تَذَكَّرhe remembered وَطبَهُhis milk-skin لَمّاwhen رَآنيhe saw me
تَذَكَّر وَطبَهُ لَمّا رَآني
أَقلِبُI brandish صَعدَةa lance مِثلَlike الهِلالِthe crescent moon
أَقلِبُ صَعدَة مِثلَ الهِلالِ
He remembered his milk-skin when he saw me,
He remembered my pasture when he saw me
As I brandished a lance like the crescent moon.
Turning the hill like a crescent moon
وَأَسلَمَand he abandoned عِرسَهُhis wife لَمّاwhen اِلتقَيناwe met
وَأَسلَمَ عِرسَهُ لَمّا اِلتقَينا
وَأَيقَنَand he became certain أَنَّناthat we صُهبُtawny السِبالِthe mustaches
وَأَيقَنَ أَنَّنا صُهبُ السِبالِ
And he abandoned his wife when we met,
And he surrendered his wedding night when we met
And knew for certain that we were tawny-mustached.
And was certain that we were the brave heroes
فَإِنso if يَبرَأَhe recovers فَلَمthen did not أَنفُثI breathe a charm عَلَيهِover him
فَإِن يَبرَأَ فَلَم أَنفُث عَلَيهِ
وَإِنand if يَهلَكhe perishes فَإِنّيthen indeed I لاnot أُباليI care
وَإِن يَهلَك فَإِنّي لا أُبالي
If he recovers, I breathed no charm over him;
So if he recovers, I have not breathed on him
And if he perishes, I do not care.
And if he dies, I do not care
وَقَدand indeed عَلَمَتhas known مَعَدٌّMa'add أَنَّthat سَيفيmy sword
وَقَد عَلَمَت مَعَدٌّ أَنَّ سَيفي
كَريهٌfearsome كُلَّماwhenever دُعِيَتwas cried نَزالِcome down to fight!
كَريهٌ كُلَّما دُعِيَت نَزالِ
And Ma'add well knows that my sword
And Ma’add knew that my sword
Is fearsome whenever 'Come down to fight!' is cried.
Is tough whenever it is called to war
أُغاديهِI attend to it each morning بِصَقلwith polishing كُلَّevery يَومٍday
أُغاديهِ بِصَقل كُلَّ يَومٍ
وَأَعجُمهُand I test it بِهاماتِon the skulls of الرِجالِmen
وَأَعجُمهُ بِهاماتِ الرِجالِ
I give it a morning polish every day,
I sharpen it every day
And test it on the skulls of men.
And redden it with the blood of men
تَمَنّىlonged for مَزيدMazid زَيداًZayd فَلاقىthen encountered
تَمَنّى مَزيد زَيداً فَلاقى
أَخاa man of ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness إِذاwhen اِختَلَفَclashed العَواليthe spearheads
أَخا ثِقَةٍ إِذا اِختَلَفَ العَوالي
Mazid longed to meet Zayd, and encountered
Zayd wished for more of Zayd, so he met
A man to trust when the spearheads clash.
A brother to trust when destinies differ
كَمُنيَةِlike the wish of جابِرٍJabir إِذاwhen قالَhe said لَيتيwould that I
كَمُنيَةِ جابِرٍ إِذا قالَ لَيتي
أُصادِفُهُI meet him وَأُتلِفُand I sacrifice بِعضَsome of ماليmy wealth
أُصادِفُهُ وَأُتلِفُ بِعضَ مالي
Like Jabir's wish when he said, 'Would that I
Like Munayyah Jabir when he said: If only
Might meet him and sacrifice some of my wealth!'
I would meet him and gain some of his money
تَلاقَيناwe met فَماbut not صُبناwe were struck سَواءequally
تَلاقَينا فَما صُبنا سَواء
وَلَكِنand yet خَرَّhe fell عَنfrom حالٍone position فَحالِthen another position
وَلَكِن خَرَّ عَن حالٍ فَحالِ
We met, but we were not struck alike,
We met but did not pour evenly
But he fell from one position to the next.
Rather he fell from a state to a state
وَلَولاand were it not for قَولُهُhis saying ياO زَيدُZayd قَدنيenough for me!
وَلَولا قَولُهُ يا زَيدُ قَدني
لَقَدsurely قامَتwould have risen نُوَيرَةُNuwayra بِالمَآليwith mourning cloths
لَقَد قامَت نُوَيرَةُ بِالمَآلي
And had he not said, 'Zayd, enough for me!'
And were it not for his saying: O Zayd, stop!
Nuwayra would surely have risen with mourning cloths.
Nuwayrah would have led to consequences
شَكَكتI pierced ثِيابَهُhis garments لَمّاwhen اِلتَقَيناwe met
شَكَكت ثِيابَهُ لَمّا اِلتَقَينا
بِمُطرَدِwith a steady lance المَهَزَّةِits quivering motion كَالخلالِlike a toothpick
بِمُطرَدِ المَهَزَّةِ كَالخلالِ
I pierced his garments when we met,
I shook his clothes when we met
With an evenly quivering lance, like a toothpick.
With repeated thrusts like rings
وَأَنزَلَand brought down فارِسُthe rider of الرَقعاءِal-Raq'a كُرهاًby force
وَأَنزَلَ فارِسُ الرَقعاءِ كُرهاً
بِذيwith one bearing شُطَبٍgrooves يُحادِثُhe keeps fresh بِالصِقالِby polishing
بِذي شُطَبٍ يُحادِثُ بِالصِقالِ
And the rider of al-Raq'a brought him down by force,
And the knight of Raq’a reluctantly dismounted
With a grooved blade he keeps fresh by polishing.
To one whose youth converses with polishing
أُقَرِّبُI bring nearer مَربَطَthe tethering-place of الهَطالِal-Hatal إِنّيindeed I
أُقَرِّبُ مَربَطَ الهَطالِ إِنّي
أَرىI see حَرباًa war سَتَلقَحُwill conceive عَنafter حِيالِbarrenness
أَرى حَرباً سَتَلقَحُ عَن حِيالِ
I keep al-Hatal tethered close, for I
I bring the tethered horses closer, I
See a war that will conceive after barrenness.
See a war that will ignite from rage
أُسَوّيهِI make him equal بِمَكنِفَto Maknif إِذاwhen شَتَوناwe spend the winter
أُسَوّيهِ بِمَكنِفَ إِذا شَتَونا
وَأُؤثِرُand I favor him عَلىover جُلِّmost of العِيالِthe dependents
وَأُؤثِرُ عَلى جُلِّ العِيالِ
I treat him as Maknif's equal when winter comes,
I straighten it with a sword when we contend
And favor him over most of my dependents.
And prefer it over all the household
وَقَدand indeed بَلَغَتhas attained سُواءَةَSuwa'a كُلَّevery مَجدٍglory
وَقَد بَلَغَت سُواءَةَ كُلَّ مَجدٍ
بِأَنفُسِهاby itself إِذاwhen سَمِنَتgrow fat فَصاليmy weaned camel calves
بِأَنفُسِها إِذا سَمِنَت فَصالي
And Suwa'a has attained every glory
And it has reached the evenness of all glory
By its own efforts, whenever my camel calves grow fat.
By itself when the swords glisten white
Sol 6.1