ياO كَعبُKa'b إِنَّindeed أَخاكَyour brother مُنحَمِقٌfoolhardy
يا كَعبُ إِنَّ أَخاكَ مُنحَمِقٌ
فَاِشدُدso tighten إِزارَthe waistcloth of أَخيكَyour brother ياO كَعبُKa'b
فَاِشدُد إِزارَ أَخيكَ يا كَعبُ
O Ka'b, your brother is foolhardy.
O Ka'b, your brother is truly foolish,
So tighten your brother's waistcloth, O Ka'b.
So steady the loins of your brother, O Ka'b.
أَتَجودُwill you give freely? بِالدَمِwith blood ذيpossessing المَضِنَّةِpreciousness فيin الthe (continued next line)
أَتَجودُ بِالدَمِ ذي المَضِنَّةِ في ال
جُلّىgreat calamity وَتلوىand are withheld النابُthe old she-camel وَالسَقبُand the male camel calf
جُلّى وَتلوى النابُ وَالسَقبُ
Will you freely give precious blood in the
Will you shed the blood of him who is sorely tried in the heat of mid-day when the serpents twist and turn?
great calamity, while the old she-camel and male calf are withheld?
The belts do not proclaim the place of their loins,
تَنبوstand away المَناطِقُthe girdles عَنfrom جُنوبِهِمtheir flanks
تَنبو المَناطِقُ عَن جُنوبِهِم
وَأَسِنَّةُand the spearheads الخَطِّيِّof Khatti spears لاnot تَنبوglance off
وَأَسِنَّةُ الخَطِّيِّ لا تَنبو
Girdles stand away from their flanks,
Yet the tongues of the slanderers do not cease.
but the points of Khatti spears do not.
I swore an oath, and I am not a liar,
إِنّيindeed I حَلَفتُhave sworn فَلَستُso I am not كاذِبَهُfalse to it
إِنّي حَلَفتُ فَلَستُ كاذِبَهُ
حَلفَthe oath of المُلَبِّدِthe matted-haired man شَفَّهُwore him down النَحبُthe vow
حَلفَ المُلَبِّدِ شَفَّهُ النَحبُ
I have sworn, and will not belie my oath—
Swore the wearer of the garment, yet his mouth was parched.
the oath of a matted-haired man worn down by his vow.
Before me looms a time of such ill traits,
يَنفَكُّwill not cease (oath-implied negation) عِنديwith me الدَهرَfor all time ذوpossessing خُصِلٍlocks of hair
يَنفَكُّ عِندي الدَهرَ ذو خُصِلٍ
نَهدُstout الجُزارَةِin head and limbs مِنهَبٌswift غَربُfiery
نَهدُ الجُزارَةِ مِنهَبٌ غَربُ
A long-maned horse shall remain with me for all time,
Like the teats of a butcher's sheep, dripping blood.
stout-limbed, swift and fiery.
When its rider wants to tighten its girth,
يَشتَدُّruns hard حينَwhen يُريدُwishes فارِسُهُits rider
يَشتَدُّ حينَ يُريدُ فارِسُهُ
شَدَّthe running of الجِدايَةِthe young gazelle غَمَّهاoverwhelmed it الكَربُdistress
شَدَّ الجِدايَةِ غَمَّها الكَربُ
It races whenever its rider wishes,
Like a shield covered with the hides of camels,
like a young gazelle running, overwhelmed by distress.
It was pliant when first it was taken,
أَلانَis it now? إِذwhen أَخَذَتit took مَآخِذَهاits courses
أَلانَ إِذ أَخَذَت مَآخِذَها
وَتَباعَدَand grew distant الأَنسابُties of descent وَالقُربُand kinship
وَتَباعَدَ الأَنسابُ وَالقُربُ
Only now, when war has taken hold,
While lineages and kinships were yet undivided.
and ties of descent and kinship have grown distant,
You set out to give protection to those who deserved none,
أَقبَلتَyou came forward تُعطيyou concede خُطَّةًterms غَبَناًat a loss
أَقبَلتَ تُعطي خُطَّةً غَبَناً
وَتَرَكتَهاand you left it وَمَسَدُّهاand closing its breach رَأبُmending
وَتَرَكتَها وَمَسَدُّها رَأبُ
do you come yielding to terms that bring loss,
Then you left them, though stopping them was your duty.
though you left it when its breach could still be mended?
He who wrongs you, who could wrong you, when you avoid
جانيكَyour wrongdoer مَنwhoever يَجنيcommits an offense عَلَيكَagainst you وَقَدand indeed
جانيكَ مَن يَجني عَلَيكَ وَقَد
تُعديcan infect الصِحاحَthe healthy camels مَبارِكَresting grounds الجُربُthe mangy camels
تُعدي الصِحاحَ مَبارِكَ الجُربُ
Your wrongdoer is whoever brings harm upon you; and indeed,
The righteous and consort with the mangy scabbed ones?
the resting grounds of mangy camels can infect the healthy.
War forces even the wrongdoer
وَالحَربُand war قَدmay تضطَرُّforces جانِيَهاits instigator
وَالحَربُ قَد تضطَرُّ جانِيَها
إِلىinto المَضيقِthe narrow pass وَدونَهُand before it الرَحبُopen ground
إِلى المَضيقِ وَدونَهُ الرَحبُ
And war may drive its instigator
To the narrow plain, though the open country be vast.
into a narrow pass, though open ground lies before it.
How often is a man seized for the guilt of his clan,
وَلَرُبَّand indeed many a مَأخوذٍone seized بِذَنبِfor the offense of عَشيرَةٍa clan
وَلَرُبَّ مَأخوذٍ بِذَنبِ عَشيرَةٍ
وَنَجاand escaped المُقارِفُthe perpetrator صاحِبُthe one responsible for الذَنبِthe offense
وَنَجا المُقارِفُ صاحِبُ الذَنبِ
And many a man has been seized for a clan's offense,
While the guilty one goes free, the doer of the deed!
while the perpetrator, the guilty one, has escaped.
Partial English translation: 21 of 22 Arabic lines translated.