هَلِdoes? الرَبعُthe encampment قَدalready أَمسَتhave become خَلاءًdeserted مَنازِلُهits dwellings
هَلِ الرَبعُ قَد أَمسَت خَلاءً مَنازِلُه
يُجيبُanswers صَداهُits echo أَوor يُخَبِّرُinforms سائِلُهits questioner
يُجيبُ صَداهُ أَو يُخَبِّرُ سائِلُه
Does the encampment, whose dwellings now lie empty,
Has the abode become desolate, with no one to answer its echo or inform its questioner?
answer through its echo, or give its questioner news?
Has a lover become weakened with sadness, wiping away a falling tear?
وَهَلand can? مُغرَمٌa lovesick man قَدalready ضَعَّفَdoubled الحُزنَthe grief وَجدَهُhis yearning
وَهَل مُغرَمٌ قَد ضَعَّفَ الحُزنَ وَجدَهُ
يُكَفكِفُstems دَمعاًtears قَدalready تَحَدَّرَstreamed down هامِلُهtheir flowing torrent
يُكَفكِفُ دَمعاً قَد تَحَدَّرَ هامِلُه
And can a lovesick man, whose yearning has doubled his grief,
Help me against an eye whose tears are scarce, though they disobey,
stem the tears that have streamed down in torrents?
And against a heart with many sorrows and troubles.
أَعِنّيhelp me عَلىagainst عَينٍan eye قَليلٍscant هُجودُهاits sleep
أَعِنّي عَلى عَينٍ قَليلٍ هُجودُها
عَصَتhas rebelled وَعَلىand against قَلبٍa heart كَثيرٍmany بَلابِلُهits torments
عَصَت وَعَلى قَلبٍ كَثيرٍ بَلابِلُه
Help me against an eye whose sleep is scant,
It recoils and stays away from those whose nearness we love,
that has rebelled, and against a heart whose torments are many.
And cuts us off from someone whose separation we bemoan.
يَشُطُّgoes far away فَيَنأىthen grows distant مَنthe one whom نُحِبُّwe love اِقتِرابَهُhis nearness
يَشُطُّ فَيَنأى مَن نُحِبُّ اِقتِرابَهُ
وَيَقطَعُناand cuts us off مِنthrough هَجرِهِhis desertion مَنthe one whom نُواصِلُهwe keep ties with
وَيَقطَعُنا مِن هَجرِهِ مَن نُواصِلُه
He whose nearness we cherish withdraws and grows distant,
Victory has been achieved, though it is the foremost of rights,
and he with whom we keep ties cuts us off through his desertion.
By the armies of Abul Jaysh, the separator of intimates.
لَقَدindeed نُصِرَتwere granted victory وَالنَصرُand victory أَولىthe foremost حُقوقِهاof their dues
لَقَد نُصِرَت وَالنَصرُ أَولى حُقوقِها
جُيوشُthe armies أَبيAbu (father of) الجَيشِal-Jaysh (the army) الحِدادَkeen-edged مَناصِلُهhis sword-blades
جُيوشُ أَبي الجَيشِ الحِدادَ مَناصِلُه
Victory has indeed been granted—and is their foremost due—
The enemies' plots sufficed them until their deceit grew old,
to the armies of Abu al-Jaysh, whose sword-blades are keen.
Like Tugj the son of Juff, stoning with canisters.
كَفاهُshielded him from العِدىthe foes حَتّىuntil تَصَرَّمَcame to an end كَيدُهُمtheir scheming
كَفاهُ العِدى حَتّى تَصَرَّمَ كَيدُهُم
طُغَجُّTughj بنُson of جُفٍّJuff مُصلَتاتٍpoised to strike قَنابِلُهhis squadrons
طُغَجُّ بنُ جُفٍّ مُصلَتاتٍ قَنابِلُه
He was shielded from his foes until their scheming came to an end
With Cuneo the Sublime as a place when the enemy
by Tughj ibn Juff, whose squadrons were poised to strike,
Stained Cuneo the Sublime with their machinations.
بِقونِيَةَat Quniya العُلياlofty مَكاناًin location إِذِwhen القَناthe spears
بِقونِيَةَ العُليا مَكاناً إِذِ القَنا
بِقونِيَةَat Quniya العُلياlofty تُدُمّىare bloodied عَوامِلُهtheir spearheads
بِقونِيَةَ العُليا تُدُمّى عَوامِلُه
at Quniya, lofty in its setting, when the spears
And on the day of the fire in Meloria, death came easily
at lofty Quniya were bloodied at their tips.
To its inhabitants, quickly finding its victims.
وَيَومَand on the day of الحَريقِthe fire فيin مَلورِيَّةَMaluriyya اِنتَحىmade for
وَيَومَ الحَريقِ في مَلورِيَّةَ اِنتَحى
لِساكِنِهاfor its inhabitants مَوتٌa death تَيَسَّرَcame readily عاجِلُهits swift onset
لِساكِنِها مَوتٌ تَيَسَّرَ عاجِلُه
And on the day of the fire in Maluriyya, there came
And captives were taken from Burgot like herds of gazelles
for its inhabitants a death swift and unhindered.
Meeting their hunters and seekers.
وَأُصفِيَand were set apart مِنfrom بُرغوثَBurghuth سَبيٌcaptives كَأَنَّماas though
وَأُصفِيَ مِن بُرغوثَ سَبيٌ كَأَنَّما
عَقابيلُsuccessive bands أَسرابِof herds الظِباءِof gazelles عَقابِلُهtheir successive bands
عَقابيلُ أَسرابِ الظِباءِ عَقابِلُه
And captives were set apart from Burghuth, as though
Their horses disturbed the slumbering steeds of Doomustuc,
their successive bands were successive bands of gazelle herds.
As a miscreant disturbs one living virtuously.
وَقَدand indeed أَزعَجَتdrove out خَيلَthe cavalry الدُمُستُقِof the Domestikos خَيلُهُhis cavalry
وَقَد أَزعَجَت خَيلَ الدُمُستُقِ خَيلُهُ
كَماjust as أَزعَجَdrove out العامَthe year المُجَرَّمَfully elapsed قابِلُهits successor
كَما أَزعَجَ العامَ المُجَرَّمَ قابِلُه
And his cavalry has driven out the cavalry of the Domestikos,
No refuge remains but what his swords encompass,
as the coming year drives out the year gone by.
No spoils but what his great armies seize.
فَلاso no مَعقِلٌstronghold إِلّاbut حَوَتهُseized it سُيوفُهُhis swords
فَلا مَعقِلٌ إِلّا حَوَتهُ سُيوفُهُ
وَلاand no مَغنَمٌbooty إِلّاbut حَجَتهُsought it out جَحافِلُهhis mighty hosts
وَلا مَغنَمٌ إِلّا حَجَتهُ جَحافِلُه
So there is no stronghold his swords have not seized,
When Tugj marches into the heart of an army,
and no booty his mighty hosts have not sought out.
Its outskirts answer him at night.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle طُغُجُّTughj سارَmarches فيat صَدرِthe head of عَسكَرٍan army
إِذا ما طُغُجُّ سارَ في صَدرِ عَسكَرٍ
تُجيبُanswer رَواغيهِits bellowing camels عِشاءًat nightfall صَواهِلُهits neighing horses
تُجيبُ رَواغيهِ عِشاءً صَواهِلُه
Whenever Tughj marches at the head of an army,
You see transgression has made wrongdoing easy,
whose neighing horses answer its bellowing camels at nightfall,
As its minarets are raised up high.
رَأَيتَyou see الرَدىdeath سَهلَeasy السَبيلِthe path إِلىto العِدىthe foes
رَأَيتَ الرَدى سَهلَ السَبيلِ إِلى العِدى
وَقَدand already رُفِعَتhave been raised لِلناظِرينَfor the watchers قَساطِلُهits battle-dust clouds
وَقَد رُفِعَت لِلناظِرينَ قَساطِلُه
you see death finding an easy path to the foes,
When gloomy fate darkens, he illuminates it,
with the army's clouds of battle-dust raised before the watchers.
More daring than the youths, his features beautiful.
إِذاwhen أَظلَمَgrows dark الدَهرُTime العَبوسُfrowning أَضاءَهُilluminates it
إِذا أَظلَمَ الدَهرُ العَبوسُ أَضاءَهُ
أَغَرُّa radiant man مِنَamong الفِتيانِthe young men حُلوٌsweet شَمائِلُهhis qualities
أَغَرُّ مِنَ الفِتيانِ حُلوٌ شَمائِلُه
When frowning Time grows dark, it is illumined
When the dweller seeks the glory of his high station,
by a radiant young man, sweet in his ways.
Tubba and his entrusted ones deny it to them.
إِذاwhen طَلَبَseek الأَقامُthe peoples (uncertain reading) رُتبَةَthe rank of مَجدِهِhis glory
إِذا طَلَبَ الأَقامُ رُتبَةَ مَجدِهِ
أَباهاdenied it عَلَيهِمto them تُبَّعٌTubbaʿ وَمُقاوِلُهand his chieftains
أَباها عَلَيهِم تُبَّعٌ وَمُقاوِلُه
When the peoples seek his rank in glory,
Tubbaʿ and his chieftains deny it to them.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.