شَطَّتwent far away رُقَيَّةُRuqayyah عَنfrom بِلاlands (opening fragment)
شَطَّت رُقَيَّةُ عَن بِلا
دِكَyour lands (closing fragment) فَالهَوىso longing مُتَشاعِبُbranching in many directions
دِكَ فَالهَوى مُتَشاعِبُ
Ruqayyah has gone far from your
Ruqayya parted from her abode, so love has diverging paths.
lands, and longing branches in many directions.
She intended a soft place far from it, seeking rest in the lands and places.
وَعَدَتand kept me away نَوىًseparation عَنهاfrom her شَطوfar-flung (opening fragment)
وَعَدَت نَوىً عَنها شَطو
نٌfar-flung (closing fragment) فيin البِلادِthe lands وَجانِبُand remote
نٌ في البِلادِ وَجانِبُ
And separation has kept me from her—
She changed my intimacy; truly women are fickle.
far-flung across the lands and remote.
And we were substituted alive by her, so the desirous one rejoiced.
وَاِستَبدَلَتand took a replacement بِيَin my place خُلَّتيmy beloved
وَاِستَبدَلَت بِيَ خُلَّتي
إِنَّindeed النِساءَwomen خَوالِبُbeguilers
إِنَّ النِساءَ خَوالِبُ
And my beloved has taken another in my place;
In the abode they gained governance, so they have tendencies and sects.
women are indeed beguilers.
Leave her and say about what turned you away and misfortunes have alternatives.
وَلَقَدand indeed تَبَدَّلناwe took in exchange بِهاfor her
وَلَقَد تَبَدَّلنا بِها
حَيّاًa clan فَأَنعَمَso fared well راغِبُa seeker
حَيّاً فَأَنعَمَ راغِبُ
And we have indeed exchanged her for
Will they reach the sons of Rabī‘ah the news of their brother who rides
a clan; the seeker fared well.
A camel, the leader of aggression, ravenous?
فيماin the course that اِستَقادواthey followed فيin البِلاthe lands (opening fragment)
فيما اِستَقادوا في البِلا
دِthe lands (closing fragment) مَصارِفٌturnings وَمَذاهِبُand paths
دِ مَصارِفٌ وَمَذاهِبُ
Along the course they followed through the
Truly, I am in the new time, wonders and experiences.
lands lie turnings and paths.
I was substituted after the sons of Rabī‘ah and time is punishing.
دَعهاleave her وَقُلand speak فيماof what عَناconcerns (opening fragment)
دَعها وَقُل فيما عَنا
كَyou (word-ending pronoun) وَلِلخُطوبِand for calamities نَوائِبُafflictions
كَ وَلِلخُطوبِ نَوائِبُ
Leave her, and speak of what concerns
Evil neighbors whose direction time’s hands point
you; calamities have their visitations.
Who embolden against the friend and to the enemy applaud.
هَلwill? يُبلِغَنَّsurely convey بَنيthe sons of رَبيRabiʿah (opening fragment)
هَل يُبلِغَنَّ بَني رَبي
عَةَRabiʿah (closing fragment) عَنfrom أَخيهِمtheir brother راكِبُa rider
عَةَ عَن أَخيهِم راكِبُ
Will word be brought to Banu Rabiʿah
And so the substitutes among them, one moves away and one comes near.
from their brother by a rider,
And time in it, for whoever contemplates, lessons and wonders.
ناجٍswift عَلىupon قَطَرِيَّةٍa Qatari she-camel
ناجٍ عَلى قَطَرِيَّةٍ
هاديa guide التَعَسُّفِtrackless travel ذائِبُgaunt
هادي التَعَسُّفِ ذائِبُ
swift upon a Qatari she-camel,
If they can, they eat you while they are close relatives to you.
a gaunt guide through trackless country?
Except for men among them who avoid harming a friend.
إِنّيI indeed وَفيand in الدَهرِtime الجَديnew (opening fragment)
إِنّي وَفي الدَهرِ الجَدي
دِnew (closing fragment) عَجائِبٌwonders وَتَجارِبُand experiences
دِ عَجائِبٌ وَتَجارِبُ
I—and in the new age
Truly I am a man who does not appease a lying friend.
there are wonders and experiences—
Good traits and affection last only while the companion is upright.
بُدِّلتُI was given in exchange بَعدَafter بَنيthe sons of رَبيRabiʿah (opening fragment)
بُدِّلتُ بَعدَ بَني رَبي
عَةَRabiʿah (closing fragment) وَالزَمانُand time مُعاقِبُbringing successive changes
عَةَ وَالزَمانُ مُعاقِبُ
was given, after Banu Rabiʿah,
I wished him well in peace but later knew how I would fight him.
as time brings reversals,
I have a cup for the man and claws and hounds
جيرانَneighbors سَوءٍevil بَينَهُمamong them
جيرانَ سَوءٍ بَينَهُم
شَطرَhalf of الزَمانِthe time عَقارِبُscorpions
شَطرَ الزَمانِ عَقارِبُ
evil neighbors, among whom
Whoever I cast it at his head, the splitter splits him
there are scorpions half the time.
And he softens and flows to me as the ridden camel flowed to the rider.
يَستَأسِدونَthey act like lions عَلىagainst الصَديthe friend (opening fragment)
يَستَأسِدونَ عَلى الصَدي
قِthe friend (closing fragment) وَلِلعَدُوِّand toward the enemy ثَعالِبُfoxes
قِ وَلِلعَدُوِّ ثَعالِبُ
They act like lions against a friend,
We are candid, so when we move the critic moves.
but are foxes toward the enemy.
Of its secrets and fragrance when aromas have levels.
وَكَذالِكَand likewise الأَبدالُreplacements مِنamong (opening fragment)
وَكَذالِكَ الأَبدالُ مِن
هاthem (word-ending pronoun) نازِحٌone far off وَمُقارِبُand one nearby
ها نازِحٌ وَمُقارِبُ
And such are replacements: among
them are the far-off and the near.
وَالدَهرُand time فيهِin it لِمَنfor whoever تَفَكreflects (opening fragment)
وَالدَهرُ فيهِ لِمَن تَفَك
كَرَreflects (closing fragment) عِبرَةٌa lesson وَعَجائِبُand wonders
كَرَ عِبرَةٌ وَعَجائِبُ
And time holds, for whoever
reflects, a lesson and wonders.
إِنif يَستَطيعواthey can يَأكُلوthey devour (opening fragment)
إِن يَستَطيعوا يَأكُلو
كَyou (word-ending pronoun) وَهُمwhile they لَدَيكَin your eyes أَقارِبُkinsmen
كَ وَهُم لَدَيكَ أَقارِبُ
If they can, they will devour
you, though in your eyes they are kin.
حاشىexcept رِجالٍmen فيهِمُin whom
حاشى رِجالٍ فيهِمُ
عَنfrom أَذىharm to الصَديقِthe friend تَجانُبُavoidance
عَن أَذى الصَديقِ تَجانُبُ
Except for men in whom
there is avoidance of harm to a friend.
إِنّيI indeed اِمرُؤٌa man لاnot يَطَّبيentices
إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ لا يَطَّبي
وُدّيmy affection الخَليلُthe close friend الكاذِبُlying
وُدّي الخَليلُ الكاذِبُ
I am a man whose affection
no lying friend can entice.
حَسَنُgood الخَليقَةِin disposition وَالمَوَدand affection (opening fragment)
حَسَنُ الخَليقَةِ وَالمَوَد
دَةِaffection (closing fragment) ماas long as اِستَقامَremained upright الصاحِبُthe companion
دَةِ ما اِستَقامَ الصاحِبُ
Good in disposition and affection,
so long as my companion remains upright.
هَنَّأتُهُI let him enjoy سِلميmy peace وَأَعand I know (opening fragment)
هَنَّأتُهُ سِلمي وَأَع
لَمُknow (closing fragment) بَعدُstill كَيفَhow أُحارِبُI wage war
لَمُ بَعدُ كَيفَ أُحارِبُ
I let him enjoy my peace, and I
still know how to wage war.
عِنديI have لِجامٌa bridle لِلرِجاfor men (opening fragment)
عِندي لِجامٌ لِلرِجا
لِmen (closing fragment) وَمِخلَبٌand a claw وَكَلالِبُand hooks
لِ وَمِخلَبٌ وَكَلالِبُ
I have a bridle for men,
and a claw and hooks.
مَنwhoever أُلقِهِI place it فيon رَأسِهِhis head
مَن أُلقِهِ في رَأسِهِ
يُلحِحpresses relentlessly عَلَيهِupon him القاتِبُthe saddler
يُلحِح عَلَيهِ القاتِبُ
Whoever I place it upon his head,
the saddler presses him relentlessly.
وَيَلِنand grows gentle وَيَنسَقand falls into line ليfor me كَماas
وَيَلِن وَيَنسَق لي كَما
ساقَdrove المَطِيَّthe riding camels الراكِبُthe rider
ساقَ المَطِيَّ الراكِبُ
He grows gentle and submits to me, as
a rider drives his riding camels.
نَحنُwe الصَريحُthe pure stock إِذاwhen قُرَيQuraysh (opening fragment)
نَحنُ الصَريحُ إِذا قُرَي
شٌQuraysh (closing fragment) قامَstood forth مِنهاfrom among it الناسِبُthe genealogist
شٌ قامَ مِنها الناسِبُ
We are the pure stock, when in Quraysh
a genealogist stands forth—
مِنfrom سِرِّهاits noblest stock وَأَرومِهاand its ancestral roots
مِن سِرِّها وَأَرومِها
إِذfor لِلأَرومِfor lineages مَراتِبُranks
إِذ لِلأَرومِ مَراتِبُ
from its noblest stock and ancestral roots,
for lineages have their ranks.
Partial English translation: 24 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1