ياO بِنْتَdaughter of عَمْرٍوAmr لاdo not تَسُبِّيrevile بِنْتِيmy daughter
يا بِنْتَ عَمْرٍو لا تَسُبِّي بِنْتِي
حَسْبُكenough for you إِحْسَانُكyour good conduct إِنif أَحْسَنْتِyou do good
حَسْبُك إِحْسَانُك إِن أَحْسَنْتِ
O daughter of Amr, do not revile my daughter.
O daughter of 'Amr, do not insult my daughter
Your own good conduct is enough for you, if you do good.
Your kindness is enough, if you are kind
وَيْحَكwoe to you إِنif أَسْلَمْI survive فَأَنْتthen you أَنْتِyou
وَيْحَك إِن أَسْلَمْ فَأَنْت أَنْتِ
أَإِنْis it because رَأَيْتِyou saw هَامَتِيmy head كَالطَسْتِlike a basin
أَإِنْ رَأَيْتِ هَامَتِي كَالطَسْتِ
Woe to you! If I survive, you are you.
Woe to you, if you become Muslim, for you are you
Is it because you saw my head like a basin,
If you saw my erect tail like a jug
بَعْدَafter خُدارِيٍّjet-black غُدافِlong and luxuriant النَبْتِgrowth
بَعْدَ خُدارِيٍّ غُدافِ النَبْتِ
فِيin سَلِبlong-limbed الأَنْقاءِthe marrow-bearing bones غَيْرِnot شَخْتِscrawny
فِي سَلِب الأَنْقاءِ غَيْرِ شَخْتِ
after jet-black hair, long and thick in growth,
After Khadari, a polished shoot
on a long-limbed frame, not scrawny,
Amongst the robbing of the whitest, flawless
رَابَكِtroubled you وَالشَّيْبُand gray hair قِنَاعُa veil of المَقْتِloathing
رَابَكِ وَالشَّيْبُ قِنَاعُ المَقْتِ
نُحُولُthe wasting of جُسْمانِيmy body كَمَاas نَحَلْتِyou alleged
نُحُولُ جُسْمانِي كَمَا نَحَلْتِ
that you were troubled—gray hair being a veil of loathing—
Your spittle and the white hair are the mask of old age
by my body's wasting, as you alleged,
My body has become bent like you bent it
وَخُشْنَتِيand my roughness بَعْدَafter الشَبابِyouth الصَلْتِsleek
وَخُشْنَتِي بَعْدَ الشَبابِ الصَلْتِ
أَزْمانَin days when لاnot أَدْرِيI know وَإِنْeven if سَأَلْتِyou ask
أَزْمانَ لا أَدْرِي وَإِنْ سَأَلْتِ
and my roughness after sleek youth?
And my roughness after the prime of my youth
In days when I did not know, even if you asked,
From times I know not, even if you asked
ماwhat نُسْكُthe observance of يَوْمِthe day of جُمْعةFriday مِنْas against سَبْتِSaturday
ما نُسْكُ يَوْمِ جُمْعة مِنْ سَبْتِ
أَغْيَدُlithe لاnot أَحْفِلُI heed يَوْمthe day of الوَقْتِthe appointed time
أَغْيَدُ لا أَحْفِلُ يَوْم الوَقْتِ
what Friday's observance was, as against Saturday's,
I care not for Friday compared to Saturday
lithe, I cared nothing for the appointed day,
I wander heedlessly in the time
كَحَيَّةِlike a snake of الماءِthe water جَرَىglided فِيin القَلْتِthe rock-pool
كَحَيَّةِ الماءِ جَرَى فِي القَلْتِ
إِنْساًa human وَجِنِّيّاًand a jinn كَمَاas وَصَفْتِyou described
إِنْساً وَجِنِّيّاً كَمَا وَصَفْتِ
like a water snake gliding through a rock-pool,
Like a water snake swimming in mud
both man and jinn, as you described me,
Human and Jinn alike, as you described
أَرْكَبُI venture into ماwhatever دُونَshort of الفُجُورِdepravity البَحْتِunalloyed
أَرْكَبُ ما دُونَ الفُجُورِ البَحْتِ
فَآلthen changed أَوْلِيmy former state وَاسْتَقَامَand grew straight سَمْتِيmy course
فَآل أَوْلِي وَاسْتَقَامَ سَمْتِي
I ventured into everything short of sheer depravity.
I ride what is less than outrageous immorality
Then my former state changed, and my course grew straight.
So the people of my house are the best and my path is straight
فَإِنْso if تَرَيْنِيyou see me أَحْتَمِيI shelter myself بِالسَكْتِin silence
فَإِنْ تَرَيْنِي أَحْتَمِي بِالسَكْتِ
فَقَدyet indeed أَقُومُI take my stand بِالمَقَامin the position الثَّبْتِsteadfast
فَقَد أَقُومُ بِالمَقَام الثَّبْتِ
So if you see me sheltering in silence,
If you see me keeping silent
I can indeed take a steadfast stand,
I stand in the place of firmness
أَشْجَعُbraver مِنْthan ذِيone with لِبَدٍa matted mane بِخَبْتِon a low sandy plain
أَشْجَعُ مِنْ ذِي لِبَدٍ بِخَبْتِ
يَدُقُّcrushes صُلْبَاتِthe hard parts of العِظامِthe bones رَفْتِيmy smashing
يَدُقُّ صُلْبَاتِ العِظامِ رَفْتِي
braver than a maned lion on a low sandy plain.
Braver than one with a blunt sword
My smashing crushes the hard bones,
My ribs rattle with my trembling
لَفْتاًby wrenching وَتَهْزِيعاًand splintering سَواءَin the midst of اللَّفْتِthe twisting
لَفْتاً وَتَهْزِيعاً سَواءَ اللَّفْتِ
وَطَامِحِand many a man soaring in النَخْوَةِpride مُسْتَكِتِّseething with anger
وَطَامِحِ النَخْوَةِ مُسْتَكِتِّ
wrenching and splintering them at the very point of twisting.
Twisting and writhing the same either way
And many a man, soaring with pride and seething,
The ambitious peak has submitted
طَأْطَأَhumbled منْof شَيْطانِهِhis devil المُعَتِّيthat incites defiance
طَأْطَأَ منْ شَيْطانِهِ المُعَتِّي
صَكِّيmy battering of عَرَانِينَthe nose-bridges of العِدَاthe enemies وَصَتِّيand my pounding
صَكِّي عَرَانِينَ العِدَا وَصَتِّي
had his defiance-stirring devil humbled by
To his tempting devil
my blows upon the enemies' nose-bridges and my pounding,
My sound rebuttal to the enemy and my voice
حَتَّىuntil يَرَىhe sees البَيِّنَthe eloquent speaker كَالأَرَتِّlike a stammerer
حَتَّى يَرَى البَيِّنَ كَالأَرَتِّ
يَعْتَزُّoverpowers صَدْقِيmy truth صِدْقَهُhis truth وَبَهْتِيand my slander
يَعْتَزُّ صَدْقِي صِدْقَهُ وَبَهْتِي
until he saw the eloquent as a stammerer.
Until the clear is seen as the obscure
My truth and my slander overpower his truth.
My sincerity belies his sincerity and exposes my shock
وَأَرْضِand many a land of جِنٍّjinn تَحْتَbeneath حَرٍّheat سَخْتِfierce
وَأَرْضِ جِنٍّ تَحْتَ حَرٍّ سَخْتِ
لَهَاit has نِعَافٌfoothills كَهَوَادِيlike the necks of البُخْتِBactrian camels
لَهَا نِعَافٌ كَهَوَادِي البُخْتِ
And many a land of jinn beneath fierce heat,
The land of Jinn under hot sands
with foothills like the necks of Bactrian camels:
With meadows like the dunes of Bukht
يُغْسيcasts darkness عَلَىover ألوانِهِنَّtheir colors الكُمْتِreddish-brown
يُغْسي عَلَى ألوانِهِنَّ الكُمْتِ
أَوْطَفُa thick-fringed cloud مِنْfrom وَادِقِrain-dripping لَيْلٍa night هَفْتِsagging
أَوْطَفُ مِنْ وَادِقِ لَيْلٍ هَفْتِ
over their reddish-brown hues darkness is spread
Covering their various undertones
by a thick-fringed cloud from a rain-dripping, sagging night.
More compliant than the guide of a dark night
يَنْبُوthrows astray بِإِصْغَاءٍwith the close attention of الدَّلِيلِthe guide البُرْتِthe skillful
يَنْبُو بِإِصْغَاءٍ الدَّلِيلِ البُرْتِ
وَإِنْeven if حَدَاhe sings to drive camels مِنْfrom قَلِقاتِquivering الخُرْتِthe throat-opening
وَإِنْ حَدَا مِنْ قَلِقاتِ الخُرْتِ
The skillful guide's close attention is thwarted,
Bellowing with the listening of the expert guide
even if he chants through a quivering throat,
And if the disturbing thorns prick
خِمْسٌa five-day interval between waterings كَحَبْلِlike a rope of الشَّعَرِhair المُنْحَتِّfraying
خِمْسٌ كَحَبْلِ الشَّعَرِ المُنْحَتِّ
إِذَاwhen بَنَاتthe daughters of الأَرْحبيِّthe Arhabi camel الأَفْتِthe powerful one
إِذَا بَنَات الأَرْحبيِّ الأَفْتِ
by a five-day march between waterings, like a fraying hair-rope.
Five like the strand of plaited hair
When the daughters of the sturdy Arhabi camel
When the girls of Arhabi at their peak
قَارَبْنthey approached أَقْصَىthe farthest reach of غَوْلِهِits daunting expanse بِالمَتِّwith sustained strides
قَارَبْن أَقْصَى غَوْلِهِ بِالمَتِّ
وَاجْتَبْنَand they traversed جَوْناًa blackness كَعُصَارِlike the extract of الزِفْتِpitch
وَاجْتَبْنَ جَوْناً كَعُصَارِ الزِفْتِ
neared the farthest reach of its daunting expanse with long strides,
Come close to the farthest part with care
and crossed a blackness like the extract of pitch,
And choose supple youth like resin of tar
مِنْfrom سافِعاتٍscorching winds وَهَجِيرand midday heat أَبْتِfierce
مِنْ سافِعاتٍ وَهَجِير أَبْتِ
وَهْوَand it إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle اجْتَبْنَهُthey traversed it مِنْfrom شَتِّfar away
وَهْوَ إِذَا مَا اجْتَبْنَهُ مِنْ شَتِّ
from scorching winds and fierce noonday heat,
From the tallest and most roaring camels
and when they traversed it from afar,
And when they pick him out from the elite
مُسْتَوْرِداتٍseeking water كَحِبالِlike the cords of المُسْتِيthe warp-setter
مُسْتَوْرِداتٍ كَحِبالِ المُسْتِي
جَافَيْنَthey held away عُوجاًbowed legs عَنْfrom حِجافِthe shield-like pads of النَكْتِstamping
جَافَيْنَ عُوجاً عَنْ حِجافِ النَكْتِ
seeking water, like the cords of a warp-setter,
Imported long like the ropes of ships
they held their bowed legs clear of the shield-like stamping pads.
Deviating crookedly from clever subtlety
وَكَمْand how many طَوَيْنَthey traversed مِنْof هَنٍa thing وَهَنْتِand another thing
وَكَمْ طَوَيْنَ مِنْ هَنٍ وَهَنْتِ
تَعَسُّفاًcross-country وَهَكَذَاand likewise بِالسَمْتِalong a straight course
تَعَسُّفاً وَهَكَذَا بِالسَمْتِ
And how many things, this and that, they traversed,
How much did they bend to and fro as suits their nature
cross-country, and likewise along a straight course,
Oppressively, and thus is their way
يَنْفُضْنthey shake أَنْقَىcleaner مِنْthan نِعالsandals of السِبْتِhairless tanned leather
يَنْفُضْن أَنْقَى مِنْ نِعال السِبْتِ
بِأَرْجُلٍwith hind legs رُوحٍsplayed وَأَيْدٍand forelegs هُرْتِwide-set
بِأَرْجُلٍ رُوحٍ وَأَيْدٍ هُرْتِ
tossing feet cleaner than tanned-leather sandals,
They shake off purer than shoes of Saturday
with splayed hind legs and wide-set forelegs.
With spiritual feet and silken hands
Sol 6.1