ألاAh! ليْتَwould that صَولةَSawlah يومِthe day of الحُبيلِal-Hubayl
ألا ليْتَ صَولةَ يومِ الحُبيلِ
وقدand indeed كشَرbared الموتُdeath عنfrom نابهِits fang
وقد كشَر الموتُ عن نابهِ
Ah, would that Sawlah, on the day of al-Hubayl,
Alas! O day of al-Hubyal,
as death bared its fang,
When death bared its fangs,
وَقدand indeed صاحتcried out الحربُwar بالمُعلمينto warriors bearing insignia
وَقد صاحت الحربُ بالمُعلمين
ونادىand called الهَياجُthe tumult بأصحابِهto its companions
ونادى الهَياجُ بأصحابِه
and war cried out to the warriors bearing insignia,
And war cried out to the banners,
and the tumult called to its companions,
And tumult called to its people,
وقدand indeed جَاشswelled بالخيلwith cavalry بحرٌa sea يموجُsurging
وقد جَاش بالخيل بحرٌ يموجُ
فيرميand it hurls القُرُومَthe champions بعَبَّابِهwith its billows
فيرمي القُرُومَ بعَبَّابِه
and a sea of cavalry swelled and surged,
When the sea surged with horses frothing,
hurling its billows against the champions,
Throwing riders with their mounts.
وَقدand indeed فرَّfled عنfrom نارهاits fire المائقونَthe fools
وَقد فرَّ عن نارها المائقونَ
وكلٌand each one تكشَّفwas exposed عنas to عابِهhis failing
وكلٌ تكشَّف عن عابِه
and fools fled from its fire,
Those who would flee have fled
and every man's failing was laid bare,
From its fires, all exposed in their shame.
يُشاهدُنيsees me والقناand the spears شُرَّعٌleveled
يُشاهدُني والقنا شُرَّعٌ
وكلٌّand each one يكنَّىis called باْلقابِهby his bynames
وكلٌّ يكنَّى باْلقابِه
could have seen me with the spears leveled,
They see me though spears are leveled,
and each man hailed by his bynames.
Each hinted by his nickname.
فَماfor no ليثُlion عِرّيسةٍof a lair خادرٌlurking
فَما ليثُ عِرّيسةٍ خادرٌ
يصُدُّrepels الكَتيبةَthe battalion عنfrom غابِهits thicket
يصُدُّ الكَتيبةَ عن غابِه
For no lion lurking in its lair,
No cowardly lion in his den,
driving the battalion away from its thicket,
Warding off troops from his lair,
هزبرٌa mighty lion همُوسٌsoft-treading نجيعُthe fresh blood of الأسودِlions
هزبرٌ همُوسٌ نجيعُ الأسودِ
عَلىon لُبدَتيهِits two mane-locks وأنيابِهand its fangs
عَلى لُبدَتيهِ وأنيابِه
a mighty, soft-treading lion, with lions' fresh blood
Snoring, roaring, inciting the blacks,
on both sides of its mane and on its fangs,
His forepaws and fangs prepared.
بأشجَعَany braver منيthan I غَداةَon the morning of الحُبيلِal-Hubayl
بأشجَعَ مني غَداةَ الحُبيلِ
إذاwhen الروّعُterror سُرّيstole forth بجِلبابِهin its cloak
إذا الروّعُ سُرّي بجِلبابِه
was braver than I on the morning of al-Hubayl,
Braver than I on the morn of Hubyal,
when terror stole forth in its cloak.
When fright dressed itself in gowns.
رَددتُI drove back بسيفيwith my sword خَميسَthe army of الكُماةarmored warriors
رَددتُ بسيفي خَميسَ الكُماة
علىback along أثريِهits two tracks وَأعقابِهand its heels
على أثريِه وَأعقابِه
With my sword I turned the armored warriors' host
With my sword I repelled the violent assailants,
back along its tracks and on its heels.
In their tracks and on their heels.
وممَّاand among what شفانيhealed me عندَat اللّقاءِthe encounter
وممَّا شفاني عندَ اللّقاءِ
فَرارُthe flight of المليكِthe king وأنسابِهand his kinsmen
فَرارُ المليكِ وأنسابِه
And among the things that soothed me at the clash
And what delighted me in the encounter
was the flight of the king and his kinsmen.
Was the flight of the king and his noblemen.
كررْتُI charged again عليهمْagainst them فلْمso did not يلبثواthey linger
كررْتُ عليهمْ فلْم يلبثوا
ومَاand not الموتُdeath عذبٌsweet لِشرَّابِهto its drinkers
ومَا الموتُ عذبٌ لِشرَّابِه
I charged them again, and they did not linger;
I pressed them again and again, and soon
and death is not sweet to those who drink it.
Death is not painful for its victim.
كأنَّهمas though they were دَرْدَقyoung animals مُرتهنٌّheld captive
كأنَّهم دَرْدَق مُرتهنٌّ
تَوجَّسَsensed uneasily نَبأةَa faint sound كلاَّبِهof their houndsman
تَوجَّسَ نَبأةَ كلاَّبِه
They seemed a trapped brood of young beasts,
As if they were a flock of birds
sensing a faint sound from their hunter with his hounds.
Frightened of the barking of dogs.
تناوَلتI seized عكلَّيُهمْtheir man of ʿUkl فيin الهياجthe fray
تناوَلت عكلَّيُهمْ في الهياج
فَالثقso he smeared سَلحاًexcrement بأثوبهon his clothes
فَالثق سَلحاً بأثوبه
I seized their man of ʿUkl in the fray,
I grasped the tallest of them in the tumult
so he fouled his clothes with excrement,
So stick to your weapon, lad!
كفَرخِlike a chick of الحُباريthe bustard بذيin a place with هبوةٍa dust-cloud
كفَرخِ الحُباري بذي هبوةٍ
توَّخاهُtargeted it بازٍa hawk بمخلابِهwith its talon
توَّخاهُ بازٍ بمخلابِه
like a bustard chick in a cloud of dust,
Like the kite with the fox in its claws
which a hawk had singled out with its talon.
That she gripped in her talons.
فخَرَّso he fell علىonto الحَزنِthe rugged ground مُستسلماًsurrendering
فخَرَّ على الحَزنِ مُستسلماً
يقيprotects الرُّوحَlife ذلاًin humiliation بأسلابِهwith his surrendered gear
يقي الرُّوحَ ذلاً بأسلابِه
He fell onto the rugged ground, surrendering,
He fell to grief in surrender,
abjectly seeking to save his life with his surrendered gear.
Shielding his soul in rags.
فَظلَّso remained القُضاعيُّthe Qudaʿi تحتbeneath العجاجِthe dust-cloud
فَظلَّ القُضاعيُّ تحت العجاجِ
وللنَّجعand the blood had نضحٌa spattering بأقرابِهover his flanks
وللنَّجع نضحٌ بأقرابِه
So the Qudaʿi remained beneath the dust-cloud,
And so Quda'i remained under the dust,
with blood spattering over his flanks.
As his family poured out their laments-
تطيلُprolong النساءُthe women عليهover him العَويلَthe wailing
تطيلُ النساءُ عليه العَويلَ
ويَصرخنand they scream ثُكلاًin bereavement بتَندابهin lamenting him
ويَصرخن ثُكلاً بتَندابه
The women prolong their wailing over him,
The women crying and wailing for him,
and scream in bereavement, lamenting him.
Scratching their cheeks in grief.
سخَوتُI was generous بِهwith him لذئابto the wolves of المروِتal-Marut
سخَوتُ بِه لذئاب المروِت
وَلمand not يكُhe was قدماًformerly ليسُخَيto be given freely بِهwith him
وَلم يكُ قدماً ليسُخَي بِه
I gave him freely to the wolves of al-Marut,
I sacrificed him to the wolves of Murit,
though formerly he was not one to be given away lightly.
And none could ransom him with treasure.
شريتُI bought بنفسيwith my own life ثنَاthe praise of الجَحْفلينthe two great armies
شريتُ بنفسي ثنَا الجَحْفلين
ولَلْحَمْدُand surely praise خيرa boon لِطُلاَّبهِto its seekers
ولَلْحَمْدُ خير لِطُلاَّبهِ
I bought the two great armies' praise with my own life,
I bought glory at the price of myself,
and praise is indeed a boon to those who seek it.
And praise belongs to its seeker.
وَمنْand whoever يكُis مثليlike me كذاthus يَصطليwarms himself
وَمنْ يكُ مثلي كذا يَصطلي
بِنارat the fire of الوَطيسَthe furnace وتلهابِهand its blaze
بِنار الوَطيسَ وتلهابِه
And whoever is like me warms himself thus
And he who contends with me in glory,
at the furnace's fire and its blazing heat.
With the fires of war and their heat,
فَياso O منone who يُجاذبُنيcontends with me فيin الفخارglory
فَيا من يُجاذبُني في الفخار
فأنيfor I وذيby the Possessor of العرشthe Throne أولىmore entitled بِهto it
فأني وذي العرش أولى بِه
So, you who contend with me in glory,
Then I, by God on High, am worthier of it
for, by the Lord of the Throne, I am more entitled to it.
So spare yourself what you hoped for.
أرِحْgive rest to ويْكwoe to you! نفسَكyourself مماfrom what رجوتyou hoped for
أرِحْ ويْك نفسَك مما رجوت
وخلِّand leave العظيمَthe mighty undertaking لرَكَّابِهto its rider
وخلِّ العظيمَ لرَكَّابِه
Give yourself rest—woe to you!—from what you hoped for,
Leave the Glorious One to His riders,
and leave the mighty undertaking to its rider:
Who kindles war after tranquility,
لِمنto one who يُسعرُkindles الحربَwar بعدafter الخُمودdying down
لِمن يُسعرُ الحربَ بعد الخُمود
ويدخلand enters لليثِto face the lion فيin غابِهits thicket
ويدخل لليثِ في غابِه
to him who rekindles war after it has died down,
And who makes the horses race madly
and enters the lion's thicket to face it;
To the praiser's gate for his odes,
وَمنand one who يهَبُgives الخيلَhorses مجنوبةًled alongside
وَمن يهَبُ الخيلَ مجنوبةً
لهاديto the bringer of المديحpraise لأبوابِهto his doors
لهادي المديح لأبوابِه
and to him who gives horses led alongside,
The food of riders with narcissus wine
to whoever brings praise to his doors,
And pure drink in goblets,
وَقودِand long-necked الرَّكابِriding camels معَwith البهكناتplump maidens
وَقودِ الرَّكابِ معَ البهكنات
ومحضand pure النُّضارgold بأكوابهin its goblets
ومحض النُّضار بأكوابه
and long-necked riding camels along with plump maidens,
Who protects the innocent from harm
and pure gold in its goblets;
When fright wraps itself in gowns,
وَمنand one who يمنعُprotects البيضfair women ممَّاfrom what يسوءُharms
وَمن يمنعُ البيض ممَّا يسوءُ
إذاwhen الرَّوُعterror ألوىcarries off بِهيّابِهthe man who fears it
إذا الرَّوُع ألوى بِهيّابِه
and to him who shields fair women from harm,
Who lays bare the sea's depths like
when terror sweeps away the man who dreads it;
Clouds shedding their rain in torrents,
وَمنْand one who يفضحُputs to shame البحرَthe sea عِلماًin learning كَماjust as
وَمنْ يفضحُ البحرَ عِلماً كَما
يسوءُvexes الغمامَthe clouds بتسْكابهwith his outpouring
يسوءُ الغمامَ بتسْكابه
and to him who shames the sea in learning, just as
Who waters with sword and reddened blade,
he vexes the clouds with his outpouring;
As generosity is his nature.
ومنand one who يُروِslakes thirst بالسَّيفwith the sword والسمْهريِّand the stout spear
ومن يُروِ بالسَّيف والسمْهريِّ
وذلكand that والجُودُand generosity منamong دابِهhis habits
وذلك والجُودُ من دابِه
and to him who slakes thirst with sword and stout spear—
Ask the people, each will guide you to me,
and that, with generosity, is his wont.
So you may know the true from the false.
سلask الناسَthe people يرشدْكَwill guide you كلٌّeach one عليَّto me
سل الناسَ يرشدْكَ كلٌّ عليَّ
لكيْso that تعرِفَyou may distinguish الشُّهدَhoney منfrom صابِهits bitter sap
لكيْ تعرِفَ الشُّهدَ من صابِه
Ask the people: each will point you to me,
so that you may tell honey from its bitter sap.
Partial English translation: 56 of 58 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1