إِباءٌdefiance إِباءُthe defiance of البَكرِthe young camel غَيرُnot مُذَلَّلِtamed
إِباءٌ إِباءُ البَكرِ غَيرُ مُذَلَّلِ
وَعَزمٌand resolve كَحَدِّlike the edge of السَيفِthe sword غَيرُnot مُفَلَّلِblunted
وَعَزمٌ كَحَدِّ السَيفِ غَيرُ مُفَلَّلِ
Defiance—the defiance of an unbroken young camel;
and resolve like a sword’s edge, unblunted.
أَأُغضيshall I submit عَلىto الأَمرِthe matter الَّذيwhich لاnot أُريدُهُI want it
أَأُغضي عَلى الأَمرِ الَّذي لا أُريدُهُ
وَلَمّاwhile not yet يَقُمhas come forward بِالعُذرِwith justification رُمحيmy spear وَمُنصِليand my blade
وَلَمّا يَقُم بِالعُذرِ رُمحي وَمُنصِلي
Shall I submit to something I do not desire,
while my spear and blade have not yet furnished my excuse?
أَبىrefuses اللَهُGod وَالمَهرُand the colt المَنيعِيَّthe Mani‘i وَالقَناand the lances
أَبى اللَهُ وَالمَهرُ المَنيعِيَّ وَالقَنا
وَأَبيَضُand a bright blade وَقّاعٌever-striking عَلىupon كُلِّevery مَفصِلِjoint
وَأَبيَضُ وَقّاعٌ عَلى كُلِّ مَفصِلِ
God refuses it, as do the Mani‘i colt and the lances,
and a bright blade, ever striking at every joint,
وَفِتيانُand young warriors of صِدقٍtrue mettle مِنfrom غَطاريفَthe nobles of وائِلٍWa’il
وَفِتيانُ صِدقٍ مِن غَطاريفَ وائِلٍ
إِذاwhen قيلَit is announced رَكبُthe riders of المَوتِdeath قالواthey say لَهُto it اِنزِلِdismount
إِذا قيلَ رَكبُ المَوتِ قالوا لَهُ اِنزِلِ
and trusty young warriors from the nobles of Wa’il:
when Death’s riders are announced, they bid them, “Dismount!”
يَسوسُهُمُhe leads them بِالخَيرِthrough good وَالشَرِّand ill ماجِدٌa noble man
يَسوسُهُمُ بِالخَيرِ وَالشَرِّ ماجِدٌ
جَرورٌever drawing along لِأَذيالِthe skirts of الخَميسِthe army المُذَيَّلِlong-trailing
جَرورٌ لِأَذيالِ الخَميسِ المُذَيَّلِ
A noble man leads them through good and ill,
drawing behind him the skirts of a long-trailing army.
لَهُhe has بَطشُthe force of قاسٍa harsh man تَحتَهُbeneath it قَلبُthe heart of راحِمٍa merciful man
لَهُ بَطشُ قاسٍ تَحتَهُ قَلبُ راحِمٍ
وَمَنعُand the withholding of بَخيلٍa miser تَحتَهُbeneath it بَذلُthe bounty of مُفضِلِa generous giver
وَمَنعُ بَخيلٍ تَحتَهُ بَذلُ مُفضِلِ
His is a harsh man’s force, beneath it a merciful heart,
and a miser’s withholding, beneath it a generous giver’s bounty;
وَعَزمَةُand the resolve of خَرّاجٍone who breaks free مِنَfrom الضَيمِoppression فاتِكٍa deadly fighter
وَعَزمَةُ خَرّاجٍ مِنَ الضَيمِ فاتِكٍ
وَفِيٍّloyal أَبِيٍّunbowed يَأخُذُwho takes الأَمرَcommand مِنfrom عَلِon high
وَفِيٍّ أَبِيٍّ يَأخُذُ الأَمرَ مِن عَلِ
and the resolve of one who breaks free of oppression, a deadly fighter,
loyal and unbowed, taking command from on high.
عَزوفٌdisdainful أَنوفٌproud لَيسَnot يَقرَعُhe strikes سِنَّهُhis tooth
عَزوفٌ أَنوفٌ لَيسَ يَقرَعُ سِنَّهُ
جَريءٌbold مَتىwhenever يَعزِمhe resolves عَلىon الأَمرِa matter يَفعَلِhe acts
جَريءٌ مَتى يَعزِم عَلى الأَمرِ يَفعَلِ
Disdainful, proud, never striking his tooth in regret;
bold: whenever he resolves on a matter, he acts.
شَديدٌstrong عَلىin طَيِّtraversing المَنازِلِthe journey’s stages صَبرُهُhis endurance
شَديدٌ عَلى طَيِّ المَنازِلِ صَبرُهُ
إِذاif هُوَhe لَمhas not يَظفَرattained بِأَكرَمِthe noblest مَنزِلِlodging
إِذا هُوَ لَم يَظفَر بِأَكرَمِ مَنزِلِ
Great is his endurance in crossing stage after stage,
when he has not secured the noblest lodging,
بِكُلِّon every مُحَلّاةِadorned she-camel السَراةِthe back بِضَيغَمٍwith a lion
بِكُلِّ مُحَلّاةِ السَراةِ بِضَيغَمٍ
وَكُلِّand every مُعَلّاةِraised high الرَحالِthe saddles بِأَحدَلِby a hawk
وَكُلِّ مُعَلّاةِ الرَحالِ بِأَحدَلِ
on every she-camel whose back is adorned with a lion,
and every mount whose saddle is crowned by a hawk.
كَأَنَّas though أَعاليthe heights of رَأسِهاher head وَسَنامِهاand her hump
كَأَنَّ أَعالي رَأسِها وَسَنامِها
مَنارَةُa tower of قَسّيسٍa priest قُبالَةَopposite هَيكَلِa church
مَنارَةُ قَسّيسٍ قُبالَةَ هَيكَلِ
As though the heights of her head and hump
were a priest’s tower facing a church.
سَرَيتُI traveled by night بِهاon her مِنfrom ساحِلِthe shore of البَحرِthe sea أَغتَديadvancing at dawn
سَرَيتُ بِها مِن ساحِلِ البَحرِ أَغتَدي
عَلىtoward كَفرِطابٍKafartab صَوبُهاher course لَمwas not يُحَوَّلِdiverted
عَلى كَفرِطابٍ صَوبُها لَم يُحَوَّلِ
I rode her by night from the seashore, advancing at dawn
toward Kafartab, her course never diverted.
وَقَدَّمتُand I sent ahead نُذريmy warnings أَنlest يَقولواthey say غَدَرتَناyou betrayed us
وَقَدَّمتُ نُذري أَن يَقولوا غَدَرتَنا
وَأَقبَلتُand I advanced لَمdid not أُرهِقoppress وَلَمand did not أَتَحَيَّلِresort to guile
وَأَقبَلتُ لَم أُرهِق وَلَم أَتَحَيَّلِ
I sent my warnings ahead, lest they say, “You betrayed us,”
and I advanced, neither oppressing nor resorting to guile,
إِلىtoward عَرَبٍArabs لاتَختَشيwho do not fear غَلبَthe mastery of غالِبٍa conqueror
إِلى عَرَبٍ لاتَختَشي غَلبَ غالِبٍ
ذُؤابَةِthe flower of حَيِّthe clan of عامِرٍ‘Amir وَالمُحَجَّلِand al-Muhajjal
ذُؤابَةِ حَيِّ عامِرٍ وَالمُحَجَّلِ
toward Arabs who feared no conqueror’s mastery,
the flower of the clan of ‘Amir and al-Muhajjal.
تَواصَتthey urged one another بِمُرِّto the bitterness of الصَبرِendurance دونَin defense of حَريمِهاtheir womenfolk
تَواصَت بِمُرِّ الصَبرِ دونَ حَريمِها
فَلَمّاbut when رَأَتناthey saw us أَجفَلَتthey fled كُلَّevery مُجفَلِway of escape
فَلَمّا رَأَتنا أَجفَلَت كُلَّ مُجفَلِ
They urged one another to bitter endurance in defense of their womenfolk,
but when they saw us, they fled in every direction.
فَبَينَthus among قَتيلٍa slain man بِالدِماءِin blood مُضَرَّجٌdrenched
فَبَينَ قَتيلٍ بِالدِماءِ مُضَرَّجٌ
وَبَينَand among أَسيرٍa captive فيin الحَديدِiron مُكَبَّلِshackled
وَبَينَ أَسيرٍ في الحَديدِ مُكَبَّلِ
Some lay slain, drenched in blood,
and others were captives, shackled in iron.
فَلَمّاand when أَطَعتُI obeyed الجَهلَrashness وَالغَيظَand rage ساعَةًfor a while
فَلَمّا أَطَعتُ الجَهلَ وَالغَيظَ ساعَةً
دَعَوتُI called بِحِلميfor my forbearance أَيُّهاO الحِلمُforbearance أَقبِلِcome
دَعَوتُ بِحِلمي أَيُّها الحِلمُ أَقبِلِ
After yielding to rashness and rage for a while,
I called for my forbearance: “O forbearance, come!”
بُنَيّاتُthe dear daughters of عَمّيmy paternal uncle هُنَّthey لَيسَnot يَرينَنيthey find me
بُنَيّاتُ عَمّي هُنَّ لَيسَ يَرينَني
بُعَيدَdistant in التَجافيestrangement أَوor قَليلَscant in التَفَضُّلِgenerosity
بُعَيدَ التَجافي أَو قَليلَ التَفَضُّلِ
They are my uncle’s dear daughters; they do not find me
distant in estrangement or sparing in generosity.
شَفيعُthe intercessor for النِزارِيّاتِNizar’s women غَيرُnot مُخَيِّبٍdisappointing
شَفيعُ النِزارِيّاتِ غَيرُ مُخَيِّبٍ
وَداعيand the advocate for النِزارِيّاتِNizar’s women غَيرُnot مُخَذَّلِleft unaided
وَداعي النِزارِيّاتِ غَيرُ مُخَذَّلِ
The intercessor for Nizar’s women never disappoints,
and the advocate for Nizar’s women is never left unaided.
رَدَدتُI returned بِرَغمِdespite the wishes of الجَيشِthe army ماحازَwhat it had seized كُلَّهُall of it
رَدَدتُ بِرَغمِ الجَيشِ ماحازَ كُلَّهُ
وَكَلَّفتُand I charged ماليmy wealth غُرمَwith the liability of كُلِّevery مُضَلِّلِdeceiver
وَكَلَّفتُ مالي غُرمَ كُلِّ مُضَلِّلِ
Despite the army’s wishes, I returned everything it had seized,
and made my own wealth cover every deceiver’s liability.
فَأَصبَحتُso I became فيamong الأَعداءِenemies أَيُّwhat a مُمَدِّحٍmuch-praised man
فَأَصبَحتُ في الأَعداءِ أَيُّ مُمَدِّحٍ
وَإِنthough كُنتُI was فيamong الأَصحابِcompanions أَيُّwhat a مُعَذَّلِmuch-reproached man
وَإِن كُنتُ في الأَصحابِ أَيُّ مُعَذَّلِ
Thus among enemies I became a man much praised,
though among my companions, a man much reproached.
مَضىhas passed away فارِسُthe knight of الحَيَّينِthe two clans زَيدُZayd بنُson of مَنعَةٍMan‘a
مَضى فارِسُ الحَيَّينِ زَيدُ بنُ مَنعَةٍ
وَمَنand whoever يَدنُdraws near مِنto نارِthe fire of الوَقيعَةِbattle يَصطَلِfeels its heat
وَمَن يَدنُ مِن نارِ الوَقيعَةِ يَصطَلِ
Gone is the knight of the two clans, Zayd son of Man‘a;
and whoever nears the fire of battle feels its heat.
وَقَرماand the two champions of بَنيthe sons of البَنّاal-Banna تَميمَTamim اِبنِson of غالِبٍGhalib
وَقَرما بَني البَنّا تَميمَ اِبنِ غالِبٍ
هُمامانِtwo valiant men طَعّانانِtwo fierce spearmen فيin كُلِّevery جَحفَلِgreat army
هُمامانِ طَعّانانِ في كُلِّ جَحفَلِ
And the two champions of Banu al-Banna, Tamim ibn Ghalib—
two valiant men, fierce spearmen in every great army.
وَلَوand had لَمnot تَفُتنيoutstripped me سَورَةُthe fury of الحَربِwar فيهِماconcerning those two
وَلَو لَم تَفُتني سَورَةُ الحَربِ فيهِما
جَرَيتُI would have proceeded عَلىalong رَسمٍa practice مِنَof الصَفحِpardon أَوَّلِlong-standing
جَرَيتُ عَلى رَسمٍ مِنَ الصَفحِ أَوَّلِ
Had war’s fury not outstripped me in their case,
I would have followed my former practice of pardon.
وَعُدتُand I returned كَريمَnoble in البَطشِthe use of force وَالعَفوُand pardon ظافِراًvictorious
وَعُدتُ كَريمَ البَطشِ وَالعَفوُ ظافِراً
أُحَدِّثُI speak عَنof يَومٍa day أَغَرَّwhite-blazed مُحَجَّلِwhite-stockinged
أُحَدِّثُ عَن يَومٍ أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلِ
I returned victorious, noble in both force and pardon,
telling of a white-blazed, white-stockinged day.
Translation model: Sol 6.1