هاجَكَstirred you مِنْfrom أَرْوَىArwa كَمُنْهاضِlike something broken anew الفَكَكْdislocation
هاجَكَ مِنْ أَرْوَى كَمُنْهاضِ الفَكَكْ
هَمٌّa sorrow إِذَاif لَمْnot يُعْدِهِdiverts it هَمٌّanother sorrow فَتَكْslays
هَمٌّ إِذَا لَمْ يُعْدِهِ هَمٌّ فَتَكْ
From Arwa there stirs in you, like a dislocation broken anew,
You left me like the shedding of a camel's coat,
a sorrow that slays unless another sorrow diverts it.
A worry that knows no respite or relief.
كَأَنَّهُas though it إِذْwhen عادَreturned فِينَاamong us وَزَحَكْand crept closer
كَأَنَّهُ إِذْ عادَ فِينَا وَزَحَكْ
حُمَّىthe fever of قَطِيفِQatif الخَطِّal-Khatt أَوْor حُمَّىthe fever of فَدَكْFadak
حُمَّى قَطِيفِ الخَطِّ أَوْ حُمَّى فَدَكْ
As though, when it returned and crept among us, it were
When you came back it was as if
the fever of Qatif in al-Khatt, or the fever of Fadak.
A fever had returned, or fever in al-Fadak.
وَقَدْand indeed أَرَتْنَاshowed us حُسْنَهاher beauty ذاتُthe wearer of المَسَكْbracelets
وَقَدْ أَرَتْنَا حُسْنَها ذاتُ المَسَكْ
شادِخَةُbroadly spreading الغُرَّةِthe forehead's blaze غَرّاءُradiant الضَجِكْthe smile (uncertain reading)
شادِخَةُ الغُرَّةِ غَرّاءُ الضَجِكْ
And the wearer of bracelets has shown us her beauty,
We saw her beauty, musk-scented,
broad of bright brow, radiant in her smile,
Haughty, vivacious, laughing gaily;
تَبَلُّجَthe shining of الزَهْراءِthe radiant one فِيin جِنْحِthe folds of الدَلَكْdusk
تَبَلُّجَ الزَهْراءِ فِي جِنْحِ الدَلَكْ
لاdo not تَعْذِلِينِيrebuke me بِالرُذَالاتِover the base fellows الجَمَكْfoolish
لا تَعْذِلِينِي بِالرُذَالاتِ الجَمَكْ
shining like the radiant one in the folds of dusk.
She shone brightly in the wing of night,
Do not rebuke me over base, foolish fellows,
Rebuke me not for vile deeds or bloodshed,
وَلاnor شَظٍa coarse fellow فَدْمٍdull-witted وَلاnor عَبْدٍa slave فَلِكْround-rumped
وَلا شَظٍ فَدْمٍ وَلا عَبْدٍ فَلِكْ
يَرْبِضُlies down فِيin الرَوْثِdung كَبِرْذَوْنِlike a packhorse الرَمَكْthe mares
يَرْبِضُ فِي الرَوْثِ كَبِرْذَوْنِ الرَمَكْ
nor over a coarse dullard, nor a round-rumped slave
Or for a wretched slave covered in filth
who lies in dung like a packhorse among mares.
Crouching in the mud like a dung beetle.
فَلاso do not تَسَمَّعْheed قَوْلَthe speech of دَسّاسٍa covert schemer نُزَكْa malicious fault-finder
فَلا تَسَمَّعْ قَوْلَ دَسّاسٍ نُزَكْ
وَارْعَand observe تُقَىreverence for اللَّهِGod بِنُسْكٍthrough ritual worship مُنْتَسَكْduly practiced
وَارْعَ تُقَى اللَّهِ بِنُسْكٍ مُنْتَسَكْ
So do not heed a scheming backbiter's words,
Pay no heed to the words of a slanderous gossip;
and observe reverence for God through devoted worship.
Live piously, devoted to God,
وَجَوْزِand the heart of خَرْقٍa wilderness بِالرِياحِby the winds مُؤْتَفِكْtossed about
وَجَوْزِ خَرْقٍ بِالرِياحِ مُؤْتَفِكْ
بِعاصِفٍby a gale هابٍblowing وَذارٍand a dust-scattering wind مُنْسَهِكْrushing violently
بِعاصِفٍ هابٍ وَذارٍ مُنْسَهِكْ
And many a wilderness-heart, tossed about by winds,
Like a cloak tattered by the winds, ripped apart.
by a blowing gale and a rushing, dust-scattering wind—
I mended it patch by patch, like a dilapidated building
قَدَدتُهُI cleft it قَدَّa cleaving like الرِواقِthe tent-curtain المُنْتَهَكْripped apart
قَدَدتُهُ قَدَّ الرِواقِ المُنْتَهَكْ
بِقُلُصٍon young she-camels يَنْتُقْنthey jolt أَقْتادthe saddle-frames of الوُرُكْthe saddle-pads
بِقُلُصٍ يَنْتُقْن أَقْتاد الوُرُكْ
I cleft it like a tent-curtain ripped apart,
Riddled with holes letting in drafts.
on young she-camels jolting the frames of their saddle-pads,
With patches crudely stitched from burlap and rags
نَتْقَthe jolting of المَحَالاتِthe great pulleys مِنَof الشِيزَىshiza wood الدُمُكthick and solid
نَتْقَ المَحَالاتِ مِنَ الشِيزَى الدُمُك
تَنَشَّطُthey traverse briskly البُعْدَthe distance بِصَدْقاتٍwith sturdy legs رُتَكْquick-stepping
تَنَشَّطُ البُعْدَ بِصَدْقاتٍ رُتَكْ
like the jolting of massive pulleys made of shiza wood.
Torn by raging gales and driving rains.
They traverse the distance with sturdy, quick-stepping legs,
When opponents come like wolves to the fold
تُقَطِّعُthey cut through الجُونِيَّthe dark night بِالخَرْقِwith a tearing passage البَتِكْsharply cutting
تُقَطِّعُ الجُونِيَّ بِالخَرْقِ البَتِكْ
وَإِنand if أُنِيخَتْmade to kneel رَهْبrangy beasts أَنْضاءٍworn-out camels عُرُكْtravel-hardened
وَإِن أُنِيخَتْ رَهْب أَنْضاءٍ عُرُكْ
cutting through the dark night with a sharp, tearing passage.
And I face the adversary’s compelling argument,
And if the rangy, wasted, travel-hardened camels are made to kneel,
Defying the Roman in a contest of wits,
رَدَّتْthey reduced رَجِيعاًto reworked residue بَيْنَbetween أَرْجاءٍstretches of ground دُهُكْpounded flat
رَدَّتْ رَجِيعاً بَيْنَ أَرْجاءٍ دُهُكْ
مِنْfrom خَبْطthe pounding of أَيْدِيهِنَّtheir forelegs عادِيَّthe ancient الشَرَكْtracks
مِنْ خَبْط أَيْدِيهِنَّ عادِيَّ الشَرَكْ
they have made into churned residue, between battered stretches,
Leaving the sly and cunning helpless,
the ancient tracks, through their forefeet's pounding.
Flustered by strong debate and a formidable rival,
وَحاجَةand a need أَخْرَجْتُI extracted مِنfrom أَمْرٍan affair لَبِكْtangled
وَحاجَة أَخْرَجْتُ مِن أَمْرٍ لَبِكْ
أَخْرَجْتُهاI extracted it مِنْfrom بَيْنِbetween تَصْريحٍplain speaking وَلَكْand evasiveness
أَخْرَجْتُها مِنْ بَيْنِ تَصْريحٍ وَلَكْ
And many a need I extracted from a tangled affair,
By the logic of partisans quick to contend and dispute,
bringing it out from between plain speaking and evasiveness,
Who make claims, whether truth or falsehood,
إِذَاwhen الخُصُومُthe adversaries وَرَدَتْcame to water وِرْدَthe watering-rush of الأَبَكّthe jostler
إِذَا الخُصُومُ وَرَدَتْ وِرْدَ الأَبَكّ
وَقَدْand indeed أُقاسِيI contend with حُجَّةَthe argument of الخَصْمِthe opponent المَحِكْcontentious
وَقَدْ أُقاسِي حُجَّةَ الخَصْمِ المَحِكْ
when the adversaries crowded in like a jostler rushing to water.
I speak the shrewd judicious words
And I contend with the contentious opponent's argument,
That seek the right path between mountains and dales
تَحَدِّيَthe challenge of الرُومِيِّthe Roman مِنْfrom يَكٍّone لِيَكّto one
تَحَدِّيَ الرُومِيِّ مِنْ يَكٍّ لِيَكّ
يُعْجِزُis powerless عَنْهاagainst it حِيلَةُthe resourcefulness of المَغْدِthe soft-willed man الرَبِكْbewildered
يُعْجِزُ عَنْها حِيلَةُ المَغْدِ الرَبِكْ
like a Roman's challenge, one against one.
In the smiling landscape and smooth passage;
A soft, bewildered man's resourcefulness fails against it—
I say - all kindred are interlinked, like loops in a net -
مِنْfrom دَهْوthe guile of أَجْدالٍfalcons وَمِنْand from خَصْمٍan opponent سَدِكْtenacious
مِنْ دَهْو أَجْدالٍ وَمِنْ خَصْمٍ سَدِكْ
مِنfrom أَشْعَريِّينَAshʿari men وَمِنْand from لَخْمٍLakhm وَعَكّand ʿAkk
مِن أَشْعَريِّينَ وَمِنْ لَخْمٍ وَعَكّ
arising from falcons' guile and a tenacious opponent,
O wise heir of the family of Abdul Malik,
from the Ashʿaris, and from Lakhm and ʿAkk,
Inheritor of glorious houses crumbling in ruins
أَدْلَىhe put forward بِحَقٍّwith a rightful claim أَوْor بِكِذْبٍwith a lie مُبْتَشَكْfabricated
أَدْلَى بِحَقٍّ أَوْ بِكِذْبٍ مُبْتَشَكْ
فَقُلْتُso I spoke أَقْوالَthe words of حَنِيكٍa seasoned man مُحْتَنِكْexperienced
فَقُلْتُ أَقْوالَ حَنِيكٍ مُحْتَنِكْ
who put forward a rightful claim or a fabricated lie.
Of enduring glory and fading splendor,
Then I spoke the words of a seasoned, experienced man,
Of every shameless boaster and false pretender
يَقْصِدُwho aims at مَهْواهاtheir mark عَلَىalong خَيْرِthe best of السِكَكْthe paths
يَقْصِدُ مَهْواها عَلَى خَيْرِ السِكَكْ
فِيon مَذْهَبٍa course بَيْنَbetween الجِبالِthe mountains وَالنَبَكْand the hillocks
فِي مَذْهَبٍ بَيْنَ الجِبالِ وَالنَبَكْ
who aims at their mark along the best paths,
Whose unruly clan is armed to the teeth.
on a course between mountains and hillocks,
You raised them to the heights of glory
فِيwith ضاحِكِa smiling المَطْلَعِentrance سَهْلِeasy المُنْسَلَكْpassage
فِي ضاحِكِ المَطْلَعِ سَهْلِ المُنْسَلَكْ
وَقُلْتُand I said وَالأَرْحامُand kinship ties شَبْكٌa net ذُوpossessing شَبَكْmeshes
وَقُلْتُ وَالأَرْحامُ شَبْكٌ ذُو شَبَكْ
with a smiling entrance and an easy passage.
To the lofty citadel, the towering height.
And I said—kinship is a net with interwoven meshes—
To you I complain of the cruelty of fate
ياO حَكَمُHakam الوارِثَthe inheritor مِنْfrom عَبْدِʿAbd المَلِكْal-Malik
يا حَكَمُ الوارِثَ مِنْ عَبْدِ المَلِكْ
مِيراثan inheritance of أَحْسابٍancestral honors وَجُودٍand generosity مُنْسَفِكْpouring forth
مِيراث أَحْسابٍ وَجُودٍ مُنْسَفِكْ
O Hakam, inheritor from ʿAbd al-Malik
That has struck me down, left me in tatters,
of ancestral honors and generosity poured forth,
Ravaged by passing years and destroying time,
فِيin القَدَمِprecedence العادِيِّage-old وَالعِزِّand might العَرِكْunyielding
فِي القَدَمِ العادِيِّ وَالعِزِّ العَرِكْ
مِنْfrom كُلِّevery زأَّارٍroaring lion وَمَخَّاضٍand a stirrer of tumult عَلِكْtough
مِنْ كُلِّ زأَّارٍ وَمَخَّاضٍ عَلِكْ
in age-old precedence and unyielding might,
My joints all disjointed, my knees buckled under me.
from every roaring lion and tough stirrer of tumult,
We know this for certain, do not doubt it -
لِعيصِهfor his thicket أَعْياصُthickets مُلْتَفٍّintertwined شَوِكْthorny
لِعيصِه أَعْياصُ مُلْتَفٍّ شَوِكْ
مِنَof العِضاهِthorn-trees وَالأَراكِand arak trees المُؤْتَرِكْclosely crowded
مِنَ العِضاهِ وَالأَراكِ المُؤْتَرِكْ
whose thicket has tangled, thorny thickets
That you, after God, if you do not forsake us,
of thorn-trees and closely crowded arak.
Are the key to all we crave and desire;
صَعَّدَكُمْhe raised you all فِيin بَيْتِa house of مَجْدٍglory مُنْسَمِكْtowering
صَعَّدَكُمْ فِي بَيْتِ مَجْدٍ مُنْسَمِكْ
إِلَىto المَعَالِيexalted ranks طَوْدُa great mountain رَعْنٍa spur ذِيwith حُبُكْridges
إِلَى المَعَالِي طَوْدُ رَعْنٍ ذِي حُبُكْ
He raised you all within a towering house of glory,
Free us from the prison of so many needs.
to exalted ranks—a great mountain, spurred and ridged.
You may one day save us from those sorrows;
إِلَيْكَto you أَشْكُوI complain of عَضَّthe bite of دَهْرٍtime مُنْتَهِكْravaging
إِلَيْكَ أَشْكُو عَضَّ دَهْرٍ مُنْتَهِكْ
بِالمَنْكِبَيْنِwith both shoulders وَالجِرانِand the neck's underside مُبْتَرِكْkneeling heavily
بِالمَنْكِبَيْنِ وَالجِرانِ مُبْتَرِكْ
To you I complain of the bite of ravaging time,
I confess, if you do not love my raptures,
kneeling upon me with both shoulders and its neck's underside,
That I remember you, while you reap the rewards,
مِنَfrom السِنِينfamine-years وَالهَلاكِand ruin المُهْتَلِكْdevastating
مِنَ السِنِين وَالهَلاكِ المُهْتَلِكْ
مُنْجَرِدِbare of الحارِكِthe withers مَحْصُوصِstripped of hair at الوَرِكْthe haunch
مُنْجَرِدِ الحارِكِ مَحْصُوصِ الوَرِكْ
with famine-years and consuming destruction,
Since your door is barred against me.
bare at the withers, shorn at the haunch.
Soothe my soul from the anguish of longing;
وقَدْand indeed عَلِمْنَاwe have known ذاكَthat عِلْماًwith knowledge غَيْرَwithout شَكّْdoubt
وقَدْ عَلِمْنَا ذاكَ عِلْماً غَيْرَ شَكّْ
أَنَّكَthat you بَعْدَafter اللَّهِGod إِنْif لَمْnot تَتَّرِكْturn away
أَنَّكَ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ إِنْ لَمْ تَتَّرِكْ
And we know this with knowledge free of doubt:
Requite it with sweet perfumes, purer than musk,
that you, after God, if you do not turn away,
With scents more fragrant than camel dung,
مِفْتاحُthe key to حاجاتٍneeds أَنَخْنَاهُنَّwe made them kneel بِكْbefore you
مِفْتاحُ حاجاتٍ أَنَخْنَاهُنَّ بِكْ
فَنَجِّنَاso rescue us مِنْfrom حَبْسِthe confinement of حاجاتٍneeds وَرَكّand weakness
فَنَجِّنَا مِنْ حَبْسِ حاجاتٍ وَرَكّ
are the key to needs we have made kneel before you.
Though once you rewarded me with the valley's dew,
So rescue us from the bondage of needs and weakness,
You were neither barren land nor desert sands.
فَرُبَّمَاfor often نَجَّيْتَyou have rescued مِنْfrom تِلْكَthose الدُوَكْturmoils
فَرُبَّمَا نَجَّيْتَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الدُوَكْ
أَوْدَيْتُI am ruined إِنْif لَمْnot تَحْبُyou bestow حَبْوَthe bestowal of المُعْتَنِكْthe steadfast one
أَوْدَيْتُ إِنْ لَمْ تَحْبُ حَبْوَ المُعْتَنِكْ
for often you have brought rescue from such turmoil.
Ever you remain in the sanctuary of time,
I am lost unless you bestow as a steadfast giver bestows.
Hunting your prey in a whirlwind's rush.
فَالذِكْرُso the remembrance مِنْهَاof it عِنْدَنَاrests with us وَالأَجْرُand the reward لَكْis yours
فَالذِكْرُ مِنْهَا عِنْدَنَا وَالأَجْرُ لَكْ
إِذwhen حالَstood as a barrier دُونِيin my way مِصْرَعُthe leaf of البابِthe door المِصَكْfirmly shut
إِذ حالَ دُونِي مِصْرَعُ البابِ المِصَكْ
So its remembrance rests with us, and the reward is yours.
The true steed is not like a stubborn mule.
When the firmly shut door-leaf barred me
أَنْthat تَشْفِyou heal نَفْسِيmy soul مِنfrom حَزازاتِthe aching pains of الحَسَكْthorns
أَنْ تَشْفِ نَفْسِي مِن حَزازاتِ الحَسَكْ
أَجْزِI repay بِهَاfor it أَطْيَبَsomething sweeter مِنْthan رِيحthe scent of المِسَكْmusk
أَجْزِ بِهَا أَطْيَبَ مِنْ رِيح المِسَكْ
from having you heal my soul of thorn-prick anguish,
I shall repay it with something sweeter than musk's scent—
ذاكِيهِits keen fragrance نَفّاحٌdiffusing perfume مِنfrom الفَأْرِmusk-pods الصَئِكْsharp-scented
ذاكِيهِ نَفّاحٌ مِن الفَأْرِ الصَئِكْ
وَكُنْتَand you would تَجْزِيrepay مِنْfrom نَدَىbounty العَقْبِthe final effort المَحِكْhard-contested
وَكُنْتَ تَجْزِي مِنْ نَدَى العَقْبِ المَحِكْ
its keen fragrance wafting from sharp-scented musk-pods.
And you would repay with bounty at the hard-contested finish,
وَلَسْتَand you are not بِالخَبِّa cheat وَلَاnor الجَدْبِa barren miser المَعِكْevasive
وَلَسْتَ بِالخَبِّ وَلَا الجَدْبِ المَعِكْ
وَلَمْand not تَزَلْyou ceased فِيamid وَعْكَةِthe strain of اليَومِthe day الوَعِكْgrueling
وَلَمْ تَزَلْ فِي وَعْكَةِ اليَومِ الوَعِكْ
and you are no cheat, nor a barren, stalling miser.
And always, amid the strain of a grueling day,
تَشْأَىyou outstrip المَحاضِيرَthe swift racers بِعَدوٍwith a gallop مُمَّهِكْsustained and forceful
تَشْأَى المَحاضِيرَ بِعَدوٍ مُمَّهِكْ
لَيْسَis not الجَوادُthe noble steed المَحْضُpurebred كَالْخَبِّlike the sly fellow المِدَكْdeceitful
لَيْسَ الجَوادُ المَحْضُ كَالْخَبِّ المِدَكْ
you outstrip the swift racers with a sustained, vigorous gallop.
The true thoroughbred is not like the sly, deceitful fellow.
Partial English translation: 55 of 64 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1