أَشاعِرَO poet عَبدَʿAbd اللَهِAllāh إِنif كُنتَyou were لائِماًa reproacher
أَشاعِرَ عَبدَ اللَهِ إِن كُنتَ لائِماً
فَإِنّيthen indeed I لِماfor what تَأَتيyou do مِنَof الأَمرِconduct لائِمُa reproacher
فَإِنّي لِما تَأَتي مِنَ الأَمرِ لائِمُ
O poet ʿAbd Allāh, if you would lay blame,
O Abdu'llah, if you're blaming me
Then I reproach the things you do.
Then I'm blaming you for what has come to be
تُحَضِّضُyou incite أَفناءَthe clans of الرِبابِal-Ribāb سَفاهَةًfoolishly
تُحَضِّضُ أَفناءَ الرِبابِ سَفاهَةً
وَعِرضُكَand your honor مَوتورٌunavenged وَلَيلُكَand your night نائِمُasleep
وَعِرضُكَ مَوتورٌ وَلَيلُكَ نائِمُ
You foolishly incite the clans of al-Ribāb,
You squander mornings with your idle lute
While your honor is unavenged and your night asleep.
While your honor wanes and nights you sleep right through
وَهَلand is it عَجَبٌany wonder أَنthat تُدرِكَattain السَيدَal-Sīd وِترَهاher vengeance
وَهَل عَجَبٌ أَن تُدرِكَ السَيدَ وِترَها
وَتَصبِرُand patiently endure لِلحَقِّwhat is right السَراةُthe chiefs الأَكارِمُthe noble ones
وَتَصبِرُ لِلحَقِّ السَراةُ الأَكارِمُ
Is it any wonder that al-Sīd should gain her vengeance,
What surprise that fate should overtake its lord
And the noble chiefs should patiently accept what is right?
While the noble heart shows patience for the right
رَأيتُكَI saw you لَمdid not تَمنَعyou deny طُهَيَّةَṬuhayya حُكمَهاher judgment
رَأيتُكَ لَم تَمنَع طُهَيَّةَ حُكمَها
وَأَعطَيتَand you yielded to يَربوعاًYarbūʿ وَأَنفُكَand your nose راغِمُrubbed in dust
وَأَعطَيتَ يَربوعاً وَأَنفُكَ راغِمُ
I saw you did not deny Ṭuhayya her judgment,
I saw you let Dishiyya have her way
And you yielded to Yarbūʿ with your nose in the dust.
And give in to Yarbou' though your nose was tight
وَأَنتَand you اِمرؤٌa man لاnot تَقبَلُyou accept الصُلحَpeace طائِعاًwillingly
وَأَنتَ اِمرؤٌ لا تَقبَلُ الصُلحَ طائِعاً
وَلَكِنand yet مَتىwhenever تُظَأَرyou are forced to foster فَإِنَّكَthen indeed you are رائِمُa fond fosterer
وَلَكِن مَتى تُظَأَر فَإِنَّكَ رائِمُ
You are a man who does not accept peace willingly,
You, a man who spurns peace when offered free
Yet whenever you are forced to foster, you grow tender.
Yet once avenged, is placated and beams bright
دَعَوتُمyou summoned إِلىto أَمرِan undertaking of النَواكَةِfoolishness دارِماًDārim
دَعَوتُم إِلى أَمرِ النَواكَةِ دارِماً
فَقَدfor indeed تَركتُكُمleft you وَالنَواكَةَand foolishness دارِمُDārim
فَقَد تَركتُكُم وَالنَواكَةَ دارِمُ
You summoned Dārim to a foolish undertaking;
I called you to make peace in Darim's affair
For Dārim has left you to your foolishness.
But left you warriors, and Darim's fight goes on
وَكَنتَand you were كَذاتِlike the she-camel with البَوِّthe stuffed calfskin شُرِّمَتwas slit اِستُهاher anus
وَكَنتَ كَذاتِ البَوِّ شُرِّمَت اِستُها
فَطابَقَتso you complied لَمّاwhen خَرَّمَتكَpierced you الغَمائِمُthe nosebands
فَطابَقَت لَمّا خَرَّمَتكَ الغَمائِمُ
You were like the she-camel with the stuffed calfskin, her anus slit;
You were like a rain-pierced tent mended anew
So you yielded when the nosebands pierced you.
Yet when sorrows pierced you, you came undone
فَلوfor if كُنتَyou were مَولىan ally of مُسلَتMuslat ماnot تَجلَلتdraped herself
فَلو كُنتَ مَولى مُسلَت ما تَجلَلت
بِهِwith him ضَبعٌa hyena فيamong مُنتَقىthe choicest of القَومِthe tribe واحِمُcraving flesh
بِهِ ضَبعٌ في مُنتَقى القَومِ واحِمُ
For had you been Muslat's ally, he would not have become a cloak
Had you been a guardian of dependents pure
For a flesh-craving hyena among the tribe's chosen men.
No hyena could soil the choice of communal shun
وَلَمand not يُدرِكwas found المَقتولُthe slain man إِلاّexcept مَجَرَّهُhis drag-trail
وَلَم يُدرِك المَقتولُ إِلاّ مَجَرَّهُ
وَماand what أَسارَتleft over مِنهُof him النُسورُthe vultures القَشاعِمُthe aged ones
وَما أَسارَت مِنهُ النُسورُ القَشاعِمُ
Nothing of the slain man was found but the trail where he was dragged,
Only the slain know the blow that laid them low
And what the aged vultures had left of him.
Not the vultures who came to pick their bones clean
عَلَيكَyou must pursue اِبنَthe son of عَوفٍʿAwf لاdo not تَدَعهُleave him فَإِنَّماfor only
عَلَيكَ اِبنَ عَوفٍ لا تَدَعهُ فَإِنَّما
كَفاكَspared you مَواليناour allies الَّذيwhat جَرَّbrought about سالِمُSālim
كَفاكَ مَوالينا الَّذي جَرَّ سالِمُ
Keep after Ibn ʿAwf; do not leave him, for
Ibn 'Awf don't leave him be, for it's enough
It was our allies who spared you what Sālim brought about.
That our protector brought peace to end this scene
أَتَذكُرُdo you mention أَقواماًmen كَفَوكَspared you شُؤونَهُمtheir affairs
أَتَذكُرُ أَقواماً كَفَوكَ شُؤونَهُم
وَشَأنُكَand your affair إِلاّunless تَركُهُleaving it alone مُتَفاقِمُgrowing worse
وَشَأنُكَ إِلاّ تَركُهُ مُتَفاقِمُ
Do you mention men who spared you the trouble of their affairs,
Do you recall the allies you saved from plight?
While your own affair grows worse unless left alone?
Yet your state persists unless you heal this seam
Sol 6.1