ألاlisten! مَنwho مُبلِغٌwill convey عَنّيfrom me حُرَيثاًHurayth
ألا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي حُرَيثاً
مُغَلغَلَةًa far-borne message أَحانَhas his doom come? أَمِor اِزدَراناhas he scorned us
مُغَلغَلَةً أَحانَ أَمِ اِزدَرانا
Listen—who will carry from me to Hurayth
a far-borne message: is his doom at hand, or has he scorned us?
فَإِنّاfor indeed we قَدindeed أَقَمناstood firm إِذwhen فَشِلتُمyou lost heart
فَإِنّا قَد أَقَمنا إِذ فَشِلتُم
وَإِنّاand indeed we بِالرِداعِat al-Ridaʿ لِمَنfor whoever أَتاناcomes to us
وَإِنّا بِالرِداعِ لِمَن أَتانا
For we stood firm when you lost heart,
and at al-Ridaʿ we await whoever comes to us
مِنَof النَعَمِthe livestock الَّتيthat كَحِراجِlike the thickets of إيلٍIl
مِنَ النَعَمِ الَّتي كَحِراجِ إيلٍ
تَحُشُّgraze الأَرضَthe earth شيماًdark-marked أَوor هِجاناwhite
تَحُشُّ الأَرضَ شيماً أَو هِجانا
for the herds, like the thickets of Il,
grazing the earth, dark-marked or white;
وَكُلِّand every طُوالَةٍtall mare شَنِجٍtaut نَساهاher hamstrings
وَكُلِّ طُوالَةٍ شَنِجٍ نَساها
تَبَدُّforces apart بَداwidely المَعارِقِthe whips وَالعِناناand the bridle
تَبَدُّ بَدا المَعارِقِ وَالعِنانا
and every tall mare with taut hamstrings,
forcing whips and bridle wide apart;
وَأَجرَدَand a sleek-coated one مِنamong فُحولِthe stallions of الخَيلِthe horses طِرفٍa choice steed
وَأَجرَدَ مِن فُحولِ الخَيلِ طِرفٍ
كَأَنَّas though عَلىupon شَواكِلِهِhis flanks دِهاناoil
كَأَنَّ عَلى شَواكِلِهِ دِهانا
and a sleek, choice stallion among the horses,
as though his flanks were coated with oil.
وَيَحميand protects الحَيَّthe clan أَرعَنُa towering army ذوpossessing دُروعٍcoats of mail
وَيَحمي الحَيَّ أَرعَنُ ذو دُروعٍ
مِنَof السُلافِthe foremost warriors تَحسَبُهُyou would think it إِواناa great hall
مِنَ السُلافِ تَحسَبُهُ إِوانا
And a towering, mail-clad host protects the clan,
of foremost warriors—you would take it for a great hall.
فَلاso no وَأَبيكَby your father لاnot نُعطيكَwe give you مِنهاany of them
فَلا وَأَبيكَ لا نُعطيكَ مِنها
طِوالَthroughout حَياتِناour lives إِلّاexcept سِناناa spearhead
طِوالَ حَياتِنا إِلّا سِنانا
No, by your father—we will give you none of them,
throughout our lives, except a spearhead,
وَإِلّاand except كُلَّevery أَسمَرَbrown-shafted spear وَهوَand it is صَدقٌsturdy
وَإِلّا كُلَّ أَسمَرَ وَهوَ صَدقٌ
كَأَنَّas though الليطَthe outer bark أَنبَتَhad sprouted خَيزُراناbamboo
كَأَنَّ الليطَ أَنبَتَ خَيزُرانا
and every sturdy, brown-shafted spear,
as though its bark had sprouted bamboo;
وَإِلّاand except كُلَّevery ذيpossessing شُطَبٍgrooves صَقيلٍpolished
وَإِلّا كُلَّ ذي شُطَبٍ صَقيلٍ
يَقُدُّcleaves إِذاwhen عَلاrises العُنُقُthe neck الجِراناthe throat
يَقُدُّ إِذا عَلا العُنُقُ الجِرانا
and every polished, grooved blade
that cleaves the throat when the neck is raised.
أَكَبَّhe pressed down عَلَيهِupon it مِصقَلَتَيهِhis two burnishers يَوماًone day
أَكَبَّ عَلَيهِ مِصقَلَتَيهِ يَوماً
أَبوAbu عَجلانَʿAjlan يَشحَذُهُsharpening it فَتاناour young man
أَبو عَجلانَ يَشحَذُهُ فَتانا
One day he pressed his two burnishers upon it—
Abu ʿAjlan, our young man, sharpening it.
فَظَلَّso he continued عَلَيهِover it يَرشَحُoozed sweat عارِضاهُhis two cheeks
فَظَلَّ عَلَيهِ يَرشَحُ عارِضاهُ
يَحُدُّhoning الشَفرَتَينِthe two edges فَماand did not أَلاناrelent
يَحُدُّ الشَفرَتَينِ فَما أَلانا
He kept at it, both cheeks beading with sweat,
honing both edges without relenting.
وَلاand not نُعطيwe grant المُنىwishes قَوماًa people عَلَيناagainst us
وَلا نُعطي المُنى قَوماً عَلَينا
كَماjust as لَيسَare not الأُمورُaffairs عَلىaccording to مُناناour wishes
كَما لَيسَ الأُمورُ عَلى مُنانا
And we grant no people their wishes against us,
just as affairs do not follow our own wishes.
وَلاnor are we كُشُفٌshieldless cowards فَنَسأَمَthat we should tire of حَربَwar with قَومٍa people
وَلا كُشُفٌ فَنَسأَمَ حَربَ قَومٍ
إِذاwhen أَزَمَتbites into رَحىًa millstone لَهُمُof theirs رَحاناour millstone
إِذا أَزَمَت رَحىً لَهُمُ رَحانا
Nor are we shieldless cowards, to tire of fighting a people
when a millstone of theirs bites into ours.
يَسوقُdrives لَناagainst us قِلابَةَQilaba عَبدُʿAbd عَمرٍʿAmr
يَسوقُ لَنا قِلابَةَ عَبدُ عَمرٍ
لِيَرمِيَناto assail us بِهِمwith them فيمَنamong those who رَماناassailed us
لِيَرمِيَنا بِهِم فيمَن رَمانا
ʿAbd ʿAmr drives Qilaba against us,
to assail us with them, among those who have assailed us.
وَلَوand had نَظَرواthey waited for الصَباحَdawn إِذاًthen لَذاقواthey would surely have tasted
وَلَو نَظَروا الصَباحَ إِذاً لَذاقوا
بِأَطرافِat the tips of الأَسِنَّةِthe spearheads ماwhat قِراناour guest-fare is
بِأَطرافِ الأَسِنَّةِ ما قِرانا
And had they waited for dawn, they would have tasted
at the spearheads' tips, the fare we serve our guests.
وَإِنّاand indeed we بِالصُلَيبِat al-Sulayb وَبَطنِand in the valley of فَلجٍFalj
وَإِنّا بِالصُلَيبِ وَبَطنِ فَلجٍ
جَميعاًall together واضِعينَsetting بِهاthere لَظاناour blaze
جَميعاً واضِعينَ بِها لَظانا
And we are at al-Sulayb and in the valley of Falj,
all together, kindling our blaze there.
نُدَخِّنُwe raise smoke بِالنَهارِby day لِتُبصِريناso you may see us
نُدَخِّنُ بِالنَهارِ لِتُبصِرينا
وَلاand not نَخفىwe are hidden عَلىfrom أَحَدٍanyone بَغاناwho seeks us
وَلا نَخفى عَلى أَحَدٍ بَغانا
We raise smoke by day so that you may see us,
and we are hidden from no one who seeks us.
فَإِنso if يَحتَفinquires closely أَبوAbu عِمرانَʿImran عَنّاabout us
فَإِن يَحتَف أَبو عِمرانَ عَنّا
فَإِنّاfor indeed we وَالثَواقِبِby the piercing stars لَوif رَآناhe saw us
فَإِنّا وَالثَواقِبِ لَو رَآنا
So if Abu ʿImran inquires about us,
then, by the piercing stars, if he saw us,
لَقالَwould surely say المُعوِلاتُthe wailing women عَلَيهِover him مِنهُمamong them
لَقالَ المُعوِلاتُ عَلَيهِ مِنهُم
لَقَدsurely حانَتhas come مَنِيَّتُهُhis death وَحاناand he has met his doom
لَقَد حانَت مَنِيَّتُهُ وَحانا
the women among them wailing over him would say:
“His death has surely come, and he has met his doom.”
Translation model: Sol 6.1