ذَهَبتَyou went away وَلَمand did not تَزُرvisit أَهلَthe people of الشِفاءِal-Shifa
ذَهَبتَ وَلَم تَزُر أَهلَ الشِفاءِ
وَماand no لَكَfor you فيin الزِيارَةِvisiting مِنany جَداءِbenefit
وَما لَكَ في الزِيارَةِ مِن جَداءِ
You went away without visiting the people of al-Shifa,
You left and did not visit the people of well-being,
and you have nothing to gain from a visit.
And there is no benefit for you in visiting.
كَبِرتَyou have grown old فَلَستَso you are not مِنof شَرطِthe favored sort الغَوانيbeautiful women
كَبِرتَ فَلَستَ مِن شَرطِ الغَواني
وَفارَقتَand you parted from الصِباyouth غَيرَwithout الخَفاءِconcealment
وَفارَقتَ الصِبا غَيرَ الخَفاءِ
You have grown old, no longer of the sort the fair women favor,
You grew up and are no longer among the youthful lovers,
and you have plainly parted from youth.
And you parted from your youth other than secretly.
وَشابَand turned gray بَنوكَyour sons فَاِستَحيَيتَso you felt ashamed مِنهُمbefore them
وَشابَ بَنوكَ فَاِستَحيَيتَ مِنهُم
وَأُبتَand you returned إِلىto العَفافَةِchastity وَالحَياءِand modesty
وَأُبتَ إِلى العَفافَةِ وَالحَياءِ
And your sons have gone gray, so you felt ashamed before them,
Your children have grown up so you became shy before them
and returned to chastity and modesty.
And you inclined to chastity and shyness.
وَغُرمٍand a debt قَدindeed حَمَلتُI bore جَناهُincurred it غَيريsomeone other than me
وَغُرمٍ قَد حَمَلتُ جَناهُ غَيري
وَفَيتُI fulfilled بِهِit عَلىout of حُبِّlove for الوَفاءِkeeping faith
وَفَيتُ بِهِ عَلى حُبِّ الوَفاءِ
And many a debt incurred by another I shouldered;
I carried the burden of a beloved other than you
I discharged it out of love for keeping faith.
And I was unfaithful in love and loyalty.
وَمَولىand an ally قَدindeed نَصَحتُI counseled sincerely لَهُhim فَأَعيَتbut proved baffling
وَمَولى قَد نَصَحتُ لَهُ فَأَعيَت
عَلَيَّto me أُمورُهُhis affairs كُلَّutter العَياءِbafflement
عَلَيَّ أُمورُهُ كُلَّ العَياءِ
And an ally I sincerely counseled, but I was baffled
I counseled a master until I grew weary,
by his affairs—utterly baffled.
His affairs overwhelmed me completely.
فَلَوso, if ماnot كُنتُI were أَروَعَgallant أَبطَحِيّاًa man of al-Abtah
فَلَو ما كُنتُ أَروَعَ أَبطَحِيّاً
أَبِيَّrefusing الضَيمِhumiliation مُطَّرِحَcasting aside الدَناءِbaseness
أَبِيَّ الضَيمِ مُطَّرِحَ الدَناءِ
So, were I not a gallant man of al-Abtah,
If I were not so noble and long-suffering,
refusing humiliation and casting off baseness,
Bearing injustice and rejecting baseness,
لَوَدَّعتُI would have bidden farewell to الجَزيرَةَal-Jazira قَبلَbefore يَومٍa day
لَوَدَّعتُ الجَزيرَةَ قَبلَ يَومٍ
يُنَسّيmakes forget القَومَthe men أَطهارَnon-menstrual intervals of النِساءِwomen
يُنَسّي القَومَ أَطهارَ النِساءِ
I would have bidden al-Jazira farewell before a day
I would have left the peninsula before the day
that makes men forget women's times of purity;
Which causes the people to forget the purest women.
فَكُنتُthen I would have been هُناكَthere أَحيَنَmore ill-fated مِنthan ثَفالٍa sluggish camel
فَكُنتُ هُناكَ أَحيَنَ مِن ثَفالٍ
يُعَدَّلُare balanced فَوقَهُon top of it سَقَطُodds and ends الرِعاءِthe herdsmen
يُعَدَّلُ فَوقَهُ سَقَطُ الرِعاءِ
and there I would have been more ill-fated than a sluggish camel
I would have been there, happier than a ram
on whose back the herdsmen's odds and ends are balanced.
Stretched out atop a hill for the shepherds.
فَذالِكَthen that أَمor مُقامُكَyour staying وَسطَamid قَيسٍQays
فَذالِكَ أَم مُقامُكَ وَسطَ قَيسٍ
وَتَغلِبَand Taghlib بَينَهاbetween them سَفكُshedding of الدِماءِblood
وَتَغلِبَ بَينَها سَفكُ الدِماءِ
Is that better, then, or your staying amid Qays
But this is your dwelling amidst the Qais,
and Taghlib, with bloodshed between them?
And among them spilling of blood prevails.
وَقَدand already مَلَأَتhas filled كِنانَةُKinana بَينَthe stretch between مِصرٍEgypt
وَقَد مَلَأَت كِنانَةُ بَينَ مِصرٍ
إِلىto عُلياthe upper reaches of تِهامَةَTihama فَالرُهاءِthen al-Ruha
إِلى عُليا تِهامَةَ فَالرُهاءِ
And Kinana has already filled the land from Egypt
Kinanah filled the land from Egypt
to upper Tihama, then al-Ruha,
To the uplands of Tehama and barren land.
بَرازيقاًtroop companies تَمُرُّmarch past مُسَوَّماتٍbearing distinguishing marks
بَرازيقاً تَمُرُّ مُسَوَّماتٍ
وَأَلوِيَةًand banners تَؤولُconverge إِلىupon لِواءِa banner
وَأَلوِيَةً تَؤولُ إِلى لِواءِ
with companies marching past, bearing their insignia,
Squadrons passing in review
and banners converging upon one banner.
And regiments marching under one banner.
بَنوsons of شَيخٍan elder بِمَكَّةَin Mecca خِندِفِيٍّof Khindif
بَنو شَيخٍ بِمَكَّةَ خِندِفِيٍّ
دَفَنّاهُwe buried him بِأَبطَحَin al-Abtah ذيof كَداءِKada
دَفَنّاهُ بِأَبطَحَ ذي كَداءِ
Sons of an elder of Khindif in Mecca,
The clan of Sheikh, who died in Makkah,
whom we buried in al-Abtah by Kada,
We buried at Abtah, the unhealthy place.
يُهينونَthey hold cheap النُفوسَlives بِكُلِّwith all صِدقٍearnestness
يُهينونَ النُفوسَ بِكُلِّ صِدقٍ
وَلَوthough, if بيعَتthey were sold لَقامَتthey would be valued بِالغَلاءِat a high price
وَلَو بيعَت لَقامَت بِالغَلاءِ
they hold their lives cheap in all earnestness,
They dishonor souls with all sincerity
though, if sold, they would command a high price.
Even if they were to be sold, they would be costly.
Sol 6.1