تَذَكَرتI remembered وَالذِكرىand remembrance تهيجُكَstirs you زَينَباZaynab
تَذَكَرت وَالذِكرى تهيجُكَ زَينَبا
وَأَصبَحَand had become باقيwhat remained وَصلِهاof her affection قَدalready تَقَضَّباsevered
وَأَصبَحَ باقي وَصلِها قَد تَقَضَّبا
I remembered Zaynab—and remembrance stirs you—
And what remained of her affection had now been severed.
وَحَلَّand settled بِفَلجٍat Falj فَالأَباتِرِthen at al-Abatir أَهلُناour people
وَحَلَّ بِفَلجٍ فَالأَباتِرِ أَهلُنا
وَشَطَّتand she went far away فَحَلَّتthen she settled غَمرَةًGhamrah فَمُثَقَّباthen Muthaqqab
وَشَطَّت فَحَلَّت غَمرَةً فَمُثَقَّبا
Our people settled at Falj, then al-Abatir,
While she went far away, settling at Ghamrah, then Muthaqqab.
فَإِمّاso if تَرَينيyou see me قَدalready تَرَكتُI have abandoned لُجاجَتيmy obstinacy
فَإِمّا تَرَيني قَد تَرَكتُ لُجاجَتي
وَأَصبَحتُand I have become مُبيَضَwhite العِذارَينِat both sideburns أَشيباgray-haired
وَأَصبَحتُ مُبيَضَ العِذارَينِ أَشيبا
So if you see me having abandoned my obstinacy,
And grown gray-haired, white along both sideburns,
وَطاوَعتُand I obeyed أَمرَthe counsel of العاذِلاتِthe reproaching women وَقَدthough once أُرىI was seen
وَطاوَعتُ أَمرَ العاذِلاتِ وَقَد أُرى
عَلَيهِنَّtoward them أَبّاءَunyielding القَرينَةِin disposition مِشغَباquarrelsome
عَلَيهِنَّ أَبّاءَ القَرينَةِ مِشغَبا
And obeyed the reproaching women's counsel, though once I was seen
Defiant toward them, unyielding in temper, quarrelsome—
فَياah, then رُبَّmany an خَصمٍadversary قَدindeed كَفَيتُI sufficed for دِفاعَهُrepelling him
فَيا رُبَّ خَصمٍ قَد كَفَيتُ دِفاعَهُ
وَقَوَّمتُand I straightened مِنهُin him دَرأَهُhis crookedness فَتَنَكَّباso he turned aside
وَقَوَّمتُ مِنهُ دَرأَهُ فَتَنَكَّبا
Ah, many an adversary have I warded off,
And straightened his crookedness, so he turned aside.
وَمَولىًand an ally عَلىdespite ضَنكِthe straits of المَقامِthe situation نَصَرتُهُI aided him
وَمَولىً عَلى ضَنكِ المَقامِ نَصَرتُهُ
إِذاwhen النِكسُthe weakling أَكبىfailed to kindle زَندَهُhis firestick فَتَذَبذَباand so he wavered
إِذا النِكسُ أَكبى زَندَهُ فَتَذَبذَبا
And many an ally I aided in a desperate plight,
When the weakling's firestick failed him and he wavered.
وَأَضيافِand guests ليلٍby night فيin شَمالِa north wind عَريَّةٍbitterly cold
وَأَضيافِ ليلٍ في شَمالِ عَريَّةٍ
قَرَيتُI fed مِنَfrom الكومِhigh-humped she-camels السَديفِhump-fat المُرَعَّباcut into chunks
قَرَيتُ مِنَ الكومِ السَديفِ المُرَعَّبا
And guests by night, in a bitter north wind,
I fed them chunks of hump-fat from high-humped she-camels.
وَوارِدَةٍand an oncoming troop كَأَنَّهاas though it were عُصَبُflocks of القَطاsandgrouse
وَوارِدَةٍ كَأَنَّها عُصَبُ القَطا
تُثيرُstirring up عَجاجاًdust clouds بِالسَنابِكِwith hooves أَصهَباtawny
تُثيرُ عَجاجاً بِالسَنابِكِ أَصهَبا
And many an oncoming troop, like flocks of sandgrouse,
Raising tawny clouds of dust with their hooves,
وَزَعتُI checked بِمثلِwith one like السيدِthe wolf نَهدٍpowerfully built مُقَلَّصٍlong-legged
وَزَعتُ بِمثلِ السيدِ نَهدٍ مُقَلَّصٍ
كَميشٍfleet-footed إِذاwhen عِطفَاهُhis two flanks ماءًwater تَحَلَّباoozed
كَميشٍ إِذا عِطفَاهُ ماءً تَحَلَّبا
I checked with a wolf-like steed, powerful and long-legged,
Fleet, when water oozed from both his flanks,
وَأَسمَرَand a brown spear خَطِيِّKhatti كَأَنَّas though سِنانَهُits spearhead
وَأَسمَرَ خَطِيِّ كَأَنَّ سِنانَهُ
شِهابُa firebrand of غَضاًghada-wood شَيَّعَتهُyou stoked it فَتَلَهَّباso it blazed
شِهابُ غَضاً شَيَّعَتهُ فَتَلَهَّبا
And with a brown Khatti spear, whose point resembled
A ghada-wood brand you stoked until it blazed.
وَفِتيانُand young men of صِدقٍtrue worth قَدindeed صَبَحتُI served at dawn سُلافَةًfirst-run wine
وَفِتيانُ صِدقٍ قَد صَبَحتُ سُلافَةً
إِذاwhen الديكُthe rooster فيin جَوشٍthe depth مِنَof اللَيلِthe night طَرَّباsang out
إِذا الديكُ في جَوشٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ طَرَّبا
And true young men I served first-run wine at dawn,
When the rooster sang out in the depths of night:
سُخامِيَّةًsmooth صَهباءَtawny صِرفاًunmixed وَتارَةًand at times
سُخامِيَّةً صَهباءَ صِرفاً وَتارَةً
تَعاوَرُpass around أَيديهِمtheir hands شِواءًroasted meat مُضَهَّباlightly seared
تَعاوَرُ أَيديهِم شِواءً مُضَهَّبا
Smooth, tawny, unmixed; and sometimes
Their hands passed round lightly roasted meat,
وَمَشجوجَةًand wine cut بِالماءِwith water يَنزوleap حَبابُهاits bubbles
وَمَشجوجَةً بِالماءِ يَنزو حَبابُها
إِذاwhen المُسمِعُthe singer الغِرّيدُsweet-voiced مِنهاfrom it تَحَبَّباsipped
إِذا المُسمِعُ الغِرّيدُ مِنها تَحَبَّبا
And wine cut with water, its bubbles leaping,
When the sweet-voiced singer sipped from it.
وَسَربٍand a company إِذاwhen غَصَّchoked الجَبانُthe coward بِريقِهِon his spittle
وَسَربٍ إِذا غَصَّ الجَبانُ بِريقِهِ
حَمَيتُI protected إِذاwhen الداعيthe summoner إلىto الرَوعِbattle's terror ثَوَّباrepeated his call
حَمَيتُ إِذا الداعي إلى الرَوعِ ثَوَّبا
And many a company, when the coward choked on his spittle,
I protected when the summoner repeated his call to battle.
وَمَربَأَةٍand a watchpost أَوفَيتُI mounted جُنحَat the approach of أَصيلَةٍevening
وَمَربَأَةٍ أَوفَيتُ جُنحَ أَصيلَةٍ
عَلَيهاupon it كَماas أَوفيmounts القُطامِيُّthe falcon مَرقَباa vantage point
عَلَيها كَما أَوفي القُطامِيُّ مَرقَبا
And many a watchpost I mounted as evening approached,
There, as a falcon mounts a vantage point,
رَبيئَةَas scout for جَيشٍan army أَوor رَبيئَةَas scout for مِقنَبٍa cavalry troop
رَبيئَةَ جَيشٍ أَو رَبيئَةَ مِقنَبٍ
إِذاwhen لَمdid not يَقُدlead وَغلٌan interloper مِنَamong القَومِthe tribe مِقنَباa cavalry troop
إِذا لَم يَقُد وَغلٌ مِنَ القَومِ مِقنَبا
As scout for an army, or scout for a cavalry troop,
When no interloper among the tribe led a troop.
فَلَمّاthen when اِنجَلىcleared عَنّيfrom me الظَلامُthe darkness دَفَعتُهاI drove them onward
فَلَمّا اِنجَلى عَنّي الظَلامُ دَفَعتُها
يُشَبِّهُهاlikens them to الرائيthe onlooker سَراحينَwolves لُغَّباweary
يُشَبِّهُها الرائي سَراحينَ لُغَّبا
Then, when the darkness lifted from me, I drove them onward,
The onlooker likening them to weary wolves.
إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis عَلَتthey climbed حَزناًrugged high ground بَرَتthey shaved صَهَواتِهِits crests
إِذا ما عَلَت حَزناً بَرَت صَهَواتِهِ
وَإِنand if أَسهَلَتthey reached level ground أَذرَتthey scattered غُباراًdust مُطَنَّباfar-spreading
وَإِن أَسهَلَت أَذرَت غُباراً مُطَنَّبا
When they climbed rugged ground, they shaved its crests;
And if they reached level ground, they scattered far-spreading dust.
فَماso not اِنصَرَفَتthey returned حَتّىuntil أَفاءَتdealt رِماحُهُمtheir spears
فَما اِنصَرَفَت حَتّى أَفاءَت رِماحُهُم
لِأَعدائِهِمto their enemies فيin الحَربِwar سُمّاًpoison مُقَشَّباcompounded
لِأَعدائِهِم في الحَربِ سُمّاً مُقَشَّبا
So they did not return until their spears had dealt
Their enemies in war a compounded poison.
مَغاويرُbold raiders لاnever تَنميescapes طَريدَةُthe quarry خَيلِهِمof their horses
مَغاويرُ لا تَنمي طَريدَةُ خَيلِهِم
إِذاwhen أَوهَلَconfounds الذُعرُterror الجَبانُthe coward المُرَكَّباin mounting
إِذا أَوهَلَ الذُعرُ الجَبانُ المُرَكَّبا
Bold raiders, whose horses' quarry never escapes,
When terror confounds the coward in mounting.
وَنَحنُand we سَقَيناwe made drink مِنfrom among فَريرٍFarir وَبُحتُرَand Buhtur
وَنَحنُ سَقَينا مِن فَريرٍ وَبُحتُرَ
بِكُلِّwith every يَدٍhand مِنّاof ours سِناناa spearhead وَثَعلباand a shaft-tip
بِكُلِّ يَدٍ مِنّا سِنانا وَثَعلبا
And we made men of Farir and Buhtur drink,
From every hand of ours, spearhead and shaft-tip;
وَمَعنٍand Ma'n وَمِنand from حَيَّيْthe two clans of جَديلَةJadilah غادَرَتthey left behind
وَمَعنٍ وَمِن حَيَّيْ جَديلَة غادَرَت
عميرَةَUmayrah وَالصَلَّخَمand al-Sallakham يَكبوhe stumbles مُلَحَّباgashed
عميرَةَ وَالصَلَّخَم يَكبو مُلَحَّبا
And Ma'n; and from Jadilah's two clans our spears left
Umayrah and al-Sallakham stumbling, gashed.
وَيَومَand on the day of جُرادَJurad اِستَلحَمَتpierced the flesh of أَسلاتُناour spearpoints
وَيَومَ جُرادَ اِستَلحَمَت أَسلاتُنا
يَزيدُYazid وَلَمand did not يَمرُرprove bitter لَناto us قَرنُthe horn of أَعضَباa broken-horned ram
يَزيدُ وَلَم يَمرُر لَنا قَرنُ أَعضَبا
And on the day of Jurad our spearpoints pierced
Yazid; no broken-horned ram's horn ever proved bitter to us.
وَقاظَand spent the summer اِبنُthe son of حِصنٍHisn عانِياًcaptive فيin بُيوتِناour dwellings
وَقاظَ اِبنُ حِصنٍ عانِياً في بُيوتِنا
يُعالِجُhe struggles with قَدّاًa rawhide thong فيaround ذِراعَيهِhis two arms مُصحَباwith hair still on
يُعالِجُ قَدّاً في ذِراعَيهِ مُصحَبا
And Ibn Hisn spent the summer captive in our dwellings,
Struggling with a hair-covered rawhide thong around his arms.
وَفارِسَand the rider of مَردودٍMardud أَشاطَتslew رِماحُناour spears
وَفارِسَ مَردودٍ أَشاطَت رِماحُنا
وَأَجزَرنَand they gave as meat مَسعوداًMas'ud ضِباعاًto hyenas وَأَذؤُباand wolves
وَأَجزَرنَ مَسعوداً ضِباعاً وَأَذؤُبا
And our spears slew the rider of Mardud,
And gave Mas'ud as meat to hyenas and wolves.
Sol 6.1