أَلاAh! ياO لِقَومٍpeople, help! لِلتَنائيagainst separation وَلِلهَجرِand against abandonment
أَلا يا لِقَومٍ لِلتَنائي وَلِلهَجرِ
وَطولِand the length of اللَياليthe nights كَيفَhow يُزرينَthey detract بِالعُمرِfrom life
وَطولِ اللَيالي كَيفَ يُزرينَ بِالعُمرِ
Ah, people, help against separation and abandonment,
Oh people prone to separation and estrangement
And the long nights—how they wear away one's life!
And long nights, how they wear down a lifetime!
تَنَحَّstand aside اِبنَson of صَفّارٍSaffar إِلَيكَback to yourself فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
تَنَحَّ اِبنَ صَفّارٍ إِلَيكَ فَإِنَّني
صَبورٌsteadfastly patient عَلىin the face of الشَحناءِhatred وَالنَظَرِand looks الشَزرِhostile and sidelong
صَبورٌ عَلى الشَحناءِ وَالنَظَرِ الشَزرِ
Keep back, son of Saffar, for I
Ibn Saffar has inclined toward you, so verily I
Am steadfast in the face of hatred and hostile sidelong looks.
Am patient with harshness and glance like a spark.
فَماfor not تَرَكَتleft حَيّاتُناour serpents لَكَfor you حَيَّةًa serpent
فَما تَرَكَت حَيّاتُنا لَكَ حَيَّةً
تَقَلَّبُmoves about فيin أَرضٍland بَراحٍopen وَلاnor بَحرِsea
تَقَلَّبُ في أَرضٍ بَراحٍ وَلا بَحرِ
For our serpents have left you not a single serpent
Our lives left you no snake
Moving on open land or in the sea.
That stirs on land, wind-swept, or sea,
فَإِنfor if تَدعُyou summon قَيساًQays ياO دَعِيَّspurious son of مُحارِبٍMuharib
فَإِن تَدعُ قَيساً يا دَعِيَّ مُحارِبٍ
فَقَدthen indeed أَصبَحَتhave become أَفناءُthe clans of قَيسٍQays عَلىin دُبرِretreat
فَقَد أَصبَحَت أَفناءُ قَيسٍ عَلى دُبرِ
For if you call on Qays, O spurious son of Muharib,
If you leave Qays, O caller to battle,
The clans of Qays are already in retreat.
Qays' quarters have retreated in disarray.
فَإِنfor if يَنهَضواthey rise لاnot يَنهَضواthey rise بِجماعَةٍas a united body
فَإِن يَنهَضوا لا يَنهَضوا بِجماعَةٍ
وَإِنand if يَقعُدواthey sit يَطوُواthey fold shut الصُدورَthe breasts عَلىaround غِمرِrancor
وَإِن يَقعُدوا يَطوُوا الصُدورَ عَلى غِمرِ
For if they rise, they do not rise as one;
If they arise, not as one they arise,
And if they sit, they fold their breasts around rancor.
If seated, hunched over hearts in gloom.
لَحىmay ... curse اللَهُGod قَيساًQays حينَwhen فَرَّتfled رِجالُهاits men
لَحى اللَهُ قَيساً حينَ فَرَّت رِجالُها
عَنِaway from النَصَفِthe middle-aged woman السَوداءِblack وَالكاعِبِand the girl with budding breasts البِكرِthe virgin
عَنِ النَصَفِ السَوداءِ وَالكاعِبِ البِكرِ
May God curse Qays for the time its men fled
May God obliterate Qays when her men
Away from the black, middle-aged woman and the virgin with budding breasts.
Fled the black banner and unbroken she-camel.
وَظَلَّتand kept on تُناديcalling out بِالثُدِيِّby their breasts نِساؤُهُمtheir women
وَظَلَّت تُنادي بِالثُدِيِّ نِساؤُهُم
طَوالِعَappearing بِالعَلياءِon the heights مائِلَةَaskew الخُمرِthe head-veils
طَوالِعَ بِالعَلياءِ مائِلَةَ الخُمرِ
And their women kept crying out, pleading by their breasts,
Their women kept calling, those with bulging udders,
Appearing on the heights, their head-veils askew.
Tall, straight-necked, tipping back the wine.
فَإِنfor if يَكُhe be قَدalready قادَled المَقانِبَthe cavalry squadrons مَرَّةًonce
فَإِن يَكُ قَد قادَ المَقانِبَ مَرَّةً
عُمَيرٌUmayr فَقَدthen indeed أَضحىhas now become بِداوِيَّةٍin a wilderness قَفرِbarren
عُمَيرٌ فَقَد أَضحى بِداوِيَّةٍ قَفرِ
For if he once led the cavalry squadrons,
If once the guided camels were led
Umayr now lies in a barren wilderness.
By Umayr, now a desolate wasteland.
تَظَلُّremain سِباعُthe beasts of prey of الشَرعَبِيَّةِal-Shar'abiyya حَولَهُaround him
تَظَلُّ سِباعُ الشَرعَبِيَّةِ حَولَهُ
رُبوضاًcrouching وَماand not كانواthey had أَجَنّوهُburied him فيin قَبرِa grave
رُبوضاً وَما كانوا أَجَنّوهُ في قَبرِ
The wild beasts of al-Shar'abiyya remain around him,
The beasts of the valley crouch around him
Crouching—and he had not been laid in a grave.
Though they never interred him in a grave.
صَريعاًstruck down لِأَسيافٍby swords حِدادٍsharp وَطَعنَةٍand a spear-thrust
صَريعاً لِأَسيافٍ حِدادٍ وَطَعنَةٍ
تَمُجُّspews عَلىover مَتنِthe back of السِنانِthe spearhead دَمَblood of الصَدرِthe chest
تَمُجُّ عَلى مَتنِ السِنانِ دَمَ الصَدرِ
Felled by sharp swords and a spear-thrust
Slain by keen polished swords and stabbing blades
That spews blood from his chest over the spearhead's back.
That plunge through chests to draw forth blood.
عَداoverstepped زُفَرُZufar الشَيخُthe elder الكِلابِيُّthe Kilabi طَورَهُhis bounds
عَدا زُفَرُ الشَيخُ الكِلابِيُّ طَورَهُ
فقَدfor indeed أَنزَلَتهُbrought him down المَنجَنيقُthe catapult مِنَfrom القَصرِthe castle
فقَد أَنزَلَتهُ المَنجَنيقُ مِنَ القَصرِ
Zufar, the Kilabi elder, overstepped his bounds;
Except the Sheikh al-Kilabi in his moment
For the catapult has brought him down from the castle.
When the catapult felled him from the manor.
وَزِرٌّand Zirr أَضاعَتهُforsook him الكَتائِبُthe battalions حَولَهُaround him
وَزِرٌّ أَضاعَتهُ الكَتائِبُ حَولَهُ
فَأَصبَحَso he became مَحطومَshattered الذِراعَينِboth arms وَالنَحرِand the upper chest
فَأَصبَحَ مَحطومَ الذِراعَينِ وَالنَحرِ
And Zirr—the battalions around him forsook him,
A burden the battalions lost around him
So he was left with both arms and his upper chest shattered.
Till he lay severed of arms and throat.
بَنيsons of عامِرٍAmir لَمdid not تَثأَرواyou take vengeance بِأَخيكُمُfor your brother
بَني عامِرٍ لَم تَثأَروا بِأَخيكُمُ
وَلَكِنand yet رَضيتُمyou were content بِاللِقاحِwith milch-camels وَبِالجُزرِand with camels for slaughter
وَلَكِن رَضيتُم بِاللِقاحِ وَبِالجُزرِ
Sons of Amir, you did not avenge your brother,
O clan of Amir you avenged not your brother
But you were content with milch-camels and camels for slaughter.
But were content with milk and raisins.
إِذاwhen عُطِفَتthey are turned وَسطَamong البُيوتِthe dwellings اِحتَلَبتُمُyou draw milk
إِذا عُطِفَت وَسطَ البُيوتِ اِحتَلَبتُمُ
لَهاfor them لَبَناًmilk مَحضاًpure أَمَرَّmore bitter مِنَthan الصَبرِaloes
لَها لَبَناً مَحضاً أَمَرَّ مِنَ الصَبرِ
When they are brought among the dwellings, you draw
If she-camels were rounded up among the homes
Pure milk for them, more bitter than aloes.
You milked them greedily, pure and fresh.
وَلَمّاand when رَأىsaw الرَحمَنُthe All-Merciful أَنthat لَيسَthere was no فيهِمِamong them
وَلَمّا رَأى الرَحمَنُ أَن لَيسَ فيهِمِ
رَشيدٌa right-minded man وَلاnor ناهٍone restraining أَخاهُhis brother عَنِfrom الغَدرِtreachery
رَشيدٌ وَلا ناهٍ أَخاهُ عَنِ الغَدرِ
And when the All-Merciful saw that among them there was no
When the Merciful saw they had no
Right-minded man, nor anyone to restrain his brother from treachery,
Sage or admonisher to deter betrayal,
أَمالَhe turned عَلَيهِمagainst them تَغلِبَTaghlib اِبنَةَdaughter of وائِلٍWa'il
أَمالَ عَلَيهِم تَغلِبَ اِبنَةَ وائِلٍ
فَكانواso they were عَلَيهِمto them مِثلَlike راغِيَةِthe bellow of البَكرِthe young camel
فَكانوا عَلَيهِم مِثلَ راغِيَةِ البَكرِ
He turned Taghlib, daughter of Wa'il, against them,
He set on them the Taghlib of Wail
So they were to them like the bellow of a young camel.
Who were to them like shearing of first wool.
فَسيرواso go إِلىto أَهلِthe people of الحِجازِthe Hijaz فَإِنَّناfor indeed we
فَسيروا إِلى أَهلِ الحِجازِ فَإِنَّنا
نَفَيناكُمwe expelled you عَنfrom مَنبِتِthe growing-ground of القَمحِwheat وَالتَمرِand dates
نَفَيناكُم عَن مَنبِتِ القَمحِ وَالتَمرِ
So go to the people of the Hijaz, for we
So go to the people of Hejaz, we hereby
Have expelled you from the ground where wheat and dates grow.
Banish you from the land of wheat and dates.
وَنَحنُand we حَدَرناwe drove down عامِراًAmir إِذwhen تَجَمَّعَتit massed
وَنَحنُ حَدَرنا عامِراً إِذ تَجَمَّعَت
ضِراباًwith sword-blows وَطَعناًand thrusts بِالمُثَقَّفَةِwith straightened lances السُمرِbrown
ضِراباً وَطَعناً بِالمُثَقَّفَةِ السُمرِ
And we drove Amir down when it massed,
As for us, we taxed Amir when gathered
With sword-blows and thrusts of straightened, brown lances.
With stabs of the jagged, stained spear.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.