لَعَمريby my life لَئِنif indeed أَمسىhas come to be يَزيدُYazīd بنِson of نَهشَلٍNahshal
لَعَمري لَئِن أَمسى يَزيدُ بنِ نَهشَلٍ
حَشاin the depths of جَدَثٍa grave تَسفىscatter dust عَلَيهِover it الرَوائِحُthe evening winds
حَشا جَدَثٍ تَسفى عَلَيهِ الرَوائِحُ
By my life, though Yazīd son of Nahshal now lies
By my life! If Yazīd ibn Nahshal
Within a grave over which evening winds scatter dust,
Becomes but a grave covered with dust, sniffed at by the winds,
لَقَدindeed كانَhe was مِمَّنamong those who يَبسِطُextends الكَفَّthe hand بِالنَدىwith generosity
لَقَد كانَ مِمَّن يَبسِطُ الكَفَّ بِالنَدى
إِذاwhen ضَنَّwas stingy بِالخَيرِwith bounty الأَكُفُّthe hands الشَحائِحُthe miserly
إِذا ضَنَّ بِالخَيرِ الأَكُفُّ الشَحائِحُ
He was indeed one who opened his hand in generosity,
He was truly one who was generous with his open palm
When miserly hands begrudged their bounty.
When the miserly, stingy hands were mean.
فَبَعدَكَso, after you أَبدىrevealed ذوthe bearer of الضَغينَةِrancor ضَغنَهُhis rancor
فَبَعدَكَ أَبدى ذو الضَغينَةِ ضَغنَهُ
وَسَدَّand barred ليfor me الظَرفَthe circumstances (unclear here) العُيونُthe eyes الكَواشِحُthe hostile
وَسَدَّ لي الظَرفَ العُيونُ الكَواشِحُ
So after you, the bearer of rancor revealed his rancor,
After you, the spiteful one showed his spite,
And hostile eyes have hemmed in my circumstances [wording unclear].
And the squint-eyed shut their eyes against me.
ذَكَرتُI recalled الَّذيthe one who ماتَdied النَدىgenerosity عِندَat مَوتِهِhis death
ذَكَرتُ الَّذي ماتَ النَدى عِندَ مَوتِهِ
بِعاقِبَةٍin the aftermath إِذwhen صالِحُthe good of العَيشِlife طالِحُspoiled
بِعاقِبَةٍ إِذ صالِحُ العَيشِ طالِحُ
I recalled him at whose death generosity died,
I remembered him whose generosity died with his death,
In the aftermath, when life's good had turned to ill.
Ending in a way that ruined life when life was good.
إِذاwhen أَرَقٌsleeplessness أَفنىconsumed مِنَof اللَيلِthe night ماwhat مَضىhas passed
إِذا أَرَقٌ أَفنى مِنَ اللَيلِ ما مَضى
تَمَطّىstretched itself out بِهِwith it ثِنيٌa second stretch مِنَof اللَيلِthe night راجِحُheavier
تَمَطّى بِهِ ثِنيٌ مِنَ اللَيلِ راجِحُ
When sleeplessness has consumed what has passed of the night,
When I stay up, the early night passes away,
A second, heavier stretch of night draws itself out with it.
Rolled up by a piece of night that leans toward dawn,
لِيُبكَlet him be mourned يَزيدُYazīd ضارعٌone humbled لِخُصومَةٍby a dispute
لِيُبكَ يَزيدُ ضارعٌ لِخُصومَةٍ
وَمُختَبِطٌand a seeker of aid مِمّاbecause of what تُطيحُbring down الطَوائِحُdevastating calamities
وَمُختَبِطٌ مِمّا تُطيحُ الطَوائِحُ
Let Yazīd be mourned by one humbled by a dispute,
So that Yazīd may weep, disputing with adversaries,
And by one seeking aid because of the ruin calamities bring.
And troubled by what the winds blow down.
سَقىmay it water جَدَثاًa grave أَمسىhas come to be بِدَومَةٍat Dūmah ثاوِياresting
سَقى جَدَثاً أَمسى بِدَومَةٍ ثاوِيا
مَنَfrom الدَلوal-Dalw (the Bucket) وَالجَوزاءَand al-Jawzāʾ عادٍreturning وَرائِحُand arriving at evening
مَنَ الدَلو وَالجَوزاءَ عادٍ وَرائِحُ
May the grave now resting at Dūmah be watered
He watered a grave that by evening was desolate
By rain from al-Dalw and al-Jawzāʾ, returning and arriving at dusk.
With a bucket and a small skin, lent by a neighbor.
عَرىcame upon بَعدَماafter جَفَّdried الثَرىthe damp soil عَنaway from نِقابِهِhis veil
عَرى بَعدَما جَفَّ الثَرى عَن نِقابِهِ
بِعَصماءَwith a white-marked one تَدريknows كَيفَhow تَمشيwalk المَنائِحُthe loaned milch-beasts
بِعَصماءَ تَدري كَيفَ تَمشي المَنائِحُ
It came after the soil had dried away from his veil,
It became stripped after the earth uncovered his shroud -
With a white-marked one that knows how the loaned milch-beasts walk.
Do you know how a bier walks without feet?
Sol 6.1