قُولاsay, you two لريمٍto a gazelle فيin حِلَّةِencampment العَرَبِthe Arabs
قُولا لريمٍ في حِلَّةِ العَرَبِ
إليكto you أشكُوI complain ماwhat يَصْنَعُdoes اسمُكyour name بيto me
إليك أشكُو ما يَصْنَعُ اسمُك بي
Say, you two, to a gazelle in the Arabs' encampment:
Say to Reyem in the garb of the Arabs
To you I complain of what your name does to me.
I complain to you of what your name does to me
بماby what right استجازَتْdeemed lawful عيناكِyour two eyes سفكَshedding دَمِيmy blood
بما استجازَتْ عيناكِ سفكَ دَمِي
وأَخْذَand taking قَلبيmy heart فيin جُملةِthe sum of السَّلَبِthe spoils
وأَخْذَ قَلبي في جُملةِ السَّلَبِ
By what right have your eyes deemed it lawful to shed my blood
With what your eyes deemed lawful shedding my blood
And take my heart as part of the spoils?
And capturing my heart among the loot
جارُكِyour neighbor أولَىmore entitled بِرَعْيِto honoring ذِمّتِهhis pledge of protection
جارُكِ أولَى بِرَعْيِ ذِمّتِه
إنif أنْتِyou رَاعيتِyou respected حُرمةَthe sanctity of الصّقَبِneighborly proximity
إن أنْتِ رَاعيتِ حُرمةَ الصّقَبِ
Your neighbor most deserves to have his pledge of protection honored,
Your neighbor is more deserving of guarding his covenant
If you respect the sanctity of neighborliness.
If you guarded the sanctity of lineage
لولاكِbut for you والدَّهرُand time كلُّهall of it عجَبٌwonder
لولاكِ والدَّهرُ كلُّه عجَبٌ
ماnot خُفِرَتْwas violated فيَّin my case ذِمّةُpledge of protection العَرَبِthe Arabs
ما خُفِرَتْ فيَّ ذِمّةُ العَرَبِ
But for you—and time is nothing but wonders—
Were it not for you, and time is all wonder
The Arabs' pledge of protection would not have been broken in my case.
My covenant with the Arabs would not have been violated
هذاthis هوىًpassion كنتُI was فيin بُلَهْنِيَةٍease and comfort
هذا هوىً كنتُ في بُلَهْنِيَةٍ
عنهfree of it فياso, O للرّجالِmen, to the rescue للعَجَبِat the wonder
عنه فيا للرّجالِ للعَجَبِ
This is a passion; I once lived at ease,
This was a love when I was in Bulaheniya
Free of it—O men, what a wonder!
A wondrous thing for men, a wondrous thing
أيسترقُّdoes ... enslave? الكريمَthe nobleman ذَاpossessing النّسبِlineage الthe
أيسترقُّ الكريمَ ذَا النّسبِ ال
واضِحِclear عبدٌa slave مُستعجِمُobscure النّسَبِlineage
واضِحِ عبدٌ مُستعجِمُ النّسَبِ
Can a nobleman of clear lineage be enslaved
Does the noble one of pure lineage
By a slave whose lineage is obscure?
Kidnap a slave of foreign lineage?
ويَحملُand bears الثّأْرَblood vengeance مَنone who بهin him خَوَرٌfrailty
ويَحملُ الثّأْرَ مَن به خَوَرٌ
عنfor احتمالِbearing الحجَالِanklets والقُلُبِand bracelets
عن احتمالِ الحجَالِ والقُلُبِ
And can one bear the burden of blood vengeance, though too frail
And avenge one in whom is dishonor
To bear anklets and bracelets?
For bearing the insults and sorrows?
نشدتُكِI adjure you اللهَGod فيconcerning احتمالِbearing responsibility for دَميmy blood
نشدتُكِ اللهَ في احتمالِ دَمي
فمعشَرِيfor my clan ماnot يفوتُهمeludes them طَلَبيmy claim to vengeance
فمعشَرِي ما يفوتُهم طَلَبي
I adjure you by God concerning the burden of my blood:
I implore you by God in bearing my blood
For my clan will not fail to avenge me.
For my people will not overlook my request
ماnot فاتَeluded قومِيmy people آلَthe house of المهلَّبِal-Muhallab مِنfrom
ما فاتَ قومِي آلَ المهلَّبِ مِن
قبلِيَbefore me ثأرٌblood vengeance فيin سَالِفِpast الحِقَبِthe ages
قبلِيَ ثأرٌ في سَالِفِ الحِقَبِ
My people, the house of al-Muhallab, have never failed to exact
What the family of Mahallabi missed before me
Blood vengeance before my time, in ages past.
Were rights of revenge in past eras
فلاso do not تُرِيقيspill دماًblood لذِيof one possessed of أدبٍliterary learning
فلا تُرِيقي دماً لذِي أدبٍ
يسطُوassails بأقلامهwith his pens علىat القضُبِthe swords
يسطُو بأقلامه على القضُبِ
So do not spill the blood of a man of letters
So do not shed the blood of one of propriety
Who assails swords with his pens.
Who writes by his pens on parchment
Sol 6.1