أَلَمdid ... not? تَسأَلyou ask بِفاضِحَةَat Fadihah الدِياراthe dwellings
أَلَم تَسأَل بِفاضِحَةَ الدِيارا
مَتىwhen حَلَّsettled الجَميعُthe whole company بِهاin it وَساراand departed
مَتى حَلَّ الجَميعُ بِها وَسارا
Have you not asked the dwellings at Fadihah
Did you not ask about the scandal of the abodes
when the whole company settled there and departed?
When did all settle in it and migrate
وَجُردٍand bare-coated camels طارَflew off باطِلُهاtheir loose hair نَسيلاًin shed tufts
وَجُردٍ طارَ باطِلُها نَسيلاً
وَأَحدَثَand produced قَمؤُهاtheir stunting شَعَراًhair قِصاراshort
وَأَحدَثَ قَمؤُها شَعَراً قِصارا
And bare-coated camels, whose loose hair flew off in tufts,
With bare Jorud whose vanity flowed
and whose stunting brought forth short hair.
And its brambles grew short hair
يَظَلُّkeep on رِعاؤُهاtheir herdsmen يَلقونَencounter مِنهاamong them
يَظَلُّ رِعاؤُها يَلقونَ مِنها
إِذاwhen عُدَّcounted نَظائِرَseparate herds أَوor جَماراmassed herds
إِذا عُدَّ نَظائِرَ أَو جَمارا
Their herdsmen keep finding among them,
Its shepherds will find in it
when counted, separate herds or great masses.
When equals or neighbors are counted
بِصَحراءِin the desert of الهِياشِal-Hiyash لَهاthey have دَوِيٌّa din
بِصَحراءِ الهِياشِ لَها دَوِيٌّ
غَداةَon the morning of قَثامِQatham لَمdid not يَغنَمgain as booty صِراراan udder-tie
غَداةَ قَثامِ لَم يَغنَم صِرارا
In the desert of al-Hiyash they raise a din,
In the desert of Hiyyash it has an echo
on Qatham's morning, when he won no udder-tie.
The morning after a pitch-dark night that did not gain consciousness
أَباO father of الشَبعانِal-Shab'an بَعدَكَbeyond you حَرُّheat نَجدٍNajd
أَبا الشَبعانِ بَعدَكَ حَرُّ نَجدٍ
وَأَبطَحُand the gravel-bed of بَطنِthe valley of مَكَّةَMecca حَيثُwhere غاراit sank low
وَأَبطَحُ بَطنِ مَكَّةَ حَيثُ غارا
Abu al-Shab'an, beyond you lies Najd's heat,
O Abul Shabaan after you the heat of Najd is forbidden
and Mecca's gravelly valley floor, where it sinks low.
And the abdomen of Mecca wherever there is a cave became desolate
سَلواask قَحطانَQahtan أَيُّwhich of اِبنَيthe two sons of نِزارٍNizar
سَلوا قَحطانَ أَيُّ اِبنَي نِزارٍ
اَتىcame قَحطانَQahtan يَلتَمِسُseeking الجِواراprotection
اَتى قَحطانَ يَلتَمِسُ الجِوارا
Ask Qahtan which of Nizar's two sons
Ask Qahtan which son of Nizar
came to Qahtan seeking protection,
Came to Qahtan seeking refuge
فَالَفَهُمthen allied with them وَخالَفَand opposed مِنfrom مَعَدٍّMa'add
فَالَفَهُم وَخالَفَ مِن مَعَدٍّ
وَنارُand the fire of الحَربِwar تَستَعِرُblazes اِستِعاراfiercely
وَنارُ الحَربِ تَستَعِرُ اِستِعارا
then allied with them and opposed those of Ma'add,
So he brought them together and dissented from Ma’add
while the fire of war blazed fiercely.
And the fire of war is blazing borrowed
أَراناI see us لاnot يَزالُceases لَناfor us حَميمٌa close companion
أَرانا لا يَزالُ لَنا حَميمٌ
كَداءِlike a disease of البَطنِthe belly سُلّاًconsumption أَوor صُفاراjaundice
كَداءِ البَطنِ سُلّاً أَو صُفارا
I see that we always have a close companion,
Do we still have an affection
like a belly-sickness—consumption or jaundice.
Like the bile of the belly, roots or blond
يُعالِجُhe struggles with عاقِراًa barren she-camel عاصَتproved intractable عَلَيهِto him
يُعالِجُ عاقِراً عاصَت عَلَيهِ
لِيُلقِحَهاto impregnate her فَيُنتِجَهاand then have her bear حُواراa camel calf
لِيُلقِحَها فَيُنتِجَها حُوارا
He struggles with a barren she-camel that resists him,
He woos a barren one who rebelled against him
to make her conceive and then deliver her of a camel calf.
To impregnate her so he sires cubs
وَيَزعُمُand he claims أَنَّهُthat he نازٍleaping عَلَيناupon us
وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ نازٍ عَلَينا
بِشِرَّتِهِwith his fury فَتارِكُناthus leaving us تَباراin ruin
بِشِرَّتِهِ فَتارِكُنا تَبارا
And he claims that he will leap upon us
And he claims that he is generous with us
in his fury, leaving us utterly ruined.
By his nobility, leaving us to flee
كَحَجَّةِlike the pilgrimage of أُمِّmother of شَعلٍSha'l حينَwhen حَجَّتshe made pilgrimage
كَحَجَّةِ أُمِّ شَعلٍ حينَ حَجَّت
بِكَلبتِهاwith her she-dog فَلَمand did not تَرمِshe cast الجِماراthe ritual pebbles
بِكَلبتِها فَلَم تَرمِ الجِمارا
Like Umm Sha'l's pilgrimage, when she went on pilgrimage
Like the argument of Umm Sha’l when she argued
with her she-dog, but did not cast the ritual pebbles.
With her bitch but did not pelt the neighbor
نُدارِئُهُwe fend him off كَماjust as أَنقاءُsand dunes وَهبٍWahb
نُدارِئُهُ كَما أَنقاءُ وَهبٍ
يُساعِدُهاhe assists them فَتَنهَمِرُso they pour down اِنهِماراin torrents
يُساعِدُها فَتَنهَمِرُ اِنهِمارا
We fend him off, as Wahb's sand dunes,
We tolerate him like the she-camels of Wahb
helped along, pour down in torrents.
Which aid him so they pour heavily
يُدَنِّسُhe defiles عِرضَهُhis honor لِيَنالَto assail عِرضيmy honor
يُدَنِّسُ عِرضَهُ لِيَنالَ عِرضي
أَباO father of دَغفاءَDaghfa' وَلِّدهاmake her bear فِقاراbackbreaking woes
أَبا دَغفاءَ وَلِّدها فِقارا
He defiles his honor to assail mine.
He disgraces his honor to attain my honor
Abu Daghfa', make her bear backbreaking woes!
O Abul Daghfal may you give birth to a mouse
لَهاshe has رِطلٌa ratl-measure تَكيلُshe measures الزَيتَthe oil فيهِin it
لَها رِطلٌ تَكيلُ الزَيتَ فيهِ
وَفَلّاحٌand a farmer يَسوقُhe drives لَهاfor her حِماراa donkey
وَفَلّاحٌ يَسوقُ لَها حِمارا
She has a ratl-measure in which she measures oil,
She has a ratl to measure oil in it
and a farmer who drives a donkey for her.
And a peasant who drives a donkey for her
تَقولُshe says حَليلَتيmy wife بِشَراءَat Shara' إِنّاwe indeed
تَقولُ حَليلَتي بِشَراءَ إِنّا
نَأَيناwe have gone far away أَنto نَزورَwe visit وأَنand to نُزاراwe are visited
نَأَينا أَن نَزورَ وأَن نُزارا
My wife says at Shara', “We
She says "My trinkets are too dear in Shara’"
have gone too far away to visit or be visited.
"We avoid visiting and grouping"
عَلَيكَyou must keep to الجانِبَthe side الوَحشِيِّuninhabited إِنّيI indeed
عَلَيكَ الجانِبَ الوَحشِيِّ إِنّي
سَمِعتُI heard لِقَومِناof our people حِلَفاoaths حَراراfervent
سَمِعتُ لِقَومِنا حِلَفا حَرارا
Keep to the uninhabited side, for I
"Keep away, I heard our people swear strongly"
have heard fierce oaths among our people:
"That if As-Sumar comes we will kill him"
لَئِنif indeed وَرَدَhe comes to water السُمارَal-Sumar لَنَقتُلَنهُwe shall surely kill him
لَئِن وَرَدَ السُمارَ لَنَقتُلَنهُ
فَلاso no وَأَبيكِby your father لاnot أَرِدُI come to water السُماراal-Sumar
فَلا وَأَبيكِ لا أَرِدُ السُمارا
‘If he comes to al-Sumar, we shall surely kill him.’”
"No, by your father, I will not ward off As-Sumar"
So no—by your father, I will not come to al-Sumar.
I fear slanderers who secretly creep to us
أَخافُI fear بَوائِقاًcalamities تَسريcreep along إِلَيناtoward us
أَخافُ بَوائِقاً تَسري إِلَينا
مِنَfrom الأَشياعِthe factions سِرّاًsecretly أَوor جَهاراopenly
مِنَ الأَشياعِ سِرّاً أَو جَهارا
I fear calamities creeping upon us
From the Shia whether openly or secretly
from the factions, secretly or openly.
The gardens of the Muslims I love to graze
جَنانُthe heart المُسلِمينَthe Muslims أَوَدُّmore affectionate مَسّاًin contact
جَنانُ المُسلِمينَ أَوَدُّ مَسّاً
وَلَوand even if جاوَرتَyou lived beside أَسلَمَAslam أَوor غِفاراGhifar
وَلَو جاوَرتَ أَسلَمَ أَو غِفارا
The Muslims' hearts are kinder to the touch,
Even if it neighbored Aslam or Ghifar
even if you lived beside Aslam or Ghifar.
And perhaps a discreet questioner about me
وَرُبَّتَand many a سائِلٍinquirer عَنّيabout me حَفِيٍّearnestly inquisitive
وَرُبَّتَ سائِلٍ عَنّي حَفِيٍّ
أَعارَتhas it gone blind? عَينُهُhis eye أَمor لَمhas not تُعاراgone blind
أَعارَت عَينُهُ أَم لَم تُعارا
And many an earnest inquirer about me asks:
Whose eye lent or did not lend
“Has his eye gone blind, or has it not?”
So if he is happy with what I faced from my people
فَإِنso if يَفرَحrejoice بِماat what لاقَيتُI endured قَوميmy people
فَإِن يَفرَح بِما لاقَيتُ قَومي
لِئامُهُمُtheir vile ones فَلَمthen did not أُكثِرI do much حِواراarguing
لِئامُهُمُ فَلَم أُكثِر حِوارا
If my people rejoice at what I have suffered—
Their ignoble ones, so I did not talk much
their vile ones—I have not argued much.
And I am not a startled, tremulous rabbit
وَلَستُand I am not بِهَيرَعٍa cowardly weakling خَفِقٍfluttering حَشاهُhis innards
وَلَستُ بِهَيرَعٍ خَفِقٍ حَشاهُ
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle طَيَّرَتهُsent him flying الريحُthe wind طاراhe flew
إِذا ما طَيَّرَتهُ الريحُ طارا
I am no cowardly weakling whose innards flutter,
When the wind scares it, it flies
who flies whenever the wind sends him flying.
Nor am I a hornless, hornless ram my weapon
وَلَستَand you are not بِعِرنَةٍa coarse fellow عِرِكٍquarrelsome سِلاحيmy weapon
وَلَستَ بِعِرنَةٍ عِرِكٍ سِلاحي
عَصاًa staff مَثقوبَةٌperforated تَقِصُit cuts الجِماراthe palm hearts
عَصاً مَثقوبَةٌ تَقِصُ الجِمارا
Nor are you a coarse, quarrelsome fellow; my weapon is
A hollow stick that butts the neighbor
a perforated staff that cuts palm hearts.
Nor does youth make me forget my honor
وَلاand not يُنسينِيَmakes me forget الحَدَثانُtime's vicissitudes عِرضيmy honor
وَلا يُنسينِيَ الحَدَثانُ عِرضي
وَلاand not أُلفيI find مِنَfrom الفَرحِjoy الإِزاراthe loincloth
وَلا أُلفي مِنَ الفَرحِ الإِزارا
Nor shall time's vicissitudes make me forget my honor,
Or make me used to wearing only a loincloth
nor, in joy, do I find my loincloth (wording unclear).
And youths like the family of ‘Issa
وَفِتيانٍand many young men كَجَنَةِlike the jinn of آلِthe house of عِسرٍ'Isr
وَفِتيانٍ كَجَنَةِ آلِ عِسرٍ
إِذاwhen لَمdid not يَعدِلِequal المِسكُmusk القُتاراthe scent of roasting meat
إِذا لَم يَعدِلِ المِسكُ القُتارا
And many young men, like the jinn of the house of 'Isr,
When musk does not equate tar
when musk could not match the scent of roasting meat.
Partial English translation: 49 of 50 Arabic lines translated.