هَلْdo? تَعْرِفُyou recognize الدارَthe dwelling بِذاتِat Dhat العَنْكَثِal-'Ankath
هَلْ تَعْرِفُ الدارَ بِذاتِ العَنْكَثِ
داراًa dwelling لِذَاكَof that الرَشَأِyoung gazelle المُرَعَّثِadorned with earrings
داراً لِذَاكَ الرَشَأِ المُرَعَّثِ
Do you recognize the dwelling at Dhat al-'Ankath?
Do you know the house with twisted palm-trees,
A dwelling of that gazelle adorned with earrings,
The house of that rough, disheveled man,
فِيamong مُرْشِقاتٍslender women كَالدُّمَىlike figurines لَمْnot تُطْمَثِwere deflowered
فِي مُرْشِقاتٍ كَالدُّمَى لَمْ تُطْمَثِ
يَخْدَعْنَthey beguile بِالتَبْرِيقِwith glitter وَالتَأَنُّثِand feminine grace
يَخْدَعْنَ بِالتَبْرِيقِ وَالتَأَنُّثِ
Among slender women, like untouched figurines,
In shiny spaces like blood never wiped away,
Beguiling with glitter and feminine grace,
Who fooled with flirting and being feminine,
بِالضَحْكِwith laughter لَمْعَthe flashing of البَرْقِlightning وَالتَحَدُّثِand conversation
بِالضَحْكِ لَمْعَ البَرْقِ وَالتَحَدُّثِ
تَأَلُّقَthe flashing of الجِنِّthe jinn بِرَمْلِacross the sands of الأَدْأَثِal-Ad'ath
تَأَلُّقَ الجِنِّ بِرَمْلِ الأَدْأَثِ
With laughter flashing like lightning, and with talk,
With laughter flashing like lightning and chattering,
Like the jinn's flashing across the sands of al-Ad'ath.
The jinn glittered with grains of fine sand,
إِنِّيindeed I وَلَيْسَand is not الجِدُّearnestness بِالتَمَكُّثِin lingering
إِنِّي وَلَيْسَ الجِدُّ بِالتَمَكُّثِ
مُعاجِلٌhastening قَبْلَbefore احْتِثاثِthe urging of الحُثَّثِthe urgers
مُعاجِلٌ قَبْلَ احْتِثاثِ الحُثَّثِ
I—for earnestness is not lingering—
I am in earnest and not prone to delay,
Hasten, before the urgings of the urgers,
In a hurry before the roots are torn out,
تَحْبِيرَthe polishing of حِبْرٍa learned man لَيْسَis not بِالتَعلُّثِwith muddling
تَحْبِيرَ حِبْرٍ لَيْسَ بِالتَعلُّثِ
وَلاnor بِتَنْفاثِwith the puffing of الرُقَاةِspell-chanters النُفَّثِthe blowers
وَلا بِتَنْفاثِ الرُقَاةِ النُفَّثِ
To fashion a learned man's polished verse, not a muddle,
Writing ink not diluted or adulterated
Nor the puffing of spell-chanters who blow.
Or the blowing of bubbled-up bellows,
وَالقَوْلُand speech مُنْسِيٌّforgotten إِذاwhen لَمْnot يُحْرَثِis cultivated
وَالقَوْلُ مُنْسِيٌّ إِذا لَمْ يُحْرَثِ
لَوْeven if كانَit were مِنْon دُونِthis side of جِبالِthe mountains of العَثْعَثِal-'Ath'ath
لَوْ كانَ مِنْ دُونِ جِبالِ العَثْعَثِ
And words are forgotten unless they are cultivated.
And words are forgotten if they are not cultivated,
Even were it this side of the mountains of al-'Ath'ath,
If they were not from beyond the mountains of ‘Ath‘ath,
ماnot اعْتاقَdelayed مَدْحِيmy praise عَنْكَfrom you مِنْany تَلَبُّثِlingering
ما اعْتاقَ مَدْحِي عَنْكَ مِنْ تَلَبُّثِ
فَارْفَعْso lift your regard إِليَّtoward me مُحَمَّدMuhammad بْنson of الأَشْعَثِal-Ash'ath
فَارْفَعْ إِليَّ مُحَمَّد بْن الأَشْعَثِ
No lingering would keep my praise from you.
My praise of you would not be released from bonds.
So turn your regard toward me, Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath,
So lift up to me Muhammad ibn al-Ash‘ath
وَاذْكُرand remember أَجَاريَّmy allowances نَدىًbounty لَمْnot يَكْرُثِburdened
وَاذْكُر أَجَاريَّ نَدىً لَمْ يَكْرُثِ
بِذَرْعِwithin the capacity of لاnot وَانٍslack وَلاnor مُرَبِّثِdelaying
بِذَرْعِ لا وَانٍ وَلا مُرَبِّثِ
And remember my allowances: bounty that never taxed
And mention my name freshly moistened,
The strength of one neither slack nor delaying.
With no deceit or corruption,
ياO! انْفَحْgive generously لِنَسْرٍto a vulture جاثِمٍcrouching مُغَوِّثِcrying for aid
يا انْفَحْ لِنَسْرٍ جاثِمٍ مُغَوِّثِ
يَشكُرْhe will give thanks وَتَعْصِمْهُand you will protect him مِنَfrom التَغَثُّثِfeeding on scraps
يَشكُرْ وَتَعْصِمْهُ مِنَ التَغَثُّثِ
Come, give generously to a crouching vulture crying for aid;
O breath, to an eagle crouching despairingly,
He will thank you, and you will save him from feeding on scraps.
He will thank and protect him from confusion,
ياO! انْفَحْgive generously لِنَسْرٍto a vulture جاثِمٍcrouching مُغَوِّثِcrying for aid
يا انْفَحْ لِنَسْرٍ جاثِمٍ مُغَوِّثِ
يَمْلأُfills بَطْحاءَthe broad flat bed of المَسِيلِthe torrent المِدْلَثِthe rushing one
يَمْلأُ بَطْحاءَ المَسِيلِ المِدْلَثِ
Come, give generously to a crouching vulture crying for aid;
O breath, to an eagle crouching despairingly,
Filling the broad bed of the rushing torrent.
He will fill the plain of the torrent valley,
لَيْسَis not طَرِيقُthe path to خَيْرِهِhis bounty بِالأَوْعَثِrough
لَيْسَ طَرِيقُ خَيْرِهِ بِالأَوْعَثِ
وَأَنْتَand you منْthrough حُسْنِthe beauty of الثَنَاءِpraise المِنْثَثِspread abroad
وَأَنْتَ منْ حُسْنِ الثَنَاءِ المِنْثَثِ
The path to his bounty is not rough.
The path of his excellence is not rugged,
And you, through fine praise spread abroad,
You are of excellent refined praise,
تَبرِيyou pare away جراثِيمَthe rootstocks of العِدَىthe enemies وَتَجْتَثِيand you uproot
تَبرِي جراثِيمَ العِدَى وَتَجْتَثِي
أَرُومَةa stock of الأَقْدَمِthe ancient غَيْرnot الأَحْدَثِthe recent
أَرُومَة الأَقْدَمِ غَيْر الأَحْدَثِ
Pare away the enemies' rootstocks and uproot them.
You repel the germs of enmity and uproot
A stock of ancient, not recent, origin,
The prominence of the ancient, not the new,
فيin طَيِّبِthe purity of العِرْقِlineage وَطِيبِand the goodness of المَحْرَثِthe cultivated soil
في طَيِّبِ العِرْقِ وَطِيبِ المَحْرَثِ
أَحْرَزْتَهُyou secured it فِيin خالِدٍKhalid لَمْnot يُدْأَثِwas trodden down
أَحْرَزْتَهُ فِي خالِدٍ لَمْ يُدْأَثِ
In pure lineage and wholesome soil,
You won it in an eternal not ruined,
You secured it in Khalid, never trodden down:
The most generous inherited legacy,
أَكْرَمَthe noblest ميراثِinheritance of امْرِىءٍa man مُوَرَّثِmade an heir
أَكْرَمَ ميراثِ امْرِىءٍ مُوَرَّثِ
فِيon ذِرْوَةٍa summit فَرْعاءَlofty لَمْnot تُديَّثِwas humbled
فِي ذِرْوَةٍ فَرْعاءَ لَمْ تُديَّثِ
The noblest inheritance of a man made an heir,
At a lofty peak not yet modernized,
On a soaring summit never humbled,
Rising above the young eaglets of hawks,
تَعْلُوit rises above خَناذِيذَthe crests of النِيافthe lofty heights الأَشْرَثِthe rugged ones
تَعْلُو خَناذِيذَ النِياف الأَشْرَثِ
وَيَوْمand on the day of لَفِّthe closing-in of الفَزَعِterror المُحَثْحَثِthe hastened
وَيَوْم لَفِّ الفَزَعِ المُحَثْحَثِ
Rising above the crests of lofty, rugged heights.
On the day when chaos binds on all sides
And on the day when hastened terror closes in,
And the screams of one despairing for help,
وَهَتَفانِand the cries of الصارِخِthe caller المُغَوِّثِcrying for aid
وَهَتَفانِ الصارِخِ المُغَوِّثِ
وَالبَحْثِand the searching مِنby أَيْدِيthe hands of الأَعادِيthe enemies البُحَّثِthe searchers
وَالبَحْثِ مِن أَيْدِي الأَعادِي البُحَّثِ
And the caller cries out for help,
And the searching of enemy hands groping,
And searching enemies' hands probe,
You heal enmity from the evil of gaining bits here and there,
تَشْفِيyou cure العِدىthe foes مِنْof فِتْنَةِthe turmoil of التَفَرُّثِdisintegration
تَشْفِي العِدى مِنْ فِتْنَةِ التَفَرُّثِ
وَعِنْدَand amid مَغْثاثِthe worst of الأُمُورِaffairs المُغَّثِthe wretched ones
وَعِنْدَ مَغْثاثِ الأُمُورِ المُغَّثِ
You cure the foes of the turmoil of disarray.
And when matters are confused and disordered,
And when wretched affairs are at their worst,
You filled the mouths of barking dogs
مَلأْتَyou filled أَفْواهthe mouths of الكِلابthe dogs اللُّهَّثِthe panting ones
مَلأْتَ أَفْواه الكِلاب اللُّهَّثِ
مِنْwith جَنْدَلِstones of القُفِّthe rocky upland وَتُرْبِand dust of الكِثْكَثِloose earth
مِنْ جَنْدَلِ القُفِّ وَتُرْبِ الكِثْكَثِ
You filled the mouths of panting dogs
With gravel of grit and dust of rubble,
With stones of the rocky upland and loose earth,
Until they bargained for the least worthless thing,
حَتَّىuntil اشْفَتَرُّواthey scattered بِالأَقَلِّwith the scantest الأَخْبَثِthe foulest
حَتَّى اشْفَتَرُّوا بِالأَقَلِّ الأَخْبَثِ
تُعَجِّلُyou hasten السَيْرَthe march إِذَاwhen لَمْnot تَبْعَثِyou send forth
تُعَجِّلُ السَيْرَ إِذَا لَمْ تَبْعَثِ
Until they scattered with the scantest, foulest share.
You hasten on when you are not sent out,
You hasten the march even when you send none forth,
With the strength of the resolute, not soiled,
بِقُوَّةِwith the strength of الحازِمِthe resolute man غَيْرnot الأَلوَثِthe muddle-headed one
بِقُوَّةِ الحازِمِ غَيْر الأَلوَثِ
إذاwhen الْتَوَتwere twisted أَمْراسُهُhis ropes لَمْnot تُنْكَثِwere unraveled
إذا الْتَوَت أَمْراسُهُ لَمْ تُنْكَثِ
With the strength of the resolute, not the muddle-headed.
When its reins are entangled, they are not severed,
When his ropes are twisted, they do not unravel.
And they have tasted your strength like a fierce lion,
وَقَدْand indeed بُلُواthey were afflicted مِنْكَthrough you بِلَيْثwith a lion أَلْيَثِmost lionlike
وَقَدْ بُلُوا مِنْكَ بِلَيْث أَلْيَثِ
أَعْطَىhe gave أَبَاAbu سارَةَSarah حَمْضbitter browse of المُغْلِثِthe mixed-forage eater
أَعْطَى أَبَا سارَةَ حَمْض المُغْلِثِ
And through you they were afflicted with a fearsome lion,
Who gave Abu Sarah the bitterness of dissolution,
Who gave Abu Sarah an indiscriminate grazer's bitter browse.
The strangler thought he would uproot
وَحَسِبand he thought الخَنّاقthe Strangler أَنْthat سَيَحْتَثِيhe will scoop up
وَحَسِب الخَنّاق أَنْ سَيَحْتَثِي
ماwhatever شاءَhe wished مِنfrom أَبْوابِthe doors of كَسْبٍgain مِقْعَثِabundant
ما شاءَ مِن أَبْوابِ كَسْبٍ مِقْعَثِ
And the Strangler thought he would scoop up
Whatever he wished of the doors of vile earnings,
Whatever he wished from the doors of abundant gain;
But the torrent swept him away in a filthy valley,
فَاضْضَرَّهُso it forced him السَيْلُthe torrent بِوادٍinto a valley مُرْمِثِgrown with saltbush
فَاضْضَرَّهُ السَيْلُ بِوادٍ مُرْمِثِ
فَكانso it was أَمْرthe fate of الفاسِقthe evildoer المُخَبَّثِthe depraved
فَكان أَمْر الفاسِق المُخَبَّثِ
Then the torrent forced him into a saltbush-grown valley.
Thus was the affair of the corrupt, ruined one,
So the fate of the depraved evildoer
Like one wearing out shoes of dung,
كَخاتِلِlike one stalking الصَمْصامَةthe unyielding lion الشَرَنْبَثِthe stout one
كَخاتِلِ الصَمْصامَة الشَرَنْبَثِ
وَقَدْand indeed رَأَىhe saw الغَرْثانُthe hungry man شَرَّthe worst مَغْرَثِhaunt of hunger
وَقَدْ رَأَى الغَرْثانُ شَرَّ مَغْرَثِ
Was like one stalking a stout, unyielding lion.
And the crow saw the evil of his nourishment
And the hungry man saw the worst haunt of hunger:
The face of al-Walid in blood defiled,
وَجْهُthe face of الوَلِيدِal-Walid فيin الدّمِblood المُلَوَّثِbefouled
وَجْهُ الوَلِيدِ في الدّمِ المُلَوَّثِ
وَالتُّرْكُand the Turks وَالأكْرادُand the Kurds إنْif لمْnot تَشْبَثِhold fast to
وَالتُّرْكُ وَالأكْرادُ إنْ لمْ تَشْبَثِ
Al-Walid's face in blood, befouled.
The Turks and Kurds, if you do not trap them,
And the Turks and Kurds, if they clung to no
For good, and they were pelted with filthy scraps,
خَيْراًany good وَصُكُّواand they were battered بِالقِذَافِby the stone-thrower المِلْطَثِthe crushing one
خَيْراً وَصُكُّوا بِالقِذَافِ المِلْطَثِ
تَرَكْتَهُمْyou left them لَحْمَmeat for الضِبَاعِthe hyenas العُيَّثِthe ravaging ones
تَرَكْتَهُمْ لَحْمَ الضِبَاعِ العُيَّثِ
Good, and were battered by the crushing stone-thrower,
You left them as meat for prowling wolves,
You left them as meat for ravaging hyenas,
Captive and killed in the muddy marshland,
أَسْرَىcaptives وَقَتْلَىand slain فِيamong غُثاءِthe flotsam of المُغْتَثِيthe gatherer
أَسْرَى وَقَتْلَى فِي غُثاءِ المُغْتَثِي
بِشِعْبِin the ravine of تَنْبُوكٍTanbuk وَشِعْبِand the ravine of العَوْبَثِal-'Awbath
بِشِعْبِ تَنْبُوكٍ وَشِعْبِ العَوْبَثِ
Captives and slain amid the gatherer's flotsam,
By the mountain passes of Tanbuk and Awbath,
In the ravine of Tanbuk and the ravine of al-'Awbath.
If you swear an oath you do not break it,
إِذاwhen حَلَفْتَyou swear قَسَماًan oath لَمْnot تحْنَثِyou break it
إِذا حَلَفْتَ قَسَماً لَمْ تحْنَثِ
وَاعْتَرَفُواand they confessed بَعْدَafter الفِرارِthe flight المِنْيَثِthe scattering one
وَاعْتَرَفُوا بَعْدَ الفِرارِ المِنْيَثِ
When you swear an oath, you do not break it.
And they confessed after shameful flight,
And they confessed after their scattering flight,
When the hoof laid bare what was not dug up,
إِذwhen أَنْبَطbrought to the surface الحافِرُthe digger ماwhat لَمْnot يُنْبَثِwas unearthed
إِذ أَنْبَط الحافِرُ ما لَمْ يُنْبَثِ
مِلْحاًsalt وَسَمّاًand poison فِيin ثَرَىthe damp soil of الماءِwater اللَّثِيthe sticky
مِلْحاً وَسَمّاً فِي ثَرَى الماءِ اللَّثِي
When the digger drew up what had not been unearthed:
Salt and sulfur in the mud of slick water,
Salt and poison in the damp soil of sticky water.
Abu Sarah has no confusion,
ماno لأَبِيfor Abu سارَةَSarah مِنْany مُعَثْعَثِrefuge
ما لأَبِي سارَةَ مِنْ مُعَثْعَثِ
إِذْwhen هُوَhe بِالأَسْيَافِwith swords لَمْnot يُحَثْحَثِwas prodded
إِذْ هُوَ بِالأَسْيَافِ لَمْ يُحَثْحَثِ
Abu Sarah has no refuge,
As he is with the swords and not bewildered,
When he had not been prodded by swords.
And at the heat of earnest battle,
وَعِنْدَand amid جِدِّthe earnestness of العَرَكِcombat المُمَرِّثِthe grinding
وَعِنْدَ جِدِّ العَرَكِ المُمَرِّثِ
يُبْطِىءُis slow نَصْرُthe aid of الناصِرِthe helper المُغَوِّثِthe rescuer
يُبْطِىءُ نَصْرُ الناصِرِ المُغَوِّثِ
And amid the earnestness of grinding combat,
Help from the helper who brings victory is slow,
The rescuer's aid is slow to arrive.
War gives a pearl that was not nursed,
الحَرْبُwar تُعْطِيgives دِرَّةًa milk-flow لَمْnot تُرْغَثِwas suckled
الحَرْبُ تُعْطِي دِرَّةً لَمْ تُرْغَثِ
War yields a flow of milk no one has suckled.
Partial English translation: 62 of 63 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1