وَقالواand they said لَهاto her لاdo not تَنكِحيهِmarry him فَإِنَّهُfor indeed he
وَقالوا لَها لا تَنكِحيهِ فَإِنَّهُ
لِأَوَّلِfor the first نَصلٍblade أَنto يُلاقِيَmeet مَجمَعاa vital spot
لِأَوَّلِ نَصلٍ أَن يُلاقِيَ مَجمَعا
And they told her, "Do not marry him, for he
They told her, “Do not marry him, for it is
Will fall to the first blade that strikes a vital spot."
The fate of the first spear tips to meet a host.”
فَلَمso not تَرَshe saw مِنof رَأيٍjudgment فَتيلاًa date-stone fiber وَحاذَرَتand she feared
فَلَم تَرَ مِن رَأيٍ فَتيلاً وَحاذَرَت
تَأَيُّمَهاher widowhood مِنfrom لابِسِone wearing اللَيلِthe night أَروَعاformidable
تَأَيُّمَها مِن لابِسِ اللَيلِ أَروَعا
So she saw not a thread of sound judgment, and feared
Yet she saw no wisdom in such advice and feared
Being widowed of a formidable man clothed in night.
Remaining unmarried more than the wearer of night’s cloak.
قَليلُscant غِرارِsnatches of النَومِsleep أَكبَرُgreatest هَمِّهِhis concern
قَليلُ غِرارِ النَومِ أَكبَرُ هَمِّهِ
دَمُblood الثَأرِvengeance أَوor يَلقىhe faces كَمِيّاًan armored warrior مُقَنَّعاhelmeted
دَمُ الثَأرِ أَو يَلقى كَمِيّاً مُقَنَّعا
Scant are his snatches of sleep; his greatest concern
Little sleep bothered him more than thoughts
Is blood exacted in vengeance, or facing an armored, helmeted warrior.
Of vengeance’s blood or meeting masked warriors—
يُماصِعُهُhe duels with him كُلٌّeach يُشَجِّعُcalls brave قَومُهُhis people
يُماصِعُهُ كُلٌّ يُشَجِّعُ قَومُهُ
وَماand not ضَربُهُhis striking هامَheads العِدىthe foes لِيُشَجَّعاto be called brave
وَما ضَربُهُ هامَ العِدى لِيُشَجَّعا
He trades blows with him; each man's people call him brave,
Each tribe egging on its own while the enemies’ blades
Yet he does not strike his foes' heads to be acclaimed brave.
Struck not to encourage boasting but to wreak havoc.
قَليلِlittle اِدِّخارِstoring up الزادِprovisions إِلّاexcept تَعِلَّةًa hunger-soothing morsel
قَليلِ اِدِّخارِ الزادِ إِلّا تَعِلَّةً
وَقَدand already نَشَزَhas protruded الشُرسوفُthe rib-cartilage وَاِلتَصَقَand has clung المِعىthe gut
وَقَد نَشَزَ الشُرسوفُ وَاِلتَصَقَ المِعى
He stores little food, save enough to stave off hunger,
With little provision save sickness, his saddle straps
His rib-tip already jutting out, his gut pressed flat.
Were cinched tight, and his leather water bag fastened.
يَبيتُhe spends the night بِمَغنىin the haunt of الوَحشِwild beasts حَتّىuntil أَلِفنَهُthey grew used to him
يَبيتُ بِمَغنى الوَحشِ حَتّى أَلِفنَهُ
وَيُصبِحُand he reaches morning لاnot يَحميbars لَهاto them الدَهرَever مَرتَعاa grazing-ground
وَيُصبِحُ لا يَحمي لَها الدَهرَ مَرتَعا
He spends nights in the haunts of wild beasts until they grow used to him,
He slept in the wild till it became familiar
And at dawn no grazing-ground is ever barred to them,
And woke with no pasture left to shelter their herd.
عَلىin غِرَّةٍunwariness أَوor جَهلَةٍignorance مِنof مُكانِسٍa lair-dweller
عَلى غِرَّةٍ أَو جَهلَةٍ مِن مُكانِسٍ
أَطالَprolonged نِزالَcombat with المَوتِDeath حَتّىuntil تَسَعسَعاgrew feeble
أَطالَ نِزالَ المَوتِ حَتّى تَسَعسَعا
Unwary, or ignorant of a dweller in their lairs,
An unknowing newcomer he slew, prolonging
Who prolonged his duel with Death until it grew feeble.
The abode of death until the killings spread.
رَأَينَthey saw فَتىًa young man لاnot صَيدُhunting وَحشٍwild beasts يُهِمُّهُconcerns him
رَأَينَ فَتىً لا صَيدُ وَحشٍ يُهِمُّهُ
فَلَوso if صافَحَتthey shook hands with إِنساًhumans لَصافَحنَهُthey would shake his hand مَعاtogether
فَلَو صافَحَت إِنساً لَصافَحنَهُ مَعا
They saw a young man unconcerned with hunting wild beasts;
She saw a man no game could distract, who,
So if they shook hands with humans, they would all shake his hand.
If he met a human, would face him undaunted.
وَلَكِنَّbut أَربابَowners المَخاضِpregnant she-camels يَشُفُّهُمhe wears them down
وَلَكِنَّ أَربابَ المَخاضِ يَشُفُّهُم
إِذاwhen اِقتَفَروهُthey track him واحِداًalone أَوor مُشَيَّعاescorted
إِذا اِقتَفَروهُ واحِداً أَو مُشَيَّعا
But he wears down the owners of pregnant she-camels,
But raiders scorn being shamed when blamed
When they track him, whether he is alone or escorted.
By one man marching alone or with an escort.
وَكَيفَand how أَظُنُّI expect المَوتَdeath فيin الحَيِّthe tribal camp أَوor أَرىI see
وَكَيفَ أَظُنُّ المَوتَ في الحَيِّ أَو أَرى
أَلَذُّI take pleasure وَأَكرىand I sleep أَوor أَبيتُI spend the night مُقَنَّعاwith my head covered
أَلَذُّ وَأَكرى أَو أَبيتُ مُقَنَّعا
And how can I expect death in the tribal camp, or see myself
How can I think of death amidst life or view
Taking pleasure and sleeping, or passing the night with my head covered?
Sweetness when ability and cover have abandoned me?
وَلَستُand I am not أَبيتُI spend the night الدَهرَever إِلّاexcept عَلىintent upon فَتاًa young man
وَلَستُ أَبيتُ الدَهرَ إِلّا عَلى فَتاً
أُسَلِّبُهُI strip him أَوor أَذعَرُI terrify السِربَthe herd أَجمَعاall of it
أُسَلِّبُهُ أَو أَذعَرُ السِربَ أَجمَعا
And never do I spend the night save intent upon a young man,
I shall not survive long save by raiding a lad
Whom I strip, or I terrify the whole herd.
Whose flock I can plunder or whose herd stampedes together.
وَإِنّيand indeed I وَلاthough without عِلمٌknowledge لَأَعلَمُsurely know أَنَّنيthat I
وَإِنّي وَلا عِلمٌ لَأَعلَمُ أَنَّني
سَأَلقىI shall meet سِنانَthe spearpoint المَوتِof Death يَبرُقُit flashes أَصلَعاbare
سَأَلقى سِنانَ المَوتِ يَبرُقُ أَصلَعا
And I, though without foreknowledge, know full well that I
Yet I know not for certain that I will meet
Shall meet Death's spearpoint, flashing bare.
The grinning teeth of death gleaming hairless.
وَمَنand whoever يُغرَis drawn بِالأَبطالِto champions لابُدَّinevitably أَنَّهُthat he
وَمَن يُغرَ بِالأَبطالِ لابُدَّ أَنَّهُ
سَيَلقىhe will meet بِهِمthrough them مِنfrom مَصرَعِa fatal fall المَوتِDeath مَصرَعاa fatal fall
سَيَلقى بِهِم مِن مَصرَعِ المَوتِ مَصرَعا
And whoever is drawn to challenging champions, inevitably he
Who is fooled by heroes must meet with them
Will meet at their hands one of Death's fatal falls.
At the place of death the same death they were seeking.
Sol 6.1