بَنيsons of عامِرٍAmir هَلdo تَعرِفونَyou recognize إِذاwhen غَداhe rode forth
بَني عامِرٍ هَل تَعرِفونَ إِذا غَدا
أَبوfather of مِكنَفٍMiknaf قَدalready شَدَّhe tightened عَقدَthe knots of الدَوابِرِthe crupper-straps
أَبو مِكنَفٍ قَد شَدَّ عَقدَ الدَوابِرِ
Sons of Amir, do you recognize him when he rides forth—
Abu Miknaf, having tightened the crupper-straps—
بِجَيشٍwith an army تَضِلُّare lost البُلقُthe piebald steeds فيin حَجَراتِهِits flanks
بِجَيشٍ تَضِلُّ البُلقُ في حَجَراتِهِ
تَرىyou see الأُكمَthe hillocks مِنهُbecause of it سُجَّداًprostrate لِلحَوافِرِbefore the hooves
تَرى الأُكمَ مِنهُ سُجَّداً لِلحَوافِرِ
with an army in whose flanks piebald steeds are lost—
you see the hillocks prostrate beneath its hooves—
وَجَمعٍand a host كَمِثلِjust like اللَيلِthe night مُرتَجِسِresounding with اللوَغىbattle-clamor
وَجَمعٍ كَمِثلِ اللَيلِ مُرتَجِسِ اللوَغى
كَثيرٍnumerous تَواليهِits rear ranks سَريعِswift in البَوادِرِthe first assaults
كَثيرٍ تَواليهِ سَريعِ البَوادِرِ
and a host like night, its battle-clamor thundering,
its rear ranks many, its first assaults swift?
أَبَتrefused عُداةٌenemies لِلوَردِfor al-Ward أَنto يَكرَهَshun الوَغىbattle
أَبَت عُداةٌ لِلوَردِ أَن يَكرَهَ الوَغى
وَحاجَةُand the business of رُمحيmy spear فيamong نُمَيرَNumayr وَعامِرِand Amir
وَحاجَةُ رُمحي في نُمَيرَ وَعامِرِ
Al-Ward’s foes would not let him shun battle,
nor would my spear’s business with Numayr and Amir.
لَوif لَمnot يَفُتنيhe eluded me العامِرِيُّthe Amirite لَناfor us لَهُfor him
لَو لَم يَفُتني العامِرِيُّ لَنا لَهُ
بَوادِرُsudden thrusts تُغشىare covered مِنfrom عُروقٍveins نَواعِرِspurting
بَوادِرُ تُغشى مِن عُروقٍ نَواعِرِ
Had the Amirite not eluded me, we would have dealt him
sudden thrusts, drenched in blood from spurting veins.
أَعَلقَمَO Alqam لاdo not تَكفُرbe ungrateful to جَوادَكَyour steed بِعدَماafter
أَعَلقَمَ لا تَكفُر جَوادَكَ بِعدَما
نَحابِكَhe carried you away مِنfrom بَينِamid المَناياthe deaths الحَواضِرِclose at hand
نَحابِكَ مِن بَينِ المَنايا الحَواضِرِ
O Alqam, do not deny your steed its due, after
he carried you away from amid the deaths close at hand,
وَنَجّاكَand he saved you يَومَon the day of الرَوعِterror إِذwhen حَضَرَcame الوَغىbattle
وَنَجّاكَ يَومَ الرَوعِ إِذ حَضَرَ الوَغى
مِسَحُّa swift-running horse كَفَتخاءِlike a broad-winged eagle الجَناحَينِthe two wings كاسِرِswooping
مِسَحُّ كَفَتخاءِ الجَناحَينِ كاسِرِ
and saved you on the day of terror, when battle came—
a swift runner, like a broad-winged eagle swooping.
إِذاwhenever قُلتُI said أَطرافَthe tips of الرِماحِthe spears يَنَلنَهُthey reach him
إِذا قُلتُ أَطرافَ الرِماحِ يَنَلنَهُ
يَجُمُّhe regains strength كَسَرحانٍlike a wolf بِفَيفاءَon a desert plain ضامِرِlean
يَجُمُّ كَسَرحانٍ بِفَيفاءَ ضامِرِ
Whenever I thought the spear-points would reach him,
he found fresh strength, like a lean wolf on a desert plain.
وَنَحنُand we هَزَمناwe routed جَمعَكُمyour host بِمُتالِعِat Mutaliʿ
وَنَحنُ هَزَمنا جَمعَكُم بِمُتالِعِ
فَفاءَso it returned وَلَمand did not يَسلَمescape unharmed عَلىunder شَرِّthe worst طائِرِomen
فَفاءَ وَلَم يَسلَم عَلى شَرِّ طائِرِ
And we routed your host at Mutaliʿ,
so it turned back, not unscathed, under the worst of omens.
وَكُنتُand I used to إِذاwhenever أَلقىI met غَنِيّاًGhani سَقَيتُهاI gave her drink
وَكُنتُ إِذا أَلقى غَنِيّاً سَقَيتُها
مِنَof السُمِّpoison ماthat which تَصلىare scorched ظُنونُthe forebodings المُحاذِرِof the wary man
مِنَ السُمِّ ما تَصلى ظُنونُ المُحاذِرِ
And whenever I met Ghani, I would give her a draught
of poison in which a wary man’s forebodings burn.
قَتَلناwe slew غَنِيّاًGhani يَومَon the day of سفحٍthe foot of مُحَجَّرٍMuhajjar
قَتَلنا غَنِيّاً يَومَ سفحٍ مُحَجَّرٍ
مُجاهِرَةًin open combat نَفسيmy life فَداءُa ransom for المُجاهِرِthe open fighter
مُجاهِرَةً نَفسي فَداءُ المُجاهِرِ
We slew Ghani on the day at Muhajjar’s foot,
in open combat—my life be ransom for the open fighter!
وَيَومَand on the day of قَناًQana لاقىmet الكِلابِيُّthe Kilabite عامِراًAmir
وَيَومَ قَناً لاقى الكِلابِيُّ عامِراً
أَخاa man of ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness ثَبتاًsteadfast قَليلَfew in العَوائِرِmissteps
أَخا ثِقَةٍ ثَبتاً قَليلَ العَوائِرِ
And on the day of Qana, the Kilabite met Amir,
a trustworthy man, steadfast, with few missteps.
Sol 6.1