أَلاtake heed أَبلِغtell لَدَيكَwith you بَنيthe sons of سُبَيعٍSubayʿ
أَلا أَبلِغ لَدَيكَ بَني سُبَيعٍ
وَأَيّامُand the days of النَوائِبِcalamities قَدmay تَدورُturn
وَأَيّامُ النَوائِبِ قَد تَدورُ
Take heed: tell the sons of Subayʿ who are with you—
Deliver for me, O messenger, to the clan of Subei’
And the days of calamity may turn—
The days of misfortune will surely pass
فَإِنfor if تَكُbe صِرمَةٌa small camel herd أُخِذَتwas seized جِهاراًopenly
فَإِن تَكُ صِرمَةٌ أُخِذَت جِهاراً
كَغَرسِlike a planting of النَخلِdate palms أَزَّرَهُstrengthened it الشَكيرُyoung offshoots
كَغَرسِ النَخلِ أَزَّرَهُ الشَكيرُ
For if a small herd of camels was seized openly,
If there be a calamity that openly descends
Like a planting of date palms strengthened by its young offshoots,
Like a palm tree laden with fruit, the pruning hook trims it
فَإِنَّthen indeed لَكُمfor you مَآقِطَbattles عاسِياتٍfierce
فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَآقِطَ عاسِياتٍ
كَيَومَlike the day when أَضَرَّbrought harm بِالرُؤَساءِto the chieftains إِيرُĪr
كَيَومَ أَضَرَّ بِالرُؤَساءِ إِيرُ
Then surely fierce battles await you,
For you have the aid of a host of horsemen
Like the day when Īr brought harm to the chieftains.
As on the day harm befell the chiefs, Iyr came to their aid
تَداعَتsummoned one another عُصبَةٌa band مِنfrom وُلدِthe descendants of ثَورٍThawr
تَداعَت عُصبَةٌ مِن وُلدِ ثَورٍ
كَأُسدٍlike lions مِنfrom مَناطِقِهاtheir voices الزَئيرُroaring
كَأُسدٍ مِن مَناطِقِها الزَئيرُ
A band of Thawr's descendants rallied together,
A band of the clan of Thawr came rushing
Like lions whose voices are roars.
Like lions with their terrible roaring
فَقُلناso we said يالَO أَشجَعَAshjaʿ لَنwill not تَفوتواyou escape
فَقُلنا يالَ أَشجَعَ لَن تَفوتوا
بِنَهبِكُمُwith your plunder وَمِرجَلُناand our cauldron يَفورُboils
بِنَهبِكُمُ وَمِرجَلُنا يَفورُ
So we said, 'O Ashjaʿ, you will not escape
So we said: no most valiant warriors, you shall not miss
With your plunder while our cauldron boils.'
With your plunder while our cauldron boils over
كَأَنَّas though عَلَيهُمُabove them بِجُنوبِon the flanks of عِسرٍʿIsr
كَأَنَّ عَلَيهُمُ بِجُنوبِ عِسرٍ
غَماماًa cloud يَستَهِلُّpours down rain وَيَستَطيرُand spreads abroad
غَماماً يَستَهِلُّ وَيَستَطيرُ
It was as though, above them on the flanks of ʿIsr,
As though there were over them in the valleys of hardship
A cloud were pouring rain and spreading abroad.
A cloud that rumbles and lightnings flash
Sol 6.1