آبَreturned الرُدَينِيُّthe Rudayni spear وَالحُسامُand the keen sword مَعاًtogether
آبَ الرُدَينِيُّ وَالحُسامُ مَعاً
وَلَمand did not يَؤُبreturn حامِلُthe bearer الحُسامِthe keen sword مَعَهwith it
وَلَم يَؤُب حامِلُ الحُسامِ مَعَه
The Rudayni spear and the keen sword returned together,
Both Rudaini and his sword together went,
but the sword's bearer did not return with it.
Yet the sword bearer returned not with him.
إِنَّindeed الخَفيفَthe light, nimble one الحاذَينِthe two haunches جَدَّلَهُfelled him
إِنَّ الخَفيفَ الحاذَينِ جَدَّلَهُ
مُعَيَّرٌone taunted بِالقُعودِfor idleness وَالرَتَعَهand indulgence
مُعَيَّرٌ بِالقُعودِ وَالرَتَعَه
Indeed, the light-haunched man was felled
The nimble footed blamed him, scorned at his stay,
by one taunted for idleness and indulgence.
Called him deserter who the battle forsook.
غَداwent forth عَليهِagainst him مَنone who كانَwas خيفَتُهfear of him
غَدا عَليهِ مَن كانَ خيفَتُه
بَرقاًdazed with fear عَلىin الهَونِabasement لازِماًkeeping to ضَلَعَهhis place
بَرقاً عَلى الهَونِ لازِماً ضَلَعَه
He was assailed by one whom fear of him had kept
At daybreak he who erst on foot did fare
dazed in abasement, keeping to his place.
Now on his mare keeps pace, her flank his guard.
لَوif أَنصَفَacted justly الحَيُّthe clan مِنof رَبيعَتِهِhis Rabiʿa
لَو أَنصَفَ الحَيُّ مِن رَبيعَتِهِ
ماnot صافَspent summer مُحتَلَّهُits encampment وَلاnor رَبَعَهsettled in it
ما صافَ مُحتَلَّهُ وَلا رَبَعَه
Had the clan of his Rabiʿa done him justice,
Had he but dealt his spring time generously
it would not have summered in its camp or settled there,
He had not shrunk from autumn's narrow ways.
وَاِنتَزَعَand wrested الثارَvengeance مِنfrom مَظنَّتِهits proper source
وَاِنتَزَعَ الثارَ مِن مَظنَّتِه
مُعاجِلاًacting swiftly بِالدَمِwith bloodshed الَّذيthe one who اِنتَزَعَهhad taken it
مُعاجِلاً بِالدَمِ الَّذي اِنتَزَعَه
and would have wrested vengeance from its proper source,
Swift he avenged the wrong to honor done,
swiftly exacting blood from the one who had taken it,
With blood that for like cause he erst had shed.
بِالسُمرِwith brown spears تَهتَزُّquivering فيin أَسِنَّتِهاtheir spearheads
بِالسُمرِ تَهتَزُّ في أَسِنَّتِها
وَالخَيلِand horses تَعدوrun العَنيقَthe swift, long-striding gait وَالرَبَعَهand the bounding gallop
وَالخَيلِ تَعدو العَنيقَ وَالرَبَعَه
with brown spears quivering at their points,
On their lips Summer glows that speech inspire,
and horses racing in long strides and bounding gallops,
While the steeds pasture free in field and plain.
فيin جَحَفَلٍa mighty host قَعقَعَتclattered حَوافِرُهits hooves
في جَحَفَلٍ قَعقَعَت حَوافِرُه
قَعاقِعَrumblings الرَعدِthunder حادِياًdriving onward قُزَعَهits scattered cloudlets
قَعاقِعَ الرَعدِ حادِياً قُزَعَه
in a mighty host whose hooves clattered
With thunder of their hooves his horses trod,
like thunder's rumblings as it drives its scattered cloudlets.
As thunder rends through sheeted rain.
تَملَؤُهُtakes it in admiringly عَينُthe eye مَنwhoever رَآهُsaw it وَتَرand [beginning of 'quakes']
تَملَؤُهُ عَينُ مَن رَآهُ وَتَر
تَجُّ[completion of 'quakes'] مِنَfrom الرُعبِterror أُذنُthe ear مِنwhoever سَمعَهheard it
تَجُّ مِنَ الرُعبِ أُذنُ مِن سَمعَه
The eye of whoever sees it takes it in with admiration; and
Eyes filled on sight of him, and ears assailed
the ear of whoever hears it quakes with terror.
Fell trembling at the din, by terror shook.
كانَhe was سَناناًa spearhead يَزينُadorning صَعدَتَهُمtheir straight spear shaft
كانَ سَناناً يَزينُ صَعدَتَهُم
شُلَّmay he be paralyzed بِذاكَby that السِنانِspearhead مَنwhoever نَزَعَهpulled it out
شُلَّ بِذاكَ السِنانِ مَن نَزَعَه
He was a spearhead adorning their straight lance;
A sharpener he that gave their swords their sheen,
may that spearhead cripple whoever tore it out!
With him made limp who erst unyielding stood.
وَمارِناًand a nose-tip لَمnot يَزَلcease لَهُfor him ظُبَةٌa cutting edge
وَمارِناً لَم يَزَل لَهُ ظُبَةٌ
يَجدَعُsevers أَعناقَthe necks حَيِّthe clan مَنthe one who جَدَعَهcut it off
يَجدَعُ أَعناقَ حَيِّ مَن جَدَعَه
And a nose-tip that never lacked a cutting edge,
No respite he who necks of heroes broke,
severing the necks of the clan of him who cut it off.
Like wand of death felling where'er he struck.
يُطلِعُهُraises him فَوقَabove كُلِّevery مَرقَبَةٍlookout height
يُطلِعُهُ فَوقَ كُلِّ مَرقَبَةٍ
قَلبٌa heart جَرِيٌّbold وَعَزمَةٌand a resolve طُلَعَهever-aspiring
قَلبٌ جَرِيٌّ وَعَزمَةٌ طُلَعَه
Above every lookout height he was raised
Each heights surveys he with unflinching glance,
by a bold heart and an ever-aspiring resolve.
By fiery soul impelled to highest aim.
إِذاwhen جَرىhe raced وَالحَسودَalong with the envier فيon صُعُدٍupward slopes
إِذا جَرى وَالحَسودَ في صُعُدٍ
مِنَof العُلىglory يَبغِيانِboth seeking مُمتَنَعَهits inaccessible summit
مِنَ العُلى يَبغِيانِ مُمتَنَعَه
When he raced with the envious man up the slopes
When others climb, envy and rancor move,
of glory, both seeking its inaccessible summit,
He seeks what they as unattainable rate.
خَلّىleft غُبارَdust المَدىthe racecourse لَهُto him وَمَضىand went on
خَلّى غُبارَ المَدى لَهُ وَمَضى
يَطلُبُseeking قوتَnourishment العُيونِthe eyes مُنقَطَعَهits farthest limit
يَطلُبُ قوتَ العُيونِ مُنقَطَعَه
he left him the dust of the racecourse and went on,
The dust of plain behind him cast, he fares
seeking where the eyes' nourishment runs out.
To smite the arrogant eyes uplifted high.
أَبكيI mourn نَداهُhis bounty العَريضَample أَمor بِشرَهhis cheerful countenance اللا[beginning of 'the radiant']
أَبكي نَداهُ العَريضَ أَم بِشرَه اللا
معَ[completion of 'radiant'] لِلمُعتَفينَfor supplicants أَمor وَرَعَهhis piety
معَ لِلمُعتَفينَ أَم وَرَعَه
Shall I mourn his ample bounty, or his cheerful face,
For him I weep, or for his name extolled,
radiant for supplicants, or his piety?
To God resigning in admission meek?
أَيّهاO عُقَيلٌʿUqayl وَأَيُّand what مَنقَصَةٍdisgrace
أَيّها عُقَيلٌ وَأَيُّ مَنقَصَةٍ
كَوَضعِlike bringing low مَولىa client الأَقوامِthe tribes مَنthe one who رَفعَهraised him
كَوَضعِ مَولى الأَقوامِ مَن رَفعَه
O ʿUqayl, what disgrace
O Ukail! what defect or loss resides
is like a client of the tribes bringing low the man who raised him?
In placement meet of lands' great Lord ordained?
صارَbecame طِرادُchasing المُلوكِkings عادَتَكُمyour habit
صارَ طِرادُ المُلوكِ عادَتَكُم
بَعدَafter طِرادِchasing البَعوضِmosquitoes وَالقَمَعَهand large blue flies
بَعدَ طِرادِ البَعوضِ وَالقَمَعَه
Chasing kings has become your habit,
When scouting kings was your accustomed course,
after chasing mosquitoes and bluebottles.
Better than wasps and worms why feel debased?
أُلامُI am blamed أَنّيthat I رَثَيتُI elegized زافِرَةًa supporting clan
أُلامُ أَنّي رَثَيتُ زافِرَةً
كانواthey were نَجومَstars الفَخارِglory أَوor لُمَعَهits gleams
كانوا نَجومَ الفَخارِ أَو لُمَعَه
I am blamed for elegizing a clan of supporters,
Alas! for one a wailing song I sang
who were the stars of glory, or its gleams.
Who stars of glory were, or meteors bright.
إِنif لاnot تَكُنbe ذيthese الأُصولُancestral roots تَجمَعُناunite us
إِن لا تَكُن ذي الأُصولُ تَجمَعُنا
يَوماًever فَإِنَّthen indeed القُلوبَthe hearts مُجتَمِعَهunited
يَوماً فَإِنَّ القُلوبَ مُجتَمِعَه
If these ancestral roots do not unite us
If ancestral roots unite us not today,
ever, our hearts are indeed united.
Then hearts tomorrow shall again unite.
كَمhow many رَحِمٍa kinship bond بِالعُقوقِthrough familial disloyalty نَقطَعُهاwe sever it
كَم رَحِمٍ بِالعُقوقِ نَقطَعُها
وَرَحِمُand the kinship bond الوُدِّaffection غَيرُnot مُنقَطِعَهsevered
وَرَحِمُ الوُدِّ غَيرُ مُنقَطِعَه
How many kinship bonds we sever through ingratitude,
How oft we sever hearts by disrespect,
while the kinship of affection remains unbroken.
While hearts through love can never be disjoined.
لاdo not تَيأَسواdespair مِنof ثُقوبِthe kindling زَندِهِمُtheir firestick
لا تَيأَسوا مِن ثُقوبِ زَندِهِمُ
كَأَنَّنيas though I بِالزَمانِwith Time قَدalready قَرَعَهstruck it
كَأَنَّني بِالزَمانِ قَد قَرَعَه
Do not despair of their firestick kindling;
Despair not holes their coats disclose to you,
it is as though I see Time already striking it.
Methinks the time itself wears threadbare grown.
لابُدَّthere is no escape مِنfrom أَنthat يَثوبَreturn حالَهُمُtheir state
لابُدَّ مِن أَن يَثوبَ حالَهُمُ
لِكُلِّfor every ضيقٍhardship مِنَamong الأُمورِaffairs سِعَهease
لِكُلِّ ضيقٍ مِنَ الأُمورِ سِعَه
Their former state must surely return;
Need is that their condition mend its course,
for every hardship in life there is ease.
For straits of life are followed by relief.