تَذَكَّرَhe remembered لَيلىLayla حُسنَهاher beauty وَصَفاءَهاand her purity
تَذَكَّرَ لَيلى حُسنَها وَصَفاءَها
وَبانَتand she departed فَأَمسىso he became ماnot يَنالُhe attains لِقاءَهاmeeting her
وَبانَت فَأَمسى ما يَنالُ لِقاءَها
He remembered Layla—her beauty and purity;
Laila recalled her beauty and purity
and she departed, leaving him unable to meet her.
And so it was revealed, and to meet her became unobtainable
وَمِثلِكِand a woman like you قَدalready أَصبَيتُI captivated لَيسَتshe was not بِكَنَّةٍa kinsman's wife
وَمِثلِكِ قَد أَصبَيتُ لَيسَت بِكَنَّةٍ
وَلاnor جارَةٍa neighboring woman أَفضَتshe entrusted إِلَيَّto me حَياءَهاher modesty
وَلا جارَةٍ أَفضَت إِلَيَّ حَياءَها
Many a woman like you have I captivated—not a kinsman's wife,
And one like you, I have become accustomed, not covered
nor a neighbor who entrusted her modesty to me.
Nor a neighbor whose modesty overflowed to me
إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) اِصطَحَبتُI took along أَربَعاًfour خَطَّtrailed مِئزَريmy waist-wrap
إِذا ما اِصطَحَبتُ أَربَعاً خَطَّ مِئزَري
وَأَتبَعتُand I sent after دَلويmy bucket فيin السَخاءِgenerosity رِشاءَهاits rope
وَأَتبَعتُ دَلوي في السَخاءِ رِشاءَها
Whenever I take four along, my waist-wrap trails,
When I am accompanied by four, my waistband is marked
and in generosity I send my bucket's rope after it.
And I follow my bucket in generosity, pouring its fullness
ثَأَرتُI avenged عَدِيّاًAdi وَالخَطيمَand al-Khatim فَلَمso did not أُضِعI neglect
ثَأَرتُ عَدِيّاً وَالخَطيمَ فَلَم أُضِع
وِلايَةَresponsibility for أَشياءٍmatters جُعِلتُI was appointed إزاءَهاto face them
وِلايَةَ أَشياءٍ جُعِلتُ إزاءَها
I avenged Adi and al-Khatim, and did not neglect
I avenged an enemy, and al-Khatim, so I did not miss
the charge of matters I was appointed to face.
The guardianship of things I was set against
ضَرَبتُI struck بِذيwith the bearer of الزِرَّينِthe two studs رِبقَةَneck-loop; neck مالِكٍMalik
ضَرَبتُ بِذي الزِرَّينِ رِبقَةَ مالِكٍ
فَأُبتُso I returned بِنَفسٍwith a soul قَدalready أَصَبتُI obtained شِفاءَهاits cure
فَأُبتُ بِنَفسٍ قَد أَصَبتُ شِفاءَها
With Dhu al-Zirrayn I struck Malik's neck,
I struck Thi al-Zarrain with the lightning of Malik
and returned with a soul whose cure I had found.
So I took back a soul I had recovered to health
وَسامَحَنيand he aided me فيهاin it اِبنُthe son of عَمروِAmr بنِson of عامِرٍAmir
وَسامَحَني فيها اِبنُ عَمروِ بنِ عامِرٍ
خِداشٌKhidash فَأَدّىso he repaid نِعمَةًa kindness وَأَفاءَهاand returned it
خِداشٌ فَأَدّى نِعمَةً وَأَفاءَها
And the son of Amr ibn Amir aided me in this—
And in it the son of 'Amr bin 'Aamir pardoned me
Khidash—repaying a kindness and returning it.
Khidash, so he repaid a blessing and restored it
طَعَنتُI stabbed اِبنَthe son of عَبدِAbd القَيسِal-Qays طَعنَةَa thrust of ثائِرٍan avenger
طَعَنتُ اِبنَ عَبدِ القَيسِ طَعنَةَ ثائِرٍ
لَهاit has نَفَذٌa passage through لَولاwere it not for الشُعاعُthe spray of blood أَضاءَهاwould have illuminated it
لَها نَفَذٌ لَولا الشُعاعُ أَضاءَها
I stabbed the son of Abd al-Qays with an avenger's thrust,
I stabbed the son of 'Abd al-Qays, the stab of an avenger
piercing clean through; but for the spray of blood, the opening would have shone.
It had an effect, had not the radiance given it light
مَلَكتُI controlled بِهاwith it كَفّيmy hand فَأَنهَرتُand I widened فَتقَهاits gash
مَلَكتُ بِها كَفّي فَأَنهَرتُ فَتقَها
يَرىone sees قائِماًstanding مِنfrom خَلفِهاbehind it ماwhat وَراءَهاlies beyond it
يَرى قائِماً مِن خَلفِها ما وَراءَها
I put my hand's full strength into it and opened its gash wide;
I controlled it with my palms and made its gaps pour
one standing behind it could see what lay beyond.
He sees standing behind it what was behind it
يَهونُit matters little عَلَيَّto me أَنthat تَرُدَّturn back جِراحُهُhis wounds
يَهونُ عَلَيَّ أَن تَرُدَّ جِراحُهُ
عُيونَthe eyes of الأَواسيthe women tending wounds إِذsince حَمِدتُI praised بَلاءَهاtheir effect
عُيونَ الأَواسي إِذ حَمِدتُ بَلاءَها
It matters little to me that his wounds turn back
It is easy for me that his wounds return
the healers' eyes, for I praised what those wounds had done.
The eyes of the group when I praised its affliction
وَكُنتُand I have been اِمرِأًa man لاnot أَسمَعُI hear الدَهرَever سُبَّةًa taunt
وَكُنتُ اِمرِأً لا أَسمَعُ الدَهرَ سُبَّةً
أُسَبُّI am insulted بِهاwith it إِلّاexcept كَشَفتُI uncovered غِطاءَهاits veil
أُسَبُّ بِها إِلّا كَشَفتُ غِطاءَها
I have always been a man who hears no taunt
And I was a man who did not hear insult from fate
aimed at me without stripping away its veil.
Except I insulted it and uncovered its covering
وَإِنِّيَand indeed I فيin الحَربِwar الضَروسِfiercely biting مُوَكَّلٌam charged
وَإِنِّيَ في الحَربِ الضَروسِ مُوَكَّلٌ
بِإِقدامِwith the advance of نَفسٍa soul ماnot أُريدُI desire بَقاءَهاits survival
بِإِقدامِ نَفسٍ ما أُريدُ بَقاءَها
And in fiercely biting war I am charged
And I am charged in fierce war
with advancing a soul whose survival I do not desire.
With the resolve of a soul I do not want survival
إِذاwhen سَقِمَتgrew sick نَفسيmy soul إِلىtoward ذيone bearing عَداوَةٍenmity
إِذا سَقِمَت نَفسي إِلى ذي عَداوَةٍ
فَإِنّيthen indeed I بِنَصلِwith the blade of السَيفِthe sword باغٍa seeker of دَواءَهاits cure
فَإِنّي بِنَصلِ السَيفِ باغٍ دَواءَها
When my soul grows sick over an enemy,
When my soul craves one of enmity
I seek its cure with the sword's blade.
Then I, with the blade of a sword, seek its cure
مَتىwhenever يَأتِcomes هَذاthis المَوتُdeath لاnot تَبقَwill remain حاجَةٌa need
مَتى يَأتِ هَذا المَوتُ لا تَبقَ حاجَةٌ
لِنَفسِيَfor my soul إِلّاexcept قَدalready قَضَيتُI accomplished قَضاءَهاits fulfillment
لِنَفسِيَ إِلّا قَد قَضَيتُ قَضاءَها
Whenever this death comes, no desire shall remain
When will this death come? No need remains
for my soul that I have not already fulfilled.
For my soul except that I have fulfilled its fate
وَكانَتand it was شَجاًa thorn فيin الحَلقِthe throat ماas long as لَمnot أَبُؤI attain بِهاwith it
وَكانَت شَجاً في الحَلقِ ما لَم أَبُؤ بِها
فَأُبتُso I returned بِنَفسٍwith a soul قَدalready أُصِبتُI obtained دَواءَهاits remedy
فَأُبتُ بِنَفسٍ قَد أُصِبتُ دَواءَها
And it was a thorn in my throat until I attained it;
It was a choking in the throat I did not announce
then I returned with a soul whose remedy I had found.
So I took back a soul I had found its cure
وَقَدand indeed جَرَّبَتhas tested مِنّيfrom me لَدىat كُلِّevery مَأقِطٍbattlefield
وَقَد جَرَّبَت مِنّي لَدى كُلِّ مَأقِطٍ
دُحَيٌّDuhay إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) الحَربُwar أَلقَتcasts off رِداءَهاher cloak
دُحَيٌّ إِذا ما الحَربُ أَلقَت رِداءَها
And at every battlefield my mettle has been tested
And it has tested me, by every opponent
by Duhay, whenever war casts off her cloak.
Duhy, when war has cast off its cloak
وَإِنّاand indeed we إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) مُمتَروthe milkers of الحَربِwar بَلَّحواgrow exhausted
وَإِنّا إِذا ما مُمتَرو الحَربِ بَلَّحوا
نُقيمُwe raise بِأَسبادِwith the lions of العَرينِthe lair لِواءَهاher banner
نُقيمُ بِأَسبادِ العَرينِ لِواءَها
And we, when war's milkers grow exhausted,
And we, when the confusers of war mixed
raise her banner with the lions of the lair.
We raise by the poles of the lair its banner
وَنُلقِحُهاand we impregnate her مَبسورَةًbred before her season ضَرزَنِيَّةًmassive and sturdy
وَنُلقِحُها مَبسورَةً ضَرزَنِيَّةً
بِأَسيافِناwith our swords حَتّىuntil نُذِلُّwe humble إباءَهاher defiance
بِأَسيافِنا حَتّى نُذِلُّ إباءَها
And we breed her, massive and sturdy, before her season,
And we impregnate it, fettered, armored
with our swords, until we humble her defiance.
With our swords until we humiliate its refusal
وَإِنّاand indeed we مَنَعناwe defended فيat بُعاثٍBuath نِساءَناour women
وَإِنّا مَنَعنا في بُعاثٍ نِساءَنا
وَماbut not مَنَعَتshe protected مِنَfrom المُخزِياتِdisgraces نِساءَهاher women
وَما مَنَعَت مِنَ المُخزِياتِ نِساءَها
And we defended our women at Buath,
And we protected, in Bu'ath, our women
but they did not shield their women from disgrace.
And their women were not protected from disgracers
Sol 6.1