كانَتwas مُنادَمَةُcompanionship over wine المُلوكِthe kings وَتاجُهُمand their crown
كانَت مُنادَمَةُ المُلوكِ وَتاجُهُم
لِمُجاشِعٍto Mujashiʿ وَسُلافَةُand the choicest first pressing الجِريالِcrimson wine
لِمُجاشِعٍ وَسُلافَةُ الجِريالِ
Drinking fellowship with kings, and their crown, belonged
to Mujashiʿ, along with the choicest crimson wine.
وَلَئِنand if indeed سَأَلتَyou asked بَنيthe sons of سُلَيمٍSulaym أَيُّناwhich of us
وَلَئِن سَأَلتَ بَني سُلَيمٍ أَيُّنا
أَدنىnearer لِكُلِّto every أَرومَةٍnoble lineage وَفَعالِand worthy deeds
أَدنى لِكُلِّ أَرومَةٍ وَفَعالِ
And if indeed you ask the sons of Sulaym which of us
is nearer to every noble lineage and worthy deed,
لِيُنَبِّأَنَّكَwill surely inform you رَهطُthe kinsmen of مَعنٍMaʿn فَأتِهِمso go to them
لِيُنَبِّأَنَّكَ رَهطُ مَعنٍ فَأتِهِم
بِالعِلمِwith knowledge وَالأَنِفونَand the proud men مِنfrom سَمّالِSammal
بِالعِلمِ وَالأَنِفونَ مِن سَمّالِ
Maʿn’s kinsmen will surely tell you—seek them out—
with full knowledge, as will the proud men of Sammal.
إِنَّindeed السَماءَthe sky لَناours عَلَيكَabove you نُجومُهاits stars
إِنَّ السَماءَ لَنا عَلَيكَ نُجومُها
وَالشَمسُand the sun مُشرِقَةٌshining وَكُلُّand every هِلالِcrescent moon
وَالشَمسُ مُشرِقَةٌ وَكُلُّ هِلالِ
Indeed, the sky’s stars are ours, above you,
and the shining sun, and every crescent moon.
وَلَناand ours مَعاقِلُstrongholds كُلَّevery أَعيَطَlofty باذِخٍtowering
وَلَنا مَعاقِلُ كُلَّ أَعيَطَ باذِخٍ
صَعبٍinaccessible وَكُلُّand every مَباءَةٍdwelling place مِحلالِmuch-frequented
صَعبٍ وَكُلُّ مَباءَةٍ مِحلالِ
And ours are the strongholds of every lofty, towering mountain,
inaccessible, and every much-frequented dwelling.
إِنَّindeed اِبنَthe son of أُختِa sister of بَنيthe sons of كُلَيبٍKulayb خالُهُhis maternal uncle
إِنَّ اِبنَ أُختِ بَني كُلَيبٍ خالُهُ
يَومَon the day of التَفاضُلِcomparing merits أَلأَمُthe basest الأَخوالِmaternal uncles
يَومَ التَفاضُلِ أَلأَمُ الأَخوالِ
Indeed, the son of a sister of Kulayb’s sons has a maternal uncle
who, when merits are compared, is the basest of maternal uncles.
بَعلُthe husband of الغَريبَةِthe woman away from her kin مِنfrom كُلَيبٍKulayb مُمسِكٌholding on
بَعلُ الغَريبَةِ مِن كُلَيبٍ مُمسِكٌ
مِنهاfrom her بِلاwithout حَسَبٍnoble ancestry وَلاand not بِجِمالِwith beauty
مِنها بِلا حَسَبٍ وَلا بِجِمالِ
The husband of a Kulayb woman married away from her kin holds on
to her, with neither noble ancestry nor beauty.
إِنّيindeed I وَجَدتُfound بَنيthe sons of كُلَيبٍKulayb إِنَّماonly
إِنّي وَجَدتُ بَني كُلَيبٍ إِنَّما
خُلِقواthey were created وَأُمِّكَby your mother! مُذsince ثَلاثِthree لَيالِnights
خُلِقوا وَأُمِّكَ مُذ ثَلاثِ لَيالِ
Indeed, I found that the sons of Kulayb were only
created—by your mother!—three nights ago.
يُرويهِمُquenches their thirst الثَمدُthe scant pool الَّذيwhich لَوif حَلَّهُsettled at it
يُرويهِمُ الثَمدُ الَّذي لَو حَلَّهُ
جُرَذانِtwo rats ماnot نَدّاهُماmoistened them both بِبِلالِwith moisture
جُرَذانِ ما نَدّاهُما بِبِلالِ
The scant pool slakes their thirst, though were it visited by
two rats, it would not moisten them with even a drop.
لاnot يُنعِمونَthey bestow favors فَيَستَثيبواso they might seek recompense نِعمَةًa favor
لا يُنعِمونَ فَيَستَثيبوا نِعمَةً
لَهُمُfor them وَلاand not يَجزونَthey repay بِالأَفضالِwith generous deeds
لَهُمُ وَلا يَجزونَ بِالأَفضالِ
They bestow no kindness for which to seek a favor in return
for themselves, nor do they repay with generosity.
يَتَراهَنونَthey wager against one another عَلىon جِيادِfine steeds حَميرِهِمtheir donkeys
يَتَراهَنونَ عَلى جِيادِ حَميرِهِم
مِنfrom غايَةِthe finish line of الغَذَوانِal-Ghadhawan وَالصَلصالِand al-Salsal
مِن غايَةِ الغَذَوانِ وَالصَلصالِ
They wager on the fine steeds among their donkeys,
from the finish line of al-Ghadhawan and al-Salsal.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though مَسَحواthey wiped بِوَجهِwith the face of حِمارِهِمtheir donkey
وَكَأَنَّما مَسَحوا بِوَجهِ حِمارِهِم
ذيbearing الرَقمَتَينِthe two markings جَبينَthe forehead of ذيDhu العُقّالِal-ʿUqqal
ذي الرَقمَتَينِ جَبينَ ذي العُقّالِ
And it is as though they wiped, with their donkey’s face—
the one with two markings—the brow of Dhu al-ʿUqqal.
يَتبَعنَهُمthey follow them سَلَفاًas an advance party عَلىon حُمُراتِهِمtheir donkeys
يَتبَعنَهُم سَلَفاً عَلى حُمُراتِهِم
أَعداءَenemies of بَطنِthe valley floor of شُعَيبَةِShuʿayba الأَوشالِthe scant pools
أَعداءَ بَطنِ شُعَيبَةِ الأَوشالِ
They follow them as an advance party on their donkeys,
foes of Shuʿayba’s valley with its scant pools.
وَيَظَلُّand he spends the day مِنfrom وَهَجِthe blaze of الهَجيرَةِthe midday heat عائِذاًseeking refuge
وَيَظَلُّ مِن وَهَجِ الهَجيرَةِ عائِذاً
بِالظِلِّin the shade حَيثُwherever يَزولُit shifts كُلَّevery مَزالِshift
بِالظِلِّ حَيثُ يَزولُ كُلَّ مَزالِ
And all day, from the blaze of noon, he seeks refuge
in the shade, wherever it shifts, with every move.
وَحَسِبتُand I thought حَربيmy war وَهيَwhile it تَخطِرُstruts بِالقَناwith spears
وَحَسِبتُ حَربي وَهيَ تَخطِرُ بِالقَنا
حَلَبَmilking الحِمارَةِthe she-ass ياO اِبنَson of أُمِّUmm (mother of) رِعالِRiʿal
حَلَبَ الحِمارَةِ يا اِبنَ أُمِّ رِعالِ
And I thought my war, as it strutted with spears,
was milking a she-ass, O son of Umm Riʿal.
كَلّاcertainly not وَحَيثُand by the place where مَسَحتُI stroked أَيمَنَthe right-hand side of بَيتِهِHis House
كَلّا وَحَيثُ مَسَحتُ أَيمَنَ بَيتِهِ
وَسَعَيتُand I hastened أَشعَثَdisheveled مُحرِماًin pilgrim consecration بِحَلالِon unconsecrated ground
وَسَعَيتُ أَشعَثَ مُحرِماً بِحَلالِ
No! By the place where I stroked the right side of His House,
and I hastened, disheveled, in pilgrim consecration on unconsecrated ground.
Translation model: Sol 6.1