say يزولُit will pass
يا عذولُ تقولُ يزولُ
نحولemaciation ضنىwasting sickness أعظميmy bones الرِّمَمِcrumbling remains
نحول ضنى أعظمي الرِّمَمِ
O reproacher, you say that it will pass—
My affliction is great, my fortune small.
The sickly wasting of my crumbling bones.
My will betrayed me, alas my determination faded.
خاننيbetrayed me جَلَديmy fortitude آهah! وَاكمديalas for my anguish!
خانني جَلَدي آه وَاكمدي
أحرقواthey burned كبديmy liver ضيعواthey squandered حُرميmy sacred rights
أحرقوا كبدي ضيعوا حُرمي
My fortitude betrayed me: ah, alas for my anguish!
They burned my liver, violated my sanctuary.
They burned my liver, squandered my sacred rights.
I was on pilgrimage, seeking forgiveness,
كانwas حَجِيّmy pilgrimage (reading uncertain) أطلبُI seek مغفرةًforgiveness
كان حَجِيّ أطلبُ مغفرةً
وأرىand I see قدميmy foot قدalready أراقhas shed دميmy blood
وأرى قدمي قد أراق دمي
My pilgrimage [reading uncertain] was to seek forgiveness,
Only to see my feet covered in my own blood.
And I see that my foot has shed my blood.
O daughter of Wasa, is there no relief
ياO ابنةdaughter of الوسىal-Wasa أماis there no فرجrelief
يا ابنة الوسى أما فرج
للحرّfor the free man يرتاحhe finds rest منfrom الألمthe pain
للحرّ يرتاح من الألم
O daughter of al-Wasa, is there no relief
For the free man from such pain?
For a free man to find rest from pain?
You are the sister of the antelope, pure of sin,
أنتyou are أختsister of الظبيthe gazelle بلاwithout حرجreservation
أنت أخت الظبي بلا حرج
وسهيلand Suhayl الشيخthe elder أخوbrother of الكرمgenerosity
وسهيل الشيخ أخو الكرم
You are the gazelle's sister, without reservation,
And the star Suhail, brother of generosity.
And Suhayl the elder is brother to generosity.
Chief of Arabs, giver of gold,
سيدlord of العربthe Arabs واهبُgiver of الذَهبِgold
سيد العرب واهبُ الذَهبِ
طاهرُpure الحسبancestral honor كاشفdispeller of الغُممsorrows
طاهرُ الحسب كاشف الغُمم
Lord of the Arabs, bestower of gold,
Of pure lineage, dispeller of worries.
Pure in ancestral honor, dispeller of sorrows.
His face is a moon, his palm a rain,
وجْهُهُhis face قمرٌa moon كَفُّهُhis palm مَطَرٌrain
وجْهُهُ قمرٌ كَفُّهُ مَطَرٌ
وهوand he is مشْتَهرُrenowned غيرُnot منكتمhidden
وهو مشْتَهرُ غيرُ منكتم
His face is a moon; his palm is rain.
Well known, not one to conceal.
And he is renowned, not hidden.
A lion in the saddle, with spirited steeds
أسْدٌa lion فيin الطِرادِيشِنُّthe charge—he urges forth الجيادthe steeds
أسْدٌ في الطِرادِيشِنُّ الجياد
ويعجلهُنّand he hastens them عنwithout waiting for اللُّجُمthe bridles
ويعجلهُنّ عن اللُّجُم
A lion in the charge, he urges the steeds forth,
That he hurries faster than lightning.
And hurries them on without waiting for bridles.
So much care, authority, prosperity,
كَمْhow often هَمَاhe poured forth وسَماand rose high ونَمَاand grew
كَمْ هَمَا وسَما ونَمَا
وطماand overflowed موجُthe wave of تيارهhis torrent العرِمfierce
وطما موجُ تياره العرِم
How often he poured forth, rose high, and grew,
With waves of generosity ever streaming.
And the wave of his fierce torrent overflowed!
He benefits, returns, prevails,
وأفادand he enriched وعادand returned وسادand ruled
وأفاد وعاد وساد
وشادand built high وجادand gave generously علىupon الأممthe nations
وشاد وجاد على الأمم
And he enriched, returned, and ruled,
Supports, gives generously to all people.
And built high, and gave generously to the nations.
The custom of the Son of Waleed is to protect travellers
عادةُthe custom of ابنson of الوليدal-Walid يجيرhe protects الطريقthe road
عادةُ ابن الوليد يجير الطريق
ويدنيand he draws near البعيدthe distant one كذيlike one possessing الرَّحِمkinship
ويدني البعيد كذي الرَّحِم
It is Ibn al-Walid's custom to keep the road safe
And bring close those far away, like a merciful kinsman.
And draw the distant near, like a kinsman.
O Abu Amr, here are precious pearls
ياO أباfather of عَمْرُAmr هاكtake these منsome of دررٍpearls
يا أبا عَمْرُ هاك من دررٍ
خيرُthe best of منتثرِscattered pearls نثرُthe scattering of منتظمِstrung pearls
خيرُ منتثرِ نثرُ منتظمِ
O Abu Amr, take some pearls:
Better scattered, a scattering with order.
The best of scattered pearls is the scattering of strung pearls.
You remained for us, were loyal and lived on,
فبقيتso may you remain لناfor us ووفيتand may you keep faith وعشتand may you live
فبقيت لنا ووفيت وعشت
وُرُشتَand may you be enriched وُدُمتَand may you endure أخاpossessor of نَعَمِlivestock
وُرُشتَ وُدُمتَ أخا نَعَمِ
So may you remain for us, keep faith, and live,
Sprinkled and lasting, an excellent brother.
And may you prosper and endure, possessor of herds.
Partial English translation: 53 of 54 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1